Vol. 27 No. 11 - October 31, 2022

The latest resource on campus is cutting-edge technology that gives students studying human and animal anatomy and physiology a host of new opportunities.

Truman recently installed six new advanced virtual anatomy tables in Magruder Hall. The 84-inch digital screens allow for life-size displays and virtual exploration. The tables include male and female 3D medical-school-level anatomy content up to 0.2 mm. Among other features, students are able to participate in interactive dissections and virtual arthroscopy, as well as view blood-flow simulation and fly-through simulations in the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and chambers of the heart. The high-resolution images afford users an in-depth view of major structures in the body, such as the heart, lungs, abdomen and pelvis, that might be more difficult to see through previous instruction methods.

“Our students will get access to cutting-edge anatomical studies,” said Tim Walston, dean of the School of Science and Mathematics. “Many medical schools are moving away from cadaver labs to these virtual tables. Combining high-detail anatomical features with animated simulations allows for a more life-like view of what is happening in the body.”

Since the tables can be connected to projectors, instructors can easily incorporate the virtual images into class lectures. Screen captures and video clips can also be saved and shared with students as review material. One of the new tables also has the capability to convert from a horizontal to a vertical orientation, allowing for easier displays during classroom demonstrations.

Other features of the anatomy tables include a heart motion simulation, catheter simulations and the ability to explore a complex nervous system and its pathways.

“Having this lab located on our campus makes the study of anatomy more accessible to a broader group of Truman students,” Walston said. “It can be used for classes that fulfill the STEM Perspective and support some of our new majors, such as the anatomy requirement for music therapy. The tables have a variety of organisms beyond just humans, so they can be used in comparative anatomy and agriculture courses. The systems also have the ability to demonstrate a variety of diseases, which will enhance the understanding of the connection between anatomy and physiological disorders.”

The virtual anatomy lab will also strengthen Truman’s partnership with A.T. Still University. Students and classes at the medical school will be able to access the lab, and some Truman courses will continue to make use of the ATSU cadaver lab.  

Installation of the virtual anatomy tables began in the summer and continued into the fall. They will begin in-class use in the coming weeks. A University-wide open house for people to view the lab will take place from 3-5 p.m. Nov. 16 in Magruder Hall 2077.

Truman Theatre’s next production of the year, “Drinking Habits,” will run nightly at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9-12 in the James G. Severns Theatre.

“Drinking Habits” by Tom Smith follows the story of two nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing that have been secretly making wine to keep the convent’s doors open. However, Paul and Sally, reporters and former fiancées, are hot on their trail. They go undercover as a nun and priest, but their presence, combined with the addition of a new nun, spurs paranoia throughout the convent that spies have been sent from Rome to shut them down. Wine and secrets are inevitably spilled as everyone tries to preserve the convent and reconnect with lost loves.

This play is appropriate for ages 13 and up. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased online at boxoffice.truman.edu or by contacting the box office at 660.785.4515.

University President Sue Thomas welcomed student Beth Hopwood for a recent installment of “Tea Time with Sue.”

The entire podcast conversation can be found on the Truman Spotify channel. Follow Truman on social media for video excerpts from “Tea Time with Sue.” The complete video is also posted on the Truman YouTube channel.

Throughout the school year, President Thomas will welcome guests for one-on-one chats that shine a light on the people and things that make Truman the special place it is. New episodes will be announced in the Truman Today as they become available. Guests for “Tea Time with Sue” can be nominated at truman.edu/teatime.

The 32nd Annual Philosophy and Religion Conference will take place 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Student Union Building alumni room.

At 1 p.m., alumnus Thomas Lecaque will deliver the keynote address titled, “Threatening a Christian America: Christian Nationalism and Sectarian Fissures.” Lecaque is an associate professor of history at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. He specializes in the nexus of apocalyptic religion and political violence, from medieval Europe to modern America. In addition to academic work on the crusades, game studies and early America, he has written for public outlets such as the Washington Post, Religion Dispatches, Dame Magazine, Foreign Policy and The Bulwark, among others.

During the conference students from Truman and four other universities will present original papers from variety of topics in philosophy and religion. This event is free and open to the public. Visit phre.truman.edu and select “Philosophy and Religion Conference” for the conference schedule and more information.

The Truman State University Foundation Spring 2023 Foundation Scholarship application deadline is Nov. 2.

Recipients must be enrolled full-time during the term of the scholarship to receive the full amount. Applications can be submitted and revised at any time prior to the deadline. To apply, log in to TruView, go to Tools, then Student, then Scholarships followed by Financial Aid, and Loan Tool. Click on Foundation Scholarship Application. On the Scholarship Menu, select Foundation Scholarship Application. Follow the prompts and complete the personal information page, then follow the two-step process to select scholarships to apply for all scholarships students qualify will automatically appear on the list of scholarship options.

These scholarships are available thanks to the private gifts of alumni and friends of the University.

Union & Involvement Services will begin accepting room lottery requests for the spring 2023 semester from 8:30 a.m. Nov. 7 to 5 p.m. Nov. 11.

Informational sessions to learn more about room lottery will take place from 4-5 p.m. Nov. 1-2 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Recognized student organizations must be in good standing in order for requests to be processed. Any submissions received after 5 p.m. Nov. 11 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis once lottery requests have been processed.

Request forms and other information can be found here. Contact the Union & Involvement Services Office at union@truman.edu or 660.785.4222 for more information.

The program offers two degrees – a Master of Arts in Counseling: Mental Health Counseling and Master of Arts in Counseling: School Counseling.
 
The Master of Arts in Counseling: School Counseling program is geared toward meeting the academic, career and personal/social needs of culturally diverse students in elementary, middle and secondary schools as certified and licensed school counselors.

The Master of Arts in Counseling: Mental Health Counseling program specializes in community-based work as licensed professional counselors.

The counseling program seeks to equip caring, committed and culturally aware individuals from all backgrounds with the knowledge and skills required to become professional counselors in school and community settings.
 
Cohort size is limited, and applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. For priority consideration, apply here by Nov. 1. For more information about either program visit counseling.truman.edu or email Karl Witt at karlwitt@truman.edu.

Through Nov. 2, students have the ability to provide input on summer and interim courses.

Academic Affairs is launching a survey designed to gather student feedback on the courses they need most for summer and interim terms in 2023. These sessions help students stay on track during break, add majors and minors, improve GPA, retain scholarships or focus attention on a challenging class. Since fewer courses are offered during the summer, student input is crucial.

“While we try to take student interests into account at all points in the year, the summer session represents one of the times where students can have an outsized influence on the schedule,” Kevin Minch, associate provost, said. “Based on student answers, we communicate recommendations to departments so they can optimally place their faculty for student needs.”

This year’s survey will offer students a wide range of delivery options such as asynchronous online, synchronous online, hybrid, online-low residency, and hyflex. An online-low residency course is primarily online, but might require students to come to campus to take proctored tests or exams or participate in other limited on-campus activity. Hyflex courses are offered by some faculty who give students flexibility in the modality they use. Such a course could allow for synchronous delivery, face-to-face instruction and asynchronous delivery to accommodate different student needs.

Students may complete the survey here by Nov. 2. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

After graduation from Truman in 2002, Shreve started his career as an auditor for Ernst and Young in Kansas City. He was a founding member of Fishtech Group in 2015 and served as CFO until 2021, when the company was sold to Apax Partners. He currently works at Cyderes, a leading cyber security company that was the result of the merger of Fishtech Group and Herjavec Group.

In 2014, Shreve and wife, Lauren (Rase) Shreve (’03), were honored as Truman’s Young Alumni of the Year. The couple established the Ryan and Lauren (Rase) Shreve Annual Scholarship in 2017 to provide opportunities to motivated and deserving Truman students. Shreve is also a member of the Truman Foundation Board of Directors and previously served on the Accounting Advisory Board for the School of Business.

Shreve will visit campus to present a talk at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 3 in Violette Hall 1000. He will discuss cybersecurity and business transformation.

In the main gallery, “The Motion of the Crowd” brings together the work of Gregory Rick and Ryan Fontaine. Rick’s large-scale narrative paintings explore individual experience through far-reaching references to the history of racial oppression in the United States. The sounds and atmospheric effects of Fontaine’s kinetic installation provide multisensory layers to the dynamic scenes and capture the energy of a crowd on the verge of revolt. Rick grew up in Minneapolis and recently completed his MFA at Stanford University. Fontaine is a self-taught artist, musician and co-director of HAIR + NAILS Gallery in Minneapolis, with whom this exhibition was organized.

In the Charlyn Gallery, “DrumRoll” is the premiere of a new immersive audio-visual installation by Minneapolis-based composer and artist Mary Ellen Childs. The five-channel installation uses video to capture the point of view of four performing percussionists on wheels, exploring the relation between aural, visual and mobile experience.

The University Art Gallery is located in Ophelia Parrish 1114. Reception and events are free and open to the public.

Throughout the remainder of the fall semester, people will be able to join Roberta Donahue, professor of health science, for Fresh Start Fridays. This TruSolutions initiative seeks to offer accessible yoga and stretching activities to promote a balanced culture of wellness and academic focus. The sessions will occur from 2:30-3:30 p.m. every Friday in Pickler Memorial Library 308. Participants are encouraged to bring their own yoga mat: a limited number of mats will be available for those without one. For questions, contact Donahue at rdonahue@truman.edu.

The Office of Student Research will be accepting Grants-In-Aid of Scholarship and Research (GIASR) applicants, as well as Conference Travel Scholarship applications, for spring 2023.

Conference Travel Scholarship applications are for students presenting the results of their research or creative scholarship at a conference taking place January-June 2023. Students must have completed or be currently involved in a faculty-mentored research experience and plan on presenting at the conference. The scholarship will cover up to $500 of conference registration, lodging and travel expenses.
 
GIASR applications are available for research and creative scholarship conducted in spring 2023. Grant applications may request up to $750 and can cover student stipends, supplies and travel to conduct research.
 
Complete guidelines for the Conference Travel Scholarship and GIASR applications can be found at the Office of Student Research website. Applications for both funding opportunities are due by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 7. Questions regarding the applications can be directed to osr@truman.edu.

Union and Involvement Services is hiring a homecoming coordinator for 2023.

This position will start as soon as possible and will continue into the 2023-2024 school year. Students graduating in the spring of 2023 will not be considered due to the inability to complete job responsibilities. Review of applications will begin Nov. 29. In addition to completing the application on TruPositions, resumes must also be emailed to homecoming@truman.edu.

Applicants who have submitted completed applications with all required materials will be contacted for interviews after review of applications. Applicants who do not submit all materials will not be considered to have completed their application and will not be considered for an interview.

Not all candidates will be interviewed. Preference will be given to candidates that fulfill all requirements stated in position description. By submitting an application, U&I services is allowed to verify academic record.

A panel discussion on summer math experiences will take place at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in Magruder Hall 2001. Current math students will discuss their recent experiences during internships or research in the summer. All are welcome. Pizza will be served.

Dr. Phillip W. Magness, an economic historian specializing in the “long” 19th century United States and general macroeconomic trends, will give a lecture at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 15 in Violette Hall 1010.

Magness’ broad research extends to the economic history of the United States and includes historical tariff policy, the federal income tax and the relationship between taxation and wealth inequality. He also researches the economic dimensions of higher education and the history of economic thought.

For his talk at Truman, Magness will present his work surrounding the New York Times’ 1619 Project. Magness is a leading expert on Black colonization during the Civil War era and studies the political economy of slavery in the Atlantic world, particularly its relationship to public policy. As the author of “The 1619 Project: A Critique,” he will evaluate the merits and problems with the project’s narrative.

Magness has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Public Policy and a Ph.D. from George Mason University. He specializes in policy history and has taught at Berry College, George Mason University and American University. He currently directs research at the American Institute for Economic Research.

Applications are now being accepted for summer internships at the following locations in Missouri:

•    Independence: Harry Truman Presidential Library (full-time, 9 credits)
•    Kansas City: National World War I Museum (part-time, 4 credits)
•    Kirksville: Judicial Archives Project (part-time, 4 credits)
•    Olathe, KS: Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop-Farm (part-time, 4 credits)
•    St. Joseph: St. Joseph Museums (part-time, 4 credits)
•    St. Louis: Field House Museum (part-time, 4 credits), Missouri History Museum (part-time, 4 credits), Mercantile Library (part-time, 4 credits)
•    Springfield: MSU Special Collections and Archive (part-time, 4 credits)

The summer internships are open to all Truman students and are especially relevant for those considering careers in archives, museums and teaching. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until all positions are filled. Email jasonmcd@truman.edu to find out what the internships entail and how to apply.

Residence Life is looking for orientation leaders to welcome and introduce all first-year students and their families to Truman during summer orientations. Orientation allows students to enroll in classes, discuss transitional issues with current students and staff and begin to make friends at Truman.

Applications are due Dec. 14. Applications and full job description can be found at truman.edu/ol. Contact Michaela Elsbernd, orientation leader coordinator, with any questions.

Residence Life is looking for students who will create welcoming environments, develop connections with students and foster a learning-centered community to apply as student advisors for the 2023-2024 school year. Student advisors will have their room and meal fees fully covered.

Anyone enrolled in classes, has lived on campus for at least one semester once employed and maintained a 2.75 GPA, is qualified to apply. The application is open now until Jan. 20. Visit reslife.truman.edu or email reslife@truman.edu for more information.

The game is already played casually and competitively among the Truman community and is also popular at the high school level. Adding this game title will create opportunity for more Truman students to be involved with competitive esports, and has potential to aid student recruitment efforts.

Students interested in team tryouts can sign up here.

Applications for Greek Week committee are open. These applications are for students involved in fraternity and sorority life and are interested in being part of the committee that plans Greek Week. More information can be found on the Greek Week website along with applications. Email Liv Daehnke at omd4717@truman.edu or Laura Bates at lbates@truman.edu with any questions.

The School of Business has its own Bloomberg Terminal located in Violette Hall 1400. The Bloomberg terminal hosts comprehensive real-time information on the financial markets of the entire globe. It has real-time data, news, analytical and trading tools across all asset classes.

Contact the School of Business Dean’s Office at Violette Hall 2400 to access the lab. Once at the lab, log into the computer and hit the Bloomberg icon to create a new login and explore the Bloomberg Terminal. Email Pritam Saha at psaha@truman.edu with any questions.

Junior and senior students could win up to $250 from Truman, and $10,000 nationally, through the Robert L. Gould Scholastic Award competition.

SS&C, a financial technology company, sponsors the annual Robert L. Gould Scholastic Award to recognize outstanding university students who produce academic papers on topics related to investment management strategies, theories and trends.

• As we continue to explore technology in our everyday lives, how do you see technology changing the interactions we have and the types of interactions as it relates to investing?    
• As technology is explored in everyday lives, how could gamification impact or encourage appropriate investing behaviors and what are the real or potential positive and negative consequences of using gamification in this environment?  
• Given the advancements in technology, how is or will investment advice and portfolio construction change in the next 3, 5 and 10 years?
• As a consumer of that future state, what are your expectations surrounding engagement with those financial products and the brands that manufacture them?

In addition to the national award, the University will offer cash prizes to the top three papers from Truman students. Locally, first place will earn $250, second place will receive $150 and third place will get $100. All three will be submitted to the SS&C for the national competition.

Papers should be submitted to Chuck Boughton, instructor in business administration, at boughton@truman.edu. Polished drafts are due by Dec. 9 with final paper submission due Jan. 15. Submissions should be in Word format only. Local awards will be announced after the Jan. 31 submission to the Gould judges. For more information email boughton@truman.edu.

SS&C is a global provider of investment and financial services and software for the financial services and health care industries. Named to Fortune 1,000 list as top U.S. company based on revenue, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, and has 25,000+ employees in more than 100 offices in 40 countries. Some 20,000 financial services and health care organizations, from the world's largest institutions to local firms, manage and account for their investments using SS&C's products and services.

In 2018, SS&C acquired DST Systems, Inc., which was founded and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Gould was president of DST from 1984 until his death in 1987. He had a distinguished career in the financial services industry and was known for his creative and results-oriented style. Prior to joining DST, Gould was president of Fidelity’s Service Company in Boston.

Students from Truman’s speech and debate team attended the Missouri Mule Tournament at University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri, and earned nine new qualifications to nationals. The team finished second in individual events sweepstakes and overall sweepstakes out of 30 schools.

The individual awards from the competition include:

Debate
•    Junior Alicia Stout was awarded eighth speaker and was a quarterfinalist in NFA-LD.
•    Sophomore Eli Bartz was an octofinalist in NFA-LD and earned his qualification to NFA nationals.
•    Freshman Daniel Nzoiwu was awarded sixth speaker in novice NFA-LD.

Speech
•    Senior Maya Krump was the tournament champion in informative speaking and finished third in persuasive speaking where she earned her NFA qualification.
•    Junior Ella Schnake was the tournament champion in prose, runner up in impromptu speaking and finished third in dramatic interpretation. She earned an NFA qualification in all three events.
•    Junior Megan Ford finished third in after dinner speaking.
•    Junior Jillian Humke finished fifth in after dinner speaking and qualified to NFA nationals.
•    Freshman Alex Peterson was the tournament champion in after dinner speaking and persuasive speaking.
•    Freshman Anna Hans finished seventh in persuasive speaking and earned her qualification to NFA nationals.
•    Freshman Briggs Maynor finished sixth in poetry and earned his qualification to NFA nationals.