Vol. 30 No. 11 - October 27, 2025

Comedian Dulcé Sloan will perform at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium.

Sloan is one of the sharpest, fastest rising voices in comedy. She offers a fresh and honest perspective that speaks truth to power and eviscerates the status quo. She can currently be seen in the FOX animated series “Great North” alongside Jenny Slate and Will Forte. She can also be seen in the feature film “Chick Fight” with Malin Ackerman and Alec Baldwin.

Most recently a correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Sloan has been hailed by Variety Magazine, Rolling Stone and Timeout LA as a top comedian to watch. She has also been honored as the NBC Stand Up Showcase Winner, a Montreal Just for Laughs New Face and as a Comedian to Watch on “The Steve Harvey Show.” She has also appeared multiple times on the CNN New Year’s Eve Special with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, MTV’s “Acting Out,” Comedy Central’s “@Midnight,” TBS’ “Conan,” and has made multiple appearances as a correspondent on “E! News Daily.” Her signature point-of-view and confidence drives her hilarious views on everything from her personal relationships to the absurdities of society.

This event may contain inappropriate humor and is free to attend. No tickets are required. Doors will open at 6 p.m. No food or drinks are allowed. Bags and purses will be checked at the entrance, no large bags will be allowed inside. No video recording allowed.

 
Truman’s Greenwood Interprofessional Autism Center has expanded its services by adding autism diagnostic screenings for potential clients.
 
Since 2023, Greenwood has provided in-depth interdisciplinary intervention for children with autism or suspected autism, as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders. Recently, Greenwood added Dr. Chris Maglio to the staff. As a licensed psychologist, Maglio is capable of conducting autism diagnostic screenings, clearing the way for potential clients to ultimately receive services from the facility.
 
“For insurance purposes, clients need to have a diagnosis of autism before they can receive services. Having Dr. Maglio available to conduct screenings puts Greenwood on another level, and it makes access to services easier for clients and their families,” said Dr. Maryellen Koch Jensen, director of the center. “We are thrilled to have him on the staff, and he is fabulous with the clients.”
 
While Maglio is new to Greenwood, he has a long association with Truman. In addition to operating a private practice, he has been a member of the Education Department faculty for more than 30 years. He has conducted research on the assessment and diagnosis of children and adolescents, anxiety disorders, PTSD, grief, loss and bereavement, school counselor training and forensic psychology. 
 
“The work I am doing providing diagnostic assessments at Greenwood is quite similar to my work in private practice,” Maglio said. “As an educator and clinician, I continually integrate and use many of the theories, concepts and methods I cover in my classes as a member of the Education Department faculty in my diagnostic assessments.”
 
Maglio will continue his work with the Education Department in addition to his new role. In his capacity at Greenwood, he will only be conducting screenings for autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. He will not be screening for mental health disorders or conducting neuropsychological tests.
 
For those seeking any of the services at Greenwood, there is an intake process. An online form for individuals, family members or guardians of those who may benefit from the center’s services is available at greenwood.truman.edu. The site also offers an organization inquiry form for school districts or other organizations seeking support for one or more clients. 
 
Depending on the needs of a client, each one receives a customized support plan which may address adaptive, social, communication, community, pre-vocational and vocational skills, as well as other needs.

The School of Business will host alumna Randa Rawlins as a Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive in Residence, Nov. 5-6.

Rawlins is the former president and CEO for Shelter Insurance Companies, headquartered in Columbia, Missouri. Her duties included oversight and operations of Shelter Mutual Insurance Company and its 10 subsidiary and affiliated companies, as well as related benefit plans and the Shelter Foundation. The companies currently operate in 21 states with a premium base of more than $2 billion and assets under management of more than $6 billion.  

The first female to serve as Shelter’s president and CEO, Rawlins’ previous positions with the company include general counsel, secretary, senior vice president and executive vice president. While serving as president and CEO, she was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. Since retiring in 2024, she continues to serve on the Board of Directors for Shelter Insurance Companies. Her civic duties include the chair of the Columbia Missouri Airport Advisory Board and the chair of the Board of the Missouri Innovation Center.

A graduate of Truman, Rawlins has a bachelor’s degree in political science. She has contributed to her alma mater in roles on the Board of Governors and the Truman State University Foundation Board.

Rawlins resides in Columbia with her husband, Blaine Einspahr. She manages her family farm in Hale, Missouri, where she grew up and continues as a fifth-generation farmer.

The University Art Gallery will host an opening reception for two new exhibitions at 5 p.m. Oct. 28 in the University Art Gallery.

“If You Build It (’Til Kingdom Come)” an exhibition by Jared Peterson, a self-described Chicano Appalachian suburban-raised country boy, uses ceramic sculpture to explore the intersections of his multicultural identity. Through playful yet thoughtful narratives, Peterson juxtaposes motifs from his life to reveal the complexity of his personal culture and invite viewers to reflect on their own. His work employs humor and charm as tools to disarm audiences, fostering open dialogue about shared experiences and diverse perspectives. It has been exhibited nationally and internationally, offering a celebration of cultural history and self-discovery through art.

“Suckle: A Seat at the Table” is an exhibition of new work by Danielle Yakle, assistant professor of sculpture and fibers. This body of work continues her series of human-animal hybrid sculptures presented with found furniture and domestic textiles. These familiar objects operate as a stage for disruption, where contradiction, misfit energy and hybrid identity are brought to the forefront. 

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 Oct. 27-Nov. 21. For more information visit gallery.arttruman.com.

The next installment of the Chuck and Sherri Woods TRU-Biz Forum will take place at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in Violette Hall 1000.

The upcoming forum focuses on artificial intelligence with renowned experts in the area, including Brian Moore (’92), senior director at Microsoft Corporation; Madison Nguyun (’22,’24), GenAI delivery manager at Lumen Technologies; April Swagman (’09), product data science, Google; and Mike Terry (’93, ’96), software engineering manager at CARFAX. The event moderator will be Truman student Rahul Chaudhari, computer science major.

Moore is a senior director at Microsoft, responsible for Microsoft Azure AI in the Americas Enterprise Partner Solutions (AEPS) organization. He leads a team of solution architects that work with Microsoft partners to help them explore cloud strategies and Microsoft Azure, focusing on AI, application innovation, data modernization, cloud scale analytics and digital transformation. Moore has more than 30 years of industry experience, both as a corporate developer for The Principal Financial Group and as a senior consultant for Perot Systems Corporation. With eight years of enterprise consulting experience at Perot Systems, Moore worked with numerous customers in a variety of roles as a Microsoft solution architect and SQL Server database specialist consulting with telecommunications, travel and leisure, and health care businesses.

Nguyen graduated with a degree in statistics in 2022 and a degree in data science and analytical storytelling in 2024. She went on to begin her career as a data scientist, and recently moved into a GenAI delivery manager role at Lumen Technologies. She is immersed in the world of AI through owning AI Agent projects and driving AI innovation in the world of telecom.

Swagman graduated in 2009 with a Bachelors of Arts in psychology and a computer science minor. She earned a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Missouri in 2016, then moved to Palo Alto, California, to join the Insight Data Science Fellowship. She has spent the last four years as a product data scientist at Google.

Terry has spent his career standing between IT and business, helping them understand one another. He has been a data analyst for most of that time and has led data transformation and enablement efforts at two companies. He currently manages three teams of software engineers at CARFAX.

Chaudhari is a senior at Truman with a strong focus on computer science and business administration, and he is passionate about building technological solutions for real-world problems. He has authored academic papers published with IEEE, and has demonstrated his commitment to the community by reviving and leading the Google Developer Student Club on campus. He also started Boeing Hackathon, an intercollegiate hackathon at Truman, and has successfully run it for the past two years. He is also involved in Truman Media Network as digital director and Student Government as IT director.

Truman residence halls will be open for trick-or-treating from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Community members are invited and encouraged to bring their families into the residence halls to receive candy from campus residents.

Candy distribution will take place in the West Campus Suites multipurpose room, the Missouri Hall lounges, the Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall first floor lounges and the Ryle Hall main lounge. For a map of Truman’s campus, click here.

Blanton-Nason-Brewer Hall is designated as the allergy-conscious residence hall for this event. Students in that hall will only be providing small toys or candy that does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, gluten or soy. 

This event is sponsored by Truman’s Office of Residence Life in coordination with the Residence Hall Association. For more information, call 660.785.4227 or email reslife@truman.edu.

Zink is a co-author of the international best-selling anthology “Discovering Your Purpose in Today’s World: Finding Hope While Navigating Career Disruption” where her chapter, “Words of Faith,” shares her story of leaving corporate America to pursue purpose-driven work.

Further information about Triplett and his work can be found at steffantriplett.com.

Sessions will take place biweekly throughout the rest of the fall semester at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and last 60 to 90 minutes depending on the group size. Cost for group counseling is less than individual counseling. A sliding scale can be applied to help reduce the cost.

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program helps first-generation and Pell-eligible students interested in graduate study learn about, apply for and get accepted into graduate school – usually with funding.  

The program organizes seminars describing graduate school, how to pay for it and how to apply. Students also receive paid summer research internships opportunities, funds for graduate school visits and conferences, and general academic counseling. These are just a few of the many benefits McNair has to offer. 

Applications are open now with reviews beginning in early November. Check eligibility here. For more information, visit mcnair.truman.edu or email Charlotte Klimovich at charlottek@truman.edu. 

Starting in late September, the McNair program will have open house events in the Adair Building located at 210 E. Patterson Street. Students can learn more about the program or get help filling out an application. 

Upcoming Open Houses
Nov. 5
2-5 p.m.

Nov. 6
1-4 p.m.

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 2026. 

Students who plan to present the results of their research or creative scholarship at a conference taking place between December 2025 and March 2026 may be eligible to receive up to $500 to cover conference expenses. To be eligible for the Conference Presentation Scholarship, students must have completed or be currently involved in a faculty-mentored research experience and plan on presenting at the conference. The application deadline is Dec. 1.

The GIASR program offers the chance to conduct faculty-mentored research and creative scholarship. Through this program, students can receive up to $750 in funding to cover student stipends, supplies and travel to conduct research. The application deadline is Nov. 7.

Complete guidelines for the Conference Travel Scholarship and GIASR applications can be found at the Office of Student Research website. Questions regarding the applications can be directed to osr@truman.edu.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be filed for the 2026-2027 school year at studentaid.gov.

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 2026-2027 FAFSA will use 2024 tax year information with a priority deadline of Feb. 1, 2026 for Missouri residents. It is strongly recommended to apply or renew before Feb. 1 Details about the FAFSA can be found online at studentaid.gov.

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.

 
Cheryl Musch, director of special collections and University archives at Pickler Memorial Library, and Noah Clark, a history major and student intern, recently presented at the 2025 Missouri Association of Museums and Archives (MAMA) conference in Fulton, Missouri. Their session, “Collecting the Great War: Campus, Community, and the Making of a Local Archive,” highlighted Truman’s World War I poster and letter collections, originally curated by history professor Eugene Violette during and after the war. Musch, a member of the MAMA Executive Board, discussed how the collection continues to support student research, classroom learning and archival internships, while Clark offered a student perspective on its educational value and potential for hands-on learning experiences. The panel also featured Jason McDonald, associate professor of history, who explored the historical significance of the collection and its reflection of local civic values during the early 20th century. The session reflected Truman’s commitment to experiential learning by demonstrating how students can engage directly with historical materials through internships, research and collaborative public history projects.