Vol. 31 No. 11 - October 26, 2026

National Baseball Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith will visit Truman at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 in Baldwin Auditorium as part of the Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series.

The next installment of the Chuck and Sherri Woods TRU-Biz Forum will take place at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 28 in Violette Hall 1000.

The upcoming forum focuses on non-profit organizations with renowned experts in the area, including; Jessica Hill (’99), chief public affairs officer for the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Patricia Miller, chief executive officer of the Missouri State Alliance of YMCAs; Melissa Rung-Blue (’92), retired manager of grants and system administration for the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; Elisabeth Slaughter (’21), associate social media editor for Pew Research Center; and Dawn Van Houten (’90), chief executive officer of Duo Dogs Inc.

Hill is the chief public affairs officer for the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, a statewide nonprofit that provides services to advocates, allied professionals and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. She began her career in the Oral Roberts University Office of Public Relations, followed by a position as a resource specialist for the Community Service Council in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a volunteer program administrator for the City of Tulsa. Prior to being named to her current position, she served as executive director of the Safe House for Women. She spent more than 11 years with the organization, having also worked as the development director of the Safe House and originally served as a member of their Board of Directors.

Miller is the chief executive officer of the Missouri State Alliance of YMCAs, providing leadership to 24 YMCA associations serving more than 600,000 Missourians through more than 70 branches and 800 service delivery sites. She has more than 25 years of experience in organizational leadership, strategic planning, advocacy, community development and nonprofit management. Her career includes leadership in healthcare, local government, community health and the YMCA movement, with a strong record of building partnerships, securing grant funding, strengthening organizations and developing programs that address community needs. Miller holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in marketing management/business administration from William Woods University. Her husband and daughter both graduated from Truman.

Rung-Blue recently retired from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri, where she served as the manager of grants and system administration. In this role, she led a team of seven grants specialists who worked closely with scientific Principal Investigators to provide day-to-day financial management of federal and private grants supporting the Center’s research. Rung-Blue began her career with The Boeing Company in St. Louis, where she spent 18 years in a variety of engineering, manufacturing and development, information technology (IT) and program management roles. She concluded her Boeing career as a manager in the Shared Services division, leading a team of IT analysts supporting the company’s travel expense system. Following Boeing, she served as Membership Manager at The Endangered Wolf Center and later as Finance Manager at The Women’s Safe House, a position she held for six years.

Slaughter is an associate social media editor at Pew Research Center, where she supports organic and paid audience outreach across digital platforms. In her role, she collaborates with researchers, designers and writers to communicate nuanced research in accessible, engaging and innovative ways. Before joining Pew Research Center, Slaughter managed social media at the Wilson Center, a global studies and foreign policy think tank in Washington D.C. She holds a master's degree in public relations from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communication and a bachelor's degree in communication from Truman.

Van Houten is the chief executive officer of Duo Dogs Inc., a nonprofit organization in St. Louis that breeds, raises, trains and places assistance and therapy dogs. Starting in corporate training and development, she facilitated communication and leadership training for two national organizations and served as major account manager for a national consulting firm. Pulling back from national travel, Van Houten also held executive leadership roles in marketing and public relations for two major St. Louis banking institutions and in 2015, became the executive director for Gateway to Hope, a St. Louis-based nonprofit supporting women battling breast cancer. She joined Duo Dogs Inc. in 2021 as president and CEO before accepting her role as chief executive officer in August of the same year.

Truman residence halls will be open for trick-or-treating from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Community members are invited and encouraged to bring their families into the residence halls to receive candy from campus residents.

Candy distribution will take place in the West Campus Suites first floor, the Missouri Hall lounges, the Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall first-floor lounges and the Ryle Hall main lounge. For a map of Truman’s campus, click here. 

Ryle Hall is designated as the allergy-conscious residence hall for this event. Students in that hall will only be providing small toys or candies that do not contain peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, gluten or soy. 

This event is sponsored by Truman’s Office of Residence Life in coordination with the Residence Hall Association and Truman Partners in Prevention. For more information, call 660.785.4227 or email reslife@truman.edu.

Truman’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will soon kick off a packed 2026-27 season, competing in a combined 24 home games.
 
The men’s team will open its regular season at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 against Delta State University. It will be the first of 14 games at Pershing Arena. Various games designated to special occasions this season include Reading Day, Dec. 9, Education Day, Dec. 15, and the Coaches vs. Cancer game, Feb. 11, with the final home game against the University of Indianapolis taking place at 3 p.m. Feb. 27 for Senior Day.
 
The GLVC Preseason Coaches’ Poll has the Truman programs on different paths. The men are considered underdogs, coming in tied for 11th in the 15-team field. The women are predicted to be conference contenders, coming in tied for fifth in the poll. 
 
The women’s team will start the season with four special events, all on the road, beginning with the D2 CCA Midwest Tip-Off Challenge, followed by the GMAC/GLVC Crossover Tournament and the GLVC/NSIC Challenge. After the Drury Thanksgiving Classic, the women will have their home opener at 1 p.m. Nov. 28 against Missouri S&T. They will also participate in the Coaches vs. Cancer game, Feb. 11, and share Senior Day against the University of Indianapolis starting at 1 p.m. Feb. 27. 
 
Additional information about the 2026-27 season can be found at trumanbulldogs.com.

The Celebration of Faculty Scholarship will take place from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 30 in Kirk Memorial.
 
This event provides an excellent opportunity for faculty and staff to share recent scholarship, research or creative work with colleagues across campus in a relaxed, conversation-oriented setting. 
 
A wide variety of artifacts will be on display. Attendees will be able to browse displays, ask questions and engage directly with contributors. The event will also feature updates from colleagues recently returned from sabbatical.

College is a time for transformative experiences, and they can come in many forms – research, study abroad, internships, to name a few. For several years, Truman participated in an exchange program with Hosei University in Japan. While the prevailing wisdom with an exchange program is the transformative experience tilts disproportionately to the side of the visitors rather than the hosts, some of the Truman staff and students involved in the program 30 years ago know that’s not always the case. 

David Cicotello came to the University in 1987 as an assistant professor of English, a role he maintained for six years. With his dissertation unfinished, he switched paths as an academic planning counselor in 1994. While in that role, he was recruited to serve as Truman’s leader of the Hosei University exchange program beginning in summer 1995. It was not necessarily something he sought out to do, but it nevertheless had an impact on him.

“This program brought me in contact with a group of international students for the first time in my academic career. Having never studied abroad, I was thrilled to be among the students and their leader in an intensive three-week program,” he said. “It broadened my world view, making me a better human being.”

Each year, the Truman-Hosei Exchange program welcomed about 20 students from each university to the campus of the other for a three-week experience. The students from Hosei typically visited in the summer. In addition to their English immersion classes at Truman, they took trips to various parts of U.S. for the complete cultural experience. 

Cicotello was responsible for hiring Truman preceptors who lived in the dorms with the students, taught English classes and traveled on the excursions with them. Marjorie Justice was one of the preceptors. She remembers a riverboat cruise and exploring caves in Hannibal, Missouri, taking a tram to the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado, and visiting the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as a walk around the rim of the Grand Canyon. 

“We had so many adventures,” Justice said. “Our trip out west ended in a dinner in Flagstaff. I couldn’t stop crying. I knew how much I would miss all my friends. It’s amazing how much you bond through so many shared, incredible experiences.”

Laura Hakala, another preceptor, has similar recollections. 

“I remember the group from Hosei University as playful and enthusiastic,” she said. “They wanted to do and see everything that we offered, and were just as happy to explain, describe and share their own culture and experiences with me. I remember the laughter and youthful antics typical of college kids. I made some great friends that were difficult to part with at the end of our time.”

Some of preceptor Todd Rohman’s memories come in the humor derived from the subtle differences in the visiting students’ expectations and the reality of their experience. 

“During one of our long bus journeys, the students spotted a Denny’s on the side of the highway, sending a ripple of excited conversation through the group,” he said. “We obliged and decided to lunch there. They poured from the bus highly animated and into the restaurant, but as soon as menus were presented, a confused hush settled in. Apparently ‘Moons Over My-Hammy’ and ‘The Grand Slam Breakfast’ were not things in Japan. They were fully expecting a Japanese menu.”

Cicotello and all three of the preceptors from 1996 have maintained connections with each other, as well as with many of the Hosei exchange students from that summer. Considering their initial interaction took place long before the rise of social media, it speaks to the connections made during a relatively short time. Nowadays, it can be easier to maintain relationships from the other side of the globe. 

“We connect via social media and exchange email messages and holiday cards,” Hakala said. “I have hosted a participant and his family in my home, and I connected with as many participants as possible when I visited Tokyo in 2000.”

It was through a social media message last year that Cicotello first learned of a 30th anniversary reunion taking place in Japan. This month, he travelled to Tokyo and met with students from the program he helped coordinate in 1996.

“Over my eight-day visit, my hosts organized a daily itinerary that included a Hosei University baseball game, a tour of The National Museum, a traditional sukiyaki dinner and trips to other cultural and spiritual sites,” he said. “I am grateful for their hospitality, generosity and friendship.”

Unfortunately, the three preceptors could only attend the reunion in spirit. Hakala lives in Northfield, Minnesota, where she is a student services coordinator for a non-profit organization that provides support services in higher education. Justice and Rohman were also unable to attend, but in fairness, every day is like a reunion for them. The couple married in 2001 and now reside in St. Louis where she is a content writer for a finance company and part-time instructor for the University of Missouri, and he is an English professor at St. Louis Community College.

For Cicotello, the 1996 reunion has a special place in his heart. That program was his last at Truman. The following December he accepted a position as director of new student orientation and first-year programs at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He has also had positions at Middle Tennessee State University and The Webb School, a private preparatory school. He currently teaches English at Columbia State Community College.

“During my time with the Hosei-Truman exchange program, I gained valuable foundational experience in international education that served me well in my teaching and administrative positions,” Cicotello said.

Today, the Truman-Hosei Exchange program is technically still in existence, but current complexities of processing short-term visas make it difficult for Japanese students to visit. Truman did send a student to Hosei last fall, and it remains one of about 200 options to study abroad through the University. Despite the issues with short-term visas, Truman continues to have a robust population of international students on campus. This year, approximately 270 international students from nearly 50 countries are studying at Truman.  

Truman students interested in studying abroad are encouraged to visit the Center for International Education Abroad in Baldwin Hall 106 or contact them at 660.785.7853 or studyabroad@truman.edu. More information can also be found on the CIEA website, studyabroad.truman.edu.

In honor of the Halloween season, a spooky tour of the (alleged) campus ghosts will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 starting on the Quad outside Baldwin Hall. The tour, led by paranormal skeptic and campus lore enthusiast Zac Burden, director of citizenship and conduct, will walk to five campus locations and last approximately one hour.

In his talk, Shoemaker will explain what the future of religion looks like once spirituality and spiritual explorations are taken seriously. Sharing some of the main conclusions found in his new book, he will detail current trends in religion and spirituality in the United States, read excerpts from the new book and invite participants into the conversation during a question and response time. Light refreshments will be provided.

Fraternity and Sorority Life will host a “Halloween Town” party from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 30 in Student Union Building Georgian Room A. Students are encouraged to attend in costume to enjoy various games, giveaways, snacks and prizes for the best costumes of the night.

The survey is open now at princetonreview.com/college-rankings/student-survey. The form will close at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 18. Submissions completed after this deadline will be considered for the next edition of the Best Colleges guide.

Additional information can be found at studyabroad.truman.edu/programs/faculty-led or by emailing Stacey Davis, associate professor of Spanish, at sdavis@truman.edu.

The Missouri Government Internship Program is open to all majors and provides students with the opportunity to gain meaningful experience in the fast-paced world of state politics. Selected interns will work as full-time staff assistants with a legislator or state public official. By interning at the Missouri Capitol, students will expand their knowledge of state government, build a diversified professional network and establish a basis for future professional positions.

Many former interns have gone on to serve as legislative directors, chiefs of staff, judicial clerks, policy analysts, lobbyists and public officials as a direct result of what they learned and the connections they made as interns. The varying daily tasks throughout each office could include attending public hearings, completing legislative research, writing and editing published materials, constituent relations or assisting with basic office work.

Interns will receive a monthly stipend to help pay expenses and 15 hours of Truman credit. Interested students can click here for more information.

Any member of the Truman community can now propose a project, supply or equipment idea to the Athletic Fee Accountability Committee for consideration. Projects should enhance the athletic facilities or equipment on Truman’s campus. The purpose of this proposal is to introduce the project to the committee. Submissions should include as much information as possible, but the committee will assist in refining them.

Individuals that are passionate about the environment and want a direct say in how Truman funds green initiatives are encouraged to apply. Applications can be completed at senate.truman.edu/application. Questions regarding specific position duties or Student Government in general should be directed to Ben Croat, Student Government president, at xa38447@truman.edu.

Complete guidelines for the GIASR applications can be found at the Office of Student Research website. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 11, 2026. Questions can be directed to osr@truman.edu.

Interested students should apply by Nov. 13 for scholarship consideration. Additional information can be found at studyabroad.truman.edu/programs/faculty-led or by emailing Yung-hwal Park, professor of business administration, at yhpark@truman.edu.

Truman was well-represented by faculty, staff, students and alumni at the recent Missouri Association for Museums and Archives (MAMA) Virtual Conference, Oct. 22-23.

Jason McDonald, assistant professor of history, presented “Fragmented Archives, Hidden Histories: The Afterlife of the Eugenics Record Office,” while history alumnus Levi Cullifer (’21) was elected as the new board president. Cheryl Musch, head of Special Collections and University Archives, and Rhyce Glaskey, third-year art history major and museum studies minor, were both elected to a second term on the board.

Lucy Smith, assistant professor of history, recently published the anchor chapter in “Learning Through George Washington: A Guide for Educators Students, and Citizens with University of Virginia Press.” Her chapter, titled “A Bite Out of History: George Washington’s Dentures and Teaching with Objects,” explores the complicated and at times unsettling history of George Washington’s dentures and the 18th century trans-Atlantic and domestic tooth trade.