Vol. 29 No. 28 - April 7, 2025

Truman’s mental health counseling degree and school counseling degree have both earned CACREP Accreditation.

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is an independent accrediting agency that evaluates graduate counseling programs in the U.S. to ensure they meet professional standards. Obtaining this accreditation indicates that the University’s program meets the set standards, providing students with a high-quality educational experience. Graduates of this degree will qualify for licensure in Missouri and other states across the country, provided other conditions of licensure are met.

“We are thrilled with this achievement, as it reflects the hard work of students, staff and faculty over the past five years,” said Karl Witt, associate professor and chair of counseling. “CACREP accreditation not only makes it possible for graduates to earn counseling licenses and serve clients in a host of states, it also makes current students eligible for previously unattainable scholarships, fellowships and other professional opportunities.”

The mental health counseling degree equips people to navigate relationships, environments and challenges in their lives as a licensed professional counselor. The school counseling degree meets the academic, career and personal/social needs of culturally diverse students in elementary, middle and secondary schools as a certified/license school counselor.

In 2005, Rudroff and her sister, Pam Gomez, established the TSB Nursing Scholarship in Memory of Bill and Barb Steen, to honor their parents. She is a member of the John R. Kirk Society and the Joseph Baldwin Society through the Truman State University Foundation.

The William O’Donnell Lee Advising Award pays tribute to excellent faculty and staff academic advisors and demonstrates how important academic advising is at Truman.

This is an opportunity for students to honor their assigned faculty-staff academic advisor. The award recognizes outstanding advising/mentoring by a full-time faculty or staff academic advisor who is nominated by students. In addition to campus-wide recognition at the Strategic Planning and Assessment Workshop in August, the awardee receives a $1,000 grant to be used for the enhancement of student advising.

To make a nomination for the William O’Donnell Lee Advising Award, complete the online nomination form. Nomination deadline is April 23.

Truman’s Theatre Department will perform “Peter and the Starcatcher” by Rick Elice at 7:30 p.m. April 10-12 and April 16-17 with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. April 13 in the James Severns Theatre.

“Peter and the Starcatcher” is a magical prequel to Peter Pan that reimagines the origin of the beloved boy who never grows up. This wildly theatrical adventure follows a young orphan and his friends as they encounter pirates, a magical trunk of starstuff and a determined Starcatcher-in-training, Molly. With inventive staging and a playful spirit, this journey explores friendship, bravery and the magic of youth.

This play is directed by Jonathan Wehmeyer. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at boxoffice.truman.edu. For more information, contact the Truman Theatre Box Office at 660.785.4515 between 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Health science majors Olivia Morris and Caragan Baker, in collaboration with the Office of Student Engagement, will host a “Slumber Social” at 5:30 p.m. April 16 as part of their senior capstone project.

The event will feature “Storytime with Sue” and short stories read by Jamie D’Agostino’s creative writing students. After storytime, Morris and Caragan will give a short educational presentation about sleep health. A nighttime yoga session will then take place and the sleep basket giveaway winner will be announced. Snacks and hot coca will also be available. Since April 16 is National Wear Your PJs to Work Day, students are encouraged to wear their pajamas to the event and to class.

Before the event, they will be tabling 11 a.m.-1 p.m. April 10, 3-5 p.m. April 14 and 12:30-4 p.m. April 15 in Magruder Hall. Students will be able to learn about sleep and receive a goodie bag with different sleep-related items. They will also be able to sign up for the sleep basket giveaway. Students must attend the “Slumber Social” in order to collect the basket.

 
All University workstations will be upgraded to Windows 11 before the fall semester.
 
This upgrade is due to Microsoft ending supporting for Windows 10, Oct. 14. After that date security patches will no longer be available, making Windows 10 devices vulnerable to security threats and non-compliant with Truman’s network use policy. The ITS desktop support team has already begun deploying Windows 11 and has encountered minimal issues so far. To ensure a smooth transition, the upgrade will be completed in two phases.
 
The first phase is self-service upgrades and will take place now until April 26. Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to upgrade their own computers at their convenience. The upgrade process typically takes 30-90 minutes, depending on the system’s age. This process can take longer on machines that are missing any previous updates due to the system being offline for an extended period. Users can continue using their computer during the process, but will be prompted to restart once the upgrade is complete. Upgrade instructions are available here.
 
The second phase is automatic upgrades and will take place April 26-May 10. Any remaining Windows 10 faculty/staff devices will be automatically upgraded during this phase. ITS hopes to complete all faculty/staff workstation upgrades by May 10. More details will be provided as they assess the remaining devices.
 
All classroom console computers will be upgraded to Windows 11 starting May 12. This process will be completed before summer classes begin. For more details and support visit here.

Listed below are several of the major national fellowships and their websites. More information about these fellowships is available at truman.edu/majors-programs/more-learning-opportunities/fellowships.


Fellowships For Study in the United States
(campus nomination required)

Carnegie Endowment
for undergraduates and graduates
Awarded to graduating seniors or individuals who have graduated within the past academic year. Applicants must be nominated by the Truman State University nominating official. This fellowship is designed to provide a substantive work experience for students who have a serious career interest in the area of international affairs. Eleven to 13 students will be hired to work at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, D.C., on a full-time basis for a period of one year. Application deadline is Nov. 17, 2025.

Goldwater Scholarship
for undergraduates only
Awarded to sophomore or junior math or science majors who have one or two full years of undergraduate study remaining. Each scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, and room and board. To be eligible, a student must have at least a 3.0 GPA, be a United States citizen and demonstrate a potential for and commitment to a career in research in mathematics or natural sciences. Deadline to declare intent to apply is Oct. 27, 2025.

Harry S. Truman Scholarship
for undergraduates only
Awarded to outstanding junior students who intend to pursue careers in public service. Each Harry S. Truman Scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $30,000 over a period of up to four years (i.e., one year of college and three years of graduate school). To be eligible, a student must have selected an undergraduate field of study that will permit admission to a graduate program leading to a career in public service. Campus deadline is Nov. 17, 2025.

Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation
for undergraduates only
The Morris K. Udall Scholarship Program was created to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers related to environmental public policy and to encourage outstanding Native American and Alaska native students to pursue careers related to health care and tribal public policy. Requirements include sophomore or junior standing with at least a 3.0 GPA and ranking in the top quarter of a student’s class. Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,000, and expenses for a Udall Scholars Orientation. Deadline for applications is Jan. 5, 2026.


Fellowships for Experiences Abroad
(campus nomination required)

British Marshall Scholarship
for undergraduates and graduates
Awarded to exceptional seniors or recent graduates who wish to study for two years in a British university. It is meant to further the education of young people of distinguished intellect and character who can be expected to make a significant contribution to society. To be eligible, applicants must have a 3.7 GPA, be a United States citizen and earn a bachelor’s degree before the scholarship takes effect. Applications must be completed by Aug. 15, 2025.

Fulbright Grant
for undergraduates and graduates
Awarded to seniors and graduate students. Grants range from a full grant – which covers one year of tuition, books and maintenance in one foreign country – to a variety of partial grants, which cover transportation costs only and/or supplement the applicant’s own personal funds. Teaching assistantships in English in selected countries are also available under the Fulbright program. To be eligible for any of the Fulbright grants, an applicant must be a United States citizen at the time of application and hold a bachelor’s degree by the beginning date of the grant. Creative and performing artists are not required to have a bachelor’s degree, but must have four years of relevant training or study. All applicants are required to have sufficient proficiency in the language of the host country to carry out their proposed study or research. Applications must be completed by Sept. 1, 2025.

Fulbright Grant: U.K. Summer Institute Award
for undergraduates
Awarded to freshman or sophomore students from all areas of study with a high level of academic achievement. Each program offers students full immersion in the study of British academia and culture. Students will partake in cultural events, research, collaboration and presentation at one of nine summer institutes. The award will cover the majority of all costs incurred, including flights to and from the U.K., university fees, and room and board at the hosting U.K. university. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who reside anywhere except the U.K., be at least 18 years old and have completed no more than two years of university study. Applications must be completed by Jan. 5, 2026.

Mitchell Scholarship
for undergraduates and graduates
Awarded to seniors or recent graduates who wish to pursue graduate study or research in either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Mitchell Scholarships provide tuition and housing, as well as living and travel stipends. Applicants must complete a bachelor’s degree before taking up the award. Applications must be completed by Aug. 15, 2025.

Boren Scholarship and Fellowship
for undergraduates and graduates
NOTE: The graduate fellowship does not require campus nomination.
Designed to provide U.S. undergraduates and graduates with the resources and encouragement they need to acquire skills and experience in countries and areas of the world critical to the future security of the nation. Boren Scholarships/Fellowships are designed to support students who will make a commitment to federal service. All recipients incur a requirement to enter into an agreement, in order of priority, to work for an agency of the federal government with national security responsibilities or to work in the field of higher education in the area of study for which the scholarship was awarded. Maximum awards are $10,000 for a semester and $20,000 for a full year of study abroad. Campus deadline for scholarships (undergraduate) is Jan. 1, 2026. Campus deadline for fellowships (graduate) is Dec. 29, 2025.

Rhodes Scholarship
for undergraduates only
Awarded to exceptional seniors who wish to pursue two or three years of study at Oxford University. The Rhodes Scholarship covers all tuition costs and provides a maintenance allowance. To be eligible a senior must be under 24 years of age, be a citizen of the United States and complete a bachelor’s degree before Oct. 1. There are only 32 scholarships assigned to the United States and applicants must have proven intellectual and academic achievement of a high standard, integrity of character, interest in and respect for their fellow human beings, the ability to lead and the energy to use their talents to the fullest. The last of these qualities is usually, though not exclusively, demonstrated by participation and success in sports. Rhodes Scholarship applications must be completed by Sept. 1, 2025. Read about Truman’s first Rhodes Scholarship recipient, Andrew McCall, who provides helpful advice for Rhodes Scholar applicants.


Other Fellowships
(no campus nomination required)

The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship
for college graduates and graduate students
A highly competitive national program that provides college and graduate school graduates the opportunity to work in Washington, D.C., with one of more than two dozen participating public-interest organizations focusing on international security issues. The program is offered twice yearly, in the spring and fall. It lasts from six to nine months and provides a salary, health insurance and travel costs to Washington.

The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship
for undergraduates and graduates
The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship is designed to attract outstanding individuals from all ethnic, racial and social backgrounds who have an interest in pursuing a foreign service career with the U.S. Department of State. The programs provide academic and professional preparation for outstanding candidates to enter the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service, representing America’s interests abroad.

Amgen Scholars Program
for undergraduates only
The Amgen Scholars Program provides hundreds of undergraduate students with the opportunity to engage in a hands-on summer research experience at some of the world’s leading institutions.

Ford Diversity Fellowships Program
for seniors and graduates only
Through its fellowship programs, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
for graduates only
The GRFP is a prestigious, nationally competitive fellowship offered by the National Science Foundation that provides three years of financial support for beginning graduate study leading to a research-based degree in the STEM disciplines.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship
for undergraduates and graduates
Awarded to students of exceptional academic achievement and scholarly promise for whom advanced study at Cambridge would be particularly appropriate. Successful applicants will have the ability to make a significant contribution to their discipline while in Cambridge, with a strong aptitude for research, analysis and a creative approach to defining and solving problems. Awarded only to students who gain admission to Cambridge through the regular procedures. Covers the full cost of study at Cambridge for a single person. Applications should be completed by Sept. 12, 2025.

Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows
for undergraduates
The Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows offers rising college juniors opportunities in leadership development programs inspired by the life and legacy of George Washington and today’s foremost leaders. This residential summer fellowship is designed to create the next generation of the nation’s top leaders.

John Lewis Fellowship
for undergraduates
The John Lewis Fellowship honors U.S. Representative John Lewis, an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. The program explores the history of the Civil Rights Movement, diversity and minority rights in the United States, with a particular focus on Atlanta. Key areas of inquiry include race and racism, immigration, national identity, Native American issues and the relationship between civil rights and human rights. The fellowship will also discuss contemporary racial and diversity issues.

Humanity in Action Fellowship
for undergraduates
The Humanity in Action Fellowship brings together international groups of college students and recent graduates to explore national histories of injustice and resistance as they affect different minority groups today.

Fund for Education Abroad
for undergraduates
The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) addresses the need for an independent study abroad scholarship provider. FEA is expanding access to study abroad by raising awareness of its benefits to the individual and value to the collective, and by granting scholarships of up to $10,000.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
for undergraduates
The Gilman International Scholarship Program is a Congressionally funded program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and is administered by the Institute of International Education. The Gilman Scholarship Program offers grants of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students of high financial need participating in a credit-bearing study abroad program or international internship eligible. Students studying a critical need language could be eligible to receive a grant of up to $8,000. The Gilman Program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go by supporting U.S. undergraduates who might otherwise not consider these unique and valuable opportunities due to financial constraints.

U.S. Teaching Assistantship Program in Austria
The U.S. Teaching Assistantship Program in Austria provides U.S. college and university graduates with opportunities to work at secondary schools throughout Austria as teaching assistants.

Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA)
The Freeman Foundation’s generous support for the relaunch of Freeman-ASIA builds on prior grants to IIE that funded more than 4,500 American undergraduates in Asia from 2001 to 2014. The newly available awards will advance the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad, a five-year initiative aiming to double the number of U.S. students abroad by the end of the decade, by mobilizing resources and commitments across the higher education, philanthropy and corporate sectors.

Schwarzman Scholars
Designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders, Schwarzman Scholars is the first scholarship created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st Century. Whether in politics, business or science, the success of future leaders around the world will depend upon an understanding of China’s role in global trends. Students will live and study together on the campus of Schwarzman College, where all classes are taught in English. Students will pursue master’s degrees in one of three disciplines: public policy, economics and business, or international studies. Applications must be completed by Aug. 15, 2025.

The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, will convene court at Truman at 9 a.m. April 10 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room.

Although the court convenes regularly at its courthouse in downtown Kansas City, it has convened sessions in many of the 45 counties in its jurisdiction. The court hears oral arguments outside of Kansas City to give individuals an opportunity to observe a part of the judicial system they normally do not see and to familiarize those attending with the court’s role in the judicial system. After the oral arguments, the judges will take time to discuss the court system, explain the proceedings and take questions from the audience.

A panel consisting of Judge Cindy Martin, Judge Douglas Thomson and Senior Judge Joseph M. Ellis, sitting as a special judge, will hear oral arguments in four cases on the docket. Martin was appointed to the court in 2009 and had previously practiced law for more than 25 years in Kansas City and Lee’s Summit. Thomson joined the Western District in 2020. Prior to that, he served as an associate circuit judge in Nodaway County for more than five years.

Ellis was appointed to the Western District in August 1993 and retired in March 2016. Before his appointment to the judiciary, he practiced law in Macon and also served as the municipal judge for Macon. Although retired, Ellis continues to serve as a senior judge and was appointed to sit with this panel by the Supreme Court of Missouri pursuant to section 476.681, RSMo.

This event is open to the public, and students may come and go as their schedule permits. Enter and exit quietly if the court session is under way.

The Google Developer Student Club (GDSC) is hosting a Career Insights Panel at 4 p.m. April 10 in Violette Hall 1010 featuring four alumni that have built successful careers in tech and business industry.

The guest speakers include; Brian Moore (’91), director at Microsoft Corporation; Wyatt Yost (’18), SDE II at Amazon Prime Video; Kaitlin LePage (’20), sustainability analyst at Boeing; and Andrew McVicker (’22), data engineer at Continuum Media.

This a great opportunity for students to gain valuable industry insights, ask questions and network with professionals. Registration for the event is required.

Senior agriculture science majors Sophia Seibert, Kaitlin Campbell, Emma Rohlfing and Aubrey Bachman, are hosting a “A Day at the Farm” from 3-9 p.m. April 11 at the University farm as part of their practicum project.

This event will include several activities such as yoga, ag Olympics, slacklining, yard games, “pie-a-professor,” bonfire, s’mores, hayrides, stargazing at the Observatory and a petting zoo. There will also be three different demonstrations: compost, mushroom and horse riding. Free food will also be available.

Sign up for activities here. This event is open to the Truman community. The goal of their project is for people to learn about the farm and what it has to offer.

GIASR applications are for research and creative scholarship conducted in fall 2025. Grant applications may request up to $750 and can cover student stipends, supplies and travel to conduct research.

Complete guidelines for the GIASR applications can be found at the Office of Student Research website. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. May 1. Questions can be directed to osr@truman.edu.

Registration for summer classes is now open.

Summer is a great time for students to focus their attention on a challenging class, or work on boosting their GPA for scholarship renewal or graduate school applications. It is also an opportunity to make a lot of progress toward an additional major or minor without falling behind.

Courses are available in a variety of options, including online, hybrid and in-person delivery methods. The flexibility of summer courses provides students the opportunity to have a job, take a vacation or socialize with friends back home.

With six separate terms throughout the summer, students have multiple options to fit their needs. Interim classes run May 10-24. The first round of five-week courses, as well as 10-week courses, begin May 27, while the second round of five-week courses begins June 30. An eight-week session begins June 2. The August interim runs from July 26-Aug. 9. For more information visit summer.truman.edu.

Nominations are now open for the fourth annual Echo 25 and Alumni Fellows awards. Truman alumni all over the world make notable accomplishments every day, and no one knows the qualities that make an outstanding Bulldog better than the campus community itself.

The Echo 25 award honors alumni under the age of 40 that live out Truman’s characteristics of graduates: creativity, leadership and compassion, among others. Alumni Fellows are distinguished in their profession in addition to making impressive contributions to their community and demonstrating integrity in their personal lives.

The campus community is invited to help nominate outstanding alumni for these two awards. Nominations are due by May 1. Questions about both awards can be directed to Stacy Tucker-Potter, director of engagement, at stuckerpotter@truman.edu.

In addition to a 20 percent tuition discount, A.T. Still University’s College of Graduate Health Studies is also waiving the application fee for its upcoming fall block 1 classes that begin July 14.

This offer is only available by contacting an enrollment representative by phone at 877.626.5577 or by email at cghsonlineadmissions@atsu.edu. The application fee waiver is available through June 23.

Michael Ashcraft, professor of religion, published the article “Judith Tyberg, Raja, Yoga, and the Journey of a Theosophist to Hinduism” in The Journal of San Diego History Fall/Winter 2024.

Ashcraft also attended a workshop by invitation to discuss memoirs by ex-members of the religious organization Jehovah’s Witnesses at their international headquarters in New York, March 27-31. The workshop lasted for three days and included tours of the headquarters, museums and several hours of discussion among scholars about a wide range of issues concerning the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is likely that an academic handbook will be produced from this workshop.

Nine undergraduate students presented their computational biochemistry research at the National ACS Meeting in San Diego, California, March 25. The students in attendance were Zoe Vetter, Maddie Bromfman, Christine Chen, Mackenzie Sweeney, Emma Thompson, Dagmawit Kebede, Makda Gebreegziabher, Izzy Zagarri and Kaiden Zaborowski. Each created and presented a poster on their original research project in the computers in chemistry division poster session for the ACS.

Vetter and Bromfman won awards for their outstanding undergraduate research presentations at the poster session. The research was performed in the Miller biochemistry research lab at A.T. Still University under the supervision of Bill Miller III, associate professor of chemistry. All students received travel funding from the Department of Physical Sciences at Truman.