Vol. 11 No. 11 - Nov. 7, 2006

In celebration of 20 years of dedicated service to the Truman academic community and beyond, the Truman State University Press (TSUP) is hosting several events during the week of Nov. 13-16, in honor of its 20th anniversary.

The events kick off with a presentation for students interested in a career in publishing, titled “Thinking About a Career in Book Publishing?” at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in the Career Center.

Truman State University Press staff will present information about opportunities to get started in book publishing on campus and in the career field.
Poet Rebecca Dunham will have a poetry reading and book signing at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Dunham will read from her 2006 T. S. Eliot Prize-winning book, “The Miniature Room.”

The events continue with a faculty luncheon, featuring a presentation titled “The Value of the University Press” at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. The Press staff will give a presentation on what the Press does, how it works and who can benefit from its services.

The week of celebration will wrap up at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16 in the Student Union Building Lounge with a TSUP 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner. The event will feature guest speaker Richard Koffler, who will be speaking on the future of scholarly publishing. He is the director of publisher relations at Questia. He has nearly 30 years of experience in managing editorial acquisition for scholarly publishing houses and he now oversees all aspects of Questia’s relations with content providers in the worlds of university press, trade and society publishing. Koffler comes to Questia from the international publishing firm of Walter de Gruyter. Earlier he had been executive director of the Association of American University Presses and had established the publishing support program for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The dinner is open to the public, and tickets are available at the Public Relations Office in McClain Hall 101 or Truman State University Press at 785.7336 for $10 each. Tickets must be purchased by noon Nov. 11.

The Truman State University Press will also offer information about the TSUP publishing program and student internships with the Press. The Press will be providing opportunities to win free books from 2-6 p.m. Nov. 13-16 in the Student Union Building.

Steve Rose, (left) chair of the James G. Severns Theatre campaign, and James Severns unveil the donor plaque during a ceremony held at Homecoming. To date, 65 donors have committed more than $300,000 in cash, pledges, annuities and deferred gift arrangements to the endowed fund, which provides resources to benefit the theatre program.

Service learning constitutes an important component of Truman’s Contemporary Correctional Treatment Methods class (JUST 401), which is part of the University’s justice systems program. The course, taught by Lynn VanDolah, instructor in justice systems, provides students with an introduction and overview of the treatment modalities currently utilized in the field of corrections. Issues unique to a broad range of involuntary
clients are also addressed.

Alumna Cammie Caldwell (’05), who works as a child abuse investigator with the Cole County Children’s Division in Jefferson City, Mo., recently talked to students in the course about the role of the investigator, and the types of cases she is assigned. Caldwell is also working with a group of students in the class who are developing a psycho-educational intervention to assist the children and families who have been referred to the agency.

USA Today is looking for the best and the brightest college students in the United States for its annual All-USA College Academic teams.

Twenty students will be named to the 2007 All-USA College Academic First Team. Each student will be featured in a two-page color presentation in a February 2007 issue of the USA Today. Additionally, each student awarded with the first team distinction will receive a trophy and a $2,500 cash award. Forty more students will be recognized in the newspaper as second and third team honorees.

To be chosen, students must demonstrate excellence in scholarship, as well as in leadership roles on and off campus. A key element in the selection process will be a student’s outstanding original or intellectual product, as described in his/her own words.

Faculty and staff interested in nominating a student should download forms online at http://allstars.usatoday.com. Any full-time undergraduate Truman student of at least junior standing is eligible for the distinction.

Nominations must be postmarked by Nov. 30. Contact Carol Skalski, of USA Today, at 703.854.5890, or e-mail allstars@usatoday.com for more information.

The Truman State University Faculty Forum will present Brent Buckner, professor of biology, in a program titled “Genomics and Bioinformatics at Truman State University: Constructionist Thinking From a Traditionally Reductionist Sub-Discipline” at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 in Magruder Hall 2001.
In this presentation, Buckner will describe the fundamental concepts of genomics and bioinformatics technologies. He will also highlight the maize genomic undergraduate research currently being conducted at Truman.

Biologists and computer scientists at Truman are actively participating in multi-institutional collaborations aimed at elucidating genetic diversity and global gene expression in maize. In this presentation, Buckner will describe some of these collaborations, as well as talk about the prodigious undergraduate research being conducted within the biology and computer science departments.

Members of Truman’s chapter of Circle K International helped collect more than $1,000 for Parkinson’s Disease research at the 2nd Annual Bill Cable Purple and White Charity Basketball game, Oct. 28. The event took place in honor of former Truman Sports Information Director Bill Cable.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Nov. 11
Barnett Hall 121

All prospective students interested in pursuing a master’s degree in communication disorders from Truman are invited to attend. Information regarding the communications disorders master’s program, the profession, employment opportunities and funding for graduate school will be provided, along with the opportunity to meet faculty, alumni and current students of the program. 

For more information, or to R.S.V.P., contact Jenny Kertz, Graduate Recruitment Day coordinator, at jmk004@truman.edu.

11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Nov. 15
on the Mall
Rain site: Student Union Building

Festivities will take place in honor of the nationally-celebrated America Recycles Day on Nov. 15.

Howard Worcester, Truman’s recycling coordinator, will have information and examples of what Truman recycles.

ECO will have a garbology display with garbage from the University community to help people determine what can and can’t be recycled.

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 11  
Student Union Building Conference Room

The conference will feature original papers and discussions on a variety of philosophy and religious studies, as presented by Truman students, as well as students from colleges and universities throughout the Midwest. The conference is sponsored by the Division of Social Science. The conference is free and open to the public.

Contact Dereck Daschke at ddaschke@truman.edu or Mike Bova Conti at mjb439@truman.edu for more information.

A Gospel Extravaganza concert will take place at 3 p.m. Nov. 12 in Baldwin Auditorium.

Contact Ian Vickers at imvy2k@aol.com for more information about the Gospel Conference. For more information about the Fellowship Conference, contact Keisha Murray at unique_ensemble@hotmail.com.

6 p.m. • Nov. 15
McClain Hall 208

Students interested in the six-credit hour Discover China study abroad course are invited to attend this informational meeting. The course will run from May 7-28, 2007, and is open to all majors and levels.

The course is designed to fulfill requirements for history majors, Intercultural Interconnecting Perspective of the Liberal Studies Program and other relevant majors and minors upon approval. The course is sponsored by the Center for International Education.

Contact Huping Ling at hling@truman.edu or at 785.4654 for more information.

A limited number of tickets are available for students, faculty and staff. Seating is general admission. Admission is free for all students faculty and staff with their University ID. Tickets for faculty and staff are available in the Center for Student Involvement, and students may pick their tickets up in the Student Activities Board office located in the Student Union Building Governors Room.

The University requests that all patrons be seated five minutes prior to the performance. The University reserves the right to fill all seats, reserved and general admission, five minutes before the time of performance stated on the ticket.

Contact the Public Relations Office at 785.4016 for more information.

8:30 a.m. • Nov. 21 and 22
Depart from Public Safety Building

The Department of Public Safety will be providing a shuttle service for students on the above dates to the Amtrak station in LaPlata. The cost of the shuttle service is $5, and payment is due one week prior to departure. Reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis. The fee can be paid at the Public Safety Building.

The shuttle will pick students up in LaPlata at the train station for return to the Public Safety Building on Nov. 26 at a pending evening time.

Students interested in rental information about off-campus housing for the 2007-2008 school year are reminded to check out the Student Affairs off-campus housing Web site at http://saffairs.truman.edu/rentals/index.htm.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Nov. 8 and 9
Student Union Building
Nov. 9 and 10
McClain Hall

Students for Social Change will be sponsoring activities all week for students to learn more about being responsible consumers, and to find out what is available from local Kirksville businesses. There will also be a display of items and gift certificates available from local shops that students will have a chance to “bid on” in a silent auction during the week.

Contact Elaine McDuff at emcduff@truman.edu for more information.

To date, Truman’s United Way campaign has raised $51,082.41. This is 91 percent of its $56,000 goal.

Activity: Pickleball                
Division: AST/Open
Deadline: Nov. 13
*Captains’ Meeting: Nov. 15
Play Begins: Nov 27

Activity: 3-on-3 Basketball                
Division: AST/Open
Deadline: Nov. 13
*Captains’ Meeting: Nov. 15
Play Begins: Nov. 27

Entry forms may be picked up at the Student Recreation Center (IM bulletin board) and are available online.

Entry forms must have name, banner ID number and signature of each participant. Entry forms are to be deposited in the metal box located at the Member Services Desk in the Student Recreation Center by 11 p.m. of the posted due date.

Captains' meetings will take place at the Student Recreation Center Conference Room.

All intramural rules posted in the handbook are applicable with every sport/event. Each participant is responsible for reviewing Student Recreation Center guidelines and intramural guidelines available on the Web site before any participating in any event/sport.

*Dates are subject to change upon discretion of director, please utilize the Web site http://recreation.truman.edu for the most current information.

Informational Meeting
9 p.m.
Nov. 9
McClain Hall 305

Students may earn six credit hours for enrolling in this study abroad course. There will be family stays and weekend excursions. Students will spend five days in Paris. This course will take place beginning in late May and will end in early July.

Contact Timothy Farley at tfarley@truman.edu or at 785.4520 or in Baldwin Hall 244.

W. Michael Ashcraft, associate professor of religion, has coedited a five-volume series titled “Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America,” published by Greenwood Press.

Jon Beck, associate professor of computer science, recently had his paper titled “Forming a Women’s Computer Science Support Group” accepted for publication in the SIGCSE Bulletin. The paper will also be presented at the 38th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education in March 2007 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Beck, along with Brent Buckner and Diane Janick-Buckner, professors of biology, and alumna Olga Nikolova (’06), recently had a paper titled “Using Interdisciplinary Bioinformatics Undergraduate Research to Recruit and Retain Computer Science Students” accepted for publication in the SIGCSE Bulletin. The paper will also be presented at the 38th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education in March 2007 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Tanner Edis, associate professor of physics, and Amy Bix presented a paper titled “Islamic Creationism in Turkey: Historical and Intellectual Perspectives” at the annual meeting of the History of Science Society, Nov. 2-5 in Vancouver, Canada.

Daniel Mandell, associate professor of history, presented a paper titled “Landless Laborers in Farm Town and Seaport: The Two Stoningtons, Connecticut, 1780-1830” at the Mystic Seaport Conference on Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Power in Maritime America, in Mystic Connecticut.

Betty McLane-Iles, professor of French and co-adviser of Truman’s chapter of Amnesty International, along with Bethanie Seiglar, a senior philosophy and religion and pre-elementary education double major from La Plata, Mo.; Teresa Kerbawy, a senior biology major from Kansas City, Mo.; and Mike Snodderly, a sophomore political science major from St. Louis; represented Truman’s chapter of Amnesty International at the Amnesty International Midwest Regional Conference, Oct. 27-29 in Chicago. The group participated in the resolutions process of debate and voting at both the levels of working parties and the closing plenary assembly, to determine the AIUSA policy on resolutions to honor victims of humans rights abuses based on gender identity, to raise awareness of the human rights violations associated with the war on drugs, to implement specific work and resources for the protection of children’s human rights, and to create AIUSA staff support for the monitoring of military, security and police transfers.

Several political science students and faculty members presented papers at the International Studies Association-Midwest annual conference in St. Louis, Nov. 3-5. John J. Quinn, associate professor of political science, and Ryan Conway, a senior political science major from Kirksville, Mo., presented their paper titled “The Resource Curse Revisited: What Role Ownership?” John Ishiyama, professor of political science, and Krystal Fox, a senior political science and economics double major from Bellevue, Neb., presented their paper titled “Strength of Partisanship in Sub Saharan Africa.” Kathryn Sanders, a senior political science major from Crestwood, Mo., and Ishiyama presented their paper titled “Foreign Aid and Democratization in Post Conflict Societies.” Nick Cady, a junior political science major from Webster Groves, Mo., presented his paper “State vs. Private Majority Ownership of Industry and Deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Also attending the conference were Marijke Breuning, associate professor of political science, and Kyle Hood, a freshman political science major from Lee’s Summit, Mo. At the conference, Ishiyama was installed as president of the International Studies Association-Midwest.

“Lewis and Clark Across Missouri: Mapping the Historic Landscape” is now on display in the gallery of Pickler Memorial Library. On loan from the Missouri State Archives, these maps portray the Missouri River exactly as the Corps of Discovery experienced it. The Geographic Resources Center at the University of Missouri created this unique map exhibit by combining nineteenth century land survey records with modern mapping technology. Other materials from Pickler Memorial Library and the Violette Museum are on display. The exhibit is available during the library’s scheduled hours until the end of December.

Modified Supplemental Retirement Plan Information for faculty and staff is available online at http://hr.truman.edu/benefits/msrp/.

Blue Key will have its fall interest meeting at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. Blue Key is an all-male service organization, and it will be hosting its interest meeting for all men interested in going through spring 2007 recruitment. Contact Joe Baumann at jab035@truman.edu for more information.

Sana Camara’s lecture titled “Negritude: Poets and the Concept of Black Personality” scheduled for Nov. 7 has been postponed until next semester due to scheduling conflicts.

The Center for Teaching and Learning’s Weekly Lunch Series will continue for faculty and teaching staff from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. John Rutter, associate professor of biology, and Anton Weisstein, assistant professor of biology, will give a presentation titled “Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Knowledge Surveys.”

There will be a Physics Colloquium at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 8 in Magruder Hall 2001. S. Guha, from the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Missouri-Columbia, will present “Blue-emitting Polymers: Application in Organic Optoelectronics.” Refreshments will be provided at 4:20 p.m.

There will be a Folklore Colloquium from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 8 in Baldwin Hall 272B. Jerry Hirsch, professor of history, will give speak about “Benjamin Botkin, Folklorist.” Hirsch is the official biographer of Botkin, national folklore editor for the New Deal’s Federal Writers Project and head of the Library of Congress’s American Folk Song Project.

The Student Alumni Association is sponsoring “Roommates” at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Alumnae Katie Wessling and Cindy Spiker were roommates while attending Truman, and they will be speaking on how their lives at Truman influenced their current success.

The Monitor, the University’s alternative student-produced newspaper, will be distributed to all residence halls and high traffic areas across campus on Nov. 8.

The Liberal Studies Roundtable will continue from noon-1 p.m. Nov. 9 in Pickler Memorial Library 205. The work of John Tagg, of Palomar
College and the 2007 University Conference Day speaker, will be reviewed. R.S.V.P. to the Center for Teaching and Learning at ctl@truman.edu or by phone at 785.4391 to order a complimentary boxed lunch for the event.

The Next STEP student workshop will be from 5:30-7 p.m. Nov. 9 in Magruder Hall 1090. E-mail step@truman.edu for more information.

The Tournée Film Festival will be showing “Wild Side” at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Downtown Cinema 8 movie theater. The film is free to Truman students, faculty and staff. This is the final film in the series. The film is in French with English subtitles. The Tournée Film Festival is sponsored by the Truman State University Divisions of Fine Arts, Language and Literature, Social Science and Education, and the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Students for Social Change will sponsor the film “Is Wal-Mart Good for America?” at 8 p.m. Nov. 9 in Violette Hall 1000. There is no cost to attend the film.

The Truman Biology Seminar Series will present “Expanding Bioassays Using Molecular and Cellular Approaches” from 12:30-1:20 p.m. Nov. 10 in Magruder Hall 2001. Melissa Daggett, assistant professor of biology at Missouri Western State University, will present the lecture. Stephanie Foré, associate professor of biology, will host. Refreshments will be served at 12:15 p.m.

The Horseman’s Association will be offering faculty and staff the opportunity to ride Truman’s horses at 10 a.m. Nov. 11 at the University Farm. Faculty and staff are encouraged to bring their children for pony rides as well. Contact Samantha Lagergren at 785.7108 or scl522@truman.edu for more information.

Truman’s Jazz Labs I and II will have a concert at 8 p.m. Nov. 13 in Baldwin Auditorium. Contact Tim AuBuchon, assistant professor of music, at aubuchon@truman.edu for more information.

The Iota Tau chapter of Pi Delta Phi French honor society, is sponsoring a free magic show in French and English from 7-8:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. The magic show will feature Charlie Clarck. Contact Gregg Siewert at 785.4510 for more information.

Alpha Phi Omega will have its Fall Blood Drive from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 15 and 16 in the Student Union Building. Contact Phil Vance at pdv014@truman.edu for more information.