Nicholas Brune, a senior mathematics major, will graduate from UMSL this spring and earn the university’s first Certificate in Actuarial Studies. (Photo by Alicia Hottle-Sippy)

A variety of studies and media outlets agree: the actuarial field is booming even among these tough economic times. A recent analysis put together by CareerCast, a job search portal that says its analysis is a quarter century in the making, states that growth in the actuarial field is set to outpace all other professions. Keeping true to its commitment to prepare students for the changing job market, UMSL now offers a Certificate in Actuarial Studies through the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. And given the profession’s booming future, it’s perhaps no surprise the first recipient of the certificate, Nicholas Brune, is completing his entire undergraduate curriculum in only three years.

Brune came to UMSL in 2010 knowing that he wanted to be an actuary. Thinking he’d have to carve his own niche within the math and economics programs, Brune went through his first semesters working toward minors in economics and statistics along with his math major. Then, in Brune’s junior year, the Certificate of Actuarial Studies was being developed and the committee behind it actually recruited Nicholas for his input.

“There’s a big need in the Midwest for actuaries right now,” said Ronald Yasbin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UMSL. “And before UMSL only one other school in the area offered any kind of degree in the field.”

But for students like Brune, who is also a student in the Pierre Laclede Honors College, an interest in the actuarial studies extends way beyond the job outlook.

“It’s hard to find a job that encourages the learning process to such a degree,” Brune said. “Some companies might give you a raise to get an MBA, but in the actuarial field it’s really not about the money, it’s about the mathematical concepts that many people have yet to learn. It’s a great opportunity, a great field for someone interested in math.”

Brune says he was fortunate to know early on that math was going to be his chosen field of study, though even as he accumulated advanced placement and college credit math courses at St. Charles (Mo.) High School, he wasn’t sure the exact career those math skills would translate into.

A few months before Brune graduated from high school a teacher brought the actuarial profession to Brune’s attention, knowing that Nicholas wanted to apply math to the financial realm and would probably prefer a career with a stronger interpersonal aspect.

It was that focus carried over from high school that allowed him to get through his entire undergrad so quickly. Though doing so was not without challenges. His very first semester he enrolled in 18 credit hours. This current semester he is enrolled in 19.

“Nicholas is a smart guy,” said Robert Sorenson, a professor of economics. “He had a goal that he had honed in on like a laser. I am sure Nick will be a great standard-bearer of the quality of our certificate program and a very successful actuary.”

Tobi Williams will graduate from UMSL on May 18 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. A 2009 graduate of the highly successful Bridge Program for high school students, Williams credits Bridge and UMSL for pointing her in the direction of a successful career. (Photo by August Jennewein)

When her mother proposed a program that included Saturday morning classes, Tobi Williams reacted like many high school sophomores.

“I said I was 100 percent against the idea,” said Williams, now 22, and about to graduate from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “But the UMSL Bridge Program ended up being a really great experience for me in so many ways.”

Located at UMSL, the Bridge Program offers a Saturday Academy for ninth through 12th graders designed to build strong academic proficiency in math, science, writing and other areas critical for the successful transition to college. Founded 27 years ago, 100 percent of Bridge students are admitted to college.

“I was attending a private high school for girls and the curriculum was college prep,” Williams said. “But Bridge helped me learn what college was really going to be like. I learned about time management and how to get things done.”

Williams also learned a lot about herself.

“I had always gone to private, predominantly white schools,” she said. “I was one of the only African American kids for a long time. Bridge, which serves predominantly African American students, gave me a different perspective.”

What she discovered at Bridge were classes filled with good students, who were hard working and successful, just like her.

When she graduated from high school, Williams headed off to the University of Missouri–Columbia. But after two years, she returned to St. Louis. She enrolled right away at UMSL.

“I loved the smaller classes, and my grades improved,” she said. “My mother graduated from here, has earned several degrees and now is a school principal”

In a program known for its standouts, Williams will do exceptionally well in life, according to those who have worked with her.

“Self-motivation, accountability and commitment are key factors placed upon students that participate in Bridge,” said Natissia Small, assistant dean of students and head of precollegiate programs. “Tobi is a wonderful example of a student who met the program’s expectations. I am certain that she will obtain her master’s degree and overall achieve lifelong success.”

Williams will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology on May 18, right on time.

“I’m very proud of myself for doing it in four years,” she said.

She plans on going to graduate school, hopefully in California. She’s going to take this next year to perhaps work for Teach for America. She has her goals set. She’s looking at marriage and family counseling or sports psychology as possible professions.

“I’m really close to my family, and I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned from them with other people,” she said.

Carl Hoagland is the Emerson Electric Endowed Professor of Teaching and Learning at UMSL.

Carl Hoagland is a visionary. As the Emerson Electric Endowed Professor of Teaching and Learning at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Hoagland not only imagined a more technologically engaged campus and curriculum, but also turned his vision into reality.

He led the effort to create the E. Desmond Lee Technology and Learning Center, a facility where students and faculty explore emerging technology in a comfortable environment. The center offers individual workstations for both Windows and Mac users. It also houses labs and conference rooms equipped with instructor workstations, interactive white boards, Polycom devices for video conferencing and video operation systems to record class sessions.

Hoagland, a 25-year resident of University City, Mo., also helped the College of Education by integrating electronic portfolios into the curriculum, allowing students to digitally compile their coursework and materials for future teacher certification.

In cooperation with the Department of English, he helped develop UMSL’s Second Life Writing Center, a virtual tutoring and learning space. The center was the first of its kind in Missouri and one of only four nationwide when it opened in 2011.

So it seems Hoagland is always up to something.

“He is truly an explorer, infinitely curious, enthusiastic and always looking for ways to improve education in public schools, colleges, universities and in the community,” said William Klein, teaching professor of English at UMSL.

Hoagland has fans among his students, too.

“I have been lucky to have Dr. Hoagland as an advisor and professor,” wrote Christopher Schott, a doctoral student in the College of Education, in a nomination letter for Hoagland. “His work and teaching has changed the way I look at education.”

Students are challenged to use new technologies in Hoagland’s classes. Projects take on other forms besides traditional paper writing. Students write blogs, produce videos on software like iMovie and Xtranormal, write music on Garageband, interview outside experts via Skype and dialogue on discussion boards via Blackboard.

For his outstanding and innovative teaching, Hoagland is being honored by the four-campus University of Missouri System with the UM President’s Award for Innovative Teaching.

“I am humbled and very excited,” Hoagland said. “Teaching is such an important part of my job, and I am very happy to be recognized for such a prestigious award.”

The Academic Affairs Office at the UM System administers a total of six UM President’s Awards. The annual, systemwide awards are open to faculty from UMSL, the University of Missouri–Columbia, the University of Missouri–Kansas City and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla.

In addition to Hoagland, four UMSL faculty members won a UM President’s Award this year: Rita Csapó-Sweet, associate professor of media studies, for cross-cultural engagement; Susann Farberman, associate teaching professor of nursing, for inter-campus collaboration; Dawn Garzon, teaching professor of nursing, for inter-campus collaboration; and Vicki Sauter, professor of information systems, for university citizenship (service).

Hoagland and his colleagues will receive their awards June 13 at a celebration in Columbia, Mo.

Vicki Sauter is a professor of information systems at UMSL. (Photo by August Jennewein)

When Vicki Sauter was 18 years old, her father fell victim to an attempted armed robbery on the street outside her family’s Chicago-area home. He fought back but during the struggle was shot once in the head and later died from the injury. Neighbors witnessed the attack, but did nothing. At the funeral, one neighbor told Sauter she was sorry, and if she’d known it was Sauter’s father, she would’ve helped.

“That conversation set the stage for much of my life,” said Sauter, professor of information systems at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “That’s why I get involved. I never want to give an apology to anyone for not helping out.”

In late April, Sauter, of Creve Coeur, Mo., learned she’s being honored by the four-campus University of Missouri System with the UM President’s Award for University Citizenship (Service). The award recognizes Sauter’s more than 30 years of leadership, mentoring and service to students, UMSL’s College of Business Administration and the field of information systems.

“Vicki has been a leader in community outreach in many directions,” Keith Womer, dean of the business college, wrote in a nomination letter for the award. “She inspires others to be involved, and the result is a web of outreach activities that captures students, business leaders and academics and has them working together for the betterment of all.”

Sauter joined UMSL’s College of Business Administration faculty in 1980 and became the first woman in the college to earn tenure. She has been a member of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences for more than 35 years, and she has held several elected positions and received numerous awards for her service to the institute.

In 2004, Sauter opened Grace’s Place, a museum named in honor of Grace Murray Hopper, a pioneer in the computing field. The museum is on the second floor of Express Scripts Hall and teaches visitors about the evolution of computing through the display of old computers and computing equipment.

In 2008, Sauter held the first Xtreme IT! Summer Academy, a precollegiate program that introduces information technology to a younger generation. The summer program enables high school students to live in the UMSL residence halls for a week while attending workshops and visiting St. Louis-area businesses to learn about information technology. At the end of the camp, students give presentations on the Web pages they developed using the knowledge and skills they gained during camp.

Sauter also started the Information Systems Advisory Board, which meets quarterly to advise the Department of Information Systems on curriculum and fundraising. She also serves as the chair for the UMSL Library Committee.

“Receiving the award is a great honor,” Sauter said. “Knowing that my passion for helping and getting involved is recognized means a lot, and I hope it inspires others to do the same.”

The Academic Affairs Office at the UM System administers a total of six UM President’s Awards. The annual, systemwide awards are open to faculty from UMSL, the University of Missouri–Columbia, the University of Missouri–Kansas City and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla.

In addition to Sauter, four UMSL faculty members won a UM President’s Award this year: Rita Csapó-Sweet, associate professor of media studies, for cross-cultural engagement; Susann Farberman, associate teaching professor of nursing, for inter-campus collaboration; Dawn Garzon, teaching professor of nursing, for inter-campus collaboration; and Carl Hoagland, the Emerson Electric Endowed Professor of Teaching and Learning, for innovative teaching.

Sauter and her colleagues will receive their awards June 13 at a celebration in Columbia, Mo.

Bob Sundvold, the new head coach of the UMSL men’s basketball team, speaks at a news conference on May 8 at the Mark Twain Athletic & Fitness Center.

Bob Sundvold, a veteran coach with more than 30 years of experience as both a head coach and assistant coach, has been named the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Lori Flanagan, director of athletics at UMSL, formally introduced Sundvold at a news conference on Wednesday in the Mark Twain Athletic & Fitness Center.

“We are delighted to name Bob as our new coach and welcome him and his family to St. Louis,” Flanagan said. “He has achieved tremendous success throughout his coaching career and we expect our men’s basketball program to continue growing and competing at a high level under his direction. We are looking forward to this new era of UMSL men’s basketball.”

Sundvold comes to UMSL after spending last season at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston under Jay Spoonhour.

“My wife, Denise, and I are both excited for this opportunity to be the head men’s basketball coach at UMSL. We are looking forward to returning to Missouri and moving to St. Louis,” Sundvold said. “I am thankful for the opportunity the UMSL administration has given me and am looking forward to sustaining the success Steve Tappmeyer put in place.”

Sundvold broke into the college coaching ranks as an assistant coach under Norm Stewart at the University of Missouri–Columbia. From 1978-1991 he helped the Tigers make nine NCAA Tournament appearances while winning six Big Eight Conference Championships and 286 total games.

Sundvold then moved on to coach one season at Missouri State University in Springfield (formerly Southwest Missouri State University) for Charlie Spoonhour, as the Bears won the 1992 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Following his one season at Missouri State, Sundvold took over as head coach at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg (former Central Missouri State University). His Mules teams posted 82 wins with trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament in each of his last three seasons. The 1995 squad was led by NCAA Division II Player of the Year Tyrone Latimer as Central Missouri State advanced to the Elite Eight.

From Central Missouri State Sundvold was hired as the head coach at the University of Missouri–Kansas City serving four years for the Kangaroos. The team posted a winning season in 2000 placing second in the Mid-Continent Conference while winning the school’s first conference tournament game. UMKC was led by Michael Jackson, the 2000 Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year.

In eight years as a head coach at the collegiate level Sundvold compiled a 125-108 (.536) record.

Sundvold returned to an assistant coach role in 2001 joining the staff at Iowa State University in Ames. He was instrumental in recruiting three straight Top 20 classes as rated by Hoop Scoop Recruiting. The 2002 class was ranked top five in the nation. The Cyclones made back-to-back postseason NIT appearances in 2003 and 2004 advancing to the national semifinals in Madison Square Garden in 2004.

In 2004 Sundvold returned to the head coaching chair as he was hired as the head coach/general manager of the Kansas City Knights of the American Basketball Association. The 2005 squad posted a 19-9 record reaching the ABA playoff quarterfinals. He returned to college game in 2008 as an assistant coach at the University of Toledo (Ohio). He was named the interim head coach in March of 2010 before entering private business for two years.

In addition to his experience as a coach on the floor, Sundvold has also worked as a basketball color analyst for ESPN covering Big 12 Conference games along with regional broadcasts for the Missouri Valley Conference, University of Missouri and Kansas State University in Manhattan.

A 1977 graduate of South Dakota State in Brookings, Sundvold was an All-North Central Conference selection as a player and an All-Academic selection. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Missouri. His younger brother Jon played on four Big Eight Championship teams at Missouri while he was an assistant coach. Jon later went on to play nine seasons in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat.

He and his wife Denise have four children: Robert, Ryne, Haley and Cameron.

On April 20, more than 150 alumni, faculty and friends attended “50 Years of Great Chemistry,” a Jubilee event celebrating the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Chemistry alumni included (from left) Joseph Bono, BS 1969; Michael Finkes, BS 1973 and MS 1978; Yanina Levchinsky-Grimmond, BS 1997 and MS 1999; Jim Grib, BS 1976 and MS 1982; and Ken Henderson, BS 1972. (Photo by Dan Younger)

Joseph Bono graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He shares many of the same memories that others have of UMSL’s early years. So, when he traveled from his home in Virginia last week to attend the reunion “50 Years of Great Chemistry,” Bono recalled the old clubhouse, classes in the laundromat and the opening of Benton Hall.

“After this visit, I realized my fondest UMSL memory is the camaraderie,” Bono said. “You were never just a number. The advanced chemistry students were all pretty tight. The faculty cared, not only about those students at the top of the class, but everyone. We all cared about each other. And that’s what we’re remembering – how much fun it was back then.”

UMSL’s Great Chemistry event was held as part of the UMSL Jubilee, a yearlong celebration of UMSL’s founding in 1963.

Bono also earned a master’s degree in political science in 1979. He recently retired from a long and distinguished career, most of it spent as a forensic scientist with the federal government. He was director of the forensic science laboratories for the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Services in Washington, D.C., and the St. Louis County Police Department. He also taught in the Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.

Lawrence Barton, professor emeritus of chemistry and biochemistry, arrived at UMSL in 1966. He served as chair of the department from 1980 to 1998 and as director of the Center for Molecular Electronics until 2006. As the unofficial historian of the department, he served as one of the organizers of the event, which attracted more than 150 people.

“It actually exceeded my expectations,” Barton said. “Alumni came from all over the country.”

With his history collection, Barton provided materials for slide shows and posters. He had a display of departmental milestones, a timeline of chemistry faculty and staff over 50 years, memorabilia and listings of alumni who had received Distinguished Alumni Awards.

For the record: From 1971 to present day, 48 major awards were presented to faculty for research and teaching, some of them multiple times. Eight chemistry alumni received Distinguished Alumni Awards, and delivered 25 Distinguished Alumni Lectures.

“I dug out lots of old stuff, things nobody else wants,” he said. “It all added to the camaraderie.”

Barton recalled the earliest days of the university when he was brought in by Charles Armbruster, the division director, to help build the science program. It was top-notch, right from the start, he said.

“Chemistry was there from the beginning, followed quickly by biology and physics,” he said. “UMSL’s first graduating class in 1967 had 10 chemistry majors, and all but one of them went on to graduate school.”

Chemistry alumni came from all over the country to celebrate – Oregon, New York, and the mountains of northern Georgia. Most alumni have remained in the St. Louis region developing careers in chemistry with companies such as Mallinckrodt, Sigma, Pfizer and Steris. Some went on to medical and dental school. Others are teaching.

Michael Finkes, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1973 and returned to get his master’s degree in chemistry in 1978, was one of those alumni. He recently retired from Monsanto after 35 years, a job he got, thanks to UMSL.

“I came back to UMSL because I needed to learn more lab skills,” Finkes said. “I worked with David Garin in chemistry doing some research, honed my skills and when I interviewed, they wanted to know all about that research.”

Finkes has remained very active with the chemistry department and has served on the executive committee of the Alumni Association for many years. Among alumni groups, chemistry stands out as a very active one. They recently developed a LinkedIn group page that numbers more than 300. Finkes says there’s a formula for their success.

“It doesn’t happen by itself,” he said. “The faculty respected us, showed a lot of interest in us and they developed that culture. And once we left, they kept up with us. It takes the existence of that culture and work of several key faculty like Lol Barton.”

Twenty members of UMSL’s Catholic Newman Center spent their spring break completing community service on Bethlehem Farm in Talcott, W.Va.

By ALLISON JOSTRAND

While most University of Missouri–St. Louis students spent spring break on icy cold slopes or hot sandy beaches, twenty members of the Catholic Newman Center at UMSL felt compelled to do otherwise. Nineteen students and Rachelle Simon, the CNC campus minister, chose to spend their break completing community service on Bethlehem Farm.

Bethlehem Farm is a Catholic community located in rural Talcott, W.Va. There are a total of nine caretakers that live and work on the farm, as well as provide community service to the people of Appalachia. The farm operates on four cornerstones of living: prayer, service, community and simplicity.

Lucy Ellerman, president of the Catholic Newman Center, described the experience as life changing and heart fulfilling. Even though the work seemed daunting, and the students were all physically exhausted, Ellerman said the students began to appreciate what their bodies could accomplish.

Tina Ingoldsby, a member of the Catholic Newman Center and Bethlehem Farm visitor, recalled some of the service as frustrating.

“But when you step back and imagine the larger picture of what your hard work really means in someone else’s life, the peace of God fills you and gives you the strength to continue,” Ingoldsby said.

She also enjoyed living off of the land, having no concept of time and having no access to technology. She shared that the students felt as though these parameters helped to build stronger bonds within the Newman community.

All students that spent time on Bethlehem Farm recalled the experience as incredibly humbling and unforgettable, and “would definitely go to Bethlehem Farm again.”

Allison Jostrand is a senior communication major at UMSL.

Jessi Cerutti, senior lecturer in art at UMSL, will teach a papermaking class this summer. (Photo by Myra Lopez)

Jessi Cerutti’s creative spark was lit early on. The senior lecturer in art at the University of Missouri­–St. Louis recently came across some drawings she made as a child. One piece foreshadowed her future vocations as a printmaker and papermaker. The young Cerutti had colored a picture with a red crayon and added a layer of green. Then, she scraped away portions of the top color to reveal the red underneath.

“My dad joked, ‘This was your dark phase,’” she said.

But more than it’s sullen appearance, the early work, according to the artist, reflects her lifelong obsession with order and process – a passion that’s useful in creating prints and paper.

Cerutti, of St. Louis, earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art at UMSL in 2005 and has returned to her alma mater to teach. This summer, she’ll offer UMSL students the opportunity to take Studio Art: Papermaking 3074.

“We’re going to be inside and outside a bunch,” Cerutti said. “We’re going to be making a big wet mess. The great thing about making paper is that you’re taking this sort of raw material and transforming it, which I think is really cool.”

Cerutti’s students will learn how to transform recycled and plant fibers into unique sheets of paper.

“Paper can be a surface to make art on, but it can also be the artwork itself,” she said. “I love the medium, because it’s really intuitive.”

Cerutti earned a master’s degree in printmaking at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2011, and her paper artwork has been shown in various exhibitions and galleries. One of her pieces, “10 Rivers, 1000 Years,” is made of handcrafted paper and takes up an entire room, with portions of the work spanning 30 feet.

She said many of her creations are delicate and storing them after an exhibit ends can be stressful. One such example hangs gingerly within a portfolio bag.

“I cringe every time I look at it,” Cerutti said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with it in the long run.”

Rock n Roll Craft Show

In 2005, Cerutti co-founded the Rock n Roll Craft Show, an independent, alternative art and craft fair. The annual event is held in November and features live music. The show has grown to include about 100 vendors.

Cerutti said the idea evolved from a regular poker night she held with friends. Some evenings they’d play cards, and other times they’d make arts and crafts.

“We started thinking about where we wanted to sell our stuff, and there wasn’t a venue that was appropriate,” she said. “The venue we wanted didn’t exist.”

So Cerutti and her friends created their own venue. Early versions of the Rock n Roll Craft Show were held in a parking lot adjacent to a store Cerutti’s mom owned. The event then moved to a gallery space. This year, the show will be held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in St. Louis’ Midtown neighborhood.

Visit rocknrollcraftshow.com or jessicerutti.com for more information.

Levi Locke, marketing coordinator at UMSL, lost 30 pounds in a university weight-loss contest.

Losing weight was serious business for Levi Locke. It wasn’t just about looking slimmer; he was determined to be victorious when he signed up for the University of Missouri–St. Louis Biggest Loser Weight Loss Challenge in January.

“I had been interested in getting in better shape for a while,” said Locke, marketing coordinator at UMSL. “This ended up being a good catalyst for it.”

The competition lasted 12 weeks and included biweekly weigh-ins and five free educational seminars on fitness and wellness.

Locke’s co-workers in University Marketing and Communications tracked his weight loss on a dry erase board in the office. Each week, a new cartoon depicted an updated weight and a slimmer Locke, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English at UMSL in 2004.

At the end of the 12 weeks, he had lost 30 pounds. He did it by sticking to a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet and exercising occasionally.

“Basically, I reduced my carb intake to under 20 grams per day, ” Locke said. “I exercised here and there, particularly biking once it got warm. The vast majority of the weight loss was from changing my diet, however.”

And the change worked. He claimed first place and half the sign-up pool. His winnings totaled $500. The remaining money went to second place ($300) and third place ($200). Locke said he plans to purchase parts and build a new computer with his prize money.

For now, he’s stopped dieting and said he’s content with his current physique.

“It was a good experience, but I’m happy to be finished,” he said.

The College of Nursing sponsored the UMSL Biggest Loser Weight Loss Challenge.

UMSL alumnus T. Christopher Peoples is president of Pitzman’s Company of Surveyors and Engineers. He was honored in February by the St. Louis Business Journal as one of the newspaper’s “40 Under 40″ for making an impact in business before the age of 40. (Photo by August Jennewein)

The daily commute from his home in north St. Louis to his high school in Kirkwood, Mo., was an opportunity for T. Christopher Peoples to contemplate. The student’s mind often juxtaposed the two communities.

“Kirkwood was nice and beautiful, kind of like Pleasantville,” he says. “But no one was really fixing up places in the city of St. Louis.”

Peoples, 33, is now the president and chief executive officer of Pitzman’s Company of Surveyors and Engineers in Maplewood, Mo., but he says it was that car ride in high school and the disparity he observed that turned on his interest to engineering.

“I thought, ‘What can I do, and what can I go to school for that would allow me to make my neighborhood like Kirkwood?,’” he says.

He eventually enrolled at the University of Missouri–St. Louis as a civil engineering major. Through a partnership with Washington University in St. Louis, UMSL offers an engineering program in which students take pre-engineering and general education courses at UMSL and upper-level engineering courses at WUSTL.

“You basically get a Wash U engineering education for UMSL prices,” Peoples says. “I felt UMSL was offering me everything I needed.”

Almost all of the engineering classes are taught in the late afternoon or evening – a schedule that worked for Peoples who was a part-time student, full-time worker and a single parent.

“Despite having to attend school part time and at night, I still felt like I was getting an equal education,” he says. “I didn’t feel like I was being cheated out of any opportunities.”

Peoples completed a bachelor’s degree in 2008. But while he was still a student, he applied for an entry-level surveying position at Pitzman’s Company. Roy Leimberg, the owner at the time, hired the 20-year-old.

“I was only his second African American employee ever,” Peoples says. “He took a chance on me and gave me an opportunity, and for that I was extremely grateful and tried to work as hard as I could for him.”

Since joining Pitzman’s Company, Peoples has held every position there. In 2010, he purchased a majority stake in the firm and became president and CEO.

This story was originally published in the spring 2013 issue of UMSL Magazine.