Vol. 19 No. 15 - Dec. 8, 2014

Truman’s accounting program was recently acknowledged as the No. 5 most affordable program in the country.

Accounting Degree Review published their 2014 affordability rankings for residential undergraduate accounting programs. The rankings comprise of the top 30 most affordable schools based on annual tuition and fees for out-of-state incoming freshmen enrolling in the 2014-2015 academic year.

Truman was recognized for the lowest student loan default rate among public schools in Missouri, as well as the fact that around half of Truman seniors graduate without taking any federal student loans.

In six of the last eight years, the school’s accounting graduates ranked in the top 20 for passing all parts of the exam on the first attempt. In four of the years, Truman students ranked in the top 10.

University alumnus Alphonso Jackson will serve as the December 2014 commencement speaker. Jackson is a former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and a past vice chairman with JPMorgan Chase in New York City.

At JPMorgan Chase, Jackson’s responsibilities included improving internal control functions and enhancing the bank’s regulatory relationships with government by prioritizing and addressing regulatory issues across the bank’s business lines and working with regulators to develop and propose better solutions to overly complex rule making.

Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Jackson served as the director of the Center for Public Policy and Leadership and as the Distinguished University Professor at Hampton University.

On March 31, 2004, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Jackson as the nation’s 13th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In nominating Jackson, President George W. Bush chose a leader with a strong background in housing and community development, expertise in finance and management and a deep commitment to improving the lives of all Americans. Jackson guided HUD from 2004-2008 in its mission of providing affordable housing and promoting economic development.

Jackson first joined the Bush Administration in June 2001 as HUD’s deputy secretary and chief operating officer. As deputy secretary, he managed the day-to-day operations of the $32-billion agency and instilled a new commitment to ethics and accountability within HUD’s programs and among its workforce and grant partners.

Immediately preceding his appointment at HUD, he served as president of American Electric Power-TEXAS, a $13-billion utility company located in Austin, Texas. From 1989-1996, Jackson was president and CEO of the Housing Authority of Dallas, Texas. Prior to that, Jackson was director of the Department of Public and Assisted Housing in Washington, D.C., and also served as chairperson for the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency Board.

An expert on public housing and urban issues, Jackson has been asked to serve on a number of national and state commissions, most notably the General Services Commission of the State of Texas, where he served as chairman; the National Commission on America’s Urban Families; and the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing. Jackson has also lent his expertise to numerous nonprofit and corporate boards.

Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in education administration from Truman. He received his law degree from Washington University School of Law.

Jackson has remained connected to Truman by serving on the Board of Governors from 1994-2001 and by donating his personal collection of items acquired during his years in HUD to Truman’s Pickler Memorial Library at a ceremony held in February 2013.

Jackson and his wife, Marcia, are the parents of two adult daughters.

Commencement ceremonies are scheduled for 11 a.m. Dec. 13 in the Pershing Arena.

High Intensity Interval Training (HITT)
7-7:55 p.m.
Dec. 8

Abs and Arms
5-5:30 p.m.
Dec. 9

Yoga
6-7 p.m.
Dec. 9

Yoga
6-6:50 p.m.
Dec. 10

High Intensity Interval Training (HITT)
7-7:55 p.m.
Dec. 10

Power Yoga
6-6:45 p.m.
Dec. 11

Student Recreation Center Hours
9 a.m.-11 p.m.
Dec. 8-10

9 a.m.- 7 p.m.
Dec. 11-12

Closed
Dec. 13-14

Staff Council is sponsoring its annual Holiday Door Decorating Contest. Entries should be submitted by Dec. 8 in order to be judged Dec. 10. The winners will be announced Dec. 12. For more information or to submit an entry, contact Jacey Wood at jacey@truman.edu.

A retirement reception for Ralph Cupelli will take place from 1:30-4 p.m. Dec. 18 in the Student Union Building HUB.

The School of Business is looking for eligible participants for the Gould Scholastic Award, sponsored by DST Systems, Inc., in Kansas City, Mo.

The award represents Robert Gould’s legacy of effective utilization of operations management and information technology to advance the financial services industry. It recognizes outstanding university students who compose exceptional academic papers on topics related to investment management strategies, theories and trends.

Winners are awarded grants in the amounts of $10,000, $7,500 and $5,000 for first, second and third place, respectively, and are celebrated at a special ceremony in Kansas City. The School of Business will additionally award local grants in the amounts of $500, $300 and $150 for first, second and third place, respectively.

In order to be considered, individuals or groups must complete a research paper and bibliography that addresses the future of financial decision-making and its impact on financial services companies. Paper guidelines are available here. Students must be a junior, a senior or an Honors program student. Graduate students are not eligible to participate.

The University may only submit three student papers to DST Systems, Inc., for review. Papers are reviewed locally first, and the top three Truman papers are forwarded to the next level. Submit papers to the School of Business at sbdean@truman.edu by Dec. 15.

DAAD, a German Academic Exchange Service, is accepting applications until Dec. 15 for the University Summer Grant and the Intensive Language Course Grant. The exchange service is also offering an opportunity for undergraduates to apply for a scholarship funding study, senior thesis research and/or internships in Germany. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15.

For more information about these opportunities, visit daad.org.

Apply online now for the 2015 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowships competition. The Pickering Fellowship helps talented students, highly motivated and academically excellent graduating seniors or college graduates, who want to pursue a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State. The Pickering programs have been administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, one of the United States’ top fellowship providers, for more than 20 years.

The program provides:
* Up to $37,500 annually for academic expenses, covering the first and second year of graduate study
* Two paid State Department summer internships (domestic and abroad)
* Professional development through workshops and informational seminars
* Mentoring by U.S. Foreign Service Officers

Eligibility requirements at the time of application:
* Current college senior or college graduate
* Entering a two-year terminal master’s degree program in the fall of the Fellowship year
* Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale)
* United States citizenship

Application deadline: Jan. 16, 2015
Recommendations deadline: Jan. 23, 2015

To be placed on the 2015 interest/update list and/or to begin the application process, go here.

All Day
Jan. 19

The Multicultural Affairs Center and the SERVE Center are looking for 150 Truman students, faculty and staff to spend Jan. 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, completing service projects across Kirksville.

To sign up, visit truservice.truman.edu. For more information, contact Emmanuel Camarillo at emmanuelc@truman.edu.

The software in campus computer labs is now available for use from a personal computer’s web browser. To access, go to https://virtualdesktop.truman.edu/ and login with a a user ID. Individuals will then have access to a virtual desktop with all computer lab software, the same as being physically present in the lab.

This is available from any web browser (PC, Mac, tablet, etc.) and a VPN connection is not required when off campus.

For questions, contact the IT Service Center at 660.785.4544.

Lauren Liegry, physics and math major, Austin Henke, chemistry major, and Gail Harmata, psychology and biology major, attended the Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) Symposium Oct. 26-27 in Arlington, Va. The symposium provided an outlet for students who had completed National Science Foundation (NSF) funded REU programs in Summer 2014 to share their research, network with colleagues and participate in informative sessions. Two poster sessions took place during the conference where participants first shared research with other students and faculty, and second with the NSF program officers who provided the funding.

Boren scholarships, for undergraduate students, and fellowships, for graduate students, provide a unique funding opportunity for students to study world regions critical to U.S. interests. Regions include Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are excluded. Boren scholars are awarded up to $20,000 for an academic year and Boren fellows up to $30,000.

Recipients commit to working in the federal government for a minimum of one year in exchange for funding. Additional information on preferred geographic regions, languages and fields of study and application procedures can be found at borenawards.org.

For more information, contact Maria Di Stefano at mdistefa@truman.edu. The campus deadline to apply for both scholarships and fellowships is Jan. 14.

The Udall Foundation expects to award 50 scholarships of up to $5,000 and 50 honorable mentions to students committed to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy or Native American health care. Students must have a GPA of at least 3.0 and have sophomore or junior status to apply. Students must also meet one of the qualifications below:

* demonstrated commitment to careers related to the environment including policy, engineering, science, education, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice, economics and other related fields; OR

* be a Native American and/or Alaska Native student who has demonstrated commitment to careers related to tribal public policy, including fields related to tribal sovereignty, tribal governance, tribal law, Native American education, Native American justice, natural resource management, cultural preservation and revitalization, Native American economic development and other areas affecting Native American communities; OR

* be a Native American and/or Alaska Native student who has demonstrated commitment to careers related to Native health care, including health care administration, social work, medicine, dentistry, counseling, and research into health conditions affecting Native American communities and other related fields.
 
Applications are due by Jan. 30. Students may not begin the application process until they have met with the Udall Faculty Representative at Truman. Interested students should contact María Di Stefano, mdistefa@truman.edu or 660.785.4109, for more information.