Vol. 27 No. 27 - April 3, 2023

For years, the “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” class was a student favorite, and now it is being reprised for a special event, April 18.

Sal Costa, professor emeritus of psychology, created the class in 1995 and taught it every semester for 27 years. The class was a perennial hit and often had a waitlist of eager students. While it can be useful for psychology majors, the class had broad appeal and touched on related topics of biology, personality traits and disorders, abnormal psychology and psychopharmacology.

Since Costa retired from teaching in 2022, “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” has not been offered. In coordination with Truman’s Psychology Club, Costa will deliver a special presentation inspired by his course. Topics discussed during the event will include the phases of serial killers and psychological profiling. Costa will also discuss some specific serial killers, from the obscure to the infamous.

The “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” special presentation will take place at 7 p.m. April 18 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. The event is free and open to the public.

Since his retirement from the classroom, Costa has continued to serve Truman in other capacities. In conjunction with Student Engagement, Enrollment Management and Marketing, he assists the Office of Admissions with scholarship review. He also works to match students with internship opportunities, and he is responsible for recruiting new faculty and staff as advisors for clubs and organizations.

In addition to the special presentation, Costa will teach the full three-credit JINS version of “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” in the fall semester.

Joe Benevento, professor of English, will read from his two new books during an event marking his four decades of service to the University.

“Benevento Says Goodbye: A Celebration of 40 Years at Truman” will begin at 2 p.m. April 15 at the Catholic Newman Center, 709 S. Davis St. Benevento will share passages from his newest works, “The Cracker Box Poems” and his novel, “My Perfect Wife, Her Perfect Son.” The latter work is a seriocomic novel about the Holy Family from the viewpoint of St. Joseph. The novel can also be purchased directly from the publisher, Histria Books. Discounted copies of the new books will be available at the event, along with free copies of his earlier works.

In addition to the readings, Benevento, who will retire at the conclusion of the semester, will perform some “songs of parting” accompanied by Greg Richter on piano, Karen Kubin on violin, and the Benevento Family Singers.

This event is free and open to all. Students, colleagues and friends from Benevento’s Truman tenure have been invited to return, and part of the festivities will include time to reminisce about his 40-year career.

New changes to the flexible payment plan will help students stay on track with tuition and spread out their balance throughout each semester.
 
Under the flexible payment plan, tuition is billed in full and paid for in installments. The first 25% payment is due by the end of the first week of class. In the fall and spring, tuition is paid in four monthly installments of 25% each. Summer term billing can be addressed in two installments. The new plan has established due dates for each of the installment payments.
 
The flexible payment plan is available to all Truman students. Because changes have been made, students currently taking advantage of this payment option will need to re-enroll in the flexible payment plan, as well as those who would like to opt-in to the plan for the first time. Students who were previously removed from the flexible payment plan for unpaid balances now have the opportunity to start again with a clean slate.  
 
Signing up for the flexible payment plan is easy, and it can be completed beginning May 1, 2023 on TruView in just a few minutes. Details on how to sign up can be found here. Students who choose not to sign up for the flexible payment plan by Aug. 25, 2023 will automatically remain on the standard plan, which requires payment in full by the end of the first week of classes.
 
Questions about the flexible payment plan can be addressed to Student Accounts at 660.785.4074, staccts@truman.edu or in person at McClain Hall 105.

All the money raised during this year’s Greek Week, April 3-7, will go to the Adair County Public Library and Truman’s Investing in Students Fund.

Those interested in helping FSL achieve their goal of $20,000 can donate money during the penny bucket challenge. The penny buckets will be located outside of the Union & Involvement Services office inside the Student Union Building throughout Greek Week. Each team will have their own penny bucket, but there will also be a general Greek Week bucket available for donations.

This year’s lip sync competition will take place at 7 p.m. April 6 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased for $5 at the door and all members of the Truman community are welcome to attend.

This year’s nationally competitive fellowship session is scheduled for 4:30-6 p.m. April 4 in Violette Hall 1010.

Each year Truman nominates students who have shown outstanding academic performance and exceptional service accomplishments for national fellowship opportunities. The application process is very rigorous and highly competitive, but the University provides support as students prepare for and then apply to these prestigious scholarships. Many deadlines occur early in the fall semester, so it is important interested students attend the meeting. To register for the information session, click 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, 2023.

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. 20, 2023.

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, 2023.

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. 19, 2024.


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. 18, 2023.

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, 2023.

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 Sept. 1, 2023.

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. 18, 2023.

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 our 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, 2024. Campus deadline for fellowships (graduate) is Dec. 29, 2023.

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, 2023. Read about Truman’s first Rhode’s 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. 8, 2023.

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.

Woodrow Wilson National Fellowships
for undergraduates and graduates
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation is a private non-profit operating foundation based in Princeton, New Jersey. The foundation administers a range of programs that support leadership development and build organizational capacity in education.

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. 18, 2023.

The Fraternity and Sorority Life team is hiring for a position responsible for a variety of assignments that contribute to the overall improvement of the FSL community at Truman. Duties include, but are not limited to, being a member of the Greek Week committee, running meetings with chapter/council officers, planning events for both the fraternity and sorority community as well as the overall Truman community and working admissions events to promote FSL to potential students.

This position is from August 2023 to May 2024 and can be for scholarship, institutional or work-study pay. The anticipated start is August 2023 with training starting a week before Truman Week. Email fsl@truman.edu for more information.

Dr. Matthew Dolliver and Dr. David Pate.

As part of the ongoing Gender and Sexuality series, guest speakers Dr. Matthew Dolliver  and Dr. David Pate will present a lecture from 5-6 p.m. April 5 via Zoom.

This lecture will discuss how the legal system and child support system pose specific challenges for young men and low-income men. Pate, an associate professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty, will discuss how child support policies put low-income fathers at risk of incarceration, making it harder for them to provide support and care for their children. Dolliver, an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Alabama, will discuss how masculinity may impact deviant behavior and incarceration.

Applications for FAC fall F023 funding are open now through 12 a.m. April 14. No late applications will be accepted. Applications can be found here. FAC will also host a funding information night at 6p.m. March 22 in the Student Union Building Conference Room.

The open course list for summer can be viewed on TruView now. 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 13-27. The first round of five-week courses, as well as 10-week courses, begin May 30, while the second round of five-week courses begins July 3. An eight-week session begins June 5. The August interim runs from July 29-Aug. 12. For more information visit summer.truman.edu.

Union & Involvement Services will begin accepting room lottery requests for the fall 2023 semester from 8:30 a.m. April 3 to 5 p.m. April 12.

Recognized student organizations must be in good standing in order for requests to be processed. Any submissions received after 5 p.m. April 12 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 starting March 31. Contact the Union & Involvement Services Office at union@truman.edu or 660.785.4222 for more information.

 
Elementary and middle school students interested in math and science can spend a day on the Truman campus participating in fun activities.

Truman’s chapter of Beta Beta Beta, a co-ed biology honors fraternity, will sponsor Science on Saturday, April 29. The first session, for students in first through fifth grade, will take place from 9-11 a.m. A second session, for students in sixth through eighth grade, will take place from 12:30-3 p.m.

Area students will attend classes in Magruder Hall, each lasting about 20 minutes. Session one classes this spring include: acids and bases volcano, reptiles and amphibians, and secret message writing. Among the classes in session two are: strawberry DNA extraction, lava lamps, and reptiles and amphibians.

Science on Saturday is a free event. Registration can be found at sos.truman.edu and will remain open until April 14 or until both sessions are full. Spaces are limited and registration is completed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Beta Beta Beta has sponsored Science on Saturday events for several years. More information is available online at sos.truman.edu.

Students that plan to live in live on campus next year can join the world languages living learning community in Missouri Hall. This is a chance to live with students from other countries or who are interested in learning about other languages and culture. Contact James Hammerstrand, instructor in Spanish, for more information.

4-6 p.m.
April 13

4-6 p.m.
April 20
St. Louis

The next issue of the Truman Today will be available April 11.

Purdy was born in 1914 on a farm near Macon and was the first in his family to attend a four-year college. He worked in the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture before becoming the campus' first director of scholarships and student financial aid.

The scholarship is designed to provide merit-based scholarships to emerging leaders who are outstanding students and have a need for additional resources for higher education. The scholarship amount can vary based on an applicant’s circumstances. The scholarship is up to $5,000 per year and renewable for a total of three years.

Applicants must be a Missouri resident, typically a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA, a U.S. citizen, and a sophomore, junior or senior attending a Missouri public four-year university or the State Technical College of Missouri. Applications should be submitted online through Scholarship Central. Contact the Financial Aid Office at 660.785.4130 for more information. The application deadline is April 15.