OSSW Light The Night

      A group of students involved in the Organization of Student Social Workers participated in the Light the Night Walk for Leukemia. They walked in memory of Dr. Michael Niles, a former social work faculty member, and raised over $1,000.

Western Names McGuffin Director of Athletics

Thursday, President Vartabedian introduced Kurt McGuffin as Western's next director of athletics. McGuffin, currently assistant athletic director/director of athletics development at the University of Colorado-Boulder, will start at Western on Oct. 31.

''I believe that Kurt has the experience and professionalism to be an exceptional athletic director at Missouri Western,'' said Dr. Vartabedian. ''I was especially impressed with his previous athletic administrative experience at universities of various sizes. Also, he has a track record of significant accomplishments in public relations, marketing and fundraising for intercollegiate athletics. Finally, he has some very good connections in our region. I ask all Griffons to join me in welcoming Kurt and his family to St. Joseph and Missouri Western.''

''It's a great honor to be named Missouri Western's athletic director,'' said McGuffin. ''I look forward to working with Dr. Vartabedian and his administration, the coaches and athletics staff, and our student-athletes to keep the department moving in a positive direction.''

More than 80 people applied for the position. McGuffin was one of four finalists invited for on-campus interviews.

McGuffin has been at Colorado since 2010. In that position, he created and implemented a new annual giving program which increased total giving by 15 percent and added more than 600 members in the first year. He assisted with fundraising and development of a new $12.5 million court sport practice facility.

Prior to his time at Colorado, McGuffin served 10 years in the Kansas State University athletic department. From 2008-2010, he served as senior associate athletic director for external operations. He was the administrator for men's basketball, men's and women's track and field/cross country and men's and women's golf. He oversaw all external operations in the department, including development, ticketing, marketing and communication offices. The department completed more than $25 million in facility enhancements.

McGuffin had a role in drawing more fans to Kansas State sporting events. He led marketing campaigns that generated the biggest football opening day crowd in Kansas State's history and led the sales group that sold out men's basketball games three out of four years. During his tenure, Kansas State women's basketball and volleyball were in the top 10 nationally for attendance.

Previously at Kansas State, McGuffin served as associate director of athletics for development from 2005-2008. In that role, he directed the efforts of six fundraisers and four staff members to raise more than $12 million annually. He also oversaw the ticket office, which generated more than $16 million in revenue. McGuffin successfully completed the $90 million athletics department piece of the $500 million ''Changing Lives'' university-wide capital campaign, and oversaw a $16.5 million growth in the endowment for athletics.

Also at Kansas State, McGuffin served as assistant director of athletics for annual giving and assistant director of athletic development. He also served as assistant director of athletics for development at the University of Idaho in 1999 and 2000, and as a graduate assistant for fundraising at Wichita State University, director of men's basketball operations at Eastern Washington University and head men's basketball student assistant at Kansas State.

McGuffin received his Bachelor of Science in Education from Kansas State in 1996 and his Master of Science in Education from Wichita State in 1999.

McGuffin and his wife Jessica have three children: Bryce, age 8; Brett, age 6; and Brea, age 1.

What Others Say About Kurt McGuffin:

Bill Snyder, head football coach, Kansas State University
''Kurt is a good family person, very easy to get along with. He has great respect for his peers, is very committed to what he does, and very conscientious about what he does. He's an extremely hard worker who will engage Missouri Western and its constituents in a very forthright and caring way. St. Joseph is my hometown, and I want the very best for Missouri Western. I wouldn't have recommended Kurt if I didn't feel he wasnt the right person.''

Tim Weiser, deputy commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, former athletic director at Kansas State
''I think of Kurt as a doer. Not only did he bring good ideas to the table, he would have a plan to bring those ideas to fruition. The suites and courtside seating for basketball are in large part Kurt's doing. It's rare for somebody to have that combination of abilities to not only think big, but to map out a strategy to accomplish those big ideas.''

Mike Clark, director of development and former baseball coach, Kansas State University, 1975 graduate of Missouri Western
''As a Griffon alum, I am very, very happy today. Missouri Western got a great person, and a great athletic director. Kurt is a terrific young administrator. He did a wonderful job here at Kansas State, and was instrumental in the tremendous growth of our Ahearn Fund. He knows how to organize, and how to go out in the community and build relationships. We were a pretty small department when he started at Kansas State, so he's been involved in almost every facet of athletic administration. I couldnt be happier for my alma mater; this is a great hire.''

Dr. Sheahon Zenger, athletic director, University of Kansas
''He is one of the hardest working, most conscientious individuals that I've ever worked with in college athletics. I'm thrilled for Kurt and excited for Missouri Western. I think you have a man of conviction who will be dedicated to the student-athletes, the coaches and the community.''

 Top of Page

'Romeo and Juliet' Opened Thursday Oct. 6

'Romeo and Juliet' opened Thursday to an almost sold out show. Visit GriffonNews.com for a review of opening night. The show continues Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-8, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9. Tickets can be purchased at www.mwsutix.com, in person at the Box Office inside Potter Hall or by phone at 816-271-4452. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for military personnel and Western faculty and staff, and $6 for students. The production is suitable for ages 14 and up. Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early: theatre productions last year frequently sold out before the date of the performance.

Missouri Court of Appeals to Convene at MWSU

The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District will convene court at Missouri Western State University at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12 in the Kemper Recital Hall, inside Leah Spratt Hall.

A three-judge panel consisting of Karen King Mitchell, James Smart and Gary Witt will hear oral arguments in five cases. The cases are appeals from previously held trials in area circuit courts. The judges will hear attorneys argue whether the trial had errors that should cause them to be retried, or the trial court's judgment reversed. The judges will break sometime during the arguments to explain the judicial system in general and the appellate judiciary in particular.

This is the fourteenth consecutive year the court has heard arguments at Western. The court regularly convenes in Kansas City, but makes it a practice to convene yearly in other locations within its jurisdiction, 45 counties in western and central Missouri.

''It is important for the Court to convene oral arguments outside of Kansas City,'' said Mitchell, who will preside over the proceedings at Western. ''This gives individuals an opportunity to observe a part of the judicial system they normally do not see. We hope those attending will gain a better understanding of the Court's function.''

Top of Page

Two instrumental music groups from Missouri Western State University  presented a free concert Sunday, Oct. 2 in the Krug Park Bowl amphitheater. The performance was by the Symphonic Winds and Jazz Ensemble. The performance on Sunday was the  inaugural concert in a series of fall and spring performances at Krug Park. The series is a collaboration between Western, the St. Joseph School District and the St. Joseph parks, recreation and civic facilities department.

Western Points of Pride September 2011

Excellence in our Faculty/Staff 

·         Dr. Todd Eckdahl, professor of biology; and Dr. Jeffrey Poet, associate professor of mathematics; along with Davidson College colleagues Dr. Malcolm Campbell and Laurie Heyer have been awarded a grant of $269,700 by the National Science Foundation for support of a project titled, “Synthetic Biology Workshops for Interdisciplinary Teams of Undergraduate Faculty.” The four faculty will serve as instructors for three workshops to be held in the summers of 2012-2014 at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Farm Conference Center in Virginia.

·         Dr. Todd Eckdahl, professor of biology; and Dr. Jeffrey Poet, associate professor of mathematics; have been awarded a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundaton for a project titled, “RUI: MPS-BIO: Collaborative Research: Design and Construction of Second-Generation Bacterial Computers,” which will fund their research with six student collaborators.

·         Heather Kendall, assistant professor of nursing, was appointed as an American Association of Critical-Care Ambassador. Kendall was also appointed to the AACN Continuing Education Review Panel and the CMC/CSC Virtual Item Writing Committee.

·         Dr. Brett Luthans, professor of business management, had an article, “Relationship Between Positive Psychological Capital and Creative Performance,” published in the Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences.

·         Dr. Todd Eckdahl, professor of biology; and Dr. Jeffrey Poet, associate professor of mathematics; and six Western students from the 2008 iGEM team, Alicia Allen, Robert Cool, Andrew Gordon, John Igo, Aaron Lewis, and Xiao Zhu, along with students and faculty from Davidson College, published a paper in the July 2011 issue of Interdisciplinary Bio Central called, “Bacterial Hash Function Using DNA-Based XOR Logic Reveals Unexpected Behavior of the LuxR Promoter.” 

·         Dr. Steven Greiert, professor of history, published a book review in The Journal of Southern History. The review analyzed “Cool Deliberate Courage:  John Eager Howard in the American Revolution,” written by Jim Piecuch and John H. Beakes, Jr.

·         Deborah Ellis, assistant professor of nursing; and Julie Baldwin, instructor of nursing; had their article, “Woman, 20, With Difficulty Walking,” published in the Clinician Reviews.

·         Tay Triggs, assistant dean of student development, was invited to address seniors in the Kansas City School District. She spoke to students who will be first-generation college students. The title of her presentation was, “Bootstraps: The Key to Self-motivation and Success for First Generation College Students.” More than 150 students attended.

·         Dr. Catherine Kendig, assistant professor of philosophy, presented, “How to Engage Students in Productive Philosophical and Ethical Discussions of Small Systems Biology” at the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching Synthetic Biology Workshop held on campus.

·         Dr. Catherine Kendig, assistant professor of philosophy, presented, “Classification and Complementary Science: Critical Observations of Daphnia Pulex,” as part of a focused symposium, “Investigating Practical Impacts of Descriptive Categories,” at the Biennial Conference of the Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice. The University of Twente, The Netherlands; and University of Exeter, UK; organized the international conference.

·         Dr. Mark Mills, assistant professor of biology, brokered a challenge cost share agreement between Western and the U.S. Forest Service to conduct amphibian survey work in 15 vernal pools in the Mark Twain National Forest near Steelville, Mo. The grant will provide $3,585 to cover expenses for Dr. Mills and up to three students to sample the pools four times in calendar year 2012. The study is planned to continue for five years.

·         Dr. Evelyn Brooks, professor of nursing, presented, “Learning to DEAL: Ways to Play Instructional Cards to Enhance and Evaluate Critical Reflection in Classroom and Clinical Experiences,” at the Association of Community Health Nurse Educators Annual Conference in Chicago. Dr. Brooks also moderated a CCHNE conference session.

·         Dr. Stephanie Corder, professor of nursing,  presented, “Use of a Centralized Electronic Application System to Facilitate Decision-Making,” at the 2011 Nurse Educators Conference in Breckenridge, Colo.

·         Dr. Crystal Harris, assistant professor of nursing, co-presented a dissertation presentation with Donna O’Malley at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing Research Day.The counseling center staff went to Kansas City, Mo., to attend a conference on working with veterans and military families. The presenters included Heidi Kraft, a clinical psychologist and military combat stress specialist, and Dr. Keith Lemmon, who works in the adolescent medicine division of the Madigan Army Medical Center. The information from this conference will be used to inform the development of programs to better serve veterans at Western.

·         Craig Darrough, environmental safety coordinator, and Victoria Sample, lab coordinator, recently conducted science laboratory and chemical storeroom audits for Park University and National American University. Darrough and Sample routinely assist science instructors in identifying hazardous chemical wastes, preparing chemicals for contracted waste disposal, and prudent practices for safe science laboratories.

·         Dr. Evelyn Brooks, professor of nursing, and Katie DeWeese, undergraduate nursing student, participated in the Summer Research Institute with research on “Melanoma Prevention Education: Collaboration Between Nursing Students and Internal and External Communities.”

Excellence in our Students 

·         Student athletes Jack Long and Shane Simpson were recognized by the Student Government Association for their actions in saving a toddler’s life. Alison Norris, SGA president, presented the Griffon Courage Award at the beginning of the Convocation on Critical Issues. 

·         Western students from the 2008 iGEM team, Alicia Allen, Robert Cool, Andrew Gordon, John Igo, Aaron Lewis, and Xiao Zhu, along with Dr. Todd Eckdahl, professor of biology; and Dr. Jeffrey Poet, associate professor of mathematics; and six students and faculty from Davidson College published a paper in the July 2011 issue of Interdisciplinary Bio Central called, “Bacterial Hash Function Using DNA-Based XOR Logic Reveals Unexpected Behavior of the LuxR Promoter.” 

·         Alison Norris, SGA president and seven members of her executive board and student senate traveled to Jefferson City, Mo., with Beth Wheeler, director of external relations, to meet with the governor’s staff on issues related to equity in funding for Western. Rep. Pat Conway assisted in setting up the meeting. The students made the case for the quality of education they receive at Western and their ongoing concerns over equitable funding.

·         Jacob Scott and Noah Green, SGA executive board members, attended a statewide meeting of student leaders in Jefferson City. The goal of this meeting was for student leaders to discuss challenges higher education is experiencing across the state, find common solutions and strengthen the student community in Missouri.

·         A group of students involved in the Organization of Student Social Workers participated in the Light the Night Walk for Leukemia. They walked in memory of Dr. Michael Niles, a former social work faculty member, and raised over $1,000.

Excellence in our Programs 

·         The Center for Multicultural Education held the first Defined and Redefined: Education Issues. Students, faculty and staff discussed funding for education and student rights. D&R is structured to take a closer look at social issues that community members face in an effort to further promote development of identity and social responsibility among the student body. All events will be documented in a newsletter and distributed to campus.

·         The Center for Multicultural Education sponsored a blood drive in conjunction with the Community Blood Center. The drive drew in 42 volunteers and a donation of 33 units of blood.

·         College for Kids program welcomed 40 students from Humboldt Elementary School in St. Joseph. The elementary students ate lunch in the dining hall, where they were greeted with a cake welcoming them to campus. After lunch they developed collages that depicted their individual career goals and aspirations, and strategic activities that encouraged them to use cooperation and teamwork.

·         The Sophomore Jump program held a kick-off BBQ. The program was well attended and gave students the opportunity to learn more about the program. Sophomore Jump provides resources and activities for students to build and develop relationships with other sophomores, faculty and staff, and to discover their leadership potential, individual values, interests, skills and personality type.

·         The international students orientation was held August 24-27. This fall, 42 international students from 17 countries are attending Western. Twenty-six international students participated in an off-campus retreat at God’s Mountain, Rushville, Mo. A counselor guided students in bonding exercises, and the International Student Club leaders encouraged greater participation and engagement among the international students.

·         Isaiah Collier, student life and leadership director, is currently assisting with individual chapter strategic plans for the three Greek councils. After Greek Rush Week, Panhellenic recruited 40 women and the InterFraternity Council recruited 25 men. “Olympic Leadership,” a new leadership initiative, will be introduced to engage students and be holistic in its approach.

·         Family Weekend was a great success. Approximately 100 students attended the showing of “Thor” on Sept. 9. Then on Saturday, the President’s Pancake Brunch was well attended with more than 150 guests. Both showings of the planetarium were sold out for a combined attendance of 80 people. Approximately 25 pictures with Max were taken and printed for families. The tailgate served more than 200 people before the game. After the football game, comedian Mad Chad Taylor had 87 people in attendance.

·         One Western exchange student is studying at the Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, Germany during 2011-12.

Top of Page

Members of the Pony Express Battalion of the Army ROTC hold a training exercise on Western's campus