Week of  Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2008

Welcome to the Tower Topics E-newsletter for faculty, staff and students at Western. 

Missouri Western State University, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-271- 4200

Click any link for these stories:

Student Receives P.E.O. Scholarship

Western Student Interns in D.C.

Development 101

January 2008 Points of Pride

Tower Sports

News Briefs

Calendar

Ads

Archives

The deadline for all entries is 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, for the next week's issue. Tower Topics will be online weekly during the fall and spring semester.  For more information call 271-5651.

Student Receives P.E.O. Scholarship

Western junior elementary education major, Rebecca Black, of St. Joseph, Mo., was awarded a P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education grant.

The P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Program for Continuing Education, established in 1973, is a grant program providing financial assistance to women whose education has been interrupted and who find it necessary to resume studies due to changing demands in their lives. They must have need for financial assistance with their educational expenses to improve their marketable skills. The grant was presented to Black by Chapter ED Sisterhood members Patti Burri, Carol Evans, Janet Holm, Joan Lang and Sherrill Lewis.

P.E.O. is a society dedicated to promoting educational opportunities for women. Through the years, this project has paid more than $22,300,000 in small grants to more than 24,700 women.

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Western Student Interns in D.C.

Seth Logston is having the time of his life. The government and public affairs major is spending his spring semester as an intern for Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond in Washington, D.C. Logston has the distinction of being the first student from Western to serve in that position in the nation’s capital.

“To be a part of this is an awesome experience. It’s a great opportunity to be involved at this level,” said Logston, who will graduate from Western in May. “Anyone who has a chance to do this, should.”

He said the first week was a little overwhelming as he took in the extensive operations of the Senate, but now he is thoroughly enjoying drafting letters and working with staffers on legislation. Logston said his experience as a tour guide for prospective students at Western for two and a half years has come in handy, too, as he has also been giving tours of the Senate building to visitors.

Logston, of Jefferson City, said he was familiar with the workings of the state legislature in his hometown, but is grateful for this experience in the nation’s capital. “It’s so huge. It’s like Jefferson City on steroids,” he said with a laugh. “But I have learned so much.”

As a high schooler, Logston thought he might want a law career, but a class where he learned about the Missouri legislative process changed his mind and career goals. After his internship, he hopes to continue working in Washington, DC, and eventually serve as a government consultant or lobbyist.

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Development 101

An Introduction to the Development Process

Private financial support is critical to Western’s future and our commitment as a model of the new American regional university. In order to increase private financial support, the Development staff seeks to promote a coordinated, campus-wide development program that leverages Western’s resources and encourages the active involvement of faculty and staff to support the financial needs and goals of the university. Development 101 was created in order to give Western’s faculty and staff a greater understanding of the development process and how they can partner with development staff to achieve the university’s fundraising goals.

“Given the fluctuation of state funding, private fundraising is becoming more and more critical,” Jerry Pickman, director of development said. "If the development office is going to be successful, we can't work in a vacuum. We need faculty and staff to become engaged in the process." And he hopes Development 101 will help them understand how they can become engaged.

During the seminars, Pickman and Tara Johnson, development officer, will present different aspects to the development program including: how development is different from fundraising, the difference between the MWSU Foundation and the development office, an overview of the four main pillars of the development program, the eight key stages of the development process, how faculty and staff can partner with development and much more.

Courses are offered from 3-4:30 p.m. Feb. 19-21. The Feb. 19 and 20 seminars will be held in Spratt 110 and the Feb. 21 seminar will be held in Spratt 109.

For more information or to register, contact Jenny Sherlock at 5670 or at jsherlock@missouriwestern.edu by Feb. 1.

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Tower Sports

Women's Basketball

• Win vs. Pittsburgh State, 77-75, Jan. 23

• Loss vs. Emporia State, 65-84, Jan. 27

• Jan. 29 at Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo., at 5:30 p.m.

• Feb. 2 at Washburn in Topeka, Kan., at 5:30 p.m.

Men's Basketball

• Loss vs. Pittsburgh State, 55-69, Jan. 23

• Loss vs. Emporia State, 72-76, Jan. 27

• Jan. 29 at Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo., at 3:30 p.m.

• Feb. 2 at Washburn in Topeka, Kan., at 7:30 p.m.

Women in the Outdoors All Western women are invited to join us at the upcoming Women in the Outdoors event held at the end of March. We hold workshops in all outdoor activities including shot gunning, handguns, archery and knife and tomahawk throwing. Also, several craft classes are offered, including willow furniture making and making rag rugs. Several campus women have already participated and several faculty members will help with some of the classes this year. If interested, contact Mona Bledsoe at 4335. Classes fill up quickly.

Black Heritage Ball The First Annual Black Heritage Ball will be at 5 p.m. on Feb. 2 in the Fulkerson Center. This is a formal event for faculty, staff, students and the community that is focused on celebrating African American culture. The Black Heritage Ball will include an Alumni Meet and Greet for juniors and seniors that will begin at 4 p.m. The Drum Major for Justice Award will also be presented during this event to honor students, faculty and community members who are active in community service. President and Chief Executive Officer of Affirmation in Action Steve Birdine will be the keynote speaker. The cost is $10 for Western students and $15 for non-students. Tickets are available in the Blum Union 210 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. This event is sponsored by the CME. For more information, contact Stacie Middlebrook at 4545.

Black and Gold Mardi Gras The Western Alumni Association Board of Directors invites all faculty and staff to Black & Gold Mardi Gras on Feb. 5 downtown at Boudreaux's. The event runs from 5:30-9 p.m. Appetizers and a cash bar are available. If interested, contact Colleen Kowich at ckowich@missouriwestern.edu or mwalumni@missouriwestern.edu.

Alpha Kappa Psi Rush Week Alpha Kappa Psi, the business fraternity, is recruiting. Dates for Events are as follows:

• Jan. 28 - Information night at 6 p.m. in Spratt 214

• Jan. 29 - Community Service at 3 p.m. at Living Community (Carpool leaves Blum Union at 2:30 p.m.)

• Jan. 30 - Game Night at 7 p.m. in Vaselakos basement

• Jan. 31 - Finding the Perfect Job from Carol Roever, business department chair, at 7 p.m. in Spratt 214.

• Feb. 1  - Pizza Party at 5 p.m. in Spratt 214

Attendance at three events is required to pledge. For more information, contact Melanie Douglas at mjd0569@missouriwestern.edu.

Weight Loss Seminar As part of the Western Wellness Committee's Brown Bag Lunch Seminars, Sheri Caldwell, RD, LD, Wellness Connections, Heartland Regional Medical Center, will present, "Healthy Lifestyles for a Healthier You," from noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 30 in Blum 218. In addition to her presentation, Caldwell will answer questions on the area of weight loss and management.

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Monday, January 28

• Senate meeting at 5 p.m. in Blum 220

• Alpha Kappa Psi Rush Week - Informational night at 6 p.m. in Spratt 214

• Candidate for Associate Dean on campus - Q&A session from 1:45-2:45 p.m. in the Junior College Room

Tuesday, January 29

• Residence Council meeting at 7 p.m. in Commons Building

• Alpha Kappa Psi Rush Week - Community Service at 3 p.m. at Living Community (Carpool leaves Blum Union at 2:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, January 30

• WAC meeting at 4 p.m. in Junior College Room

• Max Schlesinger retirement reception from 2-4 p.m. in Hearnes 150

• Alpha Kappa Psi Rush Week - Game Night at 7 p.m. in Vaselakos basement

• "Healthier Lifestyles for a Healthier You" from noon to 1 p.m. in Blum 218

Thursday, January 31

• Alpha Kappa Psi Rush Week - Finding the Perfect Job from Carol Roever, business department chair, at 7 p.m. in Spratt 214

Friday, February 1

• Alpha Kappa Psi Rush Week - Pizza Party at 5 p.m. in Spratt 214

Saturday, February 2

• First Annual Black Heritage Ball at 5 p.m. in the Fulkerson Center

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January 2008 Points of Pride

Excellence in Our Faculty and Staff

• A paper by Dr. Betty Block, visiting professor of health, physical education and recreation; Cindy Wells, instructional design services manager; and Dr. Justin Kraft, assistant professor of health, physical education and recreation; was awarded a best paper award (one of 25 out of 250) and will be published in the International Journal for Teaching and Learning Selected Conference Papers.

• Dr. Brian Cronk, professor of psychology, and the online automated Institutional Review Board (IRB) system he developed for Western were listed as a model program in “IRBs: Navigating the Maze” which appeared in the November, 2007 APS (Association for Psychological Science) Observer.

• Dr. Ken Rosenauer, professor of English, was sworn in as president of College Media Advisers (CMA) at its Fall National College Media Convention in Washington, D.C. He will serve a two-year term for the national organization of more than 800 media advisers and journalism educators from across the country. Dr. Rosenauer has been an active member of CMA since 1980, and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2003.

• Martha Greer, director of the center for community art, has been appointed by the Missouri Arts Council to the Folk Arts Grant Review Panel. She has also been elected vice president of the Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies.

• Dr. Chris Shove, dean and executive director of the Western Institute, is on the future planning steering committee of the Platte County Commissioners.

• An article by David Tushaus, associate professor of criminal justice, “Election Protection: A Service Learning Opportunity,” was published in the National Society for Experiential Education Quarterly, Vol 32, No. 3.

• Dr. Bill Russell, assistant professor of physical education, had his paper, “Teaching Youth Athletes about Flow in Sport,” accepted for publication in the Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Journal for Spring 2008.

• Dr. Cindy Heider, interim assistant vice president for academic and student affairs, and Tyson Schank, communications and web coordinator, co-chairs of the Using Measurement and Assessment AQIP Action Project, hosted a webinar at Western on Assessment and Accountability: Reasonable Approaches for Higher Education.

• Dr. Cary Chevalier, associate professor of biology, was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of Missouri Furtrappers Association. The presentation was entitled “Biodiversity in Procyonidae & Den Site Selection by Raccoons.” Dr. Chevalier was also an invited instructor for Missouri Department of Conservation Hunter Education Program and presented on the topic “Introduction to Primitive Weapons: Muzzle-loading Firearms and Archery Equipment.” Dr. Chevalier also co-taught a deer aging workshop with Tammy Myers of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Dr. Chevalier is the advisor for the student chapter of The Wildlife Society and coordinated the student chapter’s four-county deer aging survey and biological materials collection for the chapter’s cooperative research with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s deer research team.

• Dr. Ken Lee, professor of math and chair of the computer science, math, and physics department, made a presentation on ALEKS, an assessment and learning system, for McGraw-Hill Publishing Company at the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges’ annual conference in Minneapolis. R.E. Moore, director of developmental mathematics, also attended the conference.

• Dr. Robert Bergland, associate professor of English, presented “Editing Sound and Video” at the Great Plains Alliance for Computers and Writing in Madison, S.D.

• Dr. Jane Frick, professor of English, and Tom Pankiewicz, assistant professor of English, made a presentation, “Using Vision Retreats for Leadership Development,” during a half-day workshop, “Developing Site Leadership,” at the National Writing Project’s annual meeting held in New York. Dr. Frick also made another presentation at a panel session, “Credit-Bearing University Courses as a Strategy for Writing Project Sites,” during the convention.

• Carol Roever, associate professor of business and department chair, presented a workshop to women at the YWCA about effective communication strategies. The program is funded by a grant from Missouri Campus Compact.

• Dr. Larry Lawson, associate professor of business, and Dr. Catherine Lawson, professor of economics, made a poster session presentation entitled “Using Lessons from Video Games to Teach Business and Economics” at the American Economics Association/American Finance Association meetings in New Orleans.

• Brandon Spaeth, instructor of business, completed a wages and benefits analysis for the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce. The salaries of over 100 job types within the city limits of St. Joseph were analyzed. A benefits and general workplace study was also completed. The report is published and provided to Chamber members for use in human resource planning. The information is also used by the Chamber’s economic development team to attract businesses to the area.

• Joanne Katz, professor of criminal justice, worked with the Missouri Center for Safe Schools (MCSS) and developed Restorative Discipline curriculum for their state wide trainings. The MCSS is responsible for training school safety coordinators from all school districts throughout Missouri, and this curriculum was used at all trainings. In addition, Katz assisted in coordinating a daylong statewide Restorative Discipline conference which was attended by 70 educators, school counselors, school resource officers and other school affiliated personnel.

• Kit Blake, instructor of education, presented “Making Early Literacy Count: Taking Kindergartners from Non-readers and Writers to Readers and Writers Their First Year in School” at the Missouri State Council of the International Reading Association’s Literacy Conference in Lake Ozark, Mo.

• Dr. Steve Estes, dean of professional studies; and Dr. Betty Block, visiting professor of health, physical education and recreation; presented their paper, “Administering Graduate Programs in Kinesiology,” at the National Association for Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education in Albuquerque, N.M.

• Don Willis, director of student engagement, was involved in a number of activities the last month. One notable event was the hosting of the annual Future Farmers of America (FFA) Greenhand Conference. Over 300 students and advisors from about 40 area high schools attended the one-day event. This event provides new FFA members with educational seminars as they begin their membership with FFA.

• Dr. Elizabeth Hendrix, assistant professor of education, spoke at the Southeast Philosophy of Education Society’s annual conference. Dr. Hendrix presented her paper “With Discipline and Justine for All?”

• Dr. Elizabeth Hendrix, assistant professor of education, will have three encyclopedia entries – Matthew Arnold, Madeleine Grumet, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty – will be published in The Encyclopedia of Social Foundations by Sage next Fall.

Excellence in Our Students

• Jackie Lee, Western Institute intern, gave a presentation of the Dearborn Planning Study to the Dearborn City Council.

Excellence in Our Programs

• The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences held the presentation of projects for the 2007 Undergraduate Research Summer Institute on Western’s campus. Faculty/student teams presenting their projects included: Dr. Cary Chevalier, associate professor of biology, and Steve Hellstron, December 2007 graduate, “Seasonal Den Site Selection of Urban Male Raccoons in Northwestern Missouri;” Dr. Reza Hamzaee, professor of economics, Anthony S. Egbert, and Jason Briscoe, “Has the Euro or the U.S. Dollar Been Recently Depreciated? An Empirical Examination & Analysis;” Dr. Kristen L. W. Walton, assistant professor of biology, and Angela Mohamed, “Effects of Lipopolysaccharide on Collagen Expression and Secretion by Cultured Intestinal Myofibroblasts;” Dr. Phil Wann, professor of psychology, and Jonathan Thiele, “The Influence of Emotional Context and Personal Views of Human Nature on Moral Decision Making.” The event was held in conjunction with the Multidisciplinary Research Day. Forty-one students representing six different departments presented research posters at the Multidisciplinary Research Day sponsored by the biology and psychology departments.

• Western’s Rho Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi, the nation’s premier business coed fraternity, received the Circle of Excellence award for increasing their membership by 25 percent over the previous year. The award was presented to the chapter at the national convention and announced in the recent issue of The Diary of Alpha Kappa Psi. The fraternity is sponsored by Beverly Payne, instructor of business; Dr. Larry Lawson, associate professor of business; and Tyson Schank, communications and web coordinator, one of the founding brothers.

• The Up-Till-Dawn philanthropy program continues to generate donations. The activity, sponsored by the Center for Student Engagement, is a fund-raising project to benefit St. Jude’s Hospital. To date, the students have raised close to $8,000.

• Western Activities Council hosted a movie night that was co-sponsored with the Non-Traditional Student Center. Shrek III was shown. A large group of students and family members participated in the event.

• The Center for Multicultural Education coordinated a full day of events on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. An informational table was set up in the Blum Union lobby. Dynamic documentaries were presented which included “Four Little Girls,” “Brown vs. Board of Education,” and “February One.” A panel discussion and debate entitled “The Unrealized Dream” was presented as well as “Civil and Human Rights: An American History.” Also, during the day the “Freedom Writers” project was presented. There was also a community service project coordinated by the Center as well as “MLK Main Stage”— dramatic monologues, open mic and other forms of expression focusing on the legacy of Dr. King. The day culminated with the keynote speaker, Tyrone Bates, Jr. In addition a Black Heritage Ball and an alumni event are scheduled for February.

• Western Institute completed the computer mapping with satellite imagery $19,856 grant funded by TGV-Rockets, and met with the firm to deliver data and demonstrate its use. The firm expressed an interest in future projects.

• The Downtown Center remodeling construction has begun and should be completed in early February, at which time a grand opening is planned.

• Western Institute completed a computer mapping internship certificate program for five inmates in the Western Regional Diagnostic Correctional Center in St. Joseph.

• Seven students participated in Introduction to Global Positioning Systems for Mapping and Navigation. This three-day course, taught by Dr. Cary Chevalier, associate professor of biology; though the Center for Professional Development, drew faculty from the Doane College (Neb.), personnel from the National Guard Airbase, as well as students from UMKC and Western.

• Griffon Junior Singers holiday performance was held at First Lutheran Church and approximately 200 people were in attendance.

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