Vol. 16, No. 31 - May 1, 2012

Warren Gooch, professor of music, theory and composition, received top honors at the 23rd annual Educator of the Year Banquet April 18.

Gooch teaches Music Analysis IV, Introduction to Music Composition and Music Composition Studio. He serves as chair of six campus organizations and is involved in numerous Truman programs and councils, including coordinator of the Master of Arts in Music program.

Warren Gooch received his doctorate in composition from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his master’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and his bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Scholastica.


Outside of Truman, Gooch is active in countless music and arts organizations, such as the Iowa Composers Forum, Kirksville Regional Arts Association and Music Teachers National Association. Gooch also dedicates his time to local church-related activities such as church choir director and keyboard player, Sunday School teacher and Music and Worship Committee member.

Students nominate professors for Educator of the Year. Nominees then submit an essay and syllabus to the Educator of the Year committee, which selects the finalist.

In addition to Gooch, this year’s finalists included Elizabeth Hooper, Maria Nagan, Thomas Capuano and Shirley McKamie.

Students from the Pershing Society, Student Senate and Phi Kappa Phi serve on the Educator of the Year Committee.

The Truman Speech and Debate won a national championship after competing in the 42nd National Forensics Association National Championship Tournament in Athens, Ohio April 19-23.

Approximately 65 schools from all over the nation had representatives qualify to compete in individual events, and 18 schools competed in debate. Truman found success in both, advancing four debaters to elimination rounds as well as one individual events competitor. Truman brought down reigning champions Western Kentucky University, which has won a total of eight consecutive championship titles.

Sophomore, Myra Milam advanced amongst 75 competitors, and through three rounds of single elimination, to debate in the Lincoln-Douglas semi-final. Each of those competitors had to qualify during the regular season to earn their place at the national championship. This semi-final finish is one step better than Milam’s finish last year. As a freshman, Milam advanced to the quarterfinal round. She had a better showing this year and earned a 4th place speaker award. 


Freshman Maddie Ebert also battled her way through to the semi-final round. Ebert took home an 8th place speaker award. Speaker awards are given to those debaters who show talent in public speaking skills and separate from win/loss records. Sophomore Kristen Wright also took home a speaking trophy, earning 5th place. Both Wright and sophomore John Carney broke into the first round of single elimination—but did not advance past the double-octofinal round. This puts them in the top 32 of the field, while Milam and Ebert now rank in the top four.

In Individual Events, junior Jessica Petrie advanced to the semi-final round of Impromptu Speaking. There were a total of 168 competitors in this event, and a semi-final round finish puts Petrie in the top 12 in the nation. Impromptu Speaking is an event that changes from round to round as competitors are asked to quickly (within two minutes) prepare a speech that defends a specific thesis. Petrie’s finish, as well as the combined points earned from the eight other speech event competitors in preliminary rounds, earned the team a 6th place overall finish in the small to mid-sized schools division. 

This is the first time that Truman has won the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Championship, as well as the first time the team had two debaters in the top four. For more information about the team, contact the Kristi Scholten, team director, at kscholten@truman.edu.

Thanks to the continued efforts of many Truman students, faculty and staff working in conjunction with the area community coordinators, the number of AEDs both on campus and in the community is increasing.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are machines that are used to assist someone who has undergone sudden cardiac arrest. They work to restore natural heart rhythm to the victim.

The latest unveilings involved several Truman community members. Glenn Wehner, professor of animal science, and Vicky Wehner, coordinator of disability services, donated to the campaign in memory of Glenn’s father who recently passed away. That AED was placed in Baldwin Hall next to the auditorium. Alumni Andrea Richards, instructor in communication disorders, and Dr. Robert Jackson also purchased an AED that is located in the Health Sciences Building. In addition to those AEDs, eight other machines have been placed on campus in the following buildings: Violette Hall, Pickler Memorial Library, Magruder Hall, Barnett Hall, the Student Union Building, Ophelia Parrish, the Student Health Center and Stokes Stadium. Older machines are located in the Student Recreation Center, Pershing Arena and the Department of Public Safety.


The AED Campaign was initiated in Spring 2011 with the goal of installing more AEDs in businesses around Kirksville.

Students from Janice Clark’s Health 440 class have developed a partnership with the Northeast Missouri Heart Health committee to promote their AED Campaign. Students Taylor Hockman, Kristen Siegler, Anna Grinter and Jenna Osseck worked with the NEMO Heart Health committee to promote the campaign around the city. They designed an “AED Man” mascot, worked on the website and developed a flyer. They also helped promote the need for AEDs and recruited businesses to purchase an AED or allow one to be put on their premises. They attended AED unveilings where AEDs were installed into services in local businesses, organizations and churches.


During Fall 2011, students Chelsie Covey, Carissa Rethemeyer and Brian Strode continued to advertise AEDs in the community and recruited businesses. They also began checking the batteries of existing AEDs on-site. Strode made an appearance as “AED Man” in Truman’s homecoming parade.

A second group of students consisting of Nicole Eckelkamp, Taylor Kennedy, Aurora Powell and Rikki Sitzes assisted in promoting, planning, programming and the clean-up of NEMO Heart Health committee’s “Gents and Joules” gala to raise money for the campaign. The event took place in November 2011 and raised more than $47,000.

This semester, three groups of Health 440 students are helping with the campaign. Jennifer Zweifel, Darius Taylor, Collin Dobson and Chris Gipple are continuing the advertising efforts and businesses recruitments as well as attending unveilings and performing AED inspections.

Andrea Martinez, Aileen McKenzie and Kelsey McManimie helped with NEMO Heart Health’s “Go Red for Women” day and the “Sweetheart” Dance that took place in February.

A third group of students Alexander Boerkel, Chris Kaslin and Anna Bailey headed the “Change for Heart” campaign for campus and the community that recruited donations for the cause.

Clark plans to continue this initiative for the next semester in her Health 440 course.

The Annual Academic Honor Awards Assembly, which recognizes outstanding students who have dedicated time, energy and talent to their academic achievement, will take place May 4 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room. Alumna Ellie Glenn (’07), director of the Office of Governmental Policy and Legislation for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, will be the guest speaker.

Truman alumna Beth Klein is an accomplished lawyer who chooses to dedicate her life and legal skills to end human trafficking. She will return to Truman to give the commencement address during ceremonies at 2 p.m. May 5 at Stokes Stadium.


In 2006, Klein was selected as one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff’s Lawyers in the United States by Lawdragon, and since 2006 she has been voted by more than 13,000 fellow lawyers in the state of Colorado as a Super Lawyer and one of the top 25 women lawyers.

Klein was awarded the 21 Leaders Award from Women’s eNews for being an advocate for the enslaved and for writing effective anti-human trafficking law for many states and nations, pro bono. “More Magazine,” in its May 2011, edition named her as one of the “50 Women That You Want On Your Side” along with Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton. In the fall of 2011 she received the Georgia Imhoff Philanthropy and Activism Award and in 2012 she received the “Woman Who Changed the Heart of the City of Denver” award.

In 2010, she wrote a breakthrough anti-human trafficking law for Colorado, which put her in demand by states and countries to custom design effective law. The following year she contributed to laws passed in Colorado, Texas, Massachusetts and Georgia. She consulted with the Knesset in Israel, Parliament in the U.K. and the nation of Mexico. She has written the first book on the law of human trafficking that details all of the efforts in the U.S. to deal with human trafficking.

Klein served on the 2010 steering committee of Demand Abolition that worked to develop a national strategy to focus legislation and law enforcement on the demand side of human trafficking. She currently chairs the governor of Colorado’s Human Trafficking Research Advisory Committee. Colorado is the first place in the world with a stated end date for this crime of 2013.

Born and raised in Colorado, she graduated second in her class at Truman with summa cum laude honors. She received a Rotary International Scholarship to Ireland where she received Honors, First Class. Klein attended law school at the University of Denver where she was an editor for the Denver Law Review. She is a Fellow of the Colorado Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America – both invitation-only societies of accomplished lawyers who have proved their effectiveness and superior ethical standards.

Klein is married to Judge James C. Klein and they are the proud parents of a son, Connor. Her parents, Ralph and Lois Morrison both graduated from Truman, and her grandfather Ray Cooksey and her great-grandfather Ulysses Sherman Cooksey attended Truman.

For more information about commencement ceremonies and detailed instructions for graduating students, visit provost.truman.edu/Graduation/index.asp.

The Truman Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, Delta of Missouri, initiated 42 students as Members in Course April 15.

The inductees were: Yazan Nabil Alghalith, Stephen Timothy Backes, Scott Charles Biggerstaff, Shawn Michael Bodden, Deborah Rose Boedeker, Teresa Marie Borgmeyer, Nicole Lee Boyer, Taylor Bjorn Bronson, Rachel Nelle Cook, Clara Lynn Dahmer, Rachel Anne Dicke, Alec Ian Dutcher, Harold Brandon Eychaner, Daniel Matthew Gilmore, Darlene Renae Gollaher, Nathan Jeffrey Hardy, Megan Leigh Hartman, Joanne Elisabeth Heggemann, Kathryn Michele Hogan, Colin William Hughes, Kiera Lauren Hulsey, Elizabeth Leone Koehne, Aaron Michael Kusmec, Kerry Christine Lee, Hannah Marie Pey, Jessica Marie Phillips, Lauren Mattie Ross, Stephanie Renee Schaefer, Mark Reed Schneider, Corinne Elizabeth Schwarz, Caleb Joshua Smith, Sarah Elizabeth Sommerkamp, Connor Joseph Stangler, Adam Jose Suarez, Kathryn Ann Toomey, Bridget Catherine Waller, Laura Ashley Wellington, Danielle Elizabeth West, Julie Anne Wikle, Olivia Marie Wikle, Benjamin Paul Winter and Danielle Rae Witt.

Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest liberal arts and sciences honor society. Truman’s chapter, only the fourth in Missouri, was installed in 2001.

Phi Beta Kappa’s inductees pictured, front row, from left to right: Lauren Mattie Ross, Danielle Rae Witt, Teresa Marie Borgmeyer, Julie Anne Wikle, Olivia Marie Wikle, Rachel Anne Dicke, Harold Brandon Eychaner, Kathryn Michele Hogan and Bridget Catherine Waller. Middle row: Daniel Matthew Gilmore, Rachel Nelle Cook, Laura Ashley Wellington, Megan Leigh Hartman, Sarah Elizabeth Sommerkamp, Darlene Renae Gollaher, Nicole Lee Boyer, Mark Reed Schneider and Hannah Marie Pey. Back row: Colin William Hughes, Benjamin Paul Winter, Connor Joseph Stangler, Nathan Jeffrey Hardy, Caleb Joshua Smith, Stephen Timothy Backes, Kerry Christine Lee, Shawn Michael Bodden, Clara Lynn Dahmer and Taylor Bjorn Bronson.

This year’s annual steam system shutdown for maintenance and inspection is scheduled May 7-10.

The steam system will be shut down at approximately 3 p.m. May 7 and is expected to be back in operation by May 10.

The shutdown will affect every building except for Barnett Hall, Campbell Apartments, Ryle Hall, the Student Recreation Center and West Campus Suites.

Applications for the world-competitive Rotary Peace Fellowship are now being accepted. The fellowship provides academic and practical training to prepare scholars for leadership roles in solving conflicts around the world. The 2013 Academic term deadline is July 1. Applications are available at rotary.org/rotarycenters.

The Career Center is hosting a photo contest open to all students participating in internships, practicums, field and/or research experiences and directed teaching experiences.

Contestants can submit a photo of them doing their jobs and write a 300-word description to have a chance to win $100 to Walmart. Entries are due by Aug. 17. More information and contest entry can be found at facebook.com/events/205149789588139/.

The William M. Reiss Foundation is offering scholarships to graduates of publicly supported high schools located within the city limits of Belleville, Ill. Official college transcripts are required and a copy of the Student Aid Report from the FASFA is recommended. For more information, or to apply for this scholarship, visit the Financial Aid Office at McClain Hall 103. Deadline to apply is May 1.

The Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis is inviting eligible media communication and journalism students to apply for scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year. Students of journalism or related fields who are residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area (City of St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis and Warren counties in Missouri; and Bond, Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties in Illinois) are eligible to receive these scholarships. Applications are available online at stlpressclub.org/scholarships.html. Deadline for applications is May 4.

The Jack J. Isgur Foundation awards scholarships to students studying at colleges and universities who indicate an interest in teaching courses in the humanities, such as literature, fine arts, music, art, poetry and dance in Missouri schools, preferably in rural school districts. It is available to those at the junior and senior levels of undergraduate college, as well as graduate students. For more information, please stop by the Financial Aid Office, McClain Hall 103. Applications must be submitted by May 15.

The creators of the “Student Award Search Aid” website are offering a $1,000 scholarship for 2012. To learn more, visit studentawardsearch.com/scholarships.htm. Deadline for application is May 28.

The BigSun Organization is offering a $500 scholarship. All student-athletes are eligible for this award, regardless of sport. Deadline for submission is June 22. To learn how to apply, visit bigsunathletics.com.

The GP LSAT Prep Scholarship is available to students interested in applying to law school. One or more grants of $1,000 are awarded twice yearly (Jan. 30 and June 30). To apply, use the “contact us” form at getprepped.com/net to request the application packet.

CableTV is offering five $1,000 scholarships. Deadline to apply is June 30. For more information, go to www.cabletv.com/scholarship.

AES Engineers will continue to provide $500 scholarships to high school seniors or college students, regardless of courses being studied, who meet certain criteria. Scholarships are intended for future leaders across a wide spectrum of fields of study. Students must submit an essay in answer to one of the two questions that are posted online at aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm. Deadline for entry is Oct. 5.

Currently enrolled undergraduate college students are eligible to apply for the Foreclosure.com 2012 Scholarship Program. Students may go to foreclosure.com/scholarship to find out how to be entered to win one of five scholarships by writing an essay on stimulating the US housing market. Top prize is $5,000, second through fifth place will receive $1,000 each.
Deadline to enter is Dec. 1.

Wells Fargo is offering 40 $1,000 scholarships. Twenty will be awarded to high school students and 20 to college students through a random drawing throughout the year. Apply on line at wellsfargo.com/collegesteps for chance to win.

The next issue of the Truman Today will be available May 29. Announcements may still be submitted to tmiles@truman.edu.

Five sociology majors from Truman, Danielle Clemons, Tasheka Graves, Emily Love, Zachary Palmer and Adam Speak, attended the Midwest Sociological Society Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minn., March 29-April 1. Palmer also presented a poster on “The Relationship Between Race and Racial Attitudes as Measured by Trait Assignment in the Sims 3” in the MSS Undergraduate poster competition.

Kassi Crocker, a biology major and Truman McNair Scholar, was accepted to participate in research programs at both Johns Hopkins and Harvard University. She has chosen to take part in the Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH), taking place from June-August. In addition to research with Harvard faculty, lectures and access to Harvard facilities and resources, SROH provides campus housing, board research and academic-related expenses, round-trip travel to and from Cambridge, as well as a stipend of $3,000.

Amber Johnson, associate professor of anthropology, and Nora Franco, visiting Fulbright scholar summer 2012, presented a paper “Comparing hunter-gatherer projections with the distribution of lithic raw materials in Southern Patagonia (Argentina)” in a session on “Processual Archaeology Beyond Binford: Current State and Future Directions,” organized by Johnson and John Hays, at the Society for American Archaeology meetings in Memphis, Tenn., April 18-22.

Elaine McDuff, associate professor of sociology, presented a paper entitled “Internships and Transformative Learning in South Africa” in a session on study abroad and global transformation at the Midwest Sociological Society Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minn., March 30. She also organized the study abroad session, along with a session on women and religion and attended the board of directors meeting as the elected board representative from Missouri.

“Kirksville,” a collection of poems by Bob Mielke, professor of English, contains 66 poems that are patterned after the works of Jim Barnes, a former Truman professor who published a collection on Paris. Poems include: “La Fuente, Baltimore Street,” “Upstairs at Too Talls Too,” “Woodwinds Apartments,” “Brashear Park (Within a Budding Grove),” “At the DuKum Inn” and “The Sun on Forest Lake.” “Kirksville” will be available in the Truman University Bookstore soon and can be ordered online now at donaldbooks.com/?page_id=61.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) will host its monthly meeting at 12 p.m. May 3 in the Student Union Building 3201. Contact Marc Becker at marc@truman.edu or call 785.6036 for more information.

Applications for the MATH Pioneers Fellowship in Merrimack Valley, Mass., are available now at matchschool.org/matchcorps/pioneers.htm and are due June 25. Fellows will be tutoring high school algebra and geometry.