Although the Tritons fell to Indianapolis in the GLVC Tournament quarterfinals, men’s tennis still awaits word on a possible NCAA Division II tournament berth. The field will be announced Tuesday night.

Softball
No. 6 University of Missouri–St. Louis earned a runner-up finish at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, falling to Indianapolis, 7-1, in the championship game. After having Saturday washed out because of rain, the Tritons were forced to barrel their way to the title game by winning three straight games. In all, UMSL played 30 innings of softball on Sunday, which included two extra-inning contests. Sophomore Jennah Perryman led the Tritons at the GLVC Tournament with 10 hits and six RBIs, while junior Alex Stupek added eight hits, five RBIs and five runs. UMSL (52-7) has earned a bid to its fourth straight NCAA Division II Tournament and will host Midwest Regional play this week. The Tritons will face crosstown rival Maryville in their opener on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis
UMSL advanced to the semifinals of the GLVC Tournament with a 5-3 win over Lewis in the quarterfinals. Indianapolis knocked out the Tritons, 5-0. UMSL (17-7) will await word from the NCAA on a possible tournament berth Tuesday night when the field is announced.

Women’s Tennis
UMSL ended its season with a 5-2 loss to Indianapolis last Friday in the GLVC Tournament quarterfinals. UMSL scored at No. 3 doubles with seniors Chandler Duchaine and Natalia Carvalhais securing an 8-4 win, while at No. 6 singles, sophomore Annie Hays was a 6-3, 6-1 winner. The Tritons finish their season with a 17-8 record, which ties a school record for victories.

Men’s Golf
UMSL begins play in the NCAA Midwest/Central Regional today in Allendale, Mich. The Tritons will play a total of 54 holes Monday to Wednesday.

Women’s Golf
UMSL begins play in the NCAA East Regional today in Springfield, Ill. The Tritons will play a total of 54 holes Monday to Wednesday.

Baseball
UMSL posted a 2-3 record last week. The Tritons lost a 10-1 decision at Southern Indiana during the week before, winning one of four against Missouri S&T in its home finale. Junior Nick Ulrey finished the week with six hits, including two doubles, while senior Jose Ortiz also recorded six hits. UMSL (25-20, 8-16 GLVC) travels to McKendree on Wednesday afternoon before a four-game series at Drury Friday to Sunday to conclude the season.

The sublime music of the harp was heard at a combined University Singers/University Orchestra concert April 25 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. The event, presented on the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, featured music by Felix Mendelssohn, Edward German, Vaughan Williams, Nils Lindberg, Emma Lou Diemer and Jaakko Mäntyjärvi.

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

Isiah Shavers, a student at St. Margaret of Scotland School in St. Louis, discusses his National History Day exhibit about Benjamin Banneker with a judge during the regional competition at UMSL earlier this spring. (Photos courtesy Peter Acsay)

Five area students from among the hundreds who descended on the University of Missouri–St. Louis earlier this semester for the National History Day district contest are headed to nationals this summer.

The advancing students, who finished in first or second place in their respective categories at the state competition April 30, will travel next month to the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., for the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day finals June 12 to 16.

Costumed classmates (from left) Grace Goeddel, Annie Higgs, Bella Hogrebe and Gillian Neal, of St. Raphael the Archangel School, performed “Clara Barton: Encounter with Humanity” at UMSL on Feb. 27.

“Every year I am inspired by the work and passion the students bring to their National History Day projects,” said Peter Acsay, associate teaching professor in the Department of History and coordinator of Missouri’s Region 5 contest, which is sponsored as well as hosted by UMSL. “It is gratifying to follow some of these projects from the St. Louis region to success at the state level and beyond. But I am just as impressed by the many who do not advance but have on their own researched and developed an entry.”

Among those representing St. Louis in the nation’s capital this summer are Evan Cox of St. Margaret of Scotland School in St. Louis and Hannah Decker, Bridget Farrell, Tabitha Wilkerson and Jared Wilmas, all of Pattonville High School. Cox, whose teacher is John Adams, finished second at state with his entry “Herman Cortes and the Conquest of Mexico.”

Decker and Farrell finished first at state with their group documentary “The Fight to Flight: Amelia Earhart.” Their teacher, Janet Baldwin, also teaches Wilmas, who finished first at state with his website “The Fastest Innovators on Earth.” Wilkerson was the second-place finisher in the same category, with her website “Auguste Piccard: Encountering and Exploring the Unknown.”

Pattonville High School student Shalyn Scheer presented her exhibit “Madame C.J. Walker” at the regional competition sponsored by UMSL.

UMSL’s Department of History will offer a clinic for those advancing to the nationals, Acsay said, adding that he’s excited to see how they will do at the final competition for the year.

“This is as hands-on as it gets,” he said. “These middle and high school students make the transition from being ‘consumers’ to ‘producers’ of history. That is impressive.”

Student who finished in third place at the state competition will serve as alternates. Those representing the St. Louis region include Ben Khotsyphon, Lilly Mitchell and Abby Wingron of St. Raphael the Archangel School for their “Berlin Airlift” entry; Julia Arbanas of Kirkwood High School for her “War of Cultures: American Ballet During the Cold War” exhibit; and Deanna Schmidt of Cor Jesu Academy for “Encountering Desegregation,” a senior historical paper.

Making the state run-offs were Thaliyah Mosley of Westview Middle School, LeeAnn Rout of Jefferson Northwest R-1, Jillienne Hays of Pattonville High School, Audrey Kelly and Celia Rose of Kirkwood High School, Hannah Myers of Jefferson Northwest R-1, and Sophie Lodes, Holly Shah and Maggie Kutz of St. Joseph’s Academy.

National History Day is the nation’s leading program for history education in schools, annually engaging 2 million people in the U.S., Puerto Rico and overseas. For more information on the St. Louis contest sponsored by UMSL Admissions, the College of Arts & Sciences, the Advanced Credit Program and the Department of History, contact Acsay at acsayp@umsl.edu.

Pierre Laclede Honors College sophomore Dan Mueller makes the most of college experience through community activism. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Like many college students, Dan Mueller stands at a crossroads where he must choose a path forward at the University of Missouri–St. Louis that best reflects his personal interests while also allowing him to build a marketable skill set.

Although Mueller could see himself as a police officer, politician or accountant, community leadership will remain a constant for his professional and personal growth.

“Developing your character in every way is a big part of studying at a liberal arts university,” said the Pierre Laclede Honors College sophomore. “Serving your community and meeting people is one of the best ways to develop different facets of your character. Learning how to do a little bit of service for other people can get you pretty far in life.”

Making the most of his roles in UMSL Student Government Association, Sigma Pi, the Emerging Leaders program and the Pierre Laclede Honors College Association, Mueller has participated in the Altruistic Campus Experience project and the Big Event, among other community outreach programs.

He has planted flowers at the Early Childhood Center, cleaned up abandoned properties in Jennings alongside the police department and mediated relations between students, faculty and staff.

Campus Compact has recognized his years of community service and honored him with the Newman Civic Fellows Award, a national accolade that encourages undergraduate and graduate students who have taken action in pursuit of long-term social change.

“Getting the award was a complete surprise,” said Mueller. “I opened my email, and there it was.”

Mueller’s achievement was no surprise to Jenna Bartak, coordinator of the Emerging Leaders program in the Office of Student Life.

“Dan is an exceptionally charismatic individual who became highly involved on campus right away,” she said. “He has already become a strong leader within the UMSL student body, and I know that he will continue to grow as a leader and influence other students to become connected on campus.”

Mueller attributes his leadership success to a keen focus on listening skills.

“The best way I find to relate to people is to just listen to them. If you sit down and have a conversation with someone you never met before, you can learn so much,” he said. “We’re all humans. We all have the same basic tendencies. If you compare someone else’s story to your own, the circumstances might be different, but you’ll find the emotions and the reasoning are generally the same. This way you can build common ground.”

By facilitating understanding between himself and others, Mueller is able to lead by example.

“If I want to influence others to come and spend time at a service event, I’ll tell them, ‘Hey, I’m rolling up my sleeves, too,’” he said. “’You should come out with me and lend a hand.’ And next thing you know, you’ve got a big group of friends having fun cleaning up.”

For next semester, Mueller is considering changing his major from criminology to accounting as he weighs whether he can do more good through community policing or fundraising efforts. Either way, his contributions to his community will continue.

“I think there will always be a way for you to give, whether it’s through philanthropy or hours or raising awareness for a cause,” he said.

Third-year optometry student Shelby Baugh Bruner’s advocacy for infant vision examinations won her the 2016 first place InfantSEE Scholarship, which she will use to fund externships beyond those she will do in St. Louis over the next year. (Photos by August Jennewein)

Shelby Baugh Bruner decided she wanted to be an optometrist when she was 10 years old.

“I required visual correction at a young age,” said Baugh Bruner, who is wrapping up her third year in the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ optometry program. “I was in a situation where neither of my parents needed glasses, so it never really came up until I started struggling, telling them I can’t see the board.”

Her first visit to an optometrist sealed her lifelong goal.

“In the beginning it was all the cool technology they had in the offices I went to,” she said. “I thought, ‘This is so neat they get to play with these machines all the time!’”

Those first experiences also contributed to her passion for infant vision screening, said Baugh Bruner, who was recently awarded the 2016 first place $5,000 InfantSEE Scholarship sponsored by Vision Quest, Inc.

Shelby Baugh Bruner’s six eight-week rotations will have her working at more than 10 health facilities this year.

InfantSEE is a public health program, managed by Optometry Cares – The American Optometric Association Foundation. Under the program, AOA optometrists provide a no-cost comprehensive eye and vision assessment for infants 0-12 months regardless of a family’s income or access to insurance coverage.

Through Vision Quest, Inc., InfantSEE Scholarships are offered to optometry students who plan on becoming program providers and demonstrate academic seriousness about preparing professionally for the program.

Baugh Bruner gained familiarity with InfantSEE during her undergraduate years at Missouri Southern State University. She worked with Dr. Gregory Goetzinger, an AOA optometrist who offered InfantSEE examinations through his practice in Carthage, Mo.

“The earlier you find a problem, the better the outcome is going to be,” Baugh Bruner said. “A lot of the time people say, ‘I look at my baby, and they’re doing everything normally. I’m not seeing any delays.’ But some visual problems can go undetected for long periods of time, and they’re going to have a bigger impact once the child gets into school.

“Maybe they’re having trouble even with colors and sitting still. It may look like a behavioral problem, but it’s really just that the patient can’t see. And they don’t know how to tell you that because it’s always looked like that to them.”

Baugh Bruner plans to use the InfantSEE Scholarship to fund an extensive yearlong externship experience, which she said will allow her to see many different types of patients and practice a broad range of vision assessment and care. Externship opportunities were actually one of the reasons Baugh Bruner chose UMSL.

“UMSL’s College of Optometry has one of the best externship programs,” she said. “They have a lot of options where you can do your eight-week rotations your last year.”

Baugh Bruner will start this summer in St. Louis, rotating through St. Louis Children’s Hospital, People’s Health Centers, Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments and the Lindell Eye Center.

“Many of these clinics serve the uninsured and medically undeserved populations of St. Louis,” she said. “These clinics are important because they enable people to receive eye care who otherwise would not be able to.”

The majority of her scholarship will fund her living expenses for externships outside of St. Louis. Those include stints at the Missouri Eye Institute in Springfield, Mo., the Carl Albert Indian Health Facility in Ada, Okla., and Carthage [Mo.] Eye Care owned by Dr. Tamra Soriano.

It won’t be Baugh Bruner’s first time working with Soriano, whom she job-shadowed in high school.

Baugh Bruner wants to practice primary care and full-scope optometry, making her broad externship experience valuable. Thinking about her approaching graduation next year, she teased she’s not turning down any early job offers. No matter where she practices, Baugh Bruner plans on always being an InfantSEE provider.

“Early detection is the biggest and best step you can take to improve a child’s long-term vision health,” she said. “This is my way I can give back to the community. Not only am I directly giving back to that child and that family, but it helps that I’m also instilling in their minds the importance of eye care for life.”

Roughly 1,300 graduates are participating in commencement exercises at UMSL May 14 and 15. For a breakdown of the weekend ceremonies and additional information, see umsl.edu/commencement. (File photo by August Jennewein)

As another semester draws to an end, the University of Missouri–St. Louis has much to celebrate – particularly its graduating students who will be in the spotlight on campus this weekend.

Tim Hebel

Together with friends and family, the UMSL community will gather May 14 and 15 in recognition of an estimated 1,589 degree candidates completing their program of study at the university. Participating graduates will cross the stage at five ceremonies over the course of the weekend.

The first ceremony, at 10 a.m. May 14 in the Mark Twain Athletic & Fitness Center on UMSL’s North Campus, honors graduates in the science and humanities fields within the College of Arts and Sciences. Computer science major and Beanstalk Web Solutions founder Tim Hebel is the commencement speaker. Originally interested in ocean engineering, Hebel moved back to Missouri several years ago to pursue a career in programming, choosing to attend UMSL for its balance of great education and affordable tuition. During the four years that Beanstalk has been in business, six of his UMSL classmates have worked for him, and three are still full-time employees at the company.

Chris Krehmeyer

Two honorary degrees will be conferred that morning. Chris Krehmeyer, the longtime president and chief executive officer of Beyond Housing, will receive one of them. Krehmeyer, who has been active in the field of family housing and community development in many capacities in the St. Louis region, oversees 60 full-time employees at Beyond Housing, which aims to make entire communities better places to live. The recipient of many awards, Krehmeyer and his wife, Christine, have three children.

Faith Sandler

Faith Sandler also will receive an honorary degree during the first commencement ceremony. For three decades, Sandler has dedicated herself to expanding the opportunity for students to enter higher education – particularly low-income students and others in Missouri whose life circumstances present barriers to such access. Sandler is executive director of The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, which provides close to $ 4 million in grants and loans to roughly 600 students per year. At UMSL, Sandler has long served as an active member of the advisory board and instructor for the Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program. She’s been recognized locally and nationally for her efforts with regard to college access.

Jordan Pickering

The second ceremony, slated for 2 p.m. May 14 in the Mark Twain building, honors graduates in the social sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences and also the School of Social Work. The afternoon speaker is Jordan Pickering, who graduated from UMSL five years ago with a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice and is about to earn a second degree from the university – this time a PhD. Pickering chose UMSL, she says, because of its renowned program in her field of study, as well as the way the faculty and graduate students made UMSL feel like home. She’s worked to continue that warm environment among her fellow doctoral students and also has guided more than 400 undergraduate students as an instructor during her time on campus.

Leanna Depue

Leanna Depue will receive an honorary degree during the second ceremony. A transformative leader for older driver safety in Missouri since 2005, Depue was director of the state’s Highway Safety Division until 2015. The state’s main focus was teen and alcohol/drug impaired drivers prior to Depue’s tenure, but with an aging baby boomer population, she saw a need to turn attention to older driver safety and mobility issues and soon spearheaded a number of related efforts and initiatives. And during Depue’s years at the helm, Missouri roadways saw a 30-percent decrease in annual fatalities. In 2014, the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety awarded her its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Barbara Willis Brown

The College of Optometry will hold its commencement exercises (ceremony three) in the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. May 14. Speaker Barbara Willis Brown, OD 1988, has spent most of her adult life either attending UMSL as a student or working to advance the campus as an employee and volunteer. The significance of her service was first recognized through the Chancellor’s Distinguished Volunteer Award she received in 1989, and in 2014 she was presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Her transition into retirement from UMSL in 2012 allowed her to pursue additional volunteer activities as she expanded her service to the people of Haiti, where she has led or co-led at least one mission trip each year. She also continues to see patients part-time with OTIS Optometry and Regional Eyecare Associates in O’Fallon, Mo.

Lee Fetter

At 2 p.m. the following day, May 15, UMSL’s College of Education and College of Nursing will gather to celebrate their respective graduates during a ceremony in the Mark Twain building. The commencement speaker is Lee Fetter, who serves as group president for BJC HealthCare, with responsibilities for St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Alton Memorial Hospital, Christian Hospital, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Progress West Hospital. Lee also oversees the organization’s Supply Chain Management and Clinical Asset Management.

Fetter joined Children’s from Washington University School of Medicine, where he was associate vice chancellor for administration and finance and chief operating officer of the Faculty Practice Plan, the affiliated 970-physician group practice. He is active in several professional organizations, including The Children’s Hospital Association where he served as chairman of the council for child advocacy, as well as the St. Louis community. A resident of Webster Groves, Mo., he is married with five children.

Joe Stieven

At the final commencement ceremony of the weekend, the College of Business Administration and the UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program will honor their graduates. That event is set for 6 p.m. May 15 in the Mark Twain building. Joe Stieven, who graduated from UMSL in 1982 and also earned an MBA from his alma mater in 1985, is the speaker.

Starting out at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis after earning his own college degree, Stieven later joined Stifel, Nicolaus and Company, rising to senior vice president and director of the Financial Institutions Research Group over the course of his 20 years at the firm. In 2005, he founded Stieven Capital Advisors, L.P., a registered investment advisor focusing on investments in financial institutions. At UMSL, Stieven serves on the Chancellor’s Council and as chairman of the College of Business Administration’s Building Campaign Committee. He and his wife, Mary, have six children, two of whom and are currently enrolled at UMSL along with a son-in-law.

More information about spring 2016 commencement is available here.

Those invested in the development of UMSL’s world-class cybersecurity program include (from left) Charles Hoffman, dean of the College of Business Administration; Ronald Yasbin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dinesh Mirchandani, chair of the Department of Information Systems; Sanjiv Bhatia, professor of computer science; Shaji Khan, assistant professor of information systems; Maurice Dawson, assistant professor of information systems; Jianli Pan, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science; and Cezary Janikow, associate professor of computer science. (Photo by August Jennewein)

By Marisol Ramirez and Bob Samples

The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated the University of Missouri–St. Louis a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, Chancellor Tom George announced today.

UMSL is currently the only institution in the St. Louis region and only one of two institutions in Missouri to hold this rare and prestigious distinction. UMSL’s Cybersecurity Program offers undergraduate and graduate certificates as well as an undergraduate minor to students.

“The NSA/DHS accreditation is the gold standard for the quality of a cybersecurity program and qualifies our students for cybersecurity positions at intelligence agencies and the military,” George said. “We are now amongst an elite group of institutions to have access to federal cybersecurity scholarships for students and grants for infrastructure development and the authorization to use the official NSA and DHS seals on our website and in our program brochures.”

The honor comes just two years after the formation of the UMSL Cybersecurity Program, a joint effort of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (CS) from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Information Systems (IS) from the College of Business Administration.

The implementation team includes Cezary Janikow, Jianli Pan and Sanjiv Bhatia of CS and Dinesh Mirchandani, Shaji Khan and Maurice Dawson of IS.

“This team has developed, in less than 2 years, a world-class cybersecurity program with innovative lab exercises in ethical hacking and cyber defense,” Professor Mirchandani, chair of the IS Department, said. “This is exciting news for UMSL’s students who can now further distinguish themselves from their peers in the job market.”

Among those distinctions is approaching cybersecurity education from a multi-disciplinary viewpoint.

“A major challenge in cybersecurity has been to bridge the gap between business stakeholders and technical specialists. Addressing security issues requires both management and technical perspectives working in tandem. We created our programs embracing this idea from the start,” Khan said.

“Students learn from different technical perspectives,” Assistant Professor of IS Dawson said of the information systems and computer science collaboration. “CS students get exposed to a systems viewpoint as well as software tools and methodologies, whereas IS students are exposed to algorithms and mathematical theories underlying cryptography and data networks”

Assistant Professor of CS Pan concurred, saying that UMSL’s Cybersecurity Program is “special because it is a joint effort between the CS and IS departments. Through close coordination we offer two parallel tracks for students with different backgrounds, which provides more choices for the students to pursue different specialties and achieve their academic goals.”

“The students also can explore more in-depth technical aspects of cybersecurity or study the business or management sides of cybersecurity,” Pan said. “The program really offers students the best chance regionally to be successful cybersecurity professionals.”

Also critical to achieving the CAE-CDE designation was the recently established Cybersecurity and IT Innovation Lab (CITIL).

“CITIL encompasses a physical lab as well as sandboxed virtual labs that provide students the opportunity to learn by doing. They can engage with security concepts hands-on and do so in a safe environment,” Khan said.

The CAE-CDE designation is valid for five academic years, after which UMSL must successfully reapply in order to retain it.

NSA and DHS jointly sponsor the CAE-CDE program, which aims to reduce vulnerability in the national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense and producing professionals with cyber defense expertise for the nation.

NSA/DHS certificates will be presented to institutions during an evening reception at the National Cyber Security Summit in Huntsville, Ala., on June 8.

For more information about cybersecurity at UMSL, visit cybersecurity.umsl.edu.

UMSL students (from left) Alysa Kaiser, Lindsey Smith and Cody Barton study for exams in a packed Thomas Jefferson Library, which is open later into the evening during finals week.

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

University of Missouri–St. Louis Curators’ Teaching Professor J. Martin Rochester has published 10 books spanning subjects such as international law, education and war. (Photo by August Jennewein) 

J. Martin Rochester believes the 1945 United Nations Charter and the 1949 Geneva Conventions are outdated in this age of guerrillas, terrorism and drone strikes.

In his latest book, “The New Warfare: Rethinking Rules for an Unruly World,” Rochester offers a frank analysis of how today’s policymakers should update and adapt the laws of war in response to modern conflicts.

“For hundreds of years the main form of warfare that threatened the world was large-scale armed combat between organized national armies,” said the University of Missouri–St. Louis political science professor. “The wars occurring now are harder to manage, harder to terminate and feature very messy, very complicated combinations of interstate violence, intrastate violence and transnational terrorism.”

As Rochester explores difficult questions of how to fight honorably, he finds that outdated rules of engagement put the United States in a dangerous legal and political gray zone.

“Let’s say we have 99-percent-accurate intelligence that a terrorist cell in Yemen is going to blow up New York’s Lincoln Tunnel and the subway system, rendering the city uninhabitable. And if we know they’re about to do this, can we take a drone strike and eliminate them before they carry out this attack? Do we have the right to engage in the preemptive use of armed force? If we have reason to believe someone is going to attack the U.S., the [United Nations] charter says you can’t shoot first, but do we have the luxury of waiting until New York City is destroyed before we can attack?”

Rochester also considers how the general population may be targeted by a terrorist attack, anywhere, anytime.

“Another quandary is how can the United States be expected to comply with the ‘rule of distinction,’ meaning combatants should be targeted rather than civilians,” he said. “What do we do when our adversary often not only explicitly attacks innocents but hides behind them and places munitions in schools and hospitals?”

Political science senior and Student Veteran Association member James Norris knows that challenging scenarios like the above are at the heart of Rochester’s classroom discussions.

“Professor Rochester makes a point to discuss different perspectives and positions on controversial political issues,” said Norris. “He has made me aware of my own personal biases and helped me strengthen my position using facts. I avoid accepting what the media spits out and evaluate issues with the knowledge of what questions to ask and where to look.”

Beyond his research and lecturing at UMSL, Rochester also engages local K-12 schools and community organizations like the World Affairs Council of St. Louis on the importance of serious, wide-ranging inquiry.

“I want students to take away the notion that the world is an incredibly complex place and that they should cultivate their own view of what the world looks like based on the best available evidence,” he said. “The best definition of education I ever heard was that an educator should teach students to cope with ambiguity.”

Even though Rochester has published several political science books that are used in universities all over the world and has shown himself to be a prolific author, he is never sure what might attract his attention in the future.

When asked about the progress of his next book-length project, he said, “I’ve written ten books, and I have a few more ideas, but I hope I still have something worth saying.”

Members of the Associated Black Collegians, which grew tremendously this year, pause for photos following the 2016 Student Leadership Awards Banquet. ABC was honored as Organization of the Year at the April 25 event. (Photos by Rebecca Barr)

Students form the core of a lot of amazing work that gets done at the University of Missouri–St. Louis on any given day, both in the classroom and beyond.

That was even more evident than usual at the 2016 Student Leadership Awards Banquet on April 25, said Curt Coonrod, vice provost for Student Affairs and dean of students.

Senior psychology major and University Program Board chair Kaitlin Henning (at left) received two individual accolades at the banquet – the Student Advocate Award as well as the Outstanding Service to the Community Award.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for the university to recognize our outstanding students for making the UMSL community much stronger,” Coonrod said of the evening, at which both he and Chancellor Tom George spoke. “I am so proud of our students and give special thanks to the Office of Student Life for a great job with this event.”

A total of 20 awards were given in recognition of individual UMSL students, faculty and staff members, and student organizations. Senior psychology major Kaitlin Henning, a student senator who also headed up the University Program Board this past year, received two awards from her peers.

“Kaitlin tends to put others before herself in everything she does,” said fellow graduating senior Eric’el Johnson, who also was honored – as Student Leader of the Year – during the event. “She strives to ensure that everyone is treated equally. She welcomes varying suggestions and questions from students and has drafted several resolutions to address those student concerns … She always seeks new ways to help her campus and community.”

Seniors Nat Smith (at left) and Charlotte Kawa have both taken active leadership roles with PRIZM, the queer-trans-straight alliance at UMSL. The student organization earned high marks for its “Walls of Intolerance” program.

Among the other individual students who received awards were Samantha Risius (Fraternity and Sorority Life Student Member of the Year), Thomas Poon (Rising Leader of the Year), Briana Robertson (Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Programming Award), Daniel Mueller (Newman Civic Fellow), and Kevin Smith and Alex Stupek (Triton Athletic Leadership Awards).

Student groups earning kudos included PRIZM, the Associated Black Collegians and the Golden Key International Honour Society.

Despite the evening’s main focus, the organizers and students also took time to applaud several faculty and staff members for significant contributions. Laura Holt, who works in UMSL Counseling Services, was honored with the Student Life Award for her passion for others and the ways in which she helps students “make meaning of their lives, learn new skills and overcome obstacles to change.”

Jill Delston, an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Philosophy, was named the year’s Legendary Triton during the event.

Retiring Associate Vice Chancellor of Advancement for Development Brenda McPhail, Dean of Enrollment Alan Byrd and Assistant Teaching Professor Ann Torrusio were also honored with awards.

Assistant Teaching Professor Jill Delston, who took home the Legendary Triton Award, was nominated by a student who described Delston as a top-notch teacher whose lessons will influence her for years to come.

“It’s been an entire year since I took her International Business Ethics course through the honors college, but she has made an enormous impact on my life,” said senior business administration major Jasmine To. “She taught me that being ethical is the most important thing, [that] leadership is an important feature in any company and that social responsibility is something we should hold all corporations to … I’m grateful for being in her class.”

University of Missouri-St. Louis museum studies student and Bolduc House intern K.C. Strittmater uses her experience of performing Renaissance reenactments to engage museum patrons in fresh ways. (Photos by August Jennewein)

Late December flooding in the historic French colonial district of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., could have destroyed the Bolduc House Museum and 300 years of antiquity along with it.

The nearby Mississippi River swelled to heights not reached since the Great Flood of 1993. Fortunately, the home of Monsieur Louis Bolduc survived with only minimal damage. University of Missouri–St. Louis museum studies graduate student and Bolduc House intern K.C. Strittmater admits she would have been devastated.

“These items are irreplaceable. They’re coming from a time period that’s long gone. These were living objects, things that were used every day,” she says. “We’re not looking at a gilded clock that was used once in a while by King Louis XIX. The cookware and furniture are things that your great-great grandmother could have used. These objects are very human. They share stories and life lessons, and to lose them suddenly would be tragic.”

Monsieur Louis Bolduc built the house in 1792 and would add several additions in years to come.

Strittmater’s undergraduate work in philosophy, classical history and religion at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., cultivated her interest in the stories artifacts can tell. Moving forward in her academic career, she found herself searching for ways to make museum experiences accessible and relatable.

“I really wanted to help expand
 the field. I felt that museums 
appeared to be for either the
very young, the very old or the 
elite,” she says. “I really wanted 
to figure out how to make
 historic spaces more inviting 
for a diversity of people. Walking through a museum and learning 
the personal mythologies behind unassuming objects can give
 you a kind of strength to face the day.”

The kitchen fireplace served as an oven and as a heat source in winters.

Strittmater came to UMSL in 2015, started her internship at the Bolduc House and took on a variety of roles, searching for the skill set she wanted to master. She has worked with documentation, reconstruction, collections and historic preservation, yet she did not anticipate taking a crash course in disaster management.

“I called my supervisor after winter break to get back to work, and he told me ‘Don’t come down here. It’s dangerous, and we don’t want you to come down here and get stuck in the flooding and ice,’” she says. “All of our objects were moved to the top floors of the Bolduc House or offsite to St. Louis. Once the waters receded, and it was safe to return to work, we had to clean the house and reset the exhibits.”

Now that the threat of catastrophe has passed, Strittmater can resume refining the unique events she has planned to attract and engage visitors. Drawing on her experience in Renaissance reenactment, she has introduced a werewolf hunt to the Bolduc House’s annual Halloween festival.

“Strangely enough, the fear of werewolves
 was a big problem in colonial France,” she 
says. “Superstitions and such were still very prevalent during this time period. People today believe that since the Enlightenment was in full effect these kinds of superstitions had
 fallen to the wayside, but they hadn’t. And since the new world was pretty much a giant, rural backland, superstitions only intensified.”

As the oldest standing structure in Ste. Geneviève, Mo., the Bolduc House has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Bolduc emigrated from France not long after legends of The Beast of Gévaudan, a prototypical werewolf, terrorized the countryside and prompted citizens to take up arms and hunt the monster. And like all American settlers, Bolduc would have brought his worldview to his new home, right down to the fear of supernatural creatures.

For the Bolduc House event, a gracious volunteer played the werewolf, costume and all. And instead of hunting for a ravenous beast with swords and pistols, Strittmater armed participants (ages 16 and up) with garlic rods and led them on a game of hide and seek in the Bolduc House backyard.

“Once the werewolf was captured, we had a local militia member unmask him and bring him back to his humanity,” she says. “It’s a very interesting story, and I wanted people to experience this in a fun way. Popular mythologies evolve over time. And at its core, the werewolf represents our fear of losing our humanity and rational thought. Are we animals? Or are we more? This fear and questioning has remained consistent over the centuries. Only our perceptions change.”

Maris Boyd Gillette, E. Desmond Lee Professor of Museum Studies and Community History at UMSL, counts herself as a fan of Strittmater’s energetic approach to complex theory and subject matter.

“K.C. loves to ask challenging questions and engage in deep discussions about controversial topics,” Gillette says. “She is a creative thinker who puts her strong historical research skills to use in public history and cultural heritage projects that combine education and entertainment. She is a can-do person and very open to new ideas and ways of doing things.”

As Strittmater dreams of working at Spain’s La Sagrada Familia Basilica, she will continue to expand her skill set and invite visitors to explore minute and sweeping historical themes.

“If you take an object like your great-great-grandfather’s pocket watch and put it in a museum, you make it meaningful in a broader context,” she says. “It becomes more – a part of culture for your community, your country and the world.”

This story was originally published in the spring 2016 issue of UMSL Magazine.

University of Missouri-St. Louis senior pitchers Kurt McGuire and Austin Simokaitis were both named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division First Team to highlight a group of five Tritons to earn postseason accolades. Senior outfielders Justin Busekrus and Jose Ortiz, along with junior catcher Nick Ulrey, were all named to the league’s second team.

McGuire was the ace of the UMSL pitching staff, posting an overall record of 8-2 with a 2.75 ERA. He led the squad with 54 strikeouts and limited opponents to a .226 batting average. In GLVC-only contests, McGuire was 5-2 with a 3.62 ERA and struck out 40 as opponents batted just .209 against him.

Simokaitis repeats as a First Team All-GLVC selection. The Tritons’ closer set a UMSL single season record with 16 saves, which ranks first in both the GLVC and NCAA Division II. He also broke the program’s career saves record and graduates with 27. Simokaitis sported a 2.11 ERA. In GLVC-only contests, Simokaitis recorded seven saves, tied for a league-high.

Busekrus, a First Team All-GLVC honoree last year, led the Tritons with 68 hits behind a .354 batting average. He recorded 16 doubles, which tied for sixth in the GLVC, three home runs, 32 RBIs and 40 runs scored. Busekrus also led the team with 22 multi-hit games and posted a team-best .484 slugging percentage. Defensively, he committed just two errors in the outfield. In GLVC-only games, he batted .287 with 29 hits, including six doubles, 12 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

Ortiz was one of three players to start all 50 games and batted .316 with 55 hits. He tallied 31 RBI and owned team highs of 46 runs and 15 stolen bases. Ortiz also drew 48 walks, second most in an UMSL single season, and third most in NCAA Division II. He also topped the GLVC with 237 plate appearances and was third with a .483 on-base percentage. Oritz put together a reached base streak of 24 games during the year and ended the year with 11 straight games on base. In GLVC-only games, Ortiz batted .319 with 30 hits and 22 runs scored. He drew a league-best 25 walks and owned an on-base percentage of .488, which ranked third.

Ulrey batted .283 during the year, recording 41 hits, including nine doubles, two triples and two home runs. He also drove in 222 runs and scored 21 runs. In GLVC-only games, Ulrey upped his average to a team-best .377 with 29 hits, including seven doubles, for a slugging percentage of .532. He added 13 RBIs and eight runs scored. Defensively, Ulrey threw out a league-high 19 runners trying to steal.

UMSL finished the 2016 campaign with a 29-21 overall record, including an 11-17 GLVC mark.

The Current’s masthead has taken on a variety of forms and fonts over the years, from a steamboat-themed version in 1968 to 2016’s commemorative script. (Masthead images courtesy The Current)

Small, independent and nearly as old as the University of Missouri–St. Louis itself, the student newspaper that has regularly filled campus racks since 1966 marks a major milestone this year. And looking back on The Current’s half century of existence, there’s much to applaud: 1,500 (and counting) issues worth of UMSL history, for starters.

The Current’s first issue, published on November 18, 1966, includes a front-page illustration of UMSL’s former mascot with the caption “MEET THE RIVERMAN!” University Archives’ digitized collections house nearly 1,500 past issues of the student newspaper.

But The Current is more than the persistent weekly product itself, an important and evolving document of the campus and its people. The deep friendships, life lessons and unexpected opportunities the paper has made possible over the past 50 years are also cause for celebration.

“It was really one of the best experiences of my life,” says former editor-in-chief Michelle McMurray, who worked on the paper in the early 1990s while earning her bachelor’s degree at UMSL in 1992 and then a master’s in criminology in 1993. “You just learn so much.”

Her involvement with the paper overlapped with that of Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel, BA 1997, who considers his experience at The Current vital to his own professional development. Pulling together the paper required a lot of independence as well as collaboration week after week. It’s what former editor-in-chief Sharon Lynn Pruitt, BA 2014, describes as “journalism boot camp.”

“Some of my fondest moments were the most difficult moments, to be honest,” says Pruitt, who now writes for Oxygen and other outlets. “The other editors and I spent a lot of late nights putting the paper together. It was hard work, and I’d be going home at like 1 a.m. on a Sunday night. But even though I had a Monday morning class and was totally exhausted, I’d still be feeling really pleased and just content. That’s when I knew that this was something I wanted to stick with.”

Alumna Michelle McMurray applied for the position of editor-in-chief in 1992. Her formal presentation for the job, captured here, proved successful. (Photo courtesy Michelle McMurray)

Many former Current reporters, photographers and editors have continued on in the field, which may seem surprising, since UMSL doesn’t have a journalism program.

“The Current is unique in that there’s only one way to learn journalism at UMSL, and that’s to work at The Current,” notes former editor-in-chief Josh Renaud, BA 2003, who also began working for his current employer, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, in college. “For the right student, because The Current is a relatively small paper and it’s independent, you really have a chance to learn everything.”

Veteran photojournalist Wiley Price says he got exactly the training he needed at The Current, where he first started taking pictures in the spring of 1979 after being given a 35mm camera for Christmas.

Photojournalist Wiley Price moved on from The Current to work for The St. Louis American. (Photo by August Jennewein)

“I had a great start at UMSL,” says Price, who majored in music but eventually left the university to pursue a job at The St. Louis American. Like many other Current alumni, he didn’t enroll at UMSL intending to get involved at the student paper. But the photo editor at the time, Romondo Davis, asked him to give it a try and introduced him to the wonders of the darkroom.

“I said, ‘Sure,’” Price recalls. “If it hadn’t been for him, I probably never would have worked for The Current.”

Beginning with what seems a minor decision to give it a try, such involvement has often grown into a major commitment for UMSL students over the years – and a centerpiece of their experience on campus.

“I still remember walking into the Blue Metal Building and saying I’d like to volunteer to write stories,” says Zweifel, who soon was spending countless Sunday nights dealing with a wax machine, exacto knife and other tools of the ever-evolving trade. “I think about the process now and how it compares to that, and it makes me chuckle a bit.”

Several members of The Current staff – (from left) Rhashad Pittman, Inshirah Bawazir, Erin Dominguez (in front), Tom Wombacher and Josh Renaud – pose in front of the White House during a trip to Washington D.C. for the annual Associated Collegiate Press convention in November 2000. (Photo courtesy Josh Renaud)

But to hear contributors past and present tell it, investing all of that energy has proved well worth the effort.

“While the classes that I had at UMSL were valuable,” says Renaud, “even more valuable was the time I spent at The Current, practicing my craft.”

Along with crucial skills, Current staff members have gained close friends and even spouses in a few cases.

“There’s just some very close bonds,” says McMurray, who also points to interviews with Tipper Gore and Jacques Cousteau plus press passes to U.S. presidential campaign events as highlights during her time with the paper. “And every now and then, I go by The Current office and introduce myself, see how things are going. It’s neat seeing how the paper has evolved.”

Its former and current contributors have seen themselves change as well. UMSL alumna Kim Hudson, BA 2000, host of Fox 2’s “9AM show” on Channel 2 in St. Louis, says it was during her Current years that she came out of her shell.

A familiar face on KTVI (Channel 2) as host of Fox 2’s “9AM show,” Kim Hudson, BA 2000, is one of many Current alumni who have gone on to become professional journalists. (Photo by August Jennewein)

“I learned that sometimes you have to risk rejection to get what you want – I wanted a quote,” Hudson says. “So, I had to approach people. I had to put in that work. I also learned that I am a decent photographer. Once, I took pictures of a UMSL nursing student fighting his own brain tumor while he toured Children’s Hospital … That opened new possibilities for me.”

Click through the online archives of The Current’s 49 (and soon to be 50) volumes, and a vivid picture of the last half-century appears. In addition to capturing UMSL history, The Current offers a glimpse into broader, shifting cultures and contexts.

Its timely coverage during the fall of 2014 is just one recent example. The Current’s present editor-in-chief, Kat Riddler, was still adjusting to a new role as news editor when Michael Brown was killed in nearby Ferguson, Mo., in August 2014. As the St. Louis region loomed large on the world’s radar, Riddler and other members of The Current crew got busy.

Graduate student Kat Riddler, editor-in-chief of The Current, leads weekly meetings where the student newspaper staff members discuss what’s working well and what they can further improve on. (Photo by August Jennewein)

“I had to learn about my job very quickly and adapt my writing to relay facts,” says Riddler, a graduate student in the Department of English who earned her bachelor’s degree from UMSL in 2014. “In many ways the national news media was feeding people their opinion, making for a very tense community climate. I decided to condense all of my reporting for a timeline for students for the first issue that semester.”

Riddler has seen The Current make strides and overcome new challenges in recent years. She says she’s especially proud of the paper’s expanding online presence and podcast collaboration with the U, UMSL’s student-run radio station.

For Renaud, who has watched with interest and affection as The Current fords ups and downs, the paper continues to be “really kind of a strange beast on campus” – as well as an essential one.

“Like any organization that has been around 50 years,” he adds, “it has a colorful history.”

This story was originally published in the spring 2016 issue of UMSL Magazine.

(Photo by August Jennewein)

Four years ago, like most seniors in high school, Alaa Kuziez faced big changes. But in addition to the usual challenges, she and her family had just fled their home country of Syria.

“The hardest part of it is you’re leaving family behind, and you’re leaving your friends that you’ve spent all your childhood with, for a strange place called Missouri that you’ve never been to,” says Kuziez, now a senior biology major at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “It was definitely a huge transition.”

On top of adapting to a vastly different home and language, she had unexpected academic decisions to make. In Syria, Kuziez had pursued Arabic poetry, fully intending to continue down that track. But that no longer seemed feasible upon landing in English-speaking St. Louis in the wake of her home country’s civil war.

“That’s something I couldn’t continue,” says Kuziez, who was born in the U.S. but moved back to Syria with her parents and sisters when she was very young. “So I thought, ‘I want to try something new.’ I didn’t know what I was about to get myself into.”

In the summer of 2013, after graduating from Parkway West High School in Ballwin, Mo., she volunteered at a free health clinic, which set her on a path toward becoming a doctor.

“The clinic was founded by Muslim physicians, and I was able to talk with them about how they built themselves up here and went through the same process. I felt like, ‘That’s me right now,’” she says. Along with checking patients in and recording medical histories, Kuziez served as a translator, drawing on her bilingual abilities.

“That was the changing moment, because it was very satisfying for the patient, and I was able to bridge that gap between the patient and the physician,” she says. “I wanted to contribute to that and have an impact on someone’s life and make it better.”

After a year at St. Louis Community College–Meramec, Kuziez received a scholarship through Phi Theta Kappa to attend UMSL, and in the fall of 2014 she took an introductory biology course that put her resolve to the test.

“I set high standards for myself, and one day I was crying, because I couldn’t do it,” she recalls. “My instructor saw me very frustrated, and he talked to me and reminded me that I was a good student and always going for excellence. That was a real encouragement that sticks in my mind.”

Her professor’s uplifting words about her are also very true, judging from her early acceptance into the highly selective UMKC Medical Scholars Program. That tentatively guarantees her a spot in the school’s M.D. program after she graduates from UMSL this fall. Still, she keeps a tattered MCAT study manual close at hand, with that key exam looming.

Hoping to one day return to Syria as a pediatrician and help to alleviate the suffering that some loved ones are still experiencing, Kuziez is full of gratitude about her own journey.

“Coming to the United States, my biggest fear was that I look different and speak a different language, and with all of the conflicts going on, sometimes you feel unwanted,” she says. “UMSL provided a safe atmosphere to acquire knowledge in. They didn’t judge me based on my religion or any of that. I felt equal and very welcomed, and UMSL also opened my eyes to science and helped me explore my options.”

This story was originally published in the spring 2016 issue of UMSL Magazine.

Equipped with charisma, sincerity and insight, Amy Hunter sheds light on systemic discrimination. (Photo by August Jennewein)

“Where we stood when it mattered will make the difference,” says Amy Hunter, who has devoted herself to a vision of an inclusive society.

As director of racial diversity at the Young Women’s Christian Association, she has introduced programs to the St. Louis community that promote equality regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status. Hunter, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, has also pursued graduate education through UMSL’s College of Education.

“During this time of change, I feel that I 
went from just living to living with a purpose,” she says.

Born and raised in University City, Mo., Hunter grounds her mission with genuine connections to her community. The University City School District Board of Education awarded her the 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award, and FOCUS St. Louis included Hunter in its prestigious 2016 list of “What’s Right With The Region.” Appreciative and humbled by the recognition, Hunter directs the attention from herself to her work.

“We can all make contributions toward social justice,” she says. “You don’t need a job in social justice or a degree.”

And while a degree is not the path for every person, Hunter’s studies and knowledge base reaffirm her belief that cultural awareness across the country starts with promoting equality in the classroom – a goal she says is at the core of bringing about real change.

“Strategically speaking, we need to support everyone better, teachers and students,”
 she says. “Ninety percent of teachers are not culturally competent in a field where 36 percent of the kids are of color. Systemically, we haven’t done a good job of preparing teachers for those spaces and how to be bi-cultural.”

She also asserts that her time in the College 
of Education at UMSL with Educational Leadership Professor Matthew Davis helped shape 
her confidence and her voice.

“Matthew Davis introduced me to critical race theory and how it explains why we are the way we are as a society,” she says. “UMSL totally gets credit for the Amy you see now. I would not have been prepared for public engagement without practice and encouragement.”

Fifteen years of organizing diversity initiatives for companies such as Edward Jones, Monsanto and Bank of America have helped Hunter develop her approach to broaching necessary dialogues.

With her communication skills in hand, Hunter shares her insights with local and national media outlets. She has written about the Ferguson demonstrations for Essence Magazine, given a TEDx Talk on how zip codes are an indicator of systemic discrimination and discussed the Michael Brown case with CNN, CBS, PBS and the Wall Street Journal.

“As a mother of three sons and a daughter,
 I understood where the activism came from,” Hunter says. “What happened to Mike Brown was a reminder to people of color that no matter your station or education, your child could be hurt for being black. But what might not be obvious is the hopefulness that was displayed during the protests.”

This story was originally published in the spring 2016 issue of UMSL Magazine.

Recent graduate and two-time Student Government Association President Cameron Roark gives us a glimpse into his student experience and the opportunities open to those who choose UMSL. (Photos by August Jennewein)

A three-foot by four-foot window in a small office on the third floor of the Millennium Student Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis looks out over campus. Green leaves. Falling leaves. Sunshine. Rain. And, often, stunning western sunsets.

For two years, the window has been symbolic of Cameron Roark’s view of UMSL.

He is a two-term president of the Student Government Association, criminology and criminal justice major, honors college mentor, student manager at the new Recreation and Wellness Center and frequent user of Dr. Seuss quotes.

At the Recreation and Wellness Center where he worked as a student manager, Cameron gets a run in on a second-floor treadmill overlooking the weightlifting area on the ground floor below.

And despite all that, Cameron feels “humbled” as he’s interviewed for UMSL Magazine. While eating a stir-fry dish from the Nosh, he says he considers himself a typical UMSL student.

So what’s typical?

Bright Lights, Big City

Cameron was born and raised in Jefferson City, the state’s capital situated in mid-Missouri along the banks of the Missouri River. The younger of Alan and Susan Roark’s two children, Cameron is a first generation college student.

“My parents were high school sweethearts who were married at 19,” he says, noting that they decided to stay put working and raising a family in Jefferson City.

Cameron considered his upbringing fairly idyllic, with a high school football injury the first notable setback, but also the impetus for setting a new course in his life. Instead of athletics, Cameron decided to focus on public affairs. His college search centered on finding a place that could nurture his new passion. He also sought a larger environment, a place with more diversity and opportunities.

Nearby St. Louis was an obvious option – UMSL not so much.

UMSL was an accident

Growing up, Cameron remembers watching the St. Louis Cardinals play at Busch Stadium and the animals roaming at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Saint Louis University was his first visit, but something just wasn’t right about the fit. So he turned to the Internet, where he found UMSL and was intrigued. A campus visit sealed the deal.

“The people I met just seemed to care,” Cameron says. “Now – just about four years later – it has been one of the best decisions of my life.”

As a prominent student leader, Cameron has become skilled at addressing university officials. Here, he presents to the University Assembly and Faculty Senate at UMSL.

Bonding at Oak Hall

Nervous and excited, Cameron started his college career in a new city on a fairly large campus. But he adapted early, he says, because of the friends he made in Oak Hall – the campus’s largest residential building.

“One of my most enjoyable experiences was living in the dorms during my freshman year,” Cameron says. “It was just a great time getting to socialize and make friends – friends that I still have today.”

Cameron rents a house in Florissant, Mo., with two UMSL alumni he met in Oak Hall – both now professionals in the criminal justice field. It’s a quick commute, and he loves being with people he trusts.

Not all of the people he met ended up housemates, obviously, but most have remained close and many became allies as he entered campus politics.

Running isn’t governing

Getting involved in UMSL’s Student Government Association was “natural,” Cameron says, for someone interested in politics and public policy. He ran for and was elected to the Student Government Senate – serving as the Senate chair as a sophomore.

The next natural progression was seeking the SGA presidency, which Cameron did with Oak Hall friends Deja Patrick and Dominic Margherio as his running mates for vice president and comptroller, respectively.

“Student government is what you make of it,” Cameron says. “If you put a lot into it, you’ll get a lot out of it.”

Cameron’s initial platform was to improve communication between students and administrators, increase student participation at events and make the SGA process more efficient. His second term has proven even more challenging, as well as more enlightening.

Cameron has a good time as he runs a Student Government Association meeting with his fellow officers.

This year, UMSL has faced the fallout of racial tensions on the Columbia campus and a budget shortfall of nearly $15 million on its own campus. Both issues pushed Cameron into hyper-drive, gauging student sentiments and working to ensure students were involved in the decision-making process.

“The protests at MU [in November] were very challenging from a governing perspective,” he says. “I learned that people want you to take sides. But we felt improving the future was more important than pointing fingers.”

Cameron met with student organizations to determine if the same issues expressed in Columbia existed at UMSL. He said that students did not give UMSL an A+, but felt the situations were different. Cameron credits in large part the staff of Student Affairs and Chancellor Tom George, who meet frequently with him and other students to address concerns.

The process to realign UMSL’s budget – a situation caused primarily by declining state support and flat or decreased student enrollment – has proven the most stressful for Cameron. He’s responded by advocating student concerns and setting up a forum to ensure students could speak directly to Chancellor George and other top administrators.

“Throughout the budget issues, I have learned so much,” Cameron says.

Among those lessons were that individuals with vested interests guard those interests and that the process moves slowly – especially for someone who describes himself as “impatient.” He’s also learned that there are limits to anyone’s power, including an SGA president.

“It took some time to realize I could not just make policies happen,” Cameron says, adding that he’s still developing his negotiation skills.

Taking advantage of opportunities

One of the contributing factors in choosing UMSL, Cameron says, was the Pierre Laclede Honors College, a small liberal arts college within the larger university that specializes in seminar-style, writing-intensive classes of 18 or fewer students.

Cameron speaks to students in Teaching Professor Kimberly Baldus’ Pierre Laclede Honors College class. He made frequent visits as an honors college mentor, one of his many roles during his time at UMSL.

As a mentor in the college, Cameron encourages students to become involved in campus organizations and to take advantage of internships – such as he did when working in the office of U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr.

“I found out there was a lot of bureaucracy-red tape [in government], and ways to get through it,” Cameron says. “I felt good resolving problems for people and realized that I was pretty good at it. They gave me more cases [to resolve] as time went along.”

Honors college students seem to appreciate Cameron’s insights and advice, as do the instructors.

“Individually, his most important message to students has been one of campus involvement,” says Kimberly Baldus, teaching professor in the honors college. “He’s passionate about how such opportunities to contribute to campus life benefit both the university and the students themselves.”

Moving forward

Four years and three UMSL elections later, Cameron is running fast toward spring commencement to receive his bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice and minor in political science. He’s also finishing the acceptance process to study law at the University of Missouri–Kansas City in the fall.

It’s natural to think, given his history, that law is ultimately an avenue to elective office for him. But maybe not.

When asked, Cameron just smiles. And why not? His experiences and education provide him with lots of choices.

This story was originally published in the spring 2016 issue of UMSL Magazine.

Senior Eric’el Johnson is headed to Boeing after graduating this past weekend with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, one of many things she accomplished while at UMSL. (Photos by August Jennewein)

It was a monumental weekend for University of Missouri–St. Louis graduate Eric’el Johnson. Spring commencement was the culmination of so many things for her, but most importantly, she fulfilled a promise she had made to her mother years ago.

“I come from a working-class family,” Johnson said. “So I made a promise to my mom before I graduated from high school that she wouldn’t have to pay for college and that I would get my degree. I’ve worked really, really hard to make that come true.”

Eric’el Johnson (center in purple) attends an Opportunity Scholars Program event with Chancellor Tom George (red tie) and fellow scholars and program supporters.

She did more than come through on both promises. Johnson received a selective, full-ride scholarship through UMSL’s Opportunity Scholars Program. She used it to fund her education in the UMSL/Washington University in St. Louis Undergraduate Joint Engineering Program and earn her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

But she did so much more at UMSL than earn a degree. Johnson filled her time with three summer internships at Boeing, a co-op at Emerson and numerous campus commitments. She was president of the Golden Key International Honour Society, president of Society of Future Engineers, lead ambassador for UMSL Ambassadors, a program chair for University Program Board, a teaching assistant, an engineering tutor and a first-year experience mentor for incoming freshmen.

“I wanted to set an example for my little sisters,” said Johnson, whose sisters are 16 and 14.  “I always thought, ‘I’m doing well right now, and I can manage it, so I don’t see why I should stop. Better to keep going while I’m being successful.’”

Eric’el Johnson gazes to her future.

And successful she has been. Johnson graduated with a job already lined up at Boeing as part of the Engineering Career Foundation Program.

“I had an advantage when I was applying for ECFP,” she said. “They looked at my experience and saw that I worked at different parts of the Boeing lifecycle during my internships, which complemented what they were looking for.

“It’s also cool because the people that are involved in the ECFP, I’ve encountered them already at some point during my internships. It helps to be there over and over again so people can see your face.”

But beyond helping land Johnson her job, she felt she learned valuable professional lessons she could have taken with her anywhere.

The mother-daughter pendant reads, “I love you to the moon and back.”

“I had a lot of the technical knowledge, but going into it I realized there was a lot that I didn’t know,” she said. “Like, I had to be able to talk to other people and not be afraid to ask questions. Things I didn’t learn in engineering classes – like the soft skills – I picked up while I was working. Now I’m a more well-rounded person. It’s great if I know all the technical stuff, but if I don’t know how to explain it and address people, it doesn’t help anyone.”

Johnson stressed that growing into a professional adult wasn’t something she practiced in work environments only. Being involved with her peers on campus proved just as prudent in building people skills.

“You probably wouldn’t think this, but I’m a huge introvert,” Johnson said. “I’m a very quiet person. But through UMSL Ambassadors I’ve been able to learn how to reach out and talk to people. Because of them, I’ve had the opportunity to speak at the chancellor’s house in front of the Chancellor’s Council.”

Johnson also helped build the Undergraduate Research Symposium offered through Golden Key, which she teasingly called “her baby.”

Eric’el Johnson and her fellow UMSL Ambassadors attend the 2014 UMSL Founder’s Dinner.

“I like what Golden Key is about,” she said. “I like its three pillars: Academics. Leadership. Service. Plus, URS really gives people an opportunity to present their research in a mock-professional manner. Really, I like mentoring others and helping others be the best that they can be.”

Johnson’s attitude and efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. She was named Student Leader of the Year as well as a 2016 UMSL Trailblazer. As an African American woman in engineering, demographically she knows she is a trailblazer, but she doesn’t get hung up on the ways she is a minority overcoming stereotypes or odds.

“It’s really weird because I honestly don’t think about it,” Johnson said. “For me, I’m going to do it, and no one is going to stop me. As long as I have my goals in mind, I’m just going to reach for them.”

One of those goals is to return to the Joint Engineering Program as an adjunct instructor.

Eric’el Johnson (third from right) was one of five UMSL women recognized with the 2016 Trailblazer award, presented bu UMSL Chancellor Tom George (at left) and Chief Diversity Officer Deborah Burris (far right).

“I want to be a representative for some of the minorities,” she said. “I want to be a different face and allow students like me to say, ‘Hey there’s one professor that looks like me.’”

Johnson’s thankful to her mother, who was only 18 years old when she had Johnson and pushed her to have big dreams and work hard.

“She’s an amazing woman. Very smart,” Johnson said. “She always thinks you should raise your children to do better than yourself. Even if you’ve done great things, your children can still do better because they have that foundation you provided for them.”

It seems Johnson is certainly off to a wonderful start.

Fatima Amtashar (center), vice president of UMSL’s National Society of Leadership and Success chapter, listens to remarks alongside Jenna Bartak, coordinator of leadership and training for the Office of Student Life, during NSLS’s spring 2016 induction ceremony in the Millennium Student Center. (Photos by Afton Joiner)

Compassion. Dedication. Success.

These and other ideals kept coming up one recent evening in the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ Millennium Student Center. As UMSL’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success inducted 22 new members on April 25, the students also took time to congratulate several peers, faculty and staff.

A keynote address by Ashlee Roberts, assistant director of the Office of Student Life, set the tone for the event. Roberts shared lessons from her own life during the talk, offering humility, mentorship and serving others as three keys to meaningful success.

UMSL staff member Ashlee Roberts was asked to give the keynote address at the April 25 event.

Members of the NSLS chapter’s executive board then called three UMSL faculty members to the stage to award each of them a 2016 Excellence in Teaching Award.

The first recipient was Christine M. Recktenwald, an assistant teaching professor in the College of Nursing described as remarkably caring and eager to guide students toward success.

“She demonstrates dedication to developing students beyond their academic qualifications,” a student nominator said, “and has a positive impact on the lives of any nursing student she comes in contact with.”

Instructor Andrew Tucker, an expert in content literacy, reading and special education at UMSL, was the second recipient. Tucker was commended for “always being willing to answer questions that students have and developing relationships with his students which shows exceptional love for teaching with purpose.”

The final recipient of the 2016 Excellence in Teaching Award was Patti Wright, associate professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology. Described at the NSLS event as a passionate, knowledgeable and charismatic professor, one student wrote that Wright goes out of her way on behalf of students and encourages them to think critically and challenge themselves academically.

Among those UMSL faculty and staff members recognized with student-initiated awards were (from left) Christine Recktenwald, Marc Spingola, Mike Diliberto, Evie Hemphill and Patti Wright.

The NSLS chapter also presented the Excellence in Service to Students Award to three non-faculty members on campus, thanking them for leadership, mentorship and a commitment to bettering the lives of students. The recipients were Mike Diliberto, Evie Hemphill and Kevin Ly.

Just before inducting and celebrating 22 current UMSL students as new society members, the group honored Associate Teaching Professor Marc Spingola with an Honorary Membership Award. Regularly given to one faculty member, staff member or administrator who embodies the mission of NSLS and demonstrates leadership qualities in a personal and professional capacity, the award recognized Spingola as “the type of person that is always willing to help and do whatever he can to make students’ time worthwhile here at UMSL.”

Nationally Engaged Leader Awards were also presented to four accomplished UMSL students and current NSLS chapter members Valentina Emiliani, JeYeon Ariel Hur, Dipa Patel and Thao Pham.

Students are selected and invited to join NSLS based on credit hours and academic standing. Before being inducted, they complete a step-by-step program through the UMSL chapter, building leadership skills, engaging in self-reflection and exploration, and gaining tools that will help them reach their goals.

Volunteer work and dedication in the classroom has earned Jessica Ploss a research assistantship in criminology at Illinois State University. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Jessica Ploss’ next-door neighbor, a retired FBI agent, once told her she would be well suited for detective work. The neighbor recognized in Ploss a quality every detective worth her salt needs – empathy.

The Tritons volleyball player and Pierre Laclede Honors College student, who graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis this spring, took her neighbor’s advice to heart. In her four years at UMSL, Ploss nurtured and expanded this important personal quality. Now, having earned her bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice, she is ready for the next step.

This fall she will begin pursuing a master’s degree in criminology at Illinois State University, start work as a graduate research assistant and further hone her people skills.

“My goal in life is to help as many people as possible, and through my future career, I want to bring closure to families that have been affected by crime,” Ploss said. “When a crime occurs, it leaves a lot of questions for the family. I want to be able to tell a family we did everything we could and used every resource available.”

During her academic career, Ploss has touched lives through volunteering with Triton Health Educators, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, UMSL Students of Service and World Vision. She has brought national and international service movements such as Helping Handbags and the 30 Hour Famine to UMSL, all while crediting her religious life for instilling leadership values.

“I grew up serving my community at home through the church. I’ve done everything from collecting donations for a drive to painting or raking leaves, and I’m happy I could bring that effort to UMSL,” she said.

Study at UMSL has helped Ploss combine her caring nature with law enforcement knowledge and allowed her to focus her purpose. Beyond helping those in vulnerable situations with donations and time, she wants to make them feel safe.

“After taking a couple of courses on victimization and how it affects families in different ways, it really clicked for me that sometimes people need help and protection, too,” she said. “I hope I can build safe spaces for people who need them, and being able to learn from former lawyers, prosecutors and police officers in UMSL’s criminal justice program was huge for me.”

Ploss intends to continue building community connections and her knowledge base in the next phase of her education and career, but like most new graduates, she finds moving on a bit strange.

“It’s a weird feeling. They always say four years flies by, but you never know until you’re doing it,” she said. “I’m sad to leave friends and the atmosphere at UMSL, but at the same time, I’m excited for new and bigger adventures.”

Before crossing the stage last weekend in celebration of her marketing degree, Lingru Kong took a few moments to savor her favorite aspects of life as a UMSL student. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Lingru Kong likes to joke that she chose a writing-intensive path at the University of Missouri–St. Louis because learning English as an adult was so easy.

“Actually, I was not confident at all – the thing I hated most when I was first learning was writing,” says Kong, who grew up in mainland China and moved to Missouri in 2011. “But I wanted to challenge myself.”

As Kong finished up an associate degree at St. Charles Community College in 2013, her adviser urged her to consider applying to UMSL’s Pierre Laclede Honors College despite some hesitation on Kong’s part. She did so – and soon found herself not only admitted but awarded scholarships.

In the three years since transferring to the university, Kong has proven herself up to the challenge on a wide variety of fronts. The business administration major was president of both the UMSL Marketing Club and the university’s National Society of Leadership and Success chapter this past semester. She’s also fit in sizable internships with Disney and Scottrade alongside her studies and campus involvement.

But her time in the honors college ranks at the top of her list when she considers her UMSL experience as a whole.

“The faculty don’t focus on memorization and taking exams,” Kong says. “Instead, you do research, you write a report, you analyze cases. All this critical thinking will benefit me far into the future.”

Just prior to commencement last week and her family’s arrival from China to help her celebrate earning her bachelor’s degree, Kong shared a list of seven things she’ll miss most about UMSL, a place she says has come to feel like a second home.

1. Mental workouts via Pierre Laclede Honors College

“Because of the small class size and the structure of the class, it encourages discussion,” Kong says, “and you can really engage with your classmates and professors.”

With intensive focuses on topics such as international ethics and the legal environment, she says she can’t emphasize enough the value of the coursework – or the interactions with those learning alongside her.

“At class and events, when I look around me, I feel like UMSL is so global and that my mind is being broadened.”

2. Training for a 5K at the Recreation and Wellness Center

Kong was delighted to see the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center open up in time for her final year at the university. She says it’s been useful not just for personal fitness but for social events and time with classmates as well as others.

“I can bring friends [who are not UMSL students] along with me, and it’s only $8 for everything, including things like rock climbing,” she says. “And I’m currently training there for a 5K, on the indoor track … I have a friend here who motivates me. I didn’t get to do the Goose Chase because I wasn’t quite done with my training, but hopefully I’ll be back for one soon.”

3. Creative fun made possible by the University Program Board

“I’ve attended many, many of their events, and they’re so much fun,” Kong says of the activities spearheaded by the student-driven University Program Board. “They also do a lot of off-campus events that give you a unique experience of St. Louis. Whenever I see that UPB chicken logo on a flier or something, I know it’s going to be a great event.”

One of her personal favorites is Friday Night Flicks – free movie nights in the Millennium Student Center that often include popcorn or even dinner.

4. The St. Louis Metro Transit pass

“It’s such a great idea,” Kong says of the regional MetroLink pass that is included as part of students’ tuition. “It’s important for so many commuter students, and it’s also a great way to explore St. Louis.”

5. Student rates for the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center

“I went to so many performances during my time here – Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid,” says Kong, an avid Disney fan. “They have a lot of international performances as well, like Japanese storytelling. I like all of that culture, and it’s so cheap as an UMSL student.”

6. Discounts at many St. Louis destinations

According to Kong, the trusty student ID is not a benefit to be taken for granted. From the Delmar Loop to Olive Boulevard, she’s made the most of that particular card in her wallet, finding it useful at a variety of restaurants, events, museums and other destinations in the region.

7. Playing the various pianos in the Millennium Student Center

One of the best-kept secrets on UMSL’s campus may be something that is tucked away in the stairwells of the Millennium Student Center. Just near the end of the fall 2015 semester, Kong discovered that there were several pianos located in the building, and she and her boyfriend, who also attends UMSL, have made the most of the instruments on campus this spring.

“He had been wanting to buy a piano, but then I saw these, and I told him, ‘I will teach you at school,’ so we’ve been practicing the whole semester,” she says. “I practice myself before he gets here, and then I teach him.”