July 28 - August 20 , 2009

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 and Faculty Research Covered Around the World

Western Approved for Master's in Nursing

Western, Rockhurst Partner for 5th-Year MBA

Western Dean Learns Leadership

Tower Sports

News Briefs

Calendar

Ads

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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 271-4124.

Student and Faculty Research Covered Around the World

For the second year in a row, student and faculty research in synthetic biology at Western has received international media attention.

A research paper produced by a 2007 research team with subsequent work and collaboration with students and faculty at Davidson College in North Carolina was published July 24 by the Journal of Biological Engineering. Science Web sites around the world have reported on the paper, which was accessed more than 13,000 times in the first four days after publication.

The article, “Solving a Hamiltonian Path Problem with Bacteria,” explains current research in genetically engineering E. coli bacteria, creating bacterial computers to solve a mathematical problem called the Hamiltonian Path Problem. The Hamiltonian Path Problem is a specialized case of the “traveling salesman problem,” which seeks the shortest possible route to visit a given list of cities once. The Hamiltonian problem asks whether there is a route in a directed graph from a beginning node to an ending node, visiting each node exactly once. The student and faculty researchers modified the genetic circuitry of the bacteria to enable them to evaluate all possible paths in a directed graph, finding a Hamiltonian path in a three-node directed graph. Bacteria that successfully solved the problem reported that success by fluorescing both red and green, resulting in yellow colonies.

“[The research] provided yet another example of how powerful and fluid synthetic biology can be,” said Jordan Baumgardner, of Cincinnati, recent graduate of Western and first author of the research paper. “We used it to solve mathematical problems. Others use it for medical reasons. There is no telling what else it may be able to do.”

Dr. Jeffrey Poet, associate professor of mathematics, and Dr. Todd Eckdahl, professor and department chair of biology, were the two faculty members co-mentoring the research group.

“Our overall approach to this project is that as faculty, we teach students how to do research by bringing students alongside us to perform real, original research,” Dr. Poet said.

Other Western students that co-authored the research are Tom Crowley, of Savannah, Mo.; Lane Heard, of St. Joseph; Nick Morton, of Agency, Mo.; Michelle Ritter, of Savannah, Mo.; Jessica Treece, of Mound City, Mo.; Matt Unzicker, of St. Joseph; and Amanda Valencia, of St. Joseph.

“This is a great result for our efforts and for the university at large,” Dr. Poet said. “It is a demonstration of the kind of applied learning activities that are available to undergraduates on our campus that are not typically available at most other institutions.”

The research is funded through a National Science Foundation grant received in the summer of 2007. The three-year grant pays for communication technology needed for the collaboration with Davidson, visits by nationally known guest speakers, research supplies, summer stipends for research students and travel to the annual international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition at MIT, where Western has won several awards.

The article is very technical, but Baumgardner hopes that the general reader can see that science and synthetic biology are making new things possible. “I would want the average person to see the potential of science and synthetic biology and the cool things it can do,” he said.

The 2008 article is the most accessed article in the history of the Journal of Biological Engineering, receiving nearly 17,000 hits since it went online in May, according to statistics on the journal’s Web site. The new article has already been accessed more than 13,000 times, and is now the second most popular article in the journal’s history.

“I’d like to congratulate the Western students and faculty on an impressive job well done,” said Dr. Murray Nabors, dean of the college of liberal arts and sciences. “This achievement illustrates the importance of our focus in involving undergraduates in research and on funding summer research opportunities for both faculty and students.”

A team from Western and Davidson published work last year in the same publication, detailing their work to produce bacterial computers that could solve another classical mathematical problem known as the Burnt Pancake Problem. Last year’s paper was featured on National Public Radio and in England’s Daily Telegraph, along with dozens of other web sites. This year, the paper has been covered by the science blog of the Guardian newspaper, and Dr. Eckdahl was interviewed by a reporter for the BBC’s Science and Technology web site. Stories have appeared on web sites in the US, Britain, Germany, India and other countries.

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Western Approved for Master's in Nursing

The Missouri Department of Higher Education recently approved a graduate program in nursing for Western. The degree is a master of science in nursing, health care leadership, and is scheduled to begin in Fall 2010.

Dr. Kathleen O’Connor-Andrews, chair of Western’s nursing department, said the program is a result of discussions with healthcare professionals at Heartland Health and throughout the region to determine workforce needs. “Health care leaders encouraged us to move in that direction,” Dr. O’Connor-Andrews said of the leadership focus. “We have the job market here.” The program is designed to prepare nurses for leadership and management roles within a variety of health care facilities.

A second purpose for the program is to prepare nurses for doctoral level study in order to increase the supply of nurse faculty who are qualified to teach in baccalaureate and higher degree programs. “This is a critical need. There is a shortage of nursing faculty,” Dr. O’Connor-Andrews said.

Dr. Jeanne Daffron, interim dean of graduate studies, explained that graduates from this program will have knowledge and skill related to the organization and financing of health care, fiscal management, utilization of research, health care policy, health care ethics, roles of advanced practice nurses, the use of theories from nursing and related fields, human diversity in health and illness, health promotion, and disease prevention.

The master’s program will include courses from the nursing and economics departments, as well as from the Craig School of Business. Some of the courses are already being offered in other Western graduate programs, Dr. Daffron said, such as Technical Analysis for Decision Making, Managerial Economics, Professional and Organizational Communications, and Organizational Theory.

Faculty members will spend the next year developing curriculum and determining option areas for the degree. One possibility, Dr. O’Connors-Andrews said, is a focus on health care informatics, which means building platforms for documentation of patient care and patient histories, and using best practices for storing and accessing the information. 

“We are building on the quality of our undergraduate nursing program,” Dr. O’Connor-Andrews said. “Our nursing graduates have been accepted in graduate programs across the country, and this will give them the opportunity to continue their education here.”

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Western, Rockhurst Partner for 5th-Year MBA

Western and Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., have signed an agreement to allow graduates of Western’s Steven L. Craig School of Business to more easily pursue a Master of Business Administration degree.

Western graduates who take advantage of this opportunity will be able to complete their MBA degree at Rockhurst’s Helzberg School of Management in 30 credit hours. Western students are eligible for the program if they meet the Helzberg School entrance requirements and enroll within one year of their graduation from Western. The program is commonly referred to as a “Fifth-year MBA.”  

“This partnership provides our graduates a seamless transition into an outstanding MBA program to earn a degree that will be an invaluable tool, particularly in today’s job market,” said Carol Roever, interim dean of the Craig School of Business. “We are very pleased to offer our students the option of attending a graduate school accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). Our two schools share a commitment to helping our students understand business through a combination of theory and real-world experience. With an undergraduate degree from the Craig School of Business and an MBA from the Helzberg School of Management, our graduates will be well prepared for the challenges of today’s business environment.”

The partnership will allow Western graduates to network with peer students, some of whom are already professionals in the Kansas City job market, said Dr. James Daley, dean of the Helzberg School of Management. The program also offers many formal and informal opportunities to interact with faculty and potential employers. This combination can greatly enhance career options, Dr. Daley said.

“We’re excited about this opportunity to partner with Missouri Western,” Dr. Daley said. “It’s important for both private and public higher education institutions to offer programs that enrich students’ education and provide new networking and career possibilities – all advantages as young professionals enter the job market. Our goal at the Helzberg School is to develop leaders who positively impact their worlds. This partnership is another way we can accomplish that.”

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Western Dean Learns Leadership

Dr. Steve Estes, dean of professional studies, lived like a Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadet in early July. He traded his dress pants and shoes for camouflage and combat boots when he visited Fort Knox, Ky., and the Leadership Training Course (LTC), a 44-year-old program aimed at motivating and qualifying college students for entry into the Senior ROTC program. Also attending was Lt. Col. Marcus Majure, director of military science and co-coordinator of the Leadership Symposium at LTC this year.

Each summer, the LTC hosts a five-day tour where college educators can observe firsthand the training their college students are going through, as well as experience some training themselves. The LTC curriculum focuses on helping cadets build leadership skills and confidence, and the educators get a taste of this training by rappelling off the 50-foot tower and by building and crossing a one-rope bridge. The visit gives educators with little or no knowledge of ROTC a glimpse of what the program is all about.

“ROTC is the best leader training program in the world, and it is located on our college campuses right under our noses,” Dr. Estes said. “This year over 25 Fortune 500 companies came to LTC to study how the Army does leader training. The aim of the Leadership Symposium is to understand what the Army is doing, and then make leader training available to college students who are not in the Army.”

Throughout the visit, educators like Dr. Estes had the opportunity to talk with cadets about what motivated them to dedicate four weeks out of their summer to ROTC and hear what the students were learning.

Dr. Estes was one of 10 administrators, faculty and professors of military science who presented at the 2009 LTC Educator Visit.  The series of presentations was titled Leadership Symposium. Dr. Estes  and Lt. Col. Majure presented, “A Framework for Applied Leadership Training.”

“I learned that leadership can be learned, but that you have to practice, practice, practice!” Dr. Estes said. “The Army has this learning process down to a science: value leadership, experiential learning, mentoring, assessment and commitment. I believe we can develop leader training on college campuses if academic departments and student affairs work together to create applied leadership opportunities. I continue to study what the Army is doing so that we can duplicate those parts of ROTC that are appropriate for college students.”

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Tower Sports

Backpack Buddies Western coaches and staff along with five other area high school coaches took part in the 2009 Backpack Buddies "Coaches Challenge" at the six St. Joseph McDonalds locations July 23. Coaches and staff bussed tables for tips with all of the proceeds going to support the Second Harvest Food Bank Backpack Buddies program. McDonald's also donated 10 percent of all sales during the evening to the program as well. This year's goal was set for $2,000, and the actual raised amount was $2, 095.21.

Considering College The Nontraditional Student Center at Western will present a program titled “How to Be a Successful Nontraditional Student” from 2-4 p.m. Aug. 5 in Eder Hall, room 208. The program will provide information about enrolling, applying for financial aid, finding resources on campus and other topics of interest to men and women considering a return to college after an absence from formal education. A short tour of the campus will be given. To sign up for the free program or for more information, call the Nontraditional Student Center at 4280.

Parties on the Parkway Get out for a little fun in the sun by attending Parties on the Parkway. "Under the Influence" is from 5-8 p.m. Aug. 13 across from Corby Pond. Admission is free. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Feel free to bring lawn chairs and blankets. No alcoholic beverages may be brought into the event. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Park. Incase of rain, the party will be rescheduled for Aug. 20.

Western Family Picnic The Western Family Picnic will be held on from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Aug. 17. This picnic is for all employees, retirees and their families. Due to construction, the location has been changed to the grassy area between Potter Hall and Looney Complex. As in the past years, food and beverages will be provided. Back by popular demand, will be an Inflatable Jumping Castle, along with other games and face painting. Please make your reservations by calling the President's Office at 4237 no later than Aug. 13.

Web Site Release Western has launched a new web site to allow the community to track the progress of the construction of the indoor sport and recreation facility being built west of Spratt Stadium. The new facility will house the summer training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs beginning in 2010. The site is located at www.gogriffons.com/construction.asp. It can also be accessed through links on the home pages of the university (www.missouriwestern.edu) and Griffon athletics (www.gogriffons.com). It currently includes construction photos, articles about the facility and information about facilities that are closed due to the construction. Spratt Stadium, the Chris Faros Alumni Pavilion and the wood chip walking trail that begins and ends near the Baker Fitness Center will all be closed until construction is complete next summer, except for university-approved activities. Spratt Stadium will be the site of several athletic contests next fall, including six home football games. Detailed information about fan parking and access during those events will be released later. The web site will eventually include a live webcam.

As seen on TV The public relations and marketing office has a few copies of the new St. Joseph Chamber magazine, St. Joseph Living, available for interested faculty and staff. Stop by Spratt 207 or call 5652 for a copy.

Graphic Standards Manual The university's Graphic Standards Manual has been updated for 2009-2010. Copies are being distributed to all departments across campus. The new Discover Gold logo can be seen on publications, advertisements, Channel 39, KQ2 and more.

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Wednesday, July 29

• Final grades due by 2 p.m. for second 4-week and 8-week summer classes

Wednesday, August 5

• "How to Be a Successful Nontraditional Student" from 2-4 p.m. in Eder 208

Thursday, August 13

• Parties on the Parkway - "Under the Influence" from 5-8 p.m. across from Corby Pond

Monday, August 17

• Western Family Picnic from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the grassy area between Potter Hall and Looney Complex

Tuesday, August 18

• Walk-in Registration

Wednesday, August 19

• On-campus job fair from 1-3 p.m. in Blum Union

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Garage Sale: Aug. 6, 7 and 8 - includes a variety of items, electronics, furniture, cameras, toys, clothing, anatomy physiology texts for MWSU, other books and teaching stuff. Location is 3611 Seneca in St. Joseph. Call 816-752-0344 for questions.

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