The new UMSL Patient Care Center is expected to open at the start of the fall semester. (Photos by August Jennewein)

If you’ve driven by the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus lately, it’s hard to miss the new UMSL Patient Care Center going up next to Natural Bridge Road.

“The community has been asking for this for a long time,” says College of Optometry Dean Larry Davis. “We want to be sure we care for our community. If we build it, they will come.”

The metal frame from the fall is now covered in red brick and sleek mirrored windows. But what’s happening on the inside? Davis gave UMSL Daily a sneak peek inside the center’s development.

Scroll below for an inside view.

Step through the front doors into this welcome area, which features a circular window casting the sunlight in colorful rays and a signature decorative wall that will have the slits lit up with LED lights. At the far end, a play area will keep children entertained while they wait for their appointment.

Davis points out the overhead, high-intensity LED lighting incorporated into the design of this mock exam room.

“This solves the problems we have with those pesky, ugly, always-broken, never-illuminating lamps that are attached to the exam equipment,” he says, noting that the lamp currently there will be done away with entirely.

All exam rooms have been standardized and are 10 feet by 14 feet as compared to the exams rooms that vary and are at most 8 feet by 10 feet in College of Optometry’s current patient care facility.

This hallway reveals how long and large the interior of the new UMSL Patient Care Center feels.

“It looks deceptively small from the outside,” Davis says. “But really it’s quite a bit of space on the inside. We have 32 eye lanes and 10 primary care lanes.”

The current patient care facility sees about 3,000 visits a year. Davis says he expects a 50-percent increase in that with the new center.

Preparation for the iced-glass partitions is underway in the learning center section of the Patient Care Center designed to assist students in their optometry training. The different “portals” of the center are color coded in shades of blue, a tentative color scheme for the building.

Davis points to the learning center in the building plans, the larger aisle-area cutting through the middle of the building.

The drywall of a large research room with windows facing Natural Bridge Road gets sanded. It will have an accordion door to create a flexible space.

The second-floor staff break room features a fond view of Marillac Hall, which will still house the academic side of the College of Optometry. The parking lot below will provide 210 parking spaces for patients, staff, faculty and students who visit and work in the UMSL Patient Care Center. And for those who take the MetroLink, a sidewalk will lead right to the center’s front door from the UMSL South MetroLink station.

Upon taking the stage for a conversation before several hundred people in the Millennium Student Center March 10, UMSL student Charlotte Kawa (at left) joins comedian Hannah Hart in an impromptu power squat. The two were soon supplied with tall stools after remarking that the height of their chairs might be a bit low. (Photo by Evie Hemphill)

“Toasted ravioli!” someone in the crowd shouted.

“I am in – done,” responded Internet personality Hannah Hart as she simultaneously typed notes into her smartphone. She had just encouraged a large audience at the University of Missouri–St. Louis to suggest recipes for future consideration on her wildly popular “My Drunk Kitchen” YouTube series. Others in the packed room called out several more St. Louis-themed foods in quick succession, including gooey butter cake.

“What did you say?” Hart said, confused. “Human butter cake?”

The comedian’s March 10 appearance at UMSL drew hundreds to the Millennium Student Center, where she stuck around to sign books and snap photos late into the evening. Sponsored by the Office of Student Life, the event centered around a question-and-answer session led by senior computer science major Charlotte Kawa, who drew on a wide-ranging list of questions that had been crowd-sourced ahead of time.

The conversation moved easily between serious topics, such as the challenges that come with adulthood and coming out in the public eye, and far sillier ones.

“How do you feel about the word ‘moist’?” Kawa asked at one point.

“I like it,” Hart said as the crowd erupted in laughter. “Moist is good. How do I feel about the word ‘damp’? Not great.”

UMSL student Ericka Eaton, who has been a Hart fan for some time, said after the event that there’s a lot more to the online star than the YouTube presence she’s best known for.

“She’s also very influential, and I think she is someone we can look up to as a person,” said the senior media studies major.

When Kawa asked Hart about potential spin-offs of “My Drunk Kitchen,” giving “My Drunk Yard Work” as a hypothetical example, Hart laughed that the latter “sounds dangerous.” She added that she’s been intentional about avoiding a My Drunk fill-in-the-blank brand trajectory and has a lot of other interests and projects in the works.

“It’s [just] one of many things I want to pursue,” she said, adding after a moment that “it’s really not OK to build your life around alcohol.”

Hart emphasized that the positive online community she’s discovered while developing what has become a full-time career helps keep her inspired. On the whole, she said, she finds her work is continually met with encouraging support and feedback.

“I just wish I could give that gift to everyone,” she said. “How great would it be to open up any of your feeds and see nice things?”

UMSL Baseball Head Coach Jim Brady earned his 800th career victory Saturday as the Tritons celebrated a 20-8 win over Minnesota Crookston.

Baseball
The University of Missouri–St. Louis won all five games played in Florida last week, including a 20-8 victory over Minnesota Crookston on Saturday that gave Head Coach Jim Brady his 800th career victory. The Tritons also posted a 35-10 win over Cedarville earlier in the week and in the five games outscored their opponents 72-29. Senior Dominic Orlando batted .476, recording 10 hits, including five doubles and one triple, nine RBIs and nine runs. Junior Tanner Hudson tallied a team-best 12 hits, while senior Jose Ortiz posted 12 RBIs, two coming on a walk-off double to give UMSL a 5-4 win over Upper Iowa. UMSL (10-1) is at the Midwest Regional Crossover this weekend in Carmel, Ind., for four games.

Softball
No. 7-ranked UMSL went 6-0 at home last week, including 4-0 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play as league action started with sweeps of Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis. The Tritons outscored their opponents 24-6 on the week with senior Hannah Perryman going 4-0 in the circle. Her win on Saturday over Lewis gave her 100 career victories in the circle. Offensively, sophomore Rachel Matthies tallied seven hits, while sophomore Jennah Perryman recorded three home runs, including a grand slam in the second game against Lewis. UMSL (22-1, 4-0 GLVC) closes out its current homestand on Wednesday, hosting Lincoln in non-conference play before returning to the GLVC schedule with road doubleheaders at McKendree and lllinois Springfield on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Men’s Tennis
UMSL picked up an 8-1 win at Bellarmine on Saturday night, sweeping all six singles matches. The Tritons improve to 7-0 overall and host Emporia State and Southern Indiana on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Women’s Tennis
UMSL rallied from a 2-1 doubles deficit by sweeping all six singles matches en route to a 7-2 win at Bellarmine on Saturday night. The Tritons improve to 7-2 overall and travel to Lindenwood on Tuesday before hosting Emporia State and Southern Indiana on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Men’s Swimming
Sophomore Diogo Dias swam in four events last week at the NCAA Division II Championships. His best finish came in the 100-yard backstroke, where he was 19th. For Dias’ complete results throughout the week, click here.

Junior education major Hayden Crocker scored three goals and had two assists in UMSL’s 10-5 win over Missouri State University on March 5. Crocker is the captain of UMSL’s Roller Hockey team, which finished the season 16-4. The team will now advance to the championship tournament in April in Rapid City, Iowa.

This photograph was taken by UMSL photographer August Jennewein and is the latest to be featured in Eye on UMSL. For more photos from the match, see the Flickr album.

Senior forward Kelly Kunkel (at left) was the top scorer for the Tritons eight times this season, while redshirt sophomore Jordan Fletcher recorded the fourth highest shooting percentage in the league in GLVC-only games.

University of Missouri-St. Louis senior forward Kelly Kunkel has been named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference Second Team, while redshirt sophomore Jordan Fletcher has been selected to the All-GLVC Third Team.

Kunkel, a business administration major, started all 27 games for the Tritons, leading the team with 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while also adding 2.2 assists per game. In GLVC-only contests, Kunkel averaged 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds. She was the top scorer eight times this season and reached double figures in 18 games.

A repeat selection to the All-GLVC Second Team, Kunkel graduates having played in 106 career games. She also leaves with the fourth-best career free throw shooting percentage of .780 (160-205).

Fletcher, also a business administration major, started all 27 games as well and was second on the team with 10.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She shot a team-best 56.6 percent from the field, which ranks sixth on the program’s single-season charts, and recorded 31 blocks, which ties the seventh most in a single season.

In GLVC-only games, Fletcher averaged 13.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, while shooting 56.3 percent, which was fourth highest in the league.

After two seasons with UMSL, Fletcher currently ranks third all-time in career blocks with 63 and is second in field goal percentage at 55.9 percent.

UMSL finished the year with an 11-16 record, including a 6-12 GLVC mark.

It’s a record year for the University of Missouri–St. Louis, which has 10 graduate programs ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report with the recent inclusion of UMSL’s Doctor in Nursing Practice program. UMSL’s Master of Science in Nursing program has consistently been ranked in the top 100 for the past three years. Rankings were released this week in the 2017 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools Guide Book.

Of note, UMSL’s Master of Social Work program climbed 18 spots from its previous ranking, and the criminology and criminal justice graduate program maintained it’s high standing of No. 4 in the nation.

The six additional UMSL programs recognized are education, public policy administration, clinical psychology, psychology, biology and chemistry and biochemistry.

U.S. News analyzes more than 1,900 graduate programs in various disciplines each year to create the rankings.

Behavioral Neuroscience PhD candidates Laurie Baker and Lauren Salminen research brain functioning using various complex scientific techniques. (Photos by August Jennewein)

Laurie Baker and Lauren Salminen agree that the road to becoming an independent neuroscience researcher is labor intensive, to say the least.

As they work through their graduate program in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Baker and Salminen have had to juggle an ever-expanding set of skills.

One day might be devoted to grant writing while another day could be all about neuroimaging interpretation.

“I didn’t realize when I first started how much you need to know about physics, biology, radiology…,” said Salminen. “You learn a ton training in different areas, but it can get remarkably complex and difficult.”

Interpreting neuroimaging slides like the ones seen behind Salminen and Baker is one of the skills they are mastering in the course of their research and training.

Difficulty could not deter Salminen or Baker, and eventually persistence paid off. In May 2015, both graduate students were awarded National Institutes of Health predoctoral training grants.

Baker was awarded $55,808 from the National Institute of Mental Health to research how early life stress impacts neural abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus.

And Salminen was awarded $96,343 from the National Institue on Aging to research how genetic risk factors for reduced antioxidant defense in the brain influence brain structure and cognitive function among healthy older adults.

For Baker, taking those first, big steps toward becoming a fully independent researcher was the fulfillment of a high school dream.

“When I came to UMSL and took a biological psychology class with Dr. Rob Paul, all of the interest in psychology I had developed in high school streamed back to me, and it pushed me to change my major from nursing to psychology. It can be scary to actually pursue what you want.”

Baker flourished after overcoming her hesitations. Now in her last year of graduate school, besides pursuing advancements in neuroscience, she also teaches undergraduate sections of biological psychology and hopes to encourage the next wave of researchers.

Baker and Salminen point to their adviser Rob Paul, director of Missouri Institute of Mental Health, as a continuous source of encouragement and guidance, whose approach to training in research has given them valuable skill sets.

“The specific skills I prioritize include creative conceptualization of novel research questions that are meaningful and hold high potential to impact the human condition,” Paul said. “My focus on creative conceptualization and effective writing is fairly relentless, and not all students have the fortitude to thrive in the intense training environment. When they do, like Lauren and Laurie, their success can be readily measured by peer-reviewed publications and federal grant awards.”

From beginning to end, the process of obtaining the grants has been an exhaustive 2-year process for Salminen and Baker.

“Only the top 50 percent of NIH grant applications actually get reviewed by a panel of experts in a range of fields like biochemistry, biology, chemistry and genetics ,” said Salminen. “After that, you’ll have rounds of revisions, but it feels good once you make it past those thresholds. About 25 percent of proposed predoctoral grants were funded last year. I can definitely say that the ability to have obtained these grants would never have been possible without the extensive grant-writing training we received from Dr. Paul.”

In the face of challenging odds, Baker feels grateful to have a chance at professional advancement and work that benefits the human condition.

“It’s huge honor to be funded by the National Institutes of Health. I put a lot of work into this grant proposal, and now I’m able to fund my own salary and tuition,” she said. “I can make good on my really deep desire to make an impact on people, a desire I think everyone has. It’s what drives us to wake up in the morning.”

UMSL sophomore Alexis Ramos and Associate Professor of Chemistry Chung Wong are two of many campus community members participating in the INSPIRE mentoring program that was launched last fall by the Office of Multicultural Student Services. (Photo by August Jennewein)

When Chung Wong responded “yes” to a campus-wide call last summer for volunteers for a pilot mentorship program at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, the associate professor of chemistry was far from alone. Fellow faculty and staff members were quick to get behind the idea, and soon the Office of Multicultural Student Services was pairing them with students eager to make the most of their guidance and life experience.

“When it first started, they had a lunch meeting allowing the advisers and advisees to meet, and there were many, many people there,” Wong says. “I wanted to get involved because I have always felt that as teachers it’s not just about classroom teaching.”

Known as INSPIRE, the new mentoring program took off in September 2015, and looking back on the last six months or so, both students and those serving as mentors say they are finding it worthwhile. That includes sophomore Alexis Ramos, one of the students Wong is mentoring.

“I thought it’d be interesting to have a professor here be my mentor and be able to help me as an undergrad student and give me advice on things that would help me along the way,” she says. “I would definitely recommend doing it.”

As participants in INSPIRE, Ramos and Wong are expected to meet several times throughout each semester to discuss any concerns the student has academically or otherwise and just catch up and connect personally as well.

“It’s more relaxed, because the program isn’t intended to give them more work or add any stress but to see how we might be able to help,” Wong says. “And so sometimes we just share – for instance, we found that we have a shared interest in history.”

In Ramos’ case, it’s also made faculty seem more approachable – or “less scary,” as she says with a laugh.

“You get to learn about their lives and what they do here at school,” she adds. “They seem more real and less intimidating.”

Although many of their activities and discussions have been more informal, Wong and Ramos have also focused on her next steps looking ahead, and Wong has been instrumental as she begins networking professionally.

“I’m a pre-optometry student, and Professor Wong has a colleague who is a professor in the College of Optometry, so he set up a meeting, and the three of us had lunch together,” she says. “I was able to talk to that professor about our optometry school and others – and also about the application process.”

Rebecca McMenamin is one of the UMSL staff members who jumped at the opportunity to volunteer as a mentor last fall. She wanted to get involved because of the impact that such people have had on her own life and career.

“INSPIRE paired me with a student who is studying social work, a major similar to my education background, so we often discuss her career goals and what opportunities to pursue while at UMSL that will boost her marketability upon graduation,” says McMenamin, manager of veteran and military services. “This commonality was just the icebreaker, though. Within a few lunch dates, we got to know about each other’s families, upbringing and interests and feel that our personal connection has grown significantly.”

McMenamin adds that as a relatively new staff member herself, she loves learning about UMSL through the student’s perspective, has become more effective at her job and has even attended campus events she might not have before.

Recruiting faculty and staff volunteers who value student engagement and appreciate the role of mentors in student development has been critical to the pilot’s success, according to the MSS staff members spearheading the effort. For more information about INSPIRE or to inquire about getting involved as a mentor or as a student, contact Multicultural Student Services (multicultural@umsl.edu).

Arnela Redzic (holding dog toy) and Nicole Gevers take time out from studying to relax and play with Pepperjack outside of UMSL’s Millennium Student Center.

Delta Sigma Pi sponsored the event, and the visiting puppies were rescues from Gateway Pet Guardians, a St Louis pet adoption and rescue service. GPG has more than 50 adoptable dogs and cats at any given time looking for their forever home. Visit gatewaypets.com to learn more about adopting a pet or volunteering.

The photograph was taken by UMSL photographer August Jennewein and is the latest to be featured in Eye on UMSL.

UMSL student Kevin Slattery (at far left, in the UMSL Tritons sweatshirt) is a contestant in a “Wheel of Fortune” series that begins airing March 28. (Photos courtesy Sony Pictures Television)

When the nationally syndicated “Wheel of Fortune” television game show begins airing its College Road Trip series Monday, Kevin Slattery will be spinning the wheel proudly wearing his University of Missouri–St. Louis Tritons sweatshirt.

A junior majoring in education, Slattery was chosen to participate among thousands of undergraduates nationally. Other universities represented this week include the University of Southern California, University of Texas and Penn State University.

Kevin Slattery, an education major at UMSL, was selected from among thousands of college students across the country to be a contestant on “Wheel of Fortune.”

A longtime fan of game shows in general and the “Wheel of Fortune” in particular, Slattery traveled to Springfield, Ill., when the show’s “Wheelmobile” was in that area evaluating potential contestants.

“Getting on the show is a multi-step process,” Slattery said. “I was randomly selected [in Springfield] to come on stage and do a quick interview with the traveling host and play a ‘Speed Up’ round. A couple of weeks later I was selected for a callback audition with the contestant coordinators from Los Angeles.”

Two weeks after the callback audition, Slattery received written notification of his selection.

“I literally screamed at the mailbox and started calling family and friends,” he said.

The biggest challenge at that point, Slattery said, was making travel arrangements and getting off of work as filming started two weeks after the letter arrived.

The College Road Trip series – five shows – was taped Feb. 19 at Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, Cal., the same location for the filming of “Jeopardy” and “The Goldbergs.”

Slattery likened the entire experience to a “day camp for adults,” as he and his fellow students lodged, ate, traveled, practiced and participated together. He said the professionalism and humility of the show’s stars and crew also added to the enjoyment.

Pat Sajak and Vanna White are television legends, having hosted America’s longest-running game show for more than three decades. Slattery said both were as personable in real life as they come across on the screen.

“Vanna White is as gracious as she is beautiful,” Slattery said, noting that the host met students before filming “with a warm ‘hello.'” Students did not see Sajak until filming started, but Slattery said the veteran host “made all of us feel at ease by cracking jokes during commercial breaks and providing words of encouragement. They [Sajak and White] have been doing this for 33 years – so they are truly pros.”

For any “Wheel of Fortune” wannabees, Slattery said visit the show’s website to find audition opportunities. And the keys to success?

“Be enthusiastic, know the rules of the game and be able to think under pressure,” he said.

“Wheel of Fortune” is a televised competition in which contestants solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a giant carnival wheel. It airs locally on KSDK (Channel 5) at 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Senior outfielder Erin Walker tallied 12 hits last week, including four doubles, a triple and two home runs, while also recording seven RBIs and scoring 11 runs.

Softball
No. 6-ranked UMSL went 6-0 last week, sweeping Lindenwood, William Jewell and Rockhurst. Senior outfielder Erin Walker tallied 12 hits, including four doubles, a triple and two home runs, while also recording seven RBIs and scoring 11 runs. Senior Hannah Perryman was 6-0 in the circle, allowing just three runs in 36 innings of work. She broke the NCAA Division II career record for perfect games last Tuesday at Lindenwood in the second contest. UMSL (33-2, 11-1 GLVC) hosts Maryville Tuesday at 3 p.m. and Quincy on Saturday at 12 p.m. before traveling to Truman State on Sunday.

Baseball
No. 18-ranked UMSL went 2-2 to open its Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule last weekend. Junior Nick Ulrey hit a team-best .571 (4-of-7), while senior Jose Ortiz had a team-best five hits. UMSL (14-5, 2-2 GLVC) will play seven games this week, including one each on Monday and Tuesday at Bellarmine before returning home on Wednesday to host Southern Indiana. The Tritons then travel to William Jewell this Saturday and Sunday for a four-game GLVC series.

Women’s Tennis
UMSL lost a pair of 5-4 decisions to two regional opponents, including Ferris State last Friday and No. 30-ranked Grand Valley State last Saturday. Seniors Natalia Carvalhais (No. 5) and Renee Verboven (No. 4) and sophomore Patricia Maya (No. 3) all went 2-0 in singles play on the weekend. The Tritons (10-4) are at Missouri Baptist on Wednesday and host Maryville on Saturday in its GLVC opener.

Men’s Tennis
UMSL went 1-3 last week with all three losses coming to ranked teams in No. 33 Southern Indiana (7-2), No. 36 Ferris State (7-2) and No. 37 Grand Valley State (5-4). The Tritons’ win was a 9-0 decision at Lindenwood-Belleville. Freshman Cobi Ho was 3-1 at No. 2 singles. UMSL (8-3) is at Missouri Baptist on Wednesday in its lone match of the week.

UMSL Chancellor Tom George (at left) and Chief Diversity Officer Deborah Burris (far right) recognized five UMSL women with 2016 Trailblazer awards on March 23. This year’s recipients include (from left) Aladeen Stoll, Stella Markou, Jacquelyn Lewis-Harris, Eric’el Johnson and Brendolyn Bailey-Burch. (Photo by August Jennewein)

As she contemplated the accomplishments of five University of Missouri–St. Louis individuals formally honored on campus last week, guest speaker Theresa Yoffie was reminded of a memorable scene in the 2015 blockbuster “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Near the end of the film, a handful of strong women rise up on a platform, meanwhile lifting others up alongside them. Yoffie said she sees a similar theme in the lives of the women UMSL recognized March 23 during the university’s 21st annual Trailblazers Ceremony.

“They believe in themselves, but more importantly they believe in others, and they lift others up,” said Yoffie, who is an attorney advisor with the Social Security Administration in St. Louis. Her remarks, along with a poetry reading by UMSL’s 2016 Poet Laureate Victoria Walls, set the tone for the award presentations that followed during the afternoon event.

Senior electrical engineering major Eric’el Johnson was this year’s student recipient of the award. Johnson, who is completing a minor in mathematics and a Pierre Laclede Honors College writing certificate in addition to her studies in the UMSL/Washington University Joint Engineering Program, holds a number of student leadership positions. Among other key roles, she is a lead ambassador for the UMSL Ambassadors and has been deeply involved in the Undergraduate Research Symposium as well as a mentor to first-year engineering students.

Johnson was quick to credit her family, who was in attendance last week, for their support of her endeavors – particularly her mother.

“I wouldn’t be the person I am without her,” Johnson said.

The Missouri Institute for Mental Health’s Brendolyn Bailey-Burch followed Johnson at the podium. Bailey-Burch, a research associate who joined the MIMH faculty in 2003, has led a team of researchers in securing a total of nearly $7 million toward substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention interventions over the last 12 years. She has also worked closely with faith organizations, emphasizing the important role they can play in prevention work, as well as offered grant-writing workshops. Most recently she oversaw a $1.4 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“It’s because of my mother and my late father that I understand what it means to be a servant leader,” Bailey-Burch said.

UMSL College of Education faculty member Jacquelyn Lewis-Harris was also named a 2016 Trailblazer. The associate professor’s long-standing commitment to public service and education in the St. Louis region have recently benefited area youth through partnerships with the Ferguson Youth Initiative and other efforts.

Earlier this year, Lewis-Harris received the the Arts and Education Council’s Arts Collaborator award at the 2016 St. Louis Arts Awards. Drawing on her background as an educator, writer, artist, cultural anthropologist and curator, her current work addresses diversity, social segregation and presentation of African diaspora cultures.

Associate Professor of Music Stella Markou was honored for her contributions in the realms of oratorio, opera and recital work. An award-winning soprano, Markou is also the director of vocal studies at UMSL and of the university’s Opera Theatre productions.

Featured nationally and internationally as a soloist, Markou spoke of courage, beauty and other qualities she loves and aims to foster in herself and among associates and students in her remarks. She is a passionate performer of contemporary music and a sought-out master teacher, adjudicator and speaker.

Teaching assistant Aladeen Stoll was the final honoree, recognized for her work within the UMSL Gender Studies Program and the Office of Sexuality and Gender Diversity. Fulfilling a wide range of roles during her time on campus, Stoll’s jobs have included volunteer coordinating, event planning, peer counseling, office work, tutoring, community liaison and more. She has also worked with at-risk youth, writes both poetry and prose, and invests her spare time in various community initiatives.

“I couldn’t ask for a better foundation for my work than the one I have been allowed to cultivate here,” Stoll said.

UMSL alumna Tierra Parks Brown, who earned her bachelor’s degree in media studies in 2014, served as mistress of ceremonies during the event, which was held in UMSL’s Millennium Student Center. She and Deborah Burris, chief diversity officer and Title IX coordinator for UMSL, emphasized the 2016 theme of Women’s History Month: “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government.”

Sophomore Diogo Dias has made quite the splash in his first season with the University of Missouri–St. Louis men’s swimming team. Recently crowned the program’s first Great Lakes Valley Conference champion (in the 100 backstroke), the business administration major also competed at the NCAA Division II championships earlier this month.

When did you start swimming? How did you know you were good at it?
I started swimming when I was three years old – just a little kid – and I’ve never stopped. All my life has been swimming. Up until I was 13, I did both swimming and soccer, and after that I knew if I wanted to be good, I had to choose one or the other, so I stopped soccer. I’m not sure why, since I’m from Brazil! But I think I enjoy swimming more because it’s just all about me. Whether I’m doing good or bad, it’s because of my effort.

Who got you started in swimming?
My parents. My mom and dad have always liked sports, and my dad use to play volleyball. I think he actually threw me in the water as a way to just have fun and expend some energy.

What makes swimming enjoyable for you?
I have always liked the water. I was born in a city by the beach in Brazil, so every weekend I would spend in the ocean. I’ve always had that contact with water and have always enjoyed it. And I love the sport of swimming because it’s a great feeling when you are racing. There is so much energy and the expectation to do well is exciting.

How did you end up at UMSL?
I have a friend who swam here last year, and he was the one that told me about the school. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me and said, “Why not go to the U.S.?”

What does it mean to qualify for the NCAAs?
It’s really neat. In Brazil, I had all the experience I could get there in the pool, so to have the opportunity to come to the U.S. and study and swim has been great … I didn’t really know that I would be going to nationals, so I took a few days off, but when coach called to tell me, I was pretty happy and had to immediately call my mom, my dad and my family in Brazil.

What is your favorite race to swim, and why?
I have always loved the backstroke. The freestyle is nice too, but the backstroke was the first one I got better at, and I think all my life it has been my passion. I think it’s because you have to practice so much more to know where you are at in the pool because you are looking up when you swim. So it’s a different perspective and takes a little more practice.

What was it like to win the 100 backstroke at the GLVC Championships and to stand on the podium as the champion?
It was the best feeling! At that time you are the best of the whole meet, so it’s a great feeling. It’s amazing.

Who has had the biggest influence on your swimming career?
Probably my dad, because he has always pushed me to do my best. He’s always been the type of person who said, “Yes, you can do it.”

How have you managed this year in being away from home?
It’s been a new experience for me. In Brazil, you don’t have the opportunity to go to school and swim. You have to choose one or the other. So it’s been refreshing here, being able to do both. It’s also been hard work, and I’ve learned that every minute counts every day. I’m here at 6:30 a.m. for practice, eat something and then go to class and then back to the pool. It’s been a busy year … Coach has also been great to have. He’s a great guy and understanding with class and practices. He used to be a swimmer as well, so he understands how busy things are.

“Whine About It” sensation Matt Bellassai (at left) answers a question from UMSL Student Life intern Nat Smith in front of a sold-out crowd March 22 in the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. (Photos by Abbie Rudolph).

Just prior to walking out on stage in front of hundreds of fellow students and St. Louisans, Nat Smith breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Matt Bellassai was feeling nervous too.

“It really helped that he was just as nervous as I was,” said Smith, a senior liberal studies major at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “Neither one of us had spoken in front of that many people before.”

As part of an internship with UMSL’s Office of Student Life, Smith served as moderator of “An Evening with Matt Bellassai” at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center March 22. The event drew a sold-out crowd to the large Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall, with attendees eager to see the star of the wildly popular “Whine About It” series.

“I want to say thank you so much,” Bellassai told the audience near the end of the event. “This was my first college show.”

As Smith peppered the Internet sensation with questions, Bellassai opened up about all sorts of topics, ranging from his battles with New York squirrels to his college years and the beginnings of “Whine About It.”

Cecelia Abshire, a graduate student in UMSL’s higher education program, snaps a selfie with comedian Matt Bellassai during his campus visit last week.

“My senior year of college I was a mess, as you do, and I got really into internet-y culture,” said the Chicago native, adding that he had no idea what he wanted to do upon graduating from Northwestern University. Eventually he landed a gig as a comedy writer for “Buzzfeed,” and things took off from there. When asked what expectations he had for “Whine About It” when he first began the weekly series, Bellassai laughed that he had exactly none.

“Every week it got bigger and bigger and bigger, and then I was like, oh, [now] I have to do it,” he said. While he intends to continue the videos, shows like the one at UMSL – along with podcasts, writing and even a TV show – are also on his list looking ahead.

Smith, who had crowd-sourced some of the questions ahead of time, pushed for his take on all things Midwest and particularly the food phenomenon that is gooey butter cake. Bellassai expressed some real enthusiasm for the latter.

“I did [enjoy it] – I ate it in bed,” he said. “It was great. I didn’t know what I was experiencing, but it was good.”

He also endorsed jeggings, something Smith noted unfortunately “happens a lot in the Midwest.”

“I’m basically wearing jeggings right now,” was Bellassai’s quick response to Smith’s skepticism about the trend. “Look at how tight these pants are.”

Oprah Winfrey got a lot of love from Bellassai over the course of the evening, with the comedian listing Winfrey as the one person he would want to have dinner with if he could choose. Winfrey’s recent interviews with individuals such as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter came up.

“I think I want to do that,” Bellassai said. “I want to head out into a forest clearing, set them down in a folding chair and say, ‘Tell me your secrets.'”

Bellassai struck attendees and event organizers as hilariously self-deprecating throughout his campus visit, despite a mass following and accolades such as his recent Favorite Social Media Star win at the 2016 People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles.

“I enjoyed the conversations we had before, during and after the show,” Smith said of the experience. “His ability to stay humble and laugh at himself was really inspiring.”

When Smith asked Bellassai to describe the worst date he’s ever been on, he proceeded to recount several situations that had the entire audience shaking with laughter.

“I was in love with my straight best friend through most of college,” Bellassai said before launching into the anecdotes. “I was also one of those people who was like, ‘Oh, I like you. Why don’t I make an absolute fool of myself?'”

Reflecting on the campus event afterward, Smith expressed gratitude for the rare opportunity to play a role in the evening as well as gladness about the presence of several recent UMSL guests.

“This semester the Office of Student Life has brought two LGBTQIA+ celebrities to campus, something I am so appreciative of,” Smith said. “Having the opportunity to meet individuals who are part of the very small representation of that community in the media has meant so very much to me.”

Senior Hannah Perryman became the NCAA Division II career strikeout leader in Sunday’s second game at Truman State and finished the week with a 4-1 record. Younger sister Jennah Perryman batted .438, recording seven hits, including two home runs.

Softball
No. 6-ranked UMSL went 4-2 last week, sweeping Quincy, while splitting with Maryville and Truman State. Senior Hannah Perryman became the NCAA Division II career strikeout leader in Sunday’s second game at Truman State and finished the week with a 4-1 record. Younger sister Jennah Perryman batted .438, recording seven hits, including two home runs. UMSL (37-4, 15-3 GLVC) is at Drury and Missouri S&T on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Baseball
UMSL posted a 4-2 mark last week, taking two games over Bellarmine before splitting a four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference series at William Jewell. Senior Kyle Wilson won two games on the mound, while senior Austin Simokaitis recorded three saves en route to becoming the program’s all-time career leader in that category. Offensively, senior Jose Ortiz recorded eight hits, five RBIs and seven runs. Freshman Matt Foster also finished with eight hits on the week. UMSL (18-7, 4-4 GLVC) will host Southern Indiana on Wednesday in a single non-conference game before welcoming Quincy on Saturday and Sunday for a four-game GLVC series.

Women’s Tennis
UMSL was 2-0 last week, which included a 7-2 win over Maryville in the GLVC opener. Freshman Jennifer Hauer, sophomore Annie Hays and senior Renee Verboven all went 4-0 on the week in singles and doubles play. The Tritons (12-4) will host Quincy and Truman State on Friday and Saturday in GLVC play.

Men’s Tennis
UMSL defeated Missouri Baptist, 8-1, last week in its lone match of the week. The Tritons improve to 9-3 and will play three matches at home this week beginning Tuesday against Lindenwood. UMSL then hosts Quincy and Truman State on Friday and Saturday in its GLVC openers.

Men’s Golf
UMSL placed seventh out of 14 teams at the North Alabama Spring Classic last Sunday and Monday. Junior Julien de Poyen shot rounds of 74, 76 and 70 for a score of 220, tying for 12th place. UMSL is at the Argonaut Invitational today and tomorrow in Pensacola, Fla.

Senior nursing student Amy Linck checks the blood pressure of a Womack’s Barber and Beauty Style regular in Jennings, Mo. (Photos by August Jennewein)

It’s still early Saturday morning and the ladies of Womack’s Barber and Beauty Style are already greeting customers with smiles, washing hair, and starting twists and braids on their first few appointments.

But hairstyling isn’t all that’s offered at Womack’s this morning.

“What’s your normal blood pressure?” asks University of Missouri–St. Louis nursing student Amy Linck of a barbershop customer who has opted for a free health screening while she waits.

(From left) SLU students Suraj Arshanapally and Angela Dicosola, UMSL Community Health Nursing Assistant Professor Sheila Grigsby, 100 Black Men Health & Wellness Division Leader Lennie Harrison, and UMSL students Amy Linck and Tamara Bennett lead a weekend’s efforts for the Barbershop Tour at Womack’s.

On this day, Linck and fellow UMSL nursing student Tamara Bennett screen willing patients in a private nook at the back of the shop, while Saint Louis University public health students Suraj Arshanapally and Angela Dicosola conduct health surveys.

“My blood pressure runs high when I’m without my medication,” says the patient, who admits it’s been awhile since she’s had her blood pressure checked. “I already took my meds, so it should be good.”

Bringing health screenings into local barbershops on the weekend started back in 2009 with the collaboration of the local community nonprofit 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis and the School of Nursing at SLU. 100 Black Men bolsters youth with positive role models and experiences. They focus on mentoring, education, health and wellness, and economic development.

They named the health project the “Barbershop Tour,” which turned into an annual event and is in its seventh year. For Sheila Grigsby, assistant professor in the College of Nursing at UMSL, the effort fits hand in hand with her focus on community health nursing. For four years now, she’s had students participate in the tour.

Amy Linck checks a waiting barbershop customer’s blood pressure. Linck plans to go into obstetrics and gynecology after she graduates this spring.

“The barbershops help introduce students to the people they serve in a different way,” Grigsby says. “It gives them intimate access and is a really good way for them to experience and learn about community health.”

Keon Gilbert, assistant professor in the College of Public Health at SLU, agrees.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to engage the community through service learning,” says Gilbert, who has had students participate the past three years.

100 Black Men, UMSL and SLU collaborate with several barbershops across the St. Louis region, providing easier access to basic healthcare.

“If you go to a free health clinic in a low-income area, you might have to wait three hours just to have your blood pressure checked,” says Lennie Harrison, the health and wellness division leader for 100 Black Men, who is checking up on the tour this morning at Womack’s. “Here, you can be seen in the 15 minutes either before or after your hair gets done.”

His point is immediately underscored when a barbershop customer walks up for a screening and teases, “No waiting? No line?”

But Harrison also stresses the more consequential benefits of the tour as well.

Tamara Bennett checks the blood pressure of a man after having his hair done. Likewise, Bennett also plans to go into obstetrics and gynecology after she graduates this spring.

“What we’re doing is educating people on diet, high blood pressure and trying to save lives,” he says.

With 79 UMSL nursing students and 36 SLU public health students, more than 100 students total are helping with the Barbershop Tour this year. Grigsby says that on average the students conduct about 10 screenings per shop each week, and she estimates that almost 500 people will have been screened by end of the tour.

This Saturday, April 9, is the last weekend of the tour.

“It’s been a great experience,” says Linck, who is participating for the first time. “Almost every person is willing to be screened, and I’ve gotten to practice what I learned in class. I’ve been talking about diets a lot, practicing taking blood pressure and educating people about the effects of caffeine and cigarettes on their screening results.”

All four students at Womack’s this morning plan on going into the health field with varying focuses from obstetrics and gynecology to general family practice to public health statistics. More than anything, Grigsby and Gilbert are happy to see their students investing their skills in the community.

“It’s about service and giving back,” Grigsby says. “What better way to do that than through promoting health?”

UMSL criminologists recently received a grant from the National Institute of Justice to study school safety. The grant researchers are (standing, from left) Associate Professor Lee Slocum, Associate Professor Terrance J. Taylor, doctoral student Tim McCuddy and Associate Professor Elaine Eggleston Doherty, plus (seated, from left) Assistant Professor Matt Vogel, Assistant Professor Kyle Thomas, Assistant Research Professor Stephanie Wiley and Department Chair Finn-Aage Esbensen. (Photo by August Jennewein)

School violence has become a trending topic in recent years due to tragic incidents throughout the Unites States. In an effort to better understand these situations and others faced by adolescents, criminologists at the University of Missouri–St. Louis are working on a multi-year study to examine school safety issues.

After the December 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Monroe, Conn., Congress allocated $150 million to the United States Department of Justice to improve school safety. The National Institute of Justice, the research branch of the USDOJ, was charged with administering these funds through research grants as part of the Comprehensive Safe Schools Initiative.

A team of eight researchers, led by Finn-Aage Esbensen, the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Youth Crime and Violence and chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UMSL, was awarded one of these highly competitive grants to study school safety and to better understand the causes and consequences of school violence.

“We are all interested in violence prevention, victimization, and all of us have done work in the juvenile arena, so it just seemed natural to bring everybody together,” said Esbensen about the largest faculty research collaboration in the department’s history. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Esbensen will work with Associate Professor Elaine Eggleston Doherty, Associate Professor Lee Slocum, Associate Professor Terrance J. Taylor, Assistant Professor Kyle Thomas, Assistant Professor Matt Vogel, Assistant Research Professor Stephanie Wiley and doctoral student Tim McCuddy.

“We are hoping to interview or survey seventh and eighth graders in 16 to 20 schools in four different cities, yielding about 4,000 total students,” Esbensen said. “We will survey them for three consecutive years.”

 The team will conduct in-person interviews with students to learn more about the situational factors associated with school violence – not just mass shootings but more prevalent school occurrences such as bullying, cyber-bullying, minor assault and property damage.

Parents, teachers and administrators will also be interviewed to provide insight.

“We will be looking at a number of things, including risk factors, the effects of being victimized and what the school is doing as far as punishment and prevention,” he said.

Anthropology major LaVell Monger has spearheaded a number of initiatives designed to empower and inspire African American high school and college students. (Photos courtesy of LaVell Monger)

Mastering the fine art of leadership can take a lifetime of practice, but for LaVell Monger, president of the Associated Black Collegians, motivating peers and community seems to be an innate gift.

“I can honestly say working with folks comes naturally ­­­­­– it’s just that big brother instinct I have,” said the University of Missouri-St. Louis anthropology senior. “Ever since I was younger, I remember people coming to me for advice, and I try to give everyone my all. ”

The Big XII Council on Black Student Government lauded Monger’s leadership efforts by presenting him with the Outstanding Non Big XII Senior of the Year award and a $1,000 scholarship at the organization’s annual conference Feb. 27. Sweetening the pot, the council also presented ABC with the Outstanding Non Big XII Council of the Year award and a $750 cash prize.

“When I was at the banquet with the other ABC members, and the announcer said my name, I was like ‘whoa.’ Everyone gave me a standing ovation. That was pretty dope,” said Monger. “And then when the judges gave ABC an award too, it was a shock. So we had a clean sweep in our category.”

Ashlee Roberts, assistant director of UMSL Student Life and ABC adviser, considers the Big XII Conference on Black Student Government awards a confirmation of the hard work Monger has put into his year as ABC president.

UMSL’s Associated Black Collegians pursue the enrichment, sociocultural well-being, and academic and professional advancement of black students while creating a welcoming environment for all students to participate in.

“LaVell is learning how to navigate multiple aspects of his life in different forums while maintaining personal authenticity,” said Roberts. “In the light of everything that happened at Mizzou and with the UM System president, he has had the opportunity to learn and show his peers how the ABC organization serves as an important voice for black students on campus.”

Under the guidance of Roberts and Monger, ABC has more than doubled its membership, going from 28 members to more than 80 in the span of one year.

Roberts intends to use this momentum in meeting ABC’s purpose to enrich the sociocultural well-being of black students, nurture academic and professional achievement and create a welcoming environment for all students to participate in.

ABC events coordinator and sophomore nursing student Brandi Fields is convinced that her collegiate career would not be the same without her participation in the organization.

“Being a part of ABC’s executive board has really brought out a lot of confidence that I didn’t know I had,” she said. “It forced me to step outside my comfort zone and learn how to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. In my time here, I’ve gained a support system and life-long friends.”

In this last semester of his presidency, Monger aims to encourage more faith, growth and understanding in African American culture on and off campus.

“The fact that I made it out of a tough environment in St. Louis gives hopes to others. Some of the guys I grew up with even use me as a role model for their little sisters and cousins,” he said. “Even if I don’t have all of the answers, people still trust and believe I’m sincere. That’s one thing that separates me from a lot of leaders. All the titles and all the accolades don’t mean anything without sincerity. I just stay positive and tell people that if I can do it, anybody can.”

Monger will graduate this May, and, inspired by the television show “Bones,” he plans on pursuing a graduate degree in forensic criminology.

Just before evening classes got underway at UMSL on April 4, a pair of wild turkeys paid a visit to North Campus. They appeared to enjoy the mild weather and the green space in front of the Thomas Jefferson Library alongside fellow scholars.

For more images of the feathered set and speculation as to their thoughts during their stay on campus, see the Turkeys Choose UMSL album on Facebook.

The photographs were taken by UMSL photographer August Jennewein, and this one is the latest to be featured in Eye on UMSL.