Vol. 17 No. 24 - March 18, 2013

Truman recently added a new guided virtual walking tour online for prospective students and campus visitors.

The tour is a series of video narrations that lead the visitor through a guided tour of the University, showcasing different aspects of the campus and community on each stop. The narrations are coupled with a coordinated slideshow of photographs showing activities that students engage in at each location.

In addition to the tour, visitors can find buttons to change the tour language, share their current tour via social media and request further information about the University. Truman’s tour is offered in English as well as Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, in hopes of accommodating international students whose first language is not English. Full translated video guides and foreign language text labels for each tour stop and interactive map are available to any prospective student wishing to learn more about Truman.

The tour also includes panoramic images, videos and additional photographs on some stops, accessible through an Explore Media tab. During the tour, a small campus map tracks the visitor’s progress around campus and can be used to access stops quickly, or the map can be expanded to replace the slideshow to give visitors a larger view of the campus.

Truman has been awarded the CampusTours Four Star Tour Award for the tour, which can be viewed at tour.truman.edu.

Truman has been included on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for 2013.

The honor roll, compiled by the Corporation for National and Community Service, recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Truman has applied for and been recognized on the honor roll. Service events that were specifically included in the application for the year as exemplary samples of service performed by the Truman community include the 2012 Big Event, the 2012 Big Week of Giving and the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Collegiate Challenge.

Truman has been included on the Honor Roll every year since its inception in 2006. The entire list of Honor Rolls and acknowledged schools is available at nationalservice.gov/about/initiatives/honorroll.asp.

Award-winning author Dr. John Smelcer will visit Truman March 27-28 to visit classes and participate in a series of public events.

Smelcer is one of the last speakers familiar with the Ahtna language, an endangered Alaska Native language. He has authored 45 books in an eclectic range of interests and disciplines. Aside from Smelcer’s many novels and poetry collections, he has published works in history, mythology, anthropology, archaeology and linguistics, as well as anthologies, plays, screenplays, dictionaries and children’s picture books. His short stories, poems, interviews and essays have appeared in more than 400 magazines and journals worldwide.

In addition to book forewords by Noam Chomsky, Stephen Pinker and Gary Snyder, Smelcer’s work has earned praise from the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Ray Bradbury, Carl Sagan, J.D. Salinger and W.P. Kinsella among others.

At 6 p.m. March 27 in Violette Hall 1010, Smelcer will present “The World Raven Made: Ahtna Athabaskan Culture, Language and Myth.”

The Truman State University Press will host an open house and book signing meet and greet from 2-4 p.m. March 28 on the third floor of the General Services Building, located at the corner of Franklin and Patterson streets.

From 7-8:30 p.m. March 28 in the Student Union Building Georgian Room A, Smelcer will participate in a public reading of his poetry, followed by a book signing.

All events are free and open to the public.
 
More information about Smelcer and his work is available on his website, johnsmelcer.com.

Phi Beta Kappa visiting scholar Tyler Burge will give a public talk at 7:30 p.m. March 21 in Baldwin Hall 176.
 
Burge, a philosophy professor at UCLA, will present “Perception: Origins of Mind.” He will also speak at the student/faculty “brown bag” session at 12 p.m. March 22 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. He will discuss the classical conception of reason as expressed by Leibniz and Kant, with an eye to reflecting on reason as a natural psychological kind.

Burge is the author of numerous articles in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, epistemology, philosophy of language and logic, and history of philosophy. His most recent book is Origins of Objectivity. He is a former president of the American Philosophical Association Pacific Division, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as of the British Academy, and a member of the American Philosophical Society and the Institut International de Philosophie. He has given the Locke Lectures at Oxford, the Dewey Lectures at Columbia and the Nicod Lectures in Paris.

Burge’s visit is made possible by Phi Beta Kappa-Delta of Missouri Chapter, the School of Social and Cultural Studies, the Provost’s Office and the Dr. Charles McClain Fund.

The Truman Department of History will host Dr. Shannon Fogg, associate professor of history at Missouri University of Science and Technology, who will deliver the 2013 Barbara Early-Vreeland Lecture at 7 p.m. March 26 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room.

At Missouri S&T, Fogg teaches courses in the areas of modern France, the French Revolution and Europe during the Second World War. Her lecture is entitled “Stealing Home: The Looting of Jewish Apartments in Paris During the Second World War.”  

Fogg earned her Bachelor of Arts in history, summa cum laude, from Texas A&M University, and her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in history from the University of Iowa. After being a visiting assistant professor at Iowa, she joined the faculty at Missouri S&T in 2004. The Missouri Conference on History gave its “Best Book Award” to her work entitled “The Politics of Everyday Life in Vichy France: Foreigners, Undesirables, and Strangers.” Her current book project relates to this Early-Vreeland Lecture. It will be entitled “Stealing Home: Looting, Restitution, Reconstruction, and Jewish Lives in France 1942-1947.”

The Barbara Early-Vreeland Lecture, established by Joseph Vreeland in memory of his wife who graduated from Truman in 1973, gives the University community the opportunity to hear public lectures by scholars of international reputation.

Truman’s 2012-2013 Kohlenberg Lyceum Series will culminate with the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin at 7:30 p.m. March 27 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium.
 
Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, founded and led by Misha Rachlevsky, has earned national and international recognition as one of Russia’s leading ensembles. The ensemble is comprised of some of Russia’s most talented young string musicians. Since it’s founding in 1991, the orchestra has played under Rachlevsky and toured across North and South America in addition to Europe and the Far East. The orchestra has acquired its own niche due to the unique style and creativity of conductor Rachlevsky.  

Rachlevsky was born and trained in Moscow, but left the Soviet Union in 1973, settled in the United States in 1976 and was the director of the New American Chamber Orchestra from 1984 to 1991. He assembled the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin that year. With more than 20 years of excellence under its belt and a devoted audience from home, the orchestra provides high-energy performances that stay with listeners long after the last note has been played.

Tickets will be available free of charge for students, faculty and staff starting March 20. Students may pick up their tickets at the Student Activities Board Office in the Student Union Building. Faculty and staff may acquire their tickets at the information desk in the Student Union Building.

General admission tickets cost $7 and are available at the Truman Cashiers Window in McClain Hall or on the square at Edna Campbells. Tickets may also be purchased online at lyceum.truman.edu.

For additional information, visit lyceum.truman.edu or contact 660.785.4016.

Truman has been recognized as a Missouri College of Distinction by Colleges of Distinction.
 
Truman is the only Missouri public university recognized among the six schools highlighted. The other five recognized are private universities. Colleges of Distinction looks at the following four distinctive areas when doing their evaluation: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes.

Colleges and universities are nominated for participation in Colleges of Distinction by high school college counselors.

The Colleges of Distinction methodology is a mix of qualitative and quantitative information with the qualitative information being gleaned from college admission experts around the country. They interview staff and faculty at each accepted college and feedback is gathered from administrators at other colleges and high school counselors across the country. They also visit each of the colleges to get a feel for student engagement and quality of teaching. In addition they use a range of quantitative data such as graduation rates, classroom size, and other key stats that speak to the four distinctive areas.

Both prominent universities and “hidden gems” are highlighted, and according to their website all of the schools share excellent reputations among high school guidance counselors and education professionals, not to mention employers and graduate schools.

For more information on visit CollegesofDistinction.com.

Out of 1,000 college radio stations across the country, the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awarded KTRM, Truman’s campus radio station, with two of its highest distinctions for “Best Station Manager” and “Best Program Director.”

Senior Geoffrey Woehlk was awarded “Best Station Manager” and junior Brooke Giddens was awarded “Best Program Director.” Other national finalists for management awards included Mark Smith for “Outstanding Advisor,” senior Eric Hallam for “Best Production Director,” and Giddens and junior Grace Salerno for “Best Promotions Directors.”

KTRM also had several finalists in content categories. Woehlk and senior Alexandria Witt were finalists for “Best News Interview,” Woehlk and senior Julie Quinn for “Best Community News,” Giddens for “Best Station/Promotional Event,” Giddens and junior Becky Smith for “Best Use of Social Media” and Giddens for “Best Celebrities/Artists Interview.” KTRM was also a finalist for “Best Website.”

Giddens had the most finalist nominations of any female west of the Mississippi River, was the fifth-most-nominated woman overall in the IBS this year, and was the only nominee to be a finalist in two different management categories.

KTRM was the only Missouri school to be a finalist, and had the most finalists of any school west of the Mississippi River. KTRM has a rich history of statewide awards, but this marks the first time the station has entered this national contest. IBS is home to more than 1,000 broadcast stations nationwide, comprising 90 percent of all affiliated student-run stations. Stations compete across 33 categories and all finalists receive a Golden Microphone Award. For more information about the awards and the IBS, visit ibsradio.org.

The Faculty Forum will continue at 6:30 p.m. March 19 in Violette Hall 1010 when P. Joan Poor and Jeanette Snowball present “Campus Built Heritage and Institutional Loyalty.”

Research has shown that the racial diversity of college/university student populations improves social tolerance and academic performance. However, it has also found that students of color are more likely to drop out than their white counterparts, and to feel isolated and excluded from campus life.

One possible reason for such feelings is the built heritage on campuses, particularly those with colonial-era style, which is often used in college marketing and recruiting.

This research uses student survey data from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in the U.S. and Rhodes University in South Africa to investigate student attitudes towards, and knowledge about, campus built heritage and their perceptions of its impact on student loyalty.

This event was originally schedule for Feb. 26.

Remember to file the 2013-2014 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) located at fafsa.gov to determine Title IV federal aid eligibility (Pell Grant, SEOG, Perkins Loan, Work Study, Stafford Direct Loans, PLUS Loans). FAFSA results are also needed for some other federal, state, University and private programs. The state’s FAFSA filing deadline for the Access Missouri Grant Program is April 1. Do not delay due to late tax filing – the FAFSA allows the use of estimated information – just update the FAFSA record after the 2012 income tax figures are finalized. Later FAFSA filing may result in more limited funding options. Contact the Financial Aid Office (McClain Hall 103, 660.785.4130) for additional information.

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 C. Lawrence Leggett Scholarship in the amount of  $2,500 is to be 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 at mief.org. Applications are due by March 31.

Marine Technology Society (MTS) is offering scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students who are studying in the marine science, marine engineering and/or marine technology field. Scholarships are for MTS student members only. For membership information, go to mtsociety.org/membership/new/add.aspx. Student membership is for full-time college students and high school seniors and is only $25 per year. Applications must be postmarked no later than April 15. Contact suzanne.voelker@mtsociety.org with any questions.

The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis is a non-profit organization that provides access to higher education to St. Louis area students through interest free loans. The program assists students with financial need. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average, demonstrate good character and must be a permanent resident of St. Louis City, St. Louis County, the Missouri counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, Warren and Washington or the Illinois counties of Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe or St. Clair. Applications are due April 15. For more information, call 314.725.7990 or email info@sfstl.org.

MassMutual Financial Group is offering high-achieving college students of African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic descent, interested in pursuing careers in the insurance and financial services industry, a scholarship opportunity for the 2013-14 academic year. For eligibility criteria, go to act.org/massmutual. Application deadline is May 3.

The Jack J. Isgur Foundation is a Missouri not-for-profit corporation formed for the purpose of promoting an interest in the field of education in the humanities, such as literature, fine arts, music, art, poetry and dance. The foundation awards scholarships to students studying at colleges and universities who indicate an interest in teaching courses in the above-described areas in school districts located in the State of Missouri, preferable 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 and to obtain an application for this scholarship, go to isgur.org. Deadline is May 15.

The creators of the “Student Award Search Aid” website are renewing the B. Davis scholarship for 2013. For more information on this $1,000 scholarship, visit studentawardsearch.com/scholarships.htm. Questions can also be sent to awards@studentawardsearch.com. Deadline to apply is May 27.

The CEO of Tomorrow Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship for students interested in business leadership and/or entrepreneurship. Applicants must answer a short online survey and submit a 500-1,000 word essay on “the CEO of tomorrow.” Possible topics could include (but are not limited to) company structure, company culture or utilization of technology. For more information, or to apply, go to ceo.com. Deadline is July 1.

Abbott & Fenner Business Consultants will be awarding up to $1,000 each year to a scholarship winner. To apply students will submit an essay on the topic that appears on the scholarship page of their website at abbottandfenner.com/scholarships.htm.

AES Engineers is committed to continuing its support of higher education by providing scholarships to deserving students. To be eligible the student needs to answer one of the essay questions that they will find online at aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm. A $500 scholarship will be awarded on the basis of character, as determined by evaluating the essays that are submitted. Deadline for entry is Oct. 4.

Many campus offices and student organizations like to create Truman-related memorabilia with the name of the University or one of the logos. The University does have a logo and style guide that contains standards for consistency. If anyone is interested in using the name of the University or its logos, those specific guidelines must be followed at all times. Because the name and logo are licensed, it is best to work directly with the Publications Office on how the name or logo might be used. Information on the main variations of the logo can be found online at publications.truman.edu/logoUsageGuide.asp. For questions concerning use of the name or logos, contact the Publications Office at 660.785.4692.

With hundreds of events taking place on campus each month, it can be difficult to keep track of everything. The University Master Calendar can help. All events listed on the University Master Calendar can be easily incorporated into Outlook, iCal and other personal planners by clicking “export” at the bottom of each event. Another option is to get an email notice by clicking on “notify” at the bottom of an event. Organizations and departments hosting on-campus events are encouraged to submit events to the Master Calendar at calendar.truman.edu.

Activity: Outdoor Soccer
Division: Greek/Org/Open
Deadline: March 18
Captains’ Meeting: Feb. 19
Play Begins: March 18

Activity: Co-Rec Outdoor Soccer
Division: Open
Deadline: March 18
Captains’ Meeting: Feb. 19
Play Begins: March 18

Activity: Swim Meet
Division: Greek/Org/Open
Deadline: March 27
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 3

Activity: Co-Rec Ultimate Frisbee
Division: Open
Deadline: April 5
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 13-14

Activity: Track Meet
Division: Greek/Org/Open
Deadline: April 10
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 18

Activity: Amazing Race-Truman
Division: Open
Deadline: April 11
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 17

Activity: Rock Climbing
Division: Open
Deadline: April 16
Captains’ Meeting:
Play Begins: April 23

All information, rules and registration requirements are online at recreation.truman.edu/intramuralrec.asp, or contact the Intramural Office at 660.785.4467. Captains’ meetings are at 5 p.m. in Magruder Hall Room 2001.

The Truman chapter of the Society of Physics Students has been selected as an “Outstanding SPS Chapter for 2011-12.” Less than 10 percent of nationwide SPS chapters are so honored, an average of about one from each state.

The Center for Academic Excellence and the School of Business are recruiting academic peer mentors for the 2013-2014 academic year. Academic peer mentors support the professional and faculty advising staff by providing an academic outreach program to first and second year students who are accounting and business administration majors, or who are considering these majors. Applicants must be juniors or seniors by the Fall 2013 semester, and must be accounting or business administration majors. A job listing may be viewed on TruPositions under “Academic Peer Mentor.” Applications are available in the Business Academic Advising Center, Violette Hall 2413, and are due March 18.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) will host its monthly meeting at 4:30 p.m. March 19 at the University Club House, 516 E. Patterson. Contact Marc Becker at marc@truman.edu or call 660.785.6036 for more information.

“Dr. Watson: A.I., Ethics, and the Future of Medicine,” a presentation by Amy Michelle DeBaets, will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. March 20 in the Student Union Building Room 3202. DeBaets is an assistant professor of bioethics at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and a Faculty Scholar in the University of Chicago Program on Medicine and Religion for 2013-2015. She will examine the future of medicine when artificial intelligence, health care and ethics collide. The talk is free and open to the public. While a meal will not be served, attendees are welcome to bring lunch to the talk. For questions, contact Dereck Daschke at ddaschke@truman.edu or 660.785.6005. Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and Religion.

The Lunch-n-Learn Series for Faculty will continue from 12:30-1:20 p.m. March 20 in Pickler Memorial Library 103. This week’s session will cover the Digital Library and E-Content. To register for this or any Lunch-n-Learn session, go to eventmanager.truman.edu.

The School of Science and Mathematics will host distinguished speaker Chaim Goodman-Strauss at 7 p.m. March 20 in Magruder Hall 2001. Goodman-Strauss, professor and chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Arkansas, will present “How the World Fits Together.”

The Global Issues Colloquium will continue at 7 p.m. March 21 in Magruder Hall 2001. Meg Edwards, visiting professor of political science, will present “Presidential Instability in South America.”

Beta Alpha Psi is sponsoring Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), a free tax return preparation and electronic filing program from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. March 23 in Violette Hall 1424. Taxpayers should be sure to bring proof of identity; copies of all W-2, 1098, 1099 forms and any other tax forms received in the mail; social security cards for all individuals listed on the tax return; and banking information if a direct deposit is desired. For more information, call 660.785.4378.

The Gold Medal Concert will take place at 8 p.m. March 23 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall. Winners of the Gold Medal Competition will perform as soloists with the University Orchestra.

The Early-Vreeland Lecture will take place at 7 p.m. March 26 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. Shannon Fogg, historian at the Missouri Institute of Science and Technology, will discuss life under Nazi rule in Vichy, France with a presentation entitled “Stealing Home: The Looting of Jewish Apartments in Paris During the Second World War.” The Early-Vreeland Lecture is sponsored by the Department of History.

The Physics Colloquium will continue at 4:30 p.m. March 27 in Magruder Hall 1096 with a presentation by alumnus Carlos Di Stefano.

The Truman Brass Choir will perform in concert at 8 p.m. March 28 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall.

Requests for computer lab software for the 2014 academic year are being accepting until April 1. The computer lab operating system will be Windows 7 with Microsoft Office 2010. To suggest a computer software for the computer labs send an email to LabSoftware@truman.edu with the following information: title of software; version; number of licenses; and company information. Software packages that were previously in the computer labs will not be available unless requested. To see the list of software packages that have been requested for 2014, go to its.truman.edu/projects/labimage13-14/index.asp#list. To see the list of software packages that were available last year, go to its.truman.edu/projects/labimage12-13/index.asp#list.

A schedule of this week’s Truman Athletics events can be found here.