Vol. 24 No. 2 - August 26, 2019

 
Truman is one step closer to repurposing a historic community building into northeast Missouri’s first interprofessional autism center thanks to a significant grant from a philanthropic organization.
 
The Sunderland Foundation of Kansas City recently notified Truman it would be supporting the Greenwood Center renovation project with a total donation of $1.1 million over two years. The University has already received $600,000, with the remaining amount scheduled to be awarded in 2020.
 
“This center is a very ambitious project, and the investment by the Sunderland Foundation is helping us take a huge step forward in being able to assist individuals and families affected by autism,” Ernie Hughes, vice president for university advancement, said.
 
Since 2015, Truman has been working to repurpose the former Greenwood Elementary School into an interprofessional center dedicated to serving those with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition to licensed professionals on staff, the comprehensive center will provide a valuable opportunity for students to engage in hands-on, high-impact learning experiences.
 
The Greenwood Center is an ideal project for the Sunderland Foundation. The Foundation seeks to foster “a stronger, safer, and more vibrant future for the community we serve,” and specializes in grants for planning, design, construction and renovation, particularly in the fields of higher education, youth servicing agencies and health care facilities.
 

This marks the seventh year in a row Truman has been included in the top 10. Truman is the lone Missouri school to be included on the entire Master’s University list, which ranks 200 institutions.

On the “Best Bang for the Buck” list included in Washington Monthly’s college rankings, Truman is No. 26 overall in the Midwest region, and it was the highest-rated public university from the state.

The Washington Monthly rankings are unique in that they place an importance on social mobility, research, and community and national service. Along with traditional benchmarks such as graduation rates and costs, schools are rewarded for criteria including the number of first-generation students enrolled and the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants or participating in ROTC.

“Above all else, a college education should be empowering, and our inclusion in the Washington Monthly rankings underscores the real value of a degree from Truman,” University President Susan L. Thomas said. “A Truman education enables our students to reach their full potential and inspires them to enrich their communities and make a difference in the lives of others.”

The college guide and rankings appear in the magazine’s September/October issue and can be found online.

Plunkett is currently president of Pi Kappa Phi and traveled with the fraternity’s national philanthropy, The Ability Experience. Each summer, The Ability Experience organizes three events: Gear Up Florida, Build America and Journey of Hope. This year, teams of each event collectively visited 33 states, cycled 12,700 miles and worked on build sites at six summer camps. Participants represented more than 57 colleges and universities across the United States.

Plunkett participated in the Journey of Hope TransAmerica route with a team consisting solely of Pi Kappa Phi members. Along the route, the team made frequent stops at local community sponsors for Friendship Visits. These visits consisted of cyclists connecting with those they are riding in support of as a way of breaking barriers and highlighting the abilities of all people, and often included activities such as dance offs, games and sports.

The mission of The Ability Experience is to use shared experiences to support people with disabilities and develop men of Pi Kappa Phi into servant leaders. Combined with corporate sponsorships, the 2019 Ability Experience teams raised more than $827,000 for people with disabilities across the nation.

More information about The Ability Experience and their summer events is available at abilityexperience.org.

An informational meeting for the Spring 2020 Missouri Government Internship Program will take place at 4:45 p.m. Sept. 11 in McClain 212.

The Missouri Government Internship Program 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.

The Truman State University Foundation provides selected interns with a $2,500 stipend. Interested students should click here for more information and to view the internship application. Additional information will be presented at the Sept. 11 meeting. Questions can be directed to mogovinternship@truman.edu.

This is the 26th consecutive year the chapter has received this prestigious distinction, marking the longest continuous “Honor Chapter” run in the 100-year history of Sigma Delta Pi. Truman also earned the Octavio Paz Award for maintaining “Honor Chapter” status each year during the 2016-19 triennium.

Lucy F. Lee, Rho Rho chapter adviser for all 26 award years and national president of Sigma Delta Pi, has been instrumental in earning this national award that was bestowed on only 16 chapters nationwide in 2019. Due to her exemplary work for nearly three decades as chapter adviser at Truman, the national chapter adviser of the year award was officially renamed the Lucy F. Lee Award during Sigma Delta Pi’s national triennial convention.

Each summer, the 625 chapters of Sigma Delta Pi nationwide are asked to submit an annual report detailing numerous activities and projects from the academic year. Based on these reports, the national executive committee choose approximately 10-15 “Honor Chapters” annually. This recognition is based upon the caliber of chapter projects that reflect the Sigma Delta Pi mission of honoring excellence in the study of the Spanish language, contributing to cultural understanding and upholding the goals of the society.

The Public Relations Office has named Mollie Dougherty, a senior communication major, as the fall 2019 intern.

Dougherty is from St. Charles, Mo., and is a 2016 graduate of Duchesne High School. She is the daughter of Michael and Kathleen Dougherty.

As the public relations intern, Dougherty will help write for the University newsletter, the Truman Today, as well as the University alumni magazine, the Truman Review. Additionally, she will assist in coordinating Family Day activities and the Kohlenberg Lyceum events.

On campus, Dougherty is an active member in her social sorority and the communication honor fraternity Lambda Pi Eta. She also serves as a representative on the Panhellenic Council.

Dougherty is eager to be serving the University in this role and expand upon her knowledge of public relations. She plans to pursue a career in public relations and anticipates applying the skills she will learn throughout this internship in her future career.

The following organizations, students and University employees volunteered during Move-In Day, Aug. 14.

Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Sigma Alpha
Alpha Sigma Gamma
American Medical Student Association
Baptist Student Union
Beta Alpha Psi
Beta Theta Pi
Blue Key Honor Society
Campus Christian Fellowship
Campus Outreach
Cardinal Key
Catholic Newman Center
Delta Chi
Delta Phi Epsilon
Delta Sigma Pi
Delta Zeta
Iron Dogs
Kappa Alpha Psi
Lambda Chi Alpha
Minority Ambassador’s Program
Mock Trial
Momentum Ministry
National Education Association
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Sigma Kappa
Pi Kappa Phi
Residence Hall Association
Sigma Alpha
Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Sigma Sigma
Student Government
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Lambda Sigma
Tsunami Womens Ultimate
The University Swingers

The Truman Forensic Union will host a meeting for all students interested in learning more about the school’s national award-winning speech and debate program. The Truman Forensic union is a co-curricular program in the Communication Department featuring intercollegiate competition in both speech and debate events. Students involved in Truman Forensics get to engage in competition with other students from around the nation and develop their critical thinking and communication skills. The team has a long history of success and most recently earned 14 state championships and third place in the nation in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
 
Any students interested in learning more about the program can attend the information meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 in Barnett Hall 1212. Those unable to attend but would still like to learn more can contact director of forensics Chris Outzen or assistant director of forensics Craig Hennigan for more information.

 
The Office of Student Research is accepting Grants-in-Aid of Scholarship and Research (GIASR) applications for research and creative scholarship conducted in fall 2019. Grant applications may request up to $750 and can cover student stipends, supplies and travel to conduct research. Complete guidelines for the GIASR application can be found at the Office of Student Research website. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Aug. 28. Any questions can be directed to osr@truman.edu.

Truman will conduct a bicycle sale at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 29 at the Military Storage Building on Florence Street (across from the tennis courts).  The bikes will be sold to faculty, staff and students. A Truman ID must be presented to register for a buyer number. Registration will begin at 8:15 a.m. at the Military Storage Building. Buyers will be limited to purchase one bike per person.

There are approximately 28 bikes for sale. Bikes will be sold for $20 (includes tax). Payment must be made by cash or check at the sale site. Bikes will be sold “as is” with no guarantees, refunds or liability from Truman.

Anyone operating a bicycle on campus must obey the same traffic control regulations that apply to cars and motorcycles, such as stopping for stop signs and riding in the right-hand portion of the roadway. Bicycles ridden after dark must be equipped with a headlight, large red reflector on the rear, and white or amber pedal and spoke reflectors.

Bicycles parked on campus must:
• not be attached to any trees or light poles;
• not be left in buildings, entrances, ramps or any other hazardous location;
• be left in campus bicycle racks.

Bicycles which are illegally parked are subject to parking tickets and/or confiscation by the Department of Public Safety. Bicycles should be ridden on streets, not on sidewalks, lawns or parkways that are property of Truman. Students are strongly encouraged to register their bikes with Public Safety. Registration permits are issued free of charge. More information may be found at police.truman.edu/parking-services.

The Student Activities Board is looking for one student to serve as a student-at-large on a committee to select new members to SAB. Interested students must be available the afternoons/evenings of Sept. 2-3. Applications are available at sab.truman.edu/apply and are due by 11:59 p.m. Aug. 29. Contact amm1182@truman.edu with any questions.

Speaker applications for the second annual TEDx Truman State University conference are due Aug. 29.

TED is a non-profit organization that sponsors independent conferences all over the world. These conferences strive to spread new ideas through short, powerful talks that can cover a wide range of topics.

TEDx Truman State University, sponsored by Student Government, will be Nov. 10. The conference will showcase several talks by Truman students, faculty members and alumni across a variety of disciplines. These talks will be broadcast on an internationally acclaimed platform.

Applications can be found here. Further questions can be directed to Shania Montúfar.

Petitions for student senate are now available and can be found in the Student Government Office located in Student Union Building 1107. Voting begins 8 a.m. Sept. 9 and closes 10 a.m. Sept. 12. Vote at vote.truman.edu.

The McNair Program supports and prepares underrepresented students for graduate studies. Paid summer research internships, funds for graduate school visits and conferences, and seminars and academic counseling are just a few of the benefits the program has to offer.

Freshmen, sophomores and juniors are welcome to come for pizza and information about what the McNair Program can do for them.

McNair Information Session
Aug. 27
4:30-5:30 p.m.
Student Union Building Georgian Room A

McNair Information and Application Work Sessions in Adair House
Sept. 6
4:30-5:30 p.m.

Sept. 10
4-5 p.m.

Sept. 19
4:30-5:30 p.m.

Sept. 23
4:30-5:30 p.m.

For more information visit mcnair.truman.edu.

All new Truman students are invited downtown for a Kirksville welcome, 5-7 p.m. Sept. 8. Businesses, churches and organizations will have tables set up on the courthouse lawn offering coupons, product samples and more. There will be free food for students presenting a Truman ID. For more information, call 660.665.3766.

The Office of Advancement is accepting applications for the spring 2020 annual fund internship.

The intern will gain experience working on the fundraising side of a non-profit organization within Truman, specifically the Truman Foundation. Responsibilities will be divided between three main focus areas: Tel-Alumni coordinator, Office of Advancement projects and office hours with a focus on development projects such as the Student Giving Campaign and the Student Alumni Association.

Qualified applicants will be a business or communication major with a minimum of 2.75 GPA. The intern will work 15 hours a week for approximately 11 weeks and receive class credit commensurate with their time in the office. A supplementary stipend is also included.

For a complete job description, visit TruPositions or click here. Deadline for applications is Dec. 6. Contact Michael Burbee with further questions.

The next issue of the Truman Today will be available Sept. 3.

Michael Goggin, professor of physics, and collaborators from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the Naval Research Laboratory had their paper “Direct Excitation of a Single Quantum Dot with Cavity-SPDC Photons” published in Optics Express. This paper is a result of work done while Goggin was on sabbatical at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during spring 2016.