Vol. 30 No. 3 - September 2, 2025

 
Few people on campus are as familiar as Zac Burden. He has worked for Truman in some capacity for 25 years, from a hall desk associate and resident advisor during his time as a student, to full-time positions in Residence Life. A longtime director of Missouri Hall, he has been a member of the Residence Life leadership team for the past several years. Now, he’s taking on a new role as director of Citizenship and Conduct.
 
Formally, the Office of Citizenship and Conduct (OCC) is dedicated to creating and promoting a purposeful, inclusive, caring, responsible, just and celebrative community of learners at Truman. For most people, it is more commonly associated with administering the Student Conduct Code. While that remains to be true, Burden wants to shift the perception of the OCC to focus on the “citizenship” aspect.
 
“It’s my hope that students and all members of the campus community see my full role as one focused on building out the kind of communities we all want to be a part of at Truman,” he said. 
 
Burden predicts having a more visible role on campus for the OCC with events like Constitution Day and Citizenship Day in September. The concept of community building is nothing new to Burden, from his previous experience in Residence Life, to his current role as Mayor of Kirksville, a position he’s had for seven years. 
 
“For a couple years I’ve been looking for an opportunity to take my experience and skills into a new role to support Truman and take up a new adventure,” he said. “I had the opportunity to work closely with Citizenship and Conduct in the past. I feel, through this position, I have an opportunity to make a positive impact on our Truman community, and I am excited by that chance.”
 
Conduct will continue to be an integral component of the OCC. For his part, Burden plans to focus on conduct investigations and resolutions as opportunities to continue educating students.
 
“College is a time of great learning. This includes learning how to live well together in a community. It’s my belief that Citizenship and Conduct is focused on developing students through all experiences towards that goal,” he said. “We grow through reflecting on our mistakes, accountability, trying new experiences and pushing ourselves to expand our capacity for interaction with others. Now more than ever, we need to be able to engage with one another on a foundation of respect and mutual understanding.”
 
Burden urges any students, faculty and staff to reach out to the OCC if they are looking to partner in fostering civic engagement on campus. He can be reached by email at zburden@truman.edu, by phone at 660.785.4141 or by visiting the OCC in person in the Student Union Building 3100.

Michael “Mike” Schwend will speak at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Doug & Diane Villhard Innovation Lab located in the Pickler Memorial Library, as part of the TRU-Entrepreneur Speaker Series.

Schwend is the president and chief executive officer of Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH), headquartered in Kirksville. PFH is one of Missouri’s largest comprehensive healthcare organizations, offering services in addiction recovery, mental and behavioral health, and
integrated health across multiple states. Under his leadership, PFH has expanded significantly, becoming one of the largest community-based healthcare providers in the Midwest. 

In 1983, Schwend earned his Bachelor of Science degree in social science (psychology) from Truman, followed by a Master of Arts degree in counseling and guidance in 1990. He is a former member and past president of the Truman Board of Governors, serving from 2001-07, including roles as secretary in 2002, vice president in 2003 and president in 2004. During his time as a student at Truman, he was actively involved in Alpha Kappa Lambda, Blue Key, The Newman Center, Psi Chi and the Psychology Club.

Schwend served on the White House Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse under President Ronald Reagan, and was recognized nationally by the National Council for Behavioral Health for PFH’s innovative approaches in behavioral health treatment. Additionally, he served on the Missouri Alcohol and Drug Abuse State Advisory Council and the Missouri Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Providers. He received a Governor’s appointment to a purchasing review committee to evaluate the purchase of services by the Department of Mental Health. In 2014, he was appointed to the Missouri Department of Higher Education’s Coordinated Plan Steering Committee to help advance public awareness regarding the issues, challenges, successes and opportunities facing higher education institutions in Missouri.

As a resident of Kirksville, Schwend and his wife Mary Jo (Fitzpatrick) are active in the community and their church. They are also the proud parents of 10 children and 27 grandchildren.

Illustration from “Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration.”The University Art Gallery will host an opening reception for two new exhibitions at 5 p.m. Sept. 2 in the University Art Gallery.

“Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration,” an exhibition by Jaime Arredondo, presents 65 illustrations that bring to life the ancient Mayan creation epic of the Popol Vuh. Arredondo, a Texas-born artist of Mexican and Otomi heritage, created these works while teaching Mesoamerican mythology at NYU and The New School.

“How Space Happens” is an exhibition by Aaron Fine, professor of art, in collaboration with Philip Ryan, professor emeritus of mathematics. It is a display of several raw illustrations Fine created during his recently completed sabbatical leave. Most of these illustrations are planned to accompany the new book on perspective and other spatial schemas that Fine and Ryan are publishing with Bloomsbury Press.

The University Art Gallery is located in Ophelia Parrish 1114. Reception and events are free and open to the public. These two exhibitions will be open from Sept. 2-Oct. 20. For more information visit gallery.arttruman.com.

Alumni Fellow and Echo 25 award recipients being honored at Family Day 2024.

The fifth annual Alumni Fellow and Echo 25 award weekend will take place Sept. 26-27 during Family Day festivities.

As part of the awards weekend, honorees will speak at classes, meet with faculty and students, and share stories about their personal and professional accomplishments. More details on events will be publicized in the weeks to come.


Heather Carmack (’03) – School of Arts & Humanities
Professor of Health Services Research and Senior Associate Consultant, Mayo Clinic

Matt Hawkins (’03) – School of Science & Mathematics
Senior Principal Software Engineer, Riot Games

Mike Heckman (’99) – School of Business & Professional Studies

Ope Amosu (’10)
Restaurateur, ChòpnBlok

Michael Baharaeen (’13)
Chief Political Analyst, The Liberal Patriot

Renee Baharaeen (’16)
Producer, CNN

Brittany Beck (’09, ’10)
Science Teacher and Coordinator of Student Activities, NYC Department of Education

Katie Beeman (’17)
Director of Archives and Records, Archdiocese of New Orleans

Carter Datz (’16, ’17)
Choir Teacher, Wentzville School District

Danny D’Nagy (’21)
Syndicate Investment Manager, Raymond James

Ashim Gautam Upadhaya (’20)
Software Engineer, American Specialty Health

Robert Gayden (’12)
Private Equity, Gayden Capital

Priya Gearin (’14)
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine

Kelly Gorman (’12)
Attorney, Lewis Rice

Ashleigh Harding (’18, ’22)
Director of Student Success, Truman State University

Blake Hernton (’14, ’16)
Director of Orchestras/Composer/Recording & Performing Artist/Violinist/Violist, Ritenour School District

Angel McGee (’12)
People and Community Engagement Lead, Pro Athlete

Corey Moon (’11)
Associate Circuit Judge, State of Missouri – Judiciary

Jenny Nolan (’12)
Director of Didactic Education, Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant, University of Missouri-Kansas City

Sarah Schlafly (’11)
Entrepreneur, Mighty Cricket

Nicole Sloan (’20, ’21)
High School Teacher - Spanish and Math, Fort Zumwalt School District

Renee Stites-Kruep (’09, ’10, ’16)
Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum, University of Missouri

Walter Stokely (’09)
District Defender, Missouri State Public Defender, Kansas City Children’s Defense Team

Allyson Summers (’09)
Development Director, KU Endowment

Josh Waymire (’08, ’10, ’11)
Director of Bands, Valley High School

Naomi Williams (’21)
Senior Public Health Program Specialist, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Alex Witt (’13)
Senior advisor, Climate Power

Peter Young (’18)
Assistant Director of Athletics, Truman State University

The Robert L. Gould Scholastic Award is an opportunity for students of all majors to submit a research paper for the chance to win up to $10,000.

For more than 30 years, SS&C Technologies, a financial technology company, has sponsored the award to recognize outstanding university students who produce academic papers on topics related to investment management strategies, theories and trends. 

The topic for this year is financial services at a generational crossroads. Financial services providers face a unique challenge: adapting their offerings to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha – two digitally native, value-driven generations – while maintaining trust and loyalty with older clients. As Gen Z establishes financial independence and Gen Alpha develops its economic behaviors, providers must innovate to meet diverse expectations. The prompt is to develop a comprehensive strategy addressing three key areas: generational values and priorities, actionable strategies and cross-generational application.

First place will receive $10,000, second place will receive $7,500 and third place will receive $5,000. To apply for the Gould Scholastic Award, students must be a university junior or senior. Graduate students are not eligible to participate. Group projects are eligible, but if the group wins, the winning dollars are split equally among the members of the group. 

Interested students should contact Yung-hwal Park, associate professor of business administration, at yhpark@truman.edu by Sept. 19.

The Shakespeare comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will kick off this year’s Kohlenberg Lyceum Series at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 in Baldwin Auditorium. 
 
Performed by St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays. This comedy revolves around the romantic entanglements of four young Athenians and the magical interventions of fairies in a moonlit forest. Through a series of comedic mishaps and magical transformations, the play explores themes of love, illusion and the power of dreams. 
 
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1997 with broad civic support. It has grown into a year-round institution producing more than 250 public performances annually for nearly 100,000 patrons and students. Shakespeare in the Park remains an unofficial start of summer for many St. Louisans.
 
Tickets are available now and can be picked up at any of three convenient campus locations: the Union and Involvement Office in the Student Union Building; the Advancement Office in McClain Hall 205; or the Admissions Office in the Ruth W. Towne Museum and Visitors Center. Tickets are also available off campus at the Kirksville Arts Association in downtown Kirksville. Any remaining tickets will be available at the ticket window in Baldwin Hall beginning 30 minutes before the performance.  
 
Tickets for the 2025-26 Kohlenberg Lyceum Series are provided free of charge thanks to the generous support of local sponsors, the Friends of the Lyceum program and the Truman State University Foundation.
 
For more information about the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series, visit lyceum.truman.edu or contact the Advancement Office at 660.785.4133.

Minor Detail, the all treble acappella group on campus, is hosting auditions from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 9-10 in Student Union Building 3203. Those interested will need to sing 30-60 seconds of a song of their choice. Audition forms can be found here.

For any questions email orgs@truman.edu.

 
Truman will be conducting photo sessions on campus, Sept. 18, as part of the process to create new promotional materials. Students who may be interested in participating in one or more of the photo sessions should fill out this form by 11:59 p.m. Sept. 10. 
 
Photos from these sessions may be used on the University website, in recruitment materials, the campus virtual tour and social media advertisements/posts. Students who participate in a photo session will receive a free T-shirt.

Students graduating in December still have time to submit their graduation application and stay on track for commencement. 
 
The last day to drop a class without a “W” grade on a transcript is Sept. 11. Students need to make any schedule changes before the deadline.
 
Follow Truman Registrar on Instagram for deadline reminders, tips and a peek behind the scenes of the Registrar’s Office.

Work is underway to replace a steam line in front of Pershing Building along the north entrance area to near the main entrance. The project is expected to take approximately two weeks and could include equipment noise and temporary sidewalk closures. Some parking will also be unavailable in the area for project supplies.  

A second phase of the project will follow, involving trenching from the north side of Dobson Hall along the sidewalk north to a manhole near the midpoint of Blanton-Nason-Brewer hall. This phase will take approximately three weeks.