Vol. 14, No. 32 - June 1, 2010

Curtis Rhodes, the Truman student who passed away in April, will be memorialized with an annual scholarship through the Truman State University Foundation.

The Curtis Rhodes Memorial Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, will be awarded for the first time for the 2010-2011 school year. The recipient will be an incoming freshman majoring in mathematics, science or computer science. The recipient must also be a student from the St. Louis Public School district or a charter school in the metropolitan St. Louis area, have demonstrated commitment to school and community service and issues of diversity, have a 3.0 grade point average and have financial need.

Navential Management of St. Louis, in collaboration with the family of Curtis Rhodes, is sponsoring the annual scholarship.

Martha Scharff has been named a Presser Scholar for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The “Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award” is given to an outstanding music major at the end of his or her junior year. The Presser Foundation awarded this prestigious award to Scharff this spring.


Scharff is pursing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a general concentration in music-vocal emphasis.  

Theodore Presser is remembered not only as the publisher of Etude, the music magazine, and the founder of the great music publishing firm bearing his name, but also as a philanthropist who specialized in music education.

Scharff has been a member of University Chorus and Truman’s top select vocal ensemble, Cantoria, for the past three years and will serve Cantoria as president next year. She played the role of Sally in Truman Opera Theatre’s recent production of “Die Fledermaus.”

Among her achievements, Scharff won second place in the Sophomore Women’s Division of the Missouri District Auditions sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) in 2008 and was a semi-finalist at the NATS Central Region auditions in 2009. She was a finalist in the Truman State University Gold Medal Concerto aria competition in 2009 and was selected as a winner of the Gold Medal Competition in 2010.

Students Emily Ward and Mark Misiewicz won the Schwengel-Lincoln Contest for essay and art respectively.

Truman alumnus Fred Schwengel (’30) of Iowa served in the U.S. House of Representatives for eight terms, retiring in 1973. He and his wife Ethel Cassity Schwengel (’32) began giving his large collection of Lincoln- related books, art and other memorabilia to the University in 1976.


They also included funds to maintain the collection and to establish an annual Schwengel-Lincoln Contest, now administered by the School of Arts and Letters. Entries in the categories of art, oratory and essay are judged for creativity, content, technique and original use of a Lincoln-related theme.


Ward’s essay was titled “Me and Lincoln, Lincoln and Me.” Misiewicz’s portrait of Lincoln was untitled.

Both Ward and Misiewicz were awarded cash prizes in the amount of $250 and their entries will become part of the Schwengel-Lincoln Contest Collection in the Special Collections Department at Pickler Memorial Library.

At this year’s Student Research Conference, IT Services worked with the SRC steering committee in a pilot project to record student presentations.

Truman currently has six C-Level smart classrooms that can provide this type of recording on demand. For the SRC project, ITS was able to develop a deployment strategy to quickly accommodate 15 additional classrooms using a lower cost/mobile equipment approach along with the existing centralized capture system, Panopto CourseCast.

The conference provided a great opportunity to load test the Panopto system as it necessitated numerous simultaneous recordings. The pilot project netted more than 160 successful recordings, which were made available to the students themselves, their mentors and the Truman portfolio committee.

The 22nd Annual Conference featured a plenary address by Denise Von Glahn, which was also captured and set for public viewing.

The Annual Academic Honor Awards Assembly, which recognizes outstanding students who have dedicated time, energy and talent to their academic achievement, took place May 7 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room. Alumna Emily Finnegan (‘07), news reporter and anchor for KTVO television, was the guest speaker.

The following students were honored as the outstanding student in their respective discipline

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Accounting
Elise Bailey

Outstanding Graduate Student in Accounting               
Maxwell LaFoy

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Business Administration: Finance             
Rebecca Nolle

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Business Administration: Management     
Katherine Aherne

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Business Administration: Marketing         
Elizabeth Buckley

Outstanding Graduate Student in Elementary Education                                       
Michelle Gallagher

Outstanding Graduate Student in Secondary Education           
Shar Rezaiekhaligh

Outstanding Graduate Student in Special Education                                               
Gretchen Smiles

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Art                                                             
Megan Dowdy

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Art History                                                
Cecilia Murauto

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Art: Visual Communication                       
Andrea Bailey

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Art: Studio Art           
Allison Sissom

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Music                                                         
Kelsey Kline

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Romance Language           
Misty Lipp   

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Theatre                                                       
Joanna Bess

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Communication Disorders                         
Megan Gieseler

Outstanding Graduate Student in Communication Disorders                                
Sara Hines

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Exercise Science                                        
Brendan Zee-Cheng

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Health Science                                             
Kelsey Cler

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Nursing                                                     
Kristen Nissen

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Classics                                                      
Regina Loehr

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Communication Studies                         
Lindsey Adams

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Communication: Journalism                      
Blake Toppmeyer

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Public Communication                         
Sally Lister

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in English                                    
Jennifer Jalack

Outstanding Graduate Student in English                                           
Rachel Kempf

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in French                                                       
Hannah Wetzel

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in German                
Amanda Stukenbroeker

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Linguistics             
Karen Miller

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Russian             
Erin Goggin

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Spanish                         
Grant Berry

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Spanish                         
Andrea Morris

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Computer Science                                     
Bo Forrester

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Mathematics               
Timothy Ryan

General George C. Marshall ROTC Award                                   
Grady Robbins

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Agricultural Science   
Kelsey Witte

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Biology                   
William Petry

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Chemistry               
Lucas Watson

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Physics                   
Nicholas Wilsey

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Economics             
Benjamin Anderson

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Economics                        
Timothy Ryan

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in History                        
Adam Conway

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Justice Systems              
Matthew Carberry

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Philosophy                     
Andrew McCall

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Religion               
Brenna Hale

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Political Science                     
Lindsey Gill

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Psychology                        
Tracy Mulderig

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Psychology                           
Jennifer LaChapell

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Sociology                        
Mark Treska

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Anthropology           
Angie Skosky

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Interdisciplinary Studies       
Jillian Lopez

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Interdisciplinary Studies       
Charles Nathan Vannatta

Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award                                                                       
Harry Althoff

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.

AES Engineers is providing $500 scholarships to students, regardless of courses being studied, who meet certain criteria. Scholarships are intended for future leaders across a wide spectrum of fields of study. This award is available to high school seniors and all students attending a post secondary educational facility. Students are not required to be taking engineering courses to be eligible. Students must submit an essay of no more than 1,000 words in answer to one of the two questions posted online at http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm. Deadline for entry is Oct. 8.

The Truman wrestling team captured the NCAA Div. II Wrestling Coaches Association team all-Academic Championship for the fourth straight year and the sixth overall with a grade point average of 3.467. The team GPA is calculated by averaging the cumulative GPA of ten wrestlers from each team, of which, eight of those wrestlers must have competed in their team’s NCAA national qualifying tournament. Under the direction of head coach Dave Schutter, Truman becomes the first program to win the championship in four consecutive years.

Kate Aherne, a 2010 graduate and member of the women’s swimming team, has been awarded an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. The one-time grants of $7,500 each are awarded for fall sports, winter sports and spring sports. They were created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the NCAA’s most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship sports. Up to 174 are issued annually. Athletic and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated. To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade point average of 3.2 and must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full- or part-time graduate student. Aherne was a three-time national champion in the 200 individual medley and broke her own national record in the event at this season’s championship. A 27-time all-American, she also won a national championship as part of the 800 freestyle national championship relay squad in 2008. In May, she was named co-female student-athlete of the year at Truman.

Grant Berry, a 2010 graduate and member of Truman’s chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, received the prestigious Gabriela Mistral Award for his academic achievements in Spanish and his dedication to the mission of Sigma Delta Pi. The Gabriela Mistral Award is granted by Sigma Delta Pi’s national headquarters and may be presented to only one person per chapter. The honor is reserved for outstanding graduate or undergraduate students of Spanish who are active members of Sigma Delta Pi.

Janet Gooch, communication disorders chair, served as an external reviewer for the Communication Disorders Program at the University of Northern Iowa in April.

Janice Grow-Maienza, professor of education, presented a paper authored with Scott Alberts, professor of mathematics, and Hyun Joo Kim, professor of mathematics, titled “Effects of Asian Curriculum Materials on Teachers’ Knowledge and Pedagogy,” at the Research Presession of the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, on April 20 in San Diego. Grow-Maienza also presented papers on Korean primary mathematics and their effects in American classrooms at the annual meeting of the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics in December 2009, and at the Interface Conference sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in February 2010. Grow-Maienza, with Alberts and Todd Hammond, professor of mathematics, and Joseph Sencibaugh, associate professor of education, and Myra Collins, Jenny Webb, Sheila Thurman and Lori Ladwig, will conduct a graduate level teacher institute for 40 Missouri teachers in July on gecKo mathematics, the name given the English translations of the Korean primary mathematics curriculum produced at Truman with National Science Foundation funds. The Missouri Department of Higher Education is funding the Institute July 12-22.

The Truman wrestling team captured the NCAA Div. II Wrestling Coaches Association team all-Academic Championship for the fourth straight year and the sixth overall with a grade point average of 3.467. The team GPA is calculated by averaging the cumulative GPA of ten wrestlers from each team, of which, eight of those wrestlers must have competed in their team’s NCAA national qualifying tournament. Under the direction of head coach Dave Schutter, Truman becomes the first program to win the championship in four consecutive years.

Kate Aherne, a 2010 graduate and member of the women’s swimming team, has been awarded an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. The one-time grants of $7,500 each are awarded for fall sports, winter sports and spring sports. They were created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the NCAA’s most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship sports. Up to 174 are issued annually. Athletic and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated. To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade point average of 3.2 and must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full- or part-time graduate student. Aherne was a three-time national champion in the 200 individual medley and broke her own national record in the event at this season’s championship. A 27-time all-American, she also won a national championship as part of the 800 freestyle national championship relay squad in 2008. In May, she was named co-female student-athlete of the year at Truman.

Grant Berry, a 2010 graduate and member of Truman’s chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, received the prestigious Gabriela Mistral Award for his academic achievements in Spanish and his dedication to the mission of Sigma Delta Pi. The Gabriela Mistral Award is granted by Sigma Delta Pi’s national headquarters and may be presented to only one person per chapter. The honor is reserved for outstanding graduate or undergraduate students of Spanish who are active members of Sigma Delta Pi.

Janet Gooch, communication disorders chair, served as an external reviewer for the Communication Disorders Program at the University of Northern Iowa in April.

Janice Grow-Maienza, professor of education, presented a paper authored with Scott Alberts, professor of mathematics, and Hyun Joo Kim, professor of mathematics, titled “Effects of Asian Curriculum Materials on Teachers’ Knowledge and Pedagogy,” at the Research Presession of the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, on April 20 in San Diego. Grow-Maienza also presented papers on Korean primary mathematics and their effects in American classrooms at the annual meeting of the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics in December 2009, and at the Interface Conference sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in February 2010. Grow-Maienza, with Alberts and Todd Hammond, professor of mathematics, and Joseph Sencibaugh, associate professor of education, and Myra Collins, Jenny Webb, Sheila Thurman and Lori Ladwig, will conduct a graduate level teacher institute for 40 Missouri teachers in July on gecKo mathematics, the name given the English translations of the Korean primary mathematics curriculum produced at Truman with National Science Foundation funds. The Missouri Department of Higher Education is funding the Institute July 12-22.