Vol. 28 No. 21 - February 12, 2024

Both undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit abstracts for the 2024 Student Research Conference that will take place April 18.

Abstract submissions are welcome for oral, poster, performance art, studio art and asynchronous virtual presentations. Abstracts need to be sponsored by a Truman faculty or staff member. Students should work with their faculty mentor before submitting the abstract. Abstracts can be submitted until 5 p.m. March 20.

Details for this year’s event are still in progress and the website will be updated as finalized. Complete abstract guidelines are posted on the Office of Student Research website. Inquiries about the Student Research Conference can be directed to the Office of Student Research at osr@truman.edu.

The annual Big Event service project will take place from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. April 6.

The Big Event allows students to display their gratitude to the Kirksville community for their continued support and contributions to the University by performing tasks such as raking leaves, trimming bushes, washing windows and painting. Larger scale community projects with area organizations are also part of the annual event.

Students who would like to volunteer can sign up here. Members of the community who would like to request the services of student volunteers can do so here.

For more information, contact the SERVE Center at trumanserve@gmail.com or 660.785.7222.

The Institute for Academic Outreach is accepting applications for summer employment with Joseph Baldwin Academy, JBA Junior and the ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy.

Each academy is in search of preceptors and a night monitor for JBA. In order to be a preceptor, applicants must currently be a full-time student at Truman or have graduated in December and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of application. Preceptors are expected to be supportive of the University goals, responsible, enjoy working with high-ability teenage students and be high-energy individuals.
 
Applicants should prepare a letter of interest which should include: the skills they possess that will assist them when working with high-ability teenage students; related work experiences; and why they are interested in the summer academy for which they apply. Applicants will also need to complete the online application and provide a current resume.
 
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all positions have been filled with qualified candidates. Interviews for JBA will take place Feb. 16-17. JBA Jr. and Healthcare Academy interviews are on-going until filled. Information about each available position and the online application can be accessed at Summer Academy Employment.

Dr. Briana Bonner will present “Boundless Purpose, Endless Paths: Navigating Life Beyond Truman” at 5 p.m. Feb. 12 in Student Union Building Georgian Room C.

This engaging talk explores post-graduation adventures driven by purpose and passion, emphasizing the transformative impact of research. Bonner’s stories, rich with academic and clinical experiences, guide students through navigating their passions and offer insights to ignite purpose.

A Truman alumna and McNair scholar, Bonner (’14) earned a health science degree with a minor in disabilities studies. Her professional journey includes a master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a clinical doctorate from the University of Texas Medical Branch. She has a versatile clinical background, which spans school-based therapy, orphanages, home health, acute care, outpatient, private practice, consultation, corporate and rehabilitation environments.

Committed to global occupational therapy advancement, Bonner spent four years in international service in eastern and southern Africa leading Helping Hands mission trips and providing crucial services to underserved communities. Her research on the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Sub-Saharan Africa led to the development of the Families Achieving Competency Together (FACT) program, a psychoeducational family centered initiative supporting families with children with ASD.

Bonner is a faculty member of the Occupational Therapy Department at A.T. Still University, serving on the school’s Arizona campus.

Award-winning author and journalist Nina Mukerjee Furstenau will participate in a reading and Q&A session at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theater as part of the Ofstad Visiting Scholar Program.

Furstenau has a special interest in food and identity. Her food memoir, “Biting Through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America’s Heartland,” won the 2014 M.F.K. Fisher Book Award, and the International Grand Prize/Les Dames d’Escoffier for culinary literature, among other recognitions. She launched five business magazines and served as publisher of two of them for 15 years prior to coming to the University of Missouri Science and Agricultural Journalism program, 2010-18, where she was director of food systems communication.

A Fulbright Global Scholar in Kolkata, India, in 2018-19, Furstenau was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia. Her most recent book, “Green Chili and Other Impostors,” focuses on heritage foods and colonial power. Her textbook, “Food & Culture” has also recently been released.

Nominations are currently being accepted for this year’s Leadership Recognition Program.

The LRP is designed to honor Truman students, organizations and advisors for their dedication to their peers, organizations, campus and the Kirksville community through various leadership roles during the academic year.

Submissions for the LRP are taken online only. A link to the nomination form can be found at involvement.truman.edu/leadership-recognition-program. Multiple nominations for individuals or organizations are welcome. Details about all of the awards can be found in the nomination packet available here. Nominations will close at 11:59 p.m. March 20.

Questions about the LRP can be directed to the program coordinator at lrp@truman.edu or orgs@truman.edu. Union & Involvement services will host the Leadership Recognition Program ceremony April 23.

Starting Feb. 14, any necessary TruAlert emails will come from truman@email.getrave.com.

TruAlert emails are part of the emergency messaging services available to students and employees. Previously, these emails came from police@truman.edu. Industry requirements have resulted in the service provider, RAVE, no longer being able support custom email addresses for emergency alert notifications. This change is a result of email providers’ efforts to curb spam and other unwanted email. As part of these changes, email inbox providers will be blocking all email sent from an address not belonging to the sending organization – also known as “spoofing.”

Future emails will still have a sender display name of “TruAlert” but instead of receiving an email from “TruAlert <police@truman.edu>” it will come from “TruAlert <truman@email.getrave.com>.” The new sender address will be a no-reply email address, meaning if an individual attempts to reply to the email message, it will not go to anyone.

TruAlerts will continue to be sent in the same manner, and the email change does not affect TruAlert text message notifications.

Madelaine Anderson will speak from 12-12:50 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Doug & Diane Villhard Innovation Lab located in the Pickler Memorial Library, as part of the TRU-Entrepreneur Speaker Series.

Anderson is the co-founder and creative director of Talus Films, a video production company that creates original documentary content and impactful films for purpose-driven brands. A 2011 graduate of the University, Anderson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater. Her diverse background includes project management, producing, podcasting, professional acting, production design, aerial silks and a life-long passion for storytelling.

Alongside her film work, Anderson hosts “The Wild We Share,” a podcast fostering connection and stewardship outdoors. An avid lover of being outside, she enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking and traveling with her family. After more than a decade in Chicago, she now resides in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her husband, daughter and black lab.

A webinar spotlighting Truman’s gifted education program will take place from 4-4:30 p.m. Feb. 15 via Zoom.

Jeanne Harding, director of graduate studies and advisor for the gifted education program, will conduct the webinar. She will discuss Truman’s gifted education program and share information from the Jan. 9 State of Missouri Board of Education’s meeting regarding updates to gifted certification for 2024-2025. Registration for the webinar can be found here. There is no registration fee required.

Truman is proud to be a leader in gifted education and support schools by offering a completely online Master of Arts in Gifted Education degree that culminates in DESE certification. Currently, the cost is $310 per credit hour, and there are no additional fees. For those who are not seeking a master’s degree, enrollment for individual gifted education certification courses is also available. As July 1, 2024 nears and Senate Bill 681 goes into effect, Truman is working to support schools that are developing and/or enhancing their gifted education programming.

Further details about the Master of Arts in Gifted Education program are available on the website or by emailing gifted@truman.edu. Truman’s program has fall, spring and summer start dates. Summer 2024 classes will begin May 28.

At Makerere, Hughes was in the Fulbright Scholar Specialist Program, which was to help build infrastructure to create philanthropic opportunities for the university. His mission was to help Makerere raise money to keep its institution running effectively. To do so, Hughes had to navigate cross-cultural barriers and seek common understanding to achieve the program’s goals.

TruOutdoors is planning a spring break backpacking trip to various areas in Kentucky and Virginia.


TruOutdoors backpacking trips are open to people of all experience levels. For more information visit the trip website or email Celia Barbieri, TruOutdoors president, at ie88642@truman.edu.

Beta Alpha Psi will host Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) sessions from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 24 and March 23 in Violette Hall 1424.

Clients who come to VITA should bring: social security cards for spouses and dependents; bank routing numbers and bank account numbers for direct deposit; wage and earnings statements such as W-2, 1098T and 1099; and a copy of last year’s federal and state tax returns if available. VITA services will be completed by IRS-certified volunteers and will also offer free electronic filing to receive a faster return.

Appointments are required. Truman students can make appointments online. Truman staff and community members must call 660.785.6064 to schedule. For more information, visit bap.truman.edu/vita.

The 41st annual Truman Piano Festival will take place Feb. 16-17 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

This year’s featured guest artist is Dr. Slawomir Dobrzanski, professor of piano at Kansas State University. At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16, he will perform a solo recital featuring works by Beethoven, Szymanowska, Chopin, Schonberg and Prokofiev. At 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Feb. 17, he will conduct a master class featuring Truman piano majors. All events are free and open to the public.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Dobrzanski often performs in Asia, Europe, South America and throughout the United States and Canada. Under the London-based Acte Prealable label, Dobrzanski has released several critically acclaimed CD albums of previously unknown piano repertoire by Maria Szymanowska (complete piano music), Anton de Kontski, Wiktor Labunski (complete piano music) and Károly Aggházy. He has also recorded solo and chamber music for Polish radio and television in Warsaw.

Dobrzanski is a graduate of the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland, and the University of Connecticut. In 1993, he won the Naftzger Young Artist Award and was the Naftzger Piano Division Winner. Dobrzanski joined the Kansas State University music faculty in 2005. Prior to his appointment at Kansas State, he was a member of music faculties at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and the University of Rhode Island.

Dobrzanski’s former piano students are currently pursuing artistic and academic careers all over the world, across North and South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Many have become highly successful soloists and chamber musicians, often while serving simultaneously on the music faculties of colleges, music conservatories and community music schools. He is the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award from Kansas Music Teachers Association.

“Into the Laughing Gas World”: A Reading of New Fabulist and Speculative Fiction by Rin Kelly, will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 20 in Ophelia Parrish 2210.

Author Rin Kelly died in 2020, but her New Fabulist and speculative fiction lives on in her newly released short story collection, “Into the Laughing Gas World.”  

Sarah Mohler, associate professor of English, will read excerpts from her afterword to the collection. Jamie D’Agostino, associate professor of creative writing, and Sarah White, editorial assistant for the Green Hills Literary Lantern, along with Kelly’s mother, Judith Reese, and her sister, Carrie Kelly, will read stories from the collection.

The Office of Student Research is accepting TruScholars proposals for research and creative scholarship conducted over the eight-week summer term, June 3 through July 26.

The purpose of this grant is to promote intensive, faculty-student collaborative research to enhance student learning and promote a culture of research, scholarship and creative activities at Truman. Projects supported by this program should exhibit the potential for scholarly publication, presentation at a regional or national conference, public performance or a gallery exhibit.

Grant applications may request up to $5,750 and can include a $3,500 max student stipend and a $1,750 max mentor stipend.

More information about the TruScholars program is available on the Office of Student Research website. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Feb. 22.

Any additional questions about TruScholars can be directed to osr@truman.edu.

The Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation will offer the Purdy Emerging Leaders Scholarship, named in honor of Allan Walker Purdy. Born in 1914 on a farm near Macon, Purdy 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’s first director of scholarships and student financial aid.

This program supports candidates who demonstrate leadership, character and academic performance. It is open to students who started higher education right after high school, as well as adult learners who are now pursuing or returning to complete a degree. Additionally, these students have a vision, are eager to make their contribution to the world and have the work ethic to bring their dreams to fruition.

The scholarship application period runs through April 15. More information, including details on how to apply, can be found here. The scholarship amount can vary based on an applicant’s circumstances. The general range will be $2,000-$5,000 based on expected family contribution (EFC), unmet need and other factors.

Applicants must: be a Missouri resident; be an undergraduate second-, third- or fourth-year student for the 2024-25 academic year; enrolled full-time and making satisfactory academic progress; and have a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 or higher. Recommendation from an instructor, counselor, advisor, current or recent supervisor, community leader or other similarly qualified individual is required.

In the wake of massive changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this year, Truman’s Financial Aid Office is available to help students navigate the process and receive the maximum amount of support.

All students in need of financial assistance are encouraged to complete the FAFSA. Federal Student Aid is the largest provider of financial aid for college students in the United States. Even though a student may not qualify for grants or work-study, all students are considered for the Federal Direct Loan (no co-signer required). Filing the FAFSA does not commit students to taking a loan, but it does allow for more options.

The 2024-25 FAFSA will use 2022 tax year information with a priority deadline of April 1, 2024 for Missouri residents. It is strongly recommended to apply or renew before April 1 Details about the FAFSA can be found online at studentaid.gov.

Truman’s Financial Aid Office is currently working on details of when aid offers will be available for new incoming students as well as current students. This year it will most likely be later this spring.
In celebration of Financial Aid Awareness Month, the Financial Aid Office in McClain Hall 103 will have free candy available. Students are encouraged to visit the office and discuss any questions they may have about financial aid. Along with processing the FAFSA to determine federal, state and some University funds, the office provides information about scholarship service and renewal for returning students. They can also help with private scholarship check processing, funding for study abroad or summer school, budgeting, financial literacy or loan counseling.

For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 660.785.4130 or finaid@truman.edu. The Financial Aid Office website also has a variety of helpful resources for students and their families.

The Truman Forensics Team has started the second half of their competition season strong, kicking off the semester with a virtual, asynchronous OATS tournament, Jan. 22-26, hosted by Outspoken Culture. They also participated in an in-person tournament hosted by Webster University, Jan. 26-28, fondly known by the team and speech and debate community as the “Gorlok.” Follow along with the team’s successes throughout the semester as they climb closer to nationals at @trumanforensicunion on Instagram or @TrumanForensics on Facebook.

OATS Competition
The team earned a fourth place finish out of 37 teams. Senior Jillian Humke was tournament champion in impromptu speaking, earning her second qualification to the American Forensic Association (AFA) national tournament later this spring.

Senior Ella Schnake and sophomore Briggs Maynor earned a separate qualification to the National Forensic Association (NFA) competition by placing as the tournament champions in duo interpretation.

Senior Megan Ford placed sixth in informative speaking.

Sophomore Alex Peterson placed fifth in impromptu, while sophomore Breanna Mathes was the top novice in persuasion.

First-year freshman member Bryna Norman was the top novice in program oral interp (POI) and placed fifth.

Gorlok Competition
The Gorlok competition hosted 32 schools on Webster’s campus and provided opportunities for students to compete in either speech and/or debate. The tournament also offered a special pentathlon award for top competitors who competed in at last five or more speech events.

Truman Forensics had two students place among the top five competitors awarded in pentath. Schnake was tournament champion and Peterson placed third.

The tournament offered separate categories of debate and speech awards. The team earned a second place finish in debate and third place in individual events (IE), ranking the team as third overall at the tournament. Truman placed over other respectable teams from across the nation, many that traveled far to attend the tournament, such as Illinois State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of North Texas and Western Kentucky University.

Individual Award Placements in IE
Schnake was tournament champion in communication analysis (CA), impromptu and duo with Maynor. Schnake also received second place in both duo and improvisational pairs with Humke.

Ford was tournament champion in prose interpretation and fifth in dramatic interpretation (DI).

In addition to the duo and improv pairs placements, Humke also earned fourth in persuasion and was in the top 30% in impromptu.

Peterson was tournament champion in Informative, received second in prose, fourth in CA and impromptu and sixth in persuasion.

In addition to duo, Maynor was also tournament champion in poetry interpretation, earned third in informative, and was in the top 30% of prose competitors.

Mathes was in the top 30% of prose competitors.

Norman was tournament champion and top novice in after-dinner speaking (ADS).

Freshman Kate Bailey earned sixth place in POI and was in the top 30% in prose.

Individual Award Placements in Debate
In the open/varsity division of Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate, senior Alicia Stout was a quarterfinalist (top eight) and first speaker.

Senior Elijah Baum was also a quarterfinalist and earned fifth place speaker.

Senior Eli Bartz and freshman Payten Luaders were octofinalists (top 16).

In the junior varsity division of LD, freshman Ben Croat was a semifinalist (top 4).

In novice IPDA, freshman Adli Jacobs was an octofinalist (top 16).

Keep a look out for other news from the team soon, including details about their spring team and scholarship auditions and the third annual “Big Dawgs Gotta Eat” performance showcase. Anyone interested in joining the team, or any alumnus of the team that would like to help coach/judge, can contact Ben Davis, director of forensics, at bdavis@truman.edu.

Several Truman band students visited Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Feb. 2, to perform at the retirement ceremony of Col. Charles Cornelius. Band members received a VIP tour at the U.S. Air Force Basic Trainee Center, as well as the Air Force Band’s facility. Truman student Sam Cornelius is the son of Col. Cornelius and one of the band members who performed at the event.