Vol. 14, No. 19 - Feb. 2, 2010

As part of The Big Read activities and events, a group of Truman art history students volunteered to interview local Kirksville Vietnam War veterans concerning their experiences.

These volunteers also collected momentos from the veterans and have curated an exhibition of artifacts and photos. The exhibit, “The Things They Carried: Mementos from Kirksville Vietnam War Veterans,” will be on display in the Kirksville Arts Center through Feb. 26.

The opening reception for the Vietnam War exhibition will take place at the Kirksville Arts Center at 6 p.m. Feb. 8 at 117 S. Franklin St. The event is free and open to the public.

Contact the Kirksville Arts Center at 665.0500 or at http://www.kirksvillearts.com/newsite/ for hours.

Kirksville’s Big Read was made possible by a grant awarded to a group of local citizens, including members of the Truman community. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Its aim is to give communities across the country the opportunity to read and discuss a selected work from American or world literature.

Kirksville’s Big Read will focus on “The Things They Carried,” a book by Tim O’Brien that discusses the lives of American soldiers during the Vietnam War.

For more information on Kirksville’s Big Read, visit http://bigread.truman.edu.

A new Blackboard feature, Panopto CourseCast, allows professors to replay difficult material, as well as post and share a brief lecture or commentary before class. CourseCast also allows students to catch up on class lecture and discussion missed due to illness or activities.

Using this technology, instructors can capture their voice, the teaching station computer screen and even video of themselves talking, teaching and demonstrating. All this is packaged in a web-friendly format via links in Blackboard.

Students can review the content on their own time to better understand concepts, take better notes, learn new processes or make up absences.

Instructors and students alike have reported positive experiences after trial uses of course capture technologies.

Panopto’s CourseCast was recently selected as Truman’s solution for long-term course capture and re-delivery. Available now in the C-Level Smart Classrooms, course, lesson, tutorial or speech capture is possible on any computer with a webcam or microphone. Instructors can record material in classrooms, offices or even on-the-road situations with little preliminary set-up.

For a complete introduction to this technology, go online to http://ids.truman.edu/coursecast or contact the Instructional Design team via the IT Services Help Desk at 785.4544 or on the web at http://hdo.collegis.com/truman/.

Those interested can submit a case requesting a consult for Panopto CourseCast.

The Faculty Research Conference will take place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Student Union Building.

The idea for the Faculty Research Conference came out of conversations during the 2008-09 school year about supporting faculty scholarship and sharing it with colleagues.

The call for papers asked for presentations that communicate to a non-specialist audience why individual faculty studies are fascinating.

This is the second conference this academic year, due to numerous submissions, representing a range of disciplines.

Each presentation will be 20 minutes in length with 10 minutes for discussion and questions.

Those faculty members planning to attend are asked to RSVP at http://www.doodle.com/zfy7vq65nkpwqsg4. Box lunches are provided for those who RSVP by Feb. 5.

Presenting faculty members include: Scott Alberts (“Cognitive Distortions in the Mathematics Classroom”); Christopher Maglio (“I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL!: Anxiety and Anxiety-Related Disorders in Children”); Chad Mohler (“If You Can’t Trust Your Friends...: What to Believe When Your Peers Disagree with You”); Peter Rolnick (“Do Mass Populations Behave Like a Mass on a Spring?”); Wynne Wilbur (“Ceramics: Conceptual Basis and Process in Utilitarian Work”); Cole Woodcox (“Architectural Style of the Masonic Temple in Kirksville, Missouri in Social and Historical Context”); Pam Ryan and Tony Weisstein (“Distinguishing Evolutionary Mechanisms withTajima’s D Statistic”); and Daniel Mandell (“The American Revolution and Economic Regulation”). Jason Miller will lead a roundtable discussion on support for faculty research to close the conference.

The Beta Chapter of Phi Sigma Pi will be hosting spring rush week starting Feb. 8.

Phi Sigma Pi is a national co-ed honor fraternity founded upon the principles of scholarship, leadership and fellowship.

Those eligible to rush are students that have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and one completed semester at Truman, but no more than five semesters.

Information sessions at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room A, kick off rush week.

Scholarship night is at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room B.

Leadership night is 7 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Student Union Building Down Under.

Feb. 11-13 events are by invite only.

For more information, visit http://psp-beta.truman.edu, or e-mail kee1757@truman.edu.

Nearly 30 Truman undergraduates and seven faculty of the Psychology department have had their research accepted for presentation at the 2010 annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) in Chicago this April.

The following will be presented during the Psi Chi poster sessions of MPA:

Title: Personality, Mood, and Life Events                        
Students: Jordan Constance & Paul Witte   
Mentor: Jeffrey Vittengl

Title: The Testing Effect and Transfer Appropriate Processing
Students: Matthew Carlson & Sara Uhlenbrock   
Mentor: Karen Smith

Title: The Humor Effect and Mood Congruence                       
Students: Anh Nguyen, Leah Kern, Lathe Mayfield, Dwuana Bradley & Lu Lu
Mentor: Karen Smith

Title: Odor as Mental Cues: Product Branding                       
Students: Tracy Mulderig & Yajie Yu   
Mentor: Mark Hatala

Title: Friends and Lovers - How Relationships Affect Subjective Wellbeing
Students: Elizabeth Necka, Melinda Gross, Michaela Hoffman & Kristine Kastenbaum
Mentor: Michele Breault

Title: Eliminating the Attentional Blink Through Effective Cuing*               
Students: Elizabeth Necka, David Carrell, Frankie Bruning & Joy Bulen   
Mentor: Robert Tigner

Title: Ace your next test: The effect of post-hypnotic suggestion on academic performance   
Students: Nick Jacobson, Sam Kramer & Amanda Tharp       
Mentor: Sal Costa

Title: Personality’s Relationship with Involvement Among Students and Faculty       
Student: Jennifer LaChapell       
Mentor: Teresa Heckert

*Project was awarded a Regional Research Award by Psi Chi.

The following will be presented during the regular sessions of MPA:

Title: Job Burnout among Educators at Various Levels                       
Students: Tracy Muldering, Jennifer Schwend & Jennifer LaChapell
Mentor: Teresa Heckert

Title: Number of Response Options, Scale Length, and Score Reliability           
Students: Jennifer LaChapell, Kyle Vanlttersum, Valerie Moody, Katherine Judd, Amelia Bobzien, Jennifer Schmidt, Taelor Cash & Tracy Muldering
Mentor: Teresa Heckert

Research to be presented during the Society for the Teaching of Psychology Program at MPA:

Title: Comparing Service Learning to Traditional Experience Learning:Is Service to the Community Really Necessary?                       
Students: Amelia Bobzien & Katherine Judd
Mentor: Teresa Heckert

Donors to Truman’s “Bright Minds Bright Futures” campaign have now committed more than $10 million in current and future gifts toward student scholarships, according to Mark Gambaiana, Vice President for University Advancement.

As of Jan. 31, 2010, a total of $10,005,606 in gift commitments have been designated for scholarship programs. This total includes $4,103,018 in cash and pledges, and $5,902,588 in future gifts through the estate plans of donors.

Overall, the campaign has generated $19.44 million toward its goal of $30 million. In October, Truman publicly announced the effort and a total of 11 regional kickoff events are slated for 2010 as the University seeks contributions from all constituencies.

The popularity of scholarships is important for a multitude of reasons, said Gambaiana, especially since many Truman families have been impacted by the recession and the sluggish economic recovery.

A total of 70 new scholarship funds have been created during the campaign, boosting the overall number of named Foundation scholarships to 376.

Over the past four years, the Truman State University Foundation has awarded $2.1 million in scholarships to 2,221 students. Foundation scholarships can be need and merit based, and may also include other donor-designated criteria, such as area of study, geographic region, involvement in extra-curricular activities and leadership potential.

Qiyu Bi of China is Truman’s newest visiting scholar. Bi arrived in Kirksville Jan. 18 and will be giving public talks and presentations on topics such as the status of English education in China today and family life. Bi is an English teacher at the Wuhan University of Technology in Hubei, China.

A public reception in honor of Bi will take place at 2 p.m. Feb. 3 in McClain Hall 213. All are welcome to attend.

Wuhan University is allowing her to stay at Truman for up to six months and Bi plans to stay through the end of the semester.

Bi said she wants to share with Truman students and faculty, insights into what is happening in China today. She also is interested in using Chinese folksongs to explain Chinese culture.

This is Bi’s first trip to America, and she admits that most of her perceptions about Americans have been picked up from television shows and movies.

Since her arrival, Bi has sat in on classes and explored the campus and Kirksville. Bi said she was most impressed by the positive attitudes of Truman students and their respectful, captivated natures in the classroom setting.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) has announced the inauguration of the Freeman Indonesia Nonprofit Internship Program (FINIP), funded by the Freeman Foundation. The internship aims to develop student leaders and strengthen the nonprofit sector in Indonesia. IIE will select and pair 10 Indonesian students pursuing U.S. degrees with 10 U.S. undergraduates and arrange internships for them to work together in an Indonesian nonprofit organization. The internship lasts from June 15-Aug. 17, 2010 and will take place in three cities: Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta. Interested American and Indonesian sophomores and juniors enrolled in U.S. institutions are encouraged to apply online at http://www.iie.org/programs/finip. The deadline for submission of applications is Feb. 15. Contact finip@iie.org for more information.

Collegium Civitas is now accepting applications for its professional internship program in Warsaw, Poland (June 1-July 31, 2010). Civitas offers students a unique opportunity to undertake professional internships in various areas, including politics, European integration, human rights, civic and political education, civil society, arts, history, Jewish culture and history, economics, business, media and journalism, legal and constitutional affairs, the environment and more. For details, visit http://www.globaleducationleadership.org/.

The Alumnae Panhellenic Association of Greater Kansas City is offering scholarship opportunities to female college juniors, seniors or graduate students, who are residents of the greater Kansas City area, attending Kansas or Missouri schools. The Kansas City area is defined as Platte and Ray counties in Missouri and Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas. Greek sorority membership is required to apply for this program. Application deadline is Feb. 5. Applications are available online at http://www.kcpanhel.com.

USA Funds is taking applications for $1,500 scholarships to qualified full-time undergraduate and graduate students from households with incomes of $35,000 or less. Applicants for the scholarships must be enrolled or plan to enroll in coursework at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational/technical school beginning with the fall 2010 term. Deadline for students to submit the scholarship application is Feb. 15. For complete eligibility information and to download an application, visit USA Funds’ website at http://www.usafunds.org/scholarship.

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the nation’s leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education, is currently taking applications for the 2010 scholarship. The scholarship is available to permanent residents of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan area defined as Clay, Jackson, Wyandotte, and Johnson counties. For more information, visit http://www.hispanicdevelopmentfund.org or call 816.701.8308. A limited number of applications are also available in the Financial Aid Office in McClain Hall 103. Applications are due March 1.

The Missouri Travel Council will offer two $1,000 scholarships to currently enrolled sophomores, juniors or seniors in an accredited college or university in the state of Missouri. Applicants must be pursuing a hospitality-related major such as hotel/restaurant management, parks and recreation, etc., must be a current resident of Missouri and must have a grade point average of at least 3.0. For more information, visit http://www.missouritravel.com. The deadline for applications is March 2.

The Missouri Insurance Education Foundation will award scholarships to deserving students attending Missouri colleges or universities in a program that could lead to positions in the insurance industry in Missouri. The $2,500 C. Lawrence Leggett Scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior Missouri resident majoring in insurance or a related area of study in a Missouri college or university.  In addition to the Leggett Scholarship, the foundation has made an additional scholarship available in the amount of $2,000. Application forms are available on their website at http://www.mief.org and due March 31.
 
Camp Ramapo in Rhinebeck, N.Y., is offering unique educational summer job opportunities for students. Ramapo is one of the few residential summer camps servicing children with emotional, behavioral and learning problems. It provides a safe, predictable and highly structured environment, which fosters the development of positive social and learning skills. In addition, Ramapo offers an on-site college course through the National Program on Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction. For more information on how to make a difference in a child’s life this summer, while possibly earning college credits, log on to http://www.ramapoforchildren.org.

U.S. Bank will award forty $1000 scholarships through a random drawing process. Undergraduate students attending an eligible four-year college or university participating in the U.S. Bank No Fee Education Loan Program are eligible to apply. Further details regarding this scholarship opportunity can be found online at http://www.usbank.com.

Scholarships are available through Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri, Inc., for the 2010-2011 academic year. Stop by the Financial Aid Office in McClain Hall 103 for more information on eligibility requirements or to obtain an application. One winner from each state may be submitted for the National Garden Club scholarship in the amount of $3,500.

The Foundation of the Stadium Managers Association (SMA) offers its student scholarship to provide tuition assistance and an opportunity for outstanding students currently enrolled in an accredited Sports Management and Sports Administration programs with an emphasis on facility and/or event management to learn more about the professions through networking with leaders in the field in an educational, and information setting. This $2,500 annual scholarship award includes student membership in the SMA. For an application and more information regarding this scholarship go to http://www.stadiummanagers.org, click on Foundation. Application deadline is April 15. 

The John Gyles Education Awards are available each year to students in both Canada and the United States. They are the result of a private, benevolent endeavor established in 1990. Full Canadian or American citizenship is a requirement. Awards are available to both male and female students for all areas of post secondary study. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Criteria other than strictly academic ability and financial need are considered in the selection process. Selected students will receive up to $3,000. The filing date for mailing applications is May 1. Applications are available on-line at http://www.johngyleseducationcenter.com.

The BigSun Organization is proud to be able to continue to help young athletes succeed in their academic pursuits by offering a $500 scholarship. All student athletes are eligible for this award, regardless of the sport. Deadline for submission is June 24. Visit http://www.bigsunathletics.com to learn how to apply.

Upward Bound summer employment application reviews begin this week. Completed packets include application, résumé, transcripts and recommendations. For questions, go online to http://ub.truman.edu or call Donna at 785.4244.

Activity: Racquetball-Doubles*
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Feb. 2
Captains’ Meeting: E-mail
Play Begins: Feb. 8
* Will be played at YMCA

Activity: Taboo
Division: Open
Deadline: Feb. 9
Captains’ Meeting: E-mail
Play Begins: Feb. 13

Activity: BAGGO
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Feb. 23
Captains’ Meeting: E-mail
Play Begins: Feb. 28

Activity: NCAA March Madness
Division: Open
Deadline: First of March
Captains’ Meeting: NA
Play Begins: First of March

Activity: Volleyball
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Mar. 2
Captains’ Meeting: Mar. 3
Play Begins: Mar. 15

Activity: Co-Rec Volleyball
Division: Open
Deadline: Mar. 2
Captains’ Meeting: Mar. 3
Play Begins: Mar. 15

Activity: Closest to the Pin
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Mar. 16
Captains’ Meeting: E-mail
Play Begins: TBA

Activity: Indoor Soccer
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Mar. 16
Captains’ Meeting: Mar. 18
Play Begins: Mar. 22

Activity: Co-Rec Indoor Soccer
Division: Open
Deadline: Mar. 16
Captains’ Meeting: Mar. 18
Play Begins: Mar. 22

Activity: Swim Meet
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Apr. 6
Captains’ Meeting: E-mail
Play Begins: Apr. 8

Activity: Ultimate Frisbee
Division: Open
Deadline: Apr. 13
Captains’ Meeting: E-mail
Play Begins: Apr. 17 & 18

Activity: Punt Pass & Kick
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Apr. 13
Captains’ Meeting: Apr. 15
Play Begins: Apr. 22

Activity: Track Meet
Division: Open/Org/Greek
Deadline: Apr. 13
Captains’ Meeting: Apr. 15
Play Begins: Apr. 22

Activity: T-Shirt Design Contest
Division: Open
Deadline: Apr. 29
Captains’ Meeting: NA
Play Begins: NA

Activity: Wrap Up Meeting
Division: Open
Deadline: NA
Captains’ Meeting: Apr. 29
Play Begins: NA

All information, rules and registration requirements are online at http://recreation.truman.edu/intramuralrec.asp, or contact the Intramural Office at 785.4467. Captains’ Meeting is at 4:30 p.m. in the SRC Conference Room.

Warren Gooch, professor of music, had three choral works accepted for publication recently. “Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise,” “Were You There?” and “Alleluia! Christ is Risen!” will be published by Alliance Publications, Inc.

Maria Nagan, associate professor of chemistry, was selected to serve a three-year term on the National Science Foundation’s Teragrid Resource Allocation Committee. The committee is responsible for granting supercomputer time for the nation’s supercomputing centers. Last year, the committee allocated more than 1.2 billion cpu hours.

Truman’s Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS) was recently declared a winner in the national 2009 ACS “I am proud to be a chemist” Presidential Challenge. The chapter submitted a video on YouTube entitled “P-R-O-U-D to be a Chemist” featuring Truman chemistry students and faculty performing a rap about chemistry. The video was written and directed by sophomore chemistry majors Amanda Krus and Jenny Zweifel with help from the rest of the chapter. The chapter received a $1,500 prize and will be honored at the Spring 2010 National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco where their video will be shown during the awards ceremony. While there, the students will also receive awards for Outstanding Chapter and Green Chemistry Chapter for 2008-09.

John Richard Freese, a graduate music composition student, had an original composition accepted for performance at the 2010 University of Nebraska-Kearney New Music Festival IX. Richard’s guitar composition, “Scattered Memories,” will be performed as part of the two-day festival Feb. 15-16.

Show your Truman Spirit by participating in Purple Fridays. Wear purple or Truman apparel every Friday. Truman Spirits shirts are still available in the Public Relations Office, McClain 101, for $5. Small and medium sizes only.

Hillel will be taking orders for homemade Challah bread from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 2 in the Student Union Building. When the bread is ready, Hillel members will deliver.

Alpha Phi Omega will be hosting a rush bake sale from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 3-5 in McClain, Magruder and Violette halls. Puppy chow, brownies and cookies will be available for 50 cents each.
 
The Weekly Lunch Series continues at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in the Student Union Building Spanish Room. This week’s presentation is titled “Threatening Situations and Emotional Struggles,” by Brian Krylowicz, director of University Counseling Services.

The Department of Classical and Modern Languages will sponsor “Five Things You Didn’t Know about Kleopatra” at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 in Magruder Hall 2001. The presenter is Duane W. Roller, professor emeritus of Greek and Latin at the Ohio State University. Roller also is the author of several books, including a biography on Kleopatra.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) will meet at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the University Club House, located at 516 E. Patterson. Contact Marc Becker at marc@truman.edu or call 785.6036 for more information.

Alpha Chi Sigma is hosting a public tie-dye from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 5 in Magruder Hall 1025. Cost is $5 to tie-dye a previously purchased shirt or $10 for a shirt and tie-dye materials.

The Board of Governors will meet at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Student Union Building Conference Room. For more information, visit http://governors.truman.edu/.

Phi Beta Lambda is hosting a presentation by Dot Foods, Inc., the largest food redistributor in America at 8 p.m. Feb. 8 in Violette Hall 1400. Learn about their company, marketing strategies, and career/internship opportunities. Those attending are asked to dress business casual for the event.

Faculty and staff are invited to a Microsoft Access 2007 Presentation from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Kirksville TCRC, 315 S. Franklin. This one-day course teaches the basic functions and features of Access; how to design and create databases; how to work with tables, fields and records; and how to sort and filter data and create queries, forms and reports. This course is offered to faculty and staff for a reduced rate of $52 by the TCRC. For more information, call 785.2530 or e-mail kvtcrc@missouri.edu.

Learn about Careers in Government at 12 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Kirksville TCRC, 315 S. Franklin. Learn about job opportunities and talk with professionals working for government, both virtually and in person. All panelists are Truman graduates representing local, state and national entities.

A Peace Corps Presentation will take place at 6 p.m. Feb. 11 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Those interested in opportunities with the Peace Corps can stop by. For more information, visit http://career.truman.edu.

The next Safe Zone training for faculty and staff will be at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 12 in the Student Union Building Conference Room 3000.  Safe Zone trained members provide support, information, and resources to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students, and most importantly create a safe space on campus.  For more information contact Joe Hamilton at hamilton@truman.edu.