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Week of February 9 - 15, 2004 Welcome to the Tower Topics E-newsletter for faculty, staff and students at Western. |
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Missouri Western State College, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-271- 4200 |
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Click any link for these stories: Western Signs Agreement with Medical Schools Jerry Pickman Named New Development Director Black History Month Events Scheduled Lost & Found: If you have lost any items, please come to SU 228 to claim them. You may be required to describe the item. Click on
Guidelines for Tower Topics: Tower Topics submissions should state time, date, place, sponsor, title of event, name of speaker's and admission fees. Send complete information to the Public Relations and Marketing office (Leah Spratt Hall, Room 106). The deadline for all entries is 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 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 Editor:
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Western Signs Agreement with Medical Schools Western junior Katie Barkman knows what she will not be doing as a college senior – stressing out about admission into medical school. As a sophomore, she was selected for guaranteed admission into the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) in Kirksville, Mo., upon graduation from Western. Christopher Buckles, also a Western student, will begin medical school next fall at University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (UHS) in Kansas City, Mo., even though he is only a junior. Barkman, of Blue Springs, Mo., and Buckles, from St. Joseph, Mo., have taken advantage of recent partnership agreements between Western and the two medical schools. The partnership with KCOM allows two sophomores per year the opportunity to qualify for a guaranteed seat upon graduation from Western. In the UHS agreement, up to two sophomores each year that have met the criteria may be selected to matriculate to UHS following their junior year at Western. They will simultaneously complete their first year of medical school and meet the requirements to earn a bachelor’s degree from Western. "These two programs recognize the fact that Western turns out quality educated students eligible for medical school, giving our students an advantage in pursuing a medical degree," said Dr. Jason Baker, assistant professor of biology and Western’s coordinator of the agreements. "Without a doubt, this will continue to put Western on the map as a quality institution. It is an honor for the college." Western is one of seven schools and the only public institution in Missouri to enter into an Early Matriculation Partners program with UHS, and only the second public institution nationwide. KCOM has 11 partners in its preosteopathic scholars program. Students applied for the UHS program last fall. Since this was the first year for the program, the UHS partnership accepted applications from both sophomores and juniors for this year only. Along with Buckles, sophomore Doni Walker was selected for the UHS program. Applications for the KCOM program are considered each spring. "UHS and KCOM are confident in the competency of the curriculum and professors at Missouri Western," said Walker, who plans to specialize in emergency medicine. "These medical schools know that the students at Missouri Western will be prepared to succeed in medical school." Walker, a Garden City, Kan., native, credited the faculty advisors in the Western biology and chemistry departments with the success of the pre-professional students. "They (the faculty) provide lots of support and guidance which makes being successful easily achievable." Buckles said that because of this program, he will finish his education a year earlier than he would have without this opportunity. He plans to return to St. Joseph and join the medical practice of his father and his uncle. "I never want to see our students leave early, but for the betterment of our students, we give them the opportunity to move on earlier into their professional careers," Dr. Baker said of the UHS program. Dr. Baker noted that Western had a curriculum in place that closely matched the requirements of the medical schools when the college was approached by the medical schools to pursue partnerships. Students who are interested in the program through UHS must declare a biology major with a health science emphasis and complete the course requirements by the end of their junior year. Dr. Baker said the partnerships benefit several entities – the students, the college, the medical schools and the region. Many of these students, like Buckles, plan to return to the northwest Missouri area to practice medicine. "Missouri Western continues to play an advancing role in the betterment of our community." |
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Jerry Pickman Named New Development Director
"I am very excited," said Pickman, Western alumnus. "I’ve experienced the quality of education and the learning environment at Missouri Western. I know how important this college is to the community and the region and to future students." As director of development, Pickman will identify, solicit and retain donor support. "Development is about creating and maintaining relationships with people," he said. "I create the opportunities for people to give to something they feel is significant." Pickman earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Western and an Executive Master of Business Administration from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. Before joining Western, he was the development director at Benedictine. He also worked as a customer service manager for Atchison Products, Inc. Pickman worked for nine years at the Saint Francis Academy in Atchison, his last position as executive director. Pickman noted that the college has made significant progress since he graduated and that he is impressed with the administration’s leadership. "It’s a great college. I’m ready to jump in with both feet and get moving." He and his wife Shannon and their three children reside in Atchison. |
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Black History Month Events Scheduled As part of Black History Month, Western is hosting an event Feb. 17 that is free and open to the community. At 7 p.m., all are invited to R.H.Y.M.E. (Rewriting History-Your Multicultural Education). Students will read original poems, sing songs or read prose in the Leah Spratt Multipurpose Classroom Building Kemper Recital Hall. The cafeteria will serve soul food dishes for Western students Feb. 25. There will also be black history trivia games and prizes from 4:30-7 p.m. For more information on events, contact the center for multicultural education at 4152. |
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Monday, February 9
Wednesday, February 11
Friday, February 13
Saturday, February 14
Sunday, February 15
Monday, February 16
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Wanted: Your want ads! You
are welcome to submit ads to the Western ADvantage each week.
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Jerry
E. Pickman began serving as the director of development at Western Jan.
29.
