Zoom Meeting Date: Thursday, April 8 from 12 - 1 pm

The Missouri Western State University Board of Governors voted unanimously on Thursday, Feb. 25, to name Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy Missouri Western’s sixth president. Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, formerly Missouri Western’s vice provost, has been serving as interim president since Aug. 3, 2020.

Dr. Kennedy became Missouri Western’s vice provost in January, 2020, after being selected through a nationwide search. In that role, she focused on a number of elements of Missouri Western’s strategic plan, Pathways to Excellence, including strengthening student success, creating new partnerships and expanding applied learning.

Before coming to Missouri Western, Dr. Kennedy was dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology and interim dean of the College of Health Professions at the University of Akron. She had been at the University of Akron since 1997, beginning as an assistant professor of social science. Her administrative experience began as a department chair in 2002. She became associate dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology in 2014, becoming dean in 2016. In that role, she established several key partnerships with industry and other educational institutions. She added leadership of the College of Health Professions in 2017.

Dr. Kennedy grew up in Kansas City, graduated from Ruskin High School and has family in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Arts in Psychology, Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, Applied Cognitive Aging, all from the University of Akron.

The Zoom link for this event will be sent to you by email after completion of registration.

In an effort to save printing and postage costs, the spring 2020 issue of the MWSU Magazine is online only. For all the latest Missouri Western news, alumni profiles and news, and more, go to  missouriwestern.edu/magazine.

It is also online as a pdf, if you prefer to read it that way.

Our Financial Aid Office has been asked, "Is it true that I don't have to make payments on student loans right now? " Here is the answer to that question:

This is true for Federal Student loans. Any federal loan payments, and interest accrual on the loans, is suspended until Sept. 30, retroactively going into effect on March 13, 2020. Your billing should update automatically -- if it hasn't, make inquiries.

Loans that don't qualify are Federal Family Education Loans, Perkins Loans, and Private Loans.

Private loans can include loans that were refinanced through a private company (ex. SoFi). You should still check to see what services private lenders may be offering.

Keep in mind that any payments you make during this time will go entirely toward the principal amount, not split with interest.

Additionally, if you are working toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness - these suspended months will still count toward your required monthly payments.

DISCLAIMER: Information is changing daily, so make sure you are checking studentaid.gov regularly for any updates or amendments. If you have any questions, reach out to the Financial Aid Office:
missouriwestern.edu/finaid/contact.

Eight Missouri Western students received 2020 Nursing Fellowship scholarships from the Mosaic Life Care Foundation.

In honor of Nurses Week (May 6-12), the Foundation announced their commitment to the annual fellowship that will award $10,000 each up to 10 qualifying applicants. This year’s recipients were chosen from applicants currently enrolled in nursing programs throughout the Mosaic service region, and eight of the nine selected are in Missouri Western's nursing program.

The Nursing Fellowship lays the foundation for a successful nursing career. Following graduation and obtaining a Missouri State Nursing License, each Mosaic Life Care Foundation Nursing Fellowship recipient will be partnered with a professional mentor throughout their first three years of employment with Mosaic, participate in community engagement opportunities and develop clinical and leadership skills in a supportive, hands-on environment.

They scholarships recipients include the following:

• Jennifer Buch, of St. Joseph
• Kourtney Chaney, of St. Joseph
• Shelbie Gaines, of Watson, Missouri
• Jaileigh Hamlin, of St. Joseph
• Lauren Hill, of Troy, Kansas
• Alyssa Hough, of Gower, Missouri
• Ashley Moeck, of St. Joseph
• Holly Poppa, of Bethany, Missouri