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Board Authorizes Athletic Facility Fundraising
Fundraising for planned
enhancements to athletic facilities on campus can move forward more
quickly, after action taken by the Western Board of Governors at their
regular meeting Jan. 22.
The board authorized Dr.
Robert Vartabedian, Western’s president, and Dan Nicoson, vice president
for university advancement, to negotiate naming opportunities for the
improved facilities with the approval of the board chair.
The largest component of the
improvements is the construction of an indoor practice facility, which
will enable Western to host the training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs if
it’s completed by summer 2010.
“This is moving very quickly,”
said Dirck Clark ’85, board chair. “We have to start construction in June,
and under the agreement with the Chiefs and the Missouri Development
Finance Board, our money goes in first, so we don’t have much time to
raise funds.”
Requiring the Board of
Governors to approve all naming opportunities on a case-by-case basis
would unnecessarily slow down the process, Clark said.
On a related note, Dr.
Vartabedian reported to the Board of Governors that an ad-hoc committee
charged with recommending an architect for the project had met to review
the qualifications submitted by ten firms in response to Western’s
request. The committee will interview several finalists on campus before
making their final recommendation to the president and the board.
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Fire Behavior Course Held at Western
While most students left
campus after finals in December, 25 Western students, along with four
community members, returned for a wildfire behavior and wildfire fighting
course Dec. 15-19. The course, which certified students to work on
prescribed burns for habitat management, was co-sponsored by the biology
department and the student chapter of The Wildlife Society. Twenty
students passed two additional tests and became certified to fight
wildland fires as well.
The course, which taught
wildland fire behavior, the incident command system, human factors on the
fire line and more, was taught by Adam Rogers, Wally Leander and Rick
Jones with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Senior biology major Teresa
Ausberger took the course because she wants to work for a federal agency
and the certification is mandatory. “It’s been great. I’ve learned a lot
about fire behavior.”
Dr. Cary Chevalier, associate
professor of biology who coordinated the course offering, said in addition
to federal agencies, more state agencies are mandating the prescribed burn
certification, so he offered the course to give Western students a
competitive edge when they are applying for jobs in the conservation
field. The course was also held in February 2008.
The two additional tests for
the wildland firefighting certification were held on the last day of
classes: the fire shelter deployment and the arduous pack test.
Wildland firefighters always
carry an emergency fire shelter with them (it sort of looks like a
fireproof sleeping bag). If the fire gets out of control and is heading
their way, they can pull out their shelter and scramble inside, hoping it
will protect them from the flames. In order to pass the test, students had
25 seconds to pull an emergency fire shelter out of its pack and get
inside.
Biology major Mickey Sigmon
wasn’t sure she’d ever want to fight a wildland fire, but she deployed the
fire shelter in 22 seconds. “The class was great, there were things I
learned that you just wouldn’t ever think of,” she said.
The arduous pack test took a
little longer than 25 seconds. In order to gain certification, students
had to walk three miles around the Looney arena wearing a 45 lb. pack --
in less than 45 minutes.
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Western Establishes Scholarship in Memory of
Roberts
Western has
established a scholarship in memory of Dr. Keith Roberts, director of
research, grants and sponsored programs at Western. Dr. Roberts passed
away Dec. 25, 2008 in Lafayette, La.
Plans for the Dr.
Keith R. Roberts Memorial Scholarship for the Advancement of Science were
announced at a memorial service on campus today.
“We knew Keith as a
talented and valued colleague,” said Dr. Joseph Bragin, provost and vice
president for academic and student affairs. “We could always count on
Keith.”
Dr. Roberts
accepted his position at Western in October 2007. Before that, he was a
research administrator at the Kansas City University of Medicine and
Biosciences and a professor of biology at the University of Louisiana at
Lafayette.
The scholarship was
established with the help of Dr. Roberts’ wife, Amy Bunnell of Kansas
City, according to Jerry Pickman, director of development.
“This scholarship
is a way to remember the impact Keith had on Western personally and
professionally,” Pickman said.
Memorial
gifts to the scholarship fund can be made to the MWSU Foundation, 4525
Downs Drive, St. Joseph MO 64506.
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Interview Know-How Join
the office of career development and Alpha Kappa Psi for a presentation by
an expert recruiter on how to interview for jobs at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 27 in
Spratt 109. Learn the ropes and get the secrets to success.
Beginning Debate This
is an open forum debate session open to all students who are interested in
debate, from those who don't know what debate is to those who have been on
debate teams. Beginning debate is open to all students and supported by
the Nontrad Association. The next meeting is from noon to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 29 in Eder 208.
Student Excellence Deadline
Student applications for spring semester for the Student Excellence Fund
must be submitted to the Foundation Office, Spratt 111, no later than 4:30
p.m. Feb. 2. The Student Excellence Fund is a source of financial
assistance provided for Western students through the MWSU Foundation. This
fund reimburses students for expenses incurred while presenting papers,
participating in conferences, etc. For detailed information link to:
http://www.missouriwestern.edu/foundation/excellence.html. For
questions, contact Kim Weddle at 271-5647.
The Extreme Team Back
by popular demand, the World’s #1 Acrobatic Slam Dunk Act “The Extreme
Team” will return to the MWSU Fieldhouse Feb. 4 as Griffon Basketball
hosts Fort Hays State. This will mark the fourth consecutive year The
Extreme Team has performed in the Fieldhouse. Two performances will take
place during the evening as the group will perform at halftime of both the
men’s and women’s games with a teaser performance during a first half time
out of both games as well. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by
calling the Griffon Ticket Office at 4481 or 5904. Fans may also purchase
tickets in person anytime Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in Looney
Complex Room 224 or 229 or on game day beginning at 4 p.m. at the main
ticket window. General admission prices are $7 for adults, $3 for youth
(ages 7 – high school) and senior citizens. Children six and under are
free. MWSU faculty and staff members may purchase half price general
admission tickets in advance ($3 for adults, $1 for youth). A limited
number of chairback reserved seats are available for $15.
Student Payroll Information
Western is furthering its efforts in going green. Effective March 20,
2009, all students that are set up for direct deposit will be receiving
their direct deposit advice slip via email. You will be receiving the
payroll email several days before pay day but the funds will not be
available until the actual pay date. This means hard copies of the direct
deposit slip will no longer be available for distribution on pay day.
Those students who are not set up for direct deposit will not receive an
email with their pay information; you will continue to pick up your pay
check starting at 10 a.m. on the pay date in the Business Office.
There is now a link to payroll information. This link will assist with
answering basic payroll questions. You can also find the 2009 payroll
payment schedule and payroll deadlines. Payroll Forms such as W4's and
direct deposit are also available on this link. Simply go to Western's
Home page, click on the A-Z search, click on the letter P, then select
Payroll Information.
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January 2009 Points of Pride
Excellence in Our Faculty
and Staff
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Donald
Lillie, assistant professor of theatre, was selected for inclusion as a
Who’s Who in America for the 110th edition of Marquis Who’s Who.
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Kathy
Kelly, administrative coordinator for the student development office,
was nominated for “20 Who Count.” The St. Joseph News-Press’ “20 Who
Count” feature highlights people in St. Joseph and surrounding areas who
have made a difference in the lives of others. Kelly’s involvement with
the first Autism Walk and her work with Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Sigma
Alpha at Western won her this award.
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Gavin
Waters, assistant professor of mathematics, was nominated and selected
to serve as co-organizer of the Kansas City Math Expo.
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Joanne
Katz, professor of legal studies, was named to the Johnson County
(Kansas) Criminal Justice Advisory Group (CJAG). Katz’s appointment was
made by the Johnson County Commission. CJAG is charged with making
recommendations from criminal justice reforms for Johnson County.
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Dr.
Brenda Blessing, professor of recreation management, was elected to the
Executive Board for the Missouri Association of Faculty Senates.
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Dr.
Konrad Gunderson, assistant professor of accounting, had his article,
“Accounting Infrastructure: One Piece in the Economic Development
Puzzle,” published in the Ecuadorian business periodical Revista
Amcham.
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Dr. Diane
Gorcyca, professor of speech; Dr. Marilyn Hunt, associate professor of
speech; and Beverly Payne, instructor of business; presented “Student
Voice: A Community of Learners” at the National Learning Communities
Conference, held in Kansas City, Mo.
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Dawn
Terrick, instructor of English; Dr. William Church, instructor of
English; Dr. Diane Gorcyca, professor of speech; Cathy Gann, reading and
study skills coordinator; and Jeanie Manning, director of developmental
reading; presented “Developmental Education Learning Communities:
Successes and Challenges” at the National Learning Communities
Conference in Kansas City, Mo.
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Dr.
Steven Morris, assistant professor of philosophy, did a book review on
Donald Braben’s “Scientific Freedom: The Elixir of Civilization,” that
appeared in the December edition of the journal Quarterly Review of
Biology.
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Dr. Steve
Estes, dean of professional studies, presented “Physical Activity and
Applied Leadership” at the Annual Conference of the National Association
for Kinesiology in Physical Education in Higher Education in Sarasota,
Fla.
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Dr.
Elizabeth Hendrix, assistant professor of education, presented “Justice:
With Discipline and Justice for All?” at the International Conference on
Education in Hawaii.
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Dr.
George Yang, associate professor of manufacturing technology, attended
the 2008 IAJC-IJME International Conference in Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Yang
presented “An Engineering Design of China’s Social Structure in a
Technology Era,” which was also published in the conference proceedings.
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Dr.
George Yang, associate professor of manufacturing technology, presented
“An Educator’s Experiment to Promote Technical Graphics Education” at
the American Society for Engineering Education, 63rd annual
Mid-Year Conference in Berkeley, Calif. The paper was published in the
conference proceedings.
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Dr.
Brenda Blessing, professor of recreation management, presented “Sport
Management: A Risk Management Plan for Coaching” at the Missouri
Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance State
Convention.
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Dr.
Brandon Neal, assistant professor of recreation management, presented a
program session titled “Senior Seminar: a Capstone Approach” at the
Missouri Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and
Dance State Convention.
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Dr. Bill
Russell, assistant professor of physical education, gave two
presentations at the 2008 Missouri Association for Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance. The titles of his presentations were “Tech-fit:
Impact of Interactive Video Game Technology on Personal Fitness in
Children” and “Team-building Grab Bag: Easy and Effective Team-building
Strategies.”
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Dr.
Justin Kraft, assistant professor of health, physical education, and
recreation; along with faculty members Dr. Bill Russell, assistant
professor of physical education; Dr. Stephanie Corder, assistant
professor of nursing; and Diana King, assistant professor of nursing;
presented “G.A.M.E. (Goal Achievement through Mentoring and Exercise) on
Griffs!” at the 10th annual Kansas University Conference on
the Prevention and Treatment of Overweight and Obese Individuals.
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Dr.
Justin Kraft, assistant professor of health, physical education, and
recreation; along with J.M. Green, P.A. Bishop, M. Richardson, Y.
Neggers and J. Leeper (colleagues from other universities), presented
“Impact of Hydration Status on Anaerobic Performance: A Review” at the
Central States American College of Sports Medicine Regional Meeting.
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Bonnie
Gregory, assistant professor of nursing, and Dr. Evelyn Brooks,
professor of nursing, with senior nursing student Ashlee Rosmolen
presented “Nursing Grades, ATI, and TEAS Scores: A Correlational Study,”
at Mosby’s Faculty Development Institute in Orlando, Fla. The
presentation was also co-authored by senior nursing student Jennifer
Behnke.
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Dr.
Evelyn Brooks, professor of nursing with senior nursing students Erica
Dimmel and Anna Stanley presented “The Significance of Graded Versus ATI
Testing” at Mosby’s Faculty Development Institute in Orlando, Fla. The
presentation was also co-authored by senior nursing student Rachel
Adrian.
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Jerry
Wilkerson, professor emeritus of mathematics, gave a planetarium show
for a Boy Scout troop and worked with them to earn their astronomy merit
badges.
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Peggy
Ellis, director of non-credit programs and business and industry
training; and Ellen Kisker, non-traditional student services director;
represented Western at the United Way Resource Fair held in St. Joseph
for people who have recently lost their jobs.
- Dr.
Jeff Poet, associate professor of mathematics, presented “Bacterial
Cryptographers: XOR Gates and Hash Functions” at a computer science,
mathematics and physics colloquium.
Excellence in Our Students
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Richard
Crowe, biology graduate, received his Associate Wildlife Biologist
Certification by The Wildlife Society. Crowe also recently accepted a
position with the Macon County (Ill.) Conservation District as a natural
resources specialist.
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Cliff
Selsor, health and exercise science major; and Bridget Zabel, physical
education/teacher education major; were recognized as Outstanding
Student Majors at the Missouri Association for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance State Convention.
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The student synthetic biology research team that presented at the
international Genetically Engineered Machines competition at MIT in
November was awarded a gold medal for their efforts. The team included
Alicia Allen, Robert Cool, Andrew Gordon, John Igo, Aaron Lewis, Xiao
Zhu, Dr. Todd Eckdahl, professor of biology; Dr. Jeff Poet, associate
professor of mathematics; and their collaborators from Davidson College
in North Carolina. This project was funded by a National Science
Foundation grant with support from academic and student affairs and the
MWSU Foundation.
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The
Admissions Office has 20 VIPs returning for the spring semester: Amber
Adams, Luke Akers, Jordan Baumgardner, Kari Borgstadt, Ernest Chamblee,
Kelsey Corzine, Zackary Craft, Taylor Cunningham, Brittany Enyeart,
Kayla Kedrick, Meredith Meyers, Kendra Myers, Logan Parker, Helen Rapone,
Brock Schmutzler, Triston Schroeder, Nicole Shiflett, Janna Simrell,
Sonja Streeter, Cami Swope, and Kalee Wattenbarger. Each VIP is unique
with a different background to share with students and parents. As a
group the VIPs represent four states, 12 majors, and countless
memberships and leadership positions. They excel academically with an
average overall GPA of 3.5.
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Senior
nursing student Ashlee Rosmolen, along with Bonnie Gregory, assistant
professor of nursing, and Dr. Evelyn Brooks, professor of nursing,
presented “Nursing Grades, ATI, and TEAS Scores: A Correlational Study,”
at Mosby’s Faculty Development Institute in Orlando, Fla. The
presentation was also co-authored by senior nursing student Jennifer
Behnke.
-
Senior nursing students Erica Dimmel and Anna Stanley, along with Dr.
Evelyn Brooks, professor of nursing, presented “The Significance of
Graded Versus ATI Testing” at Mosby’s Faculty Development Institute in
Orlando, Fla. The presentation was also co-authored by senior nursing
student Rachel Adrian.
Excellence in Our Programs
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Dr. Cary
Chevalier, associate professor of biology, arranged and coordinated the
second offering of the Wildfire Behavior and Wildfire Fighting
introductory course series. These courses are necessary for wildlife
conservation and management professionals to work on prescribed burns
(an important habitat management tool in the Midwest and other parts of
the country where the fire-driven ecosystems occur). This series of
courses was arranged through the US Department of Interior, Bureau of
Indian Affairs. It was co-sponsored by the biology department and
Western’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society.
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A Team of
industry, Department of Defense professionals and academia lead by Kent
Pickett, assistant professor of computer science, received the Army’s
FY08 Models and Simulation Award in Acquisition. The award was made for
the Communications Effects Server (CES). CES is a model of the Army’s
new mobile communications network. In this network each radio is also a
transmitter, making towers unnecessary. The CES model was built to test
network software and currently runs on a multiprocessor machine and can
test up to 10,000 radio nodes. The Boeing Corp. and the Army are
currently testing network control software in CES.
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Western
Partners in Prevention (PIP), coordinated by Dave Brown, director of
counseling, conducted several activities during Alcohol Awareness Week
including a mocktail party in the student union food court, beer goggle
activities, and an informational table. Each Greek organization was
asked to provide at least one mocktail recipe and participants voted for
their favorites. PIP also partnered with the Drug-Free community
coalition to support Red Ribbon Week. Large red ribbons were affixed to
many businesses in the St. Joseph area to increase community awareness
of alcohol-related issues, plus several billboards were rented to
disperse information regarding the consequences of underage drinking.
The campus also supported 3-D Month in December (Distracted and Drunk
Driving) by having an automobile which was demolished as a result of a
drunk-driving incident on the grass near the residence halls entrance.
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Partners
in Prevention (PIP) also sponsored several activities during the week of
the Great American Smoke-Out. A mock funeral was held on campus Sunday
afternoon. During the week activities included gravestones with
anti-smoking messages placed throughout the campus, chalk body outlines
with messages on campus walkways, and a t-shirt giveaway with
participating students asked to sign anti-smoking pledge cards. PIP peer
educators provided information/discussion points to 10 COL101 classes, a
class for beginning freshmen that helps in the students’ acclimation to
the university experience.
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Activities were held on campus during World AIDS Day. In addition to a
speaker and a moment of silence at the clock tower during the day, a
demonstration was provided using candy M&Ms to underscore the possible
exponential spread of the AIDS virus and other sexually transmitted
diseases.
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The
Center for Multicultural Education, in conjunction with the St. Joseph
Youth Alliance, Heartland Foundation, AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve
America, and representatives from several other St. Joseph organizations
(St. Francis Baptist Church, St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce,
InterServ, St. Joseph School District, Prison Reform Committee,
Juneteenth Committee, NAACP), sponsored activities to honor for Martin
Luther King Jr. The week featured a commemorative march, peace and
social justice rally, community service, panel discussions, forensics
exhibition, an art exhibit and living history museum.
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The
Griffon Junior Singers Prelude and Premiere choirs performed to a full
house at the Downtown University Center. The Griffon Junior Singers’
annual holiday concert was held with approximately 300 audience members
attending the event.
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Triumph
Foods has contracted with the Center for Professional Development to
provide training for 215 supervisory and training employees. This
training will be held nine times each month for five months. Jim Vetter,
Kendra Ezzell, and Peggy Ellis, director of non-credit programs and
business and industry training; are the trainers for this program.
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Twelve
students completed a three-day Introduction to Global Positioning
Systems for Mapping and Navigation course taught by Dr. Cary Chevalier,
associate professor of biology, though the Western Institute’s Center
for Professional Development.
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Citizens
Bank and Trust has contracted with the Western Institute’s Center for
Professional Development to provide Spanish for Banking for 10 of their
employees. Martha Wakely is the instructor for this program.
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Teachers
of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) graduate classes will
be offered at the Northland campus on
Monday and Tuesday nights. Kay Dickerson is the TESOL instructor.
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