UMSL biologist Robert Ricklefs was part of a research team that studied two species of seabirds to help shed light on why penguins lost their ability to fly. Their findings were published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.” (Photo by August Jennewein)

Why don’t penguins fly?

A new study bolsters the widely-held theory that penguins abandoned flight in order to evolve into accomplished swimmers.

Flying is a speedier mode of transportation. So, why give it up for a flightless existence? To help solve the mystery a team of researchers examined two diving seabird species that still have some ability to fly – the thick-billed murres, which are wing-propelled divers, and the pelagic cormorant, which are foot-propelled divers.

The researchers, including Robert Ricklefs, Curators’ Professor of Biology at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, found that both cormorants and murres must spend exceedingly large amounts of energy to fly.

“Biomechanical models of energy costs during flying and diving suggest that a wing designed for optimal diving performance should lead to enormous energy costs when flying in air,” the authors wrote in a paper published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”

The findings suggest that birds are designed to do one or the other – fly or swim – and as they adapt to diving their flying abilities weaken.

“Basically, they have to reduce their wings or grow larger to improve their diving, and both would make flying impossible,” Ricklefs told Nature. “To be an efficient swimmer you want a wing that is more like an oar — that makes it impossible to fly,” he explained to NBC News.

He said the main message from their research is compromise.

“You can’t have a wing that’s both good for propulsion in water and in air,” he told New Scientist.

Articles on the study were also published by BBC, Wired.co.uk, Discovery News, Scientific American, LiveScience and Yahoo! News.

Note: UMSL Events contains information about events that will occur in the seven days following publication (Friday-Thursday). It contains information compiled from the UMSL Campus Calendar. No submissions are accepted, and since the calendar is self-populated, University Marketing and Communications is not responsible for the content that appears here or its accuracy. If you would like to receive UMSL Events via e-mail, you can subscribe to UMSL Daily or UMSL Daily Events.

Benefit Concert for UMSL Catholic Newman Ctr: Peg Roach Loyd
Date/Time: May 24, 2013 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Location: UMSL Catholic Newman Center, 8200 Natural Bridge Rd
Audience: Open
Description: Suggested Donation of $10 benefits the UMSL Catholic Newman Center. UMSL alumna, author and singer-songwriter will present a concert of original & traditional Irish/Celtic songs from her CD, Carving in Stone and new book, The Path – Songs and Stories to Quiet the Mind, Calm the Heart & Inspire the Soul.
For Info: Peg Roach Loyd at 501-920-8534

Gypsy Caravan
Date/Time: May 27, 2013 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: UMSL North Campus
Audience: Open
Description: This annual Saint Louis Symphony Volunteer Association’s fund-raising event is the Midwest’s largest antique, craft and flea market. General admission – $10: Early Bird admission (7-9 a.m.)-$20. Children under 12 free at all times. Gypsy Hotline – 314-286-4452
For Info: Cindy Vantine at 314-516-5442

Weight Watchers at Work
Date/Time: May 28, 2013 11:30 AM to 12:30 AM
Location: 225 MSC, Conference Room
Audience: Open
Description: Come join Weight Watchers at Work on-campus any Tuesday. A group of faculty and staff meet with a Weight Watchers facilitator on a weekly basis. To initiate the process, follow these instructions: Go to https://wellness.weightwatchers.com Enter Company ID: 46814 Enter Company Passcode: WW46814 Register as a new member GENERAL INFORMATION: Meeting Times are Tuesdays 11:30am-12:30pm in 225 MSC $39.95/month Includes free access to E-Tools, an on-line resource to help with your success Questions or interest in the program? Contact Teresa Balestreri (ext. 5002; tkb@umsl.edu)
For Info: Teresa Balestreri at 314-516-5002

Spring Training Institute
Date/Time: May 29, 2013 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach, Missouri
Audience: Open
Description: This conference is designed for anyone interested in behavioral health. You may view the program schedule,find other info or register at: www.mimhtraining.com
For Info: Karen Rhodes at 314-877-6411

Mindfulness Meditation
Date/Time: May 29, 2013 12:15 PM to 12:45 PM
Location: Center for Student Success conference room– 225 MSC
Audience: Open
Description: Mindfulness Meditation is a proven—and increasingly popular—method for reducing stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and a variety of medical conditions. Incorporating Mindfulness into your schedule can enhance your overall well-being and allow you to live your life more fully. These weekly guided Mindfulness activities are free and open to beginning as well as experienced meditators.
For Info: Jamie Linsin at 314-516-5711

What’s a Bylaw? Why they are needed, and how to draft them
Date/Time: May 29, 2013 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Location: J.C. Penney Conference Center
Audience: Open
Description: Are you attempting to draft bylaws for a nonprofit corporation? Does your existing Nonprofit Corporation have a set of bylaws that could use a review, or overhaul? Are you interested in learning more about how a well-crafted set of bylaws can lead to good governance and management of your nonprofit organization? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should attend this class on “Understanding and Drafting Bylaws”. Samples and examples will be provided during class, as will a list of other helpful sources of information that will guide your organization towards an effective and well-crafted set of bylaws. Cost to attend is $25. For more information, call Dan Sise at 516-6378
For Info: Dan Sise at 314-516-6378

What’s a Bylaw? How Does My organization Need Them
Date/Time: May 29, 2013 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Location: JC Penney Conference Center
Audience: Open
Description: Whether you’re trying to draft, revise or just learn more about bylaws for a nonprofit organization, you should attend this class. Samples and examples will be provided during class as will a list of helpful sources of information that guide your organization towards an effective and well crafted set of bylaws.
For Info: Mattie Lewis at 314-516-5655

Performance Management (Management)
Date/Time: May 30, 2013 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Location: Arts Administration Building, HR Training Center (Room 222)
Audience: Faculty/Staff
Description: Monthly classroom training sessions are offered to staff on a first-come-first-serve basis. Participants can sign up and find a schedule of courses through myLearn. To enroll in this course, view the catalog and select UMSL Instructor Led Training. Select desired course. For other training opportunities, please visit: http://www.umsl.edu/services/hrs/Current%20Employees/training.html
For Info: Tara VanDeVoorde at 314-516-5258

Audio Engineering II
Date/Time: May 30, 2013 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Location: University of Missouri-St. Louis & Notifi Records
Audience: Open
Description: The certificate program is designed to prepare participants to develop technical skills related to the production of high quality sound recordings. Through a mix of lecture-based courses and hands-on studio training, participants will learn to use audio technology, including recording consoles, microphones, and the widely used audio software program Pro Tools. In addition, the program will feature an Introduction to Music Business course. Fee: $375
For Info: Jennifer Clemente at 314-516-5994

UMSL researchers Jason Atkins (left) and Mohit Patel are racking up awards and grants for their work in developing new technology to transfer DNA into cells. (Photo by August Jennewein)

On any given day, Jason Atkins and Mohit Patel can be found toiling away inside a chemical biology lab at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. And they love every minute of it.

“It doesn’t feel like work,” Atkins said. “This is what I love to do. It’s fun.”

Atkins, of Maryland Heights, Mo., and Patel, of Normandy, Mo., are research associates at the university, both pursuing doctoral degrees in biology and working in the laboratory of George Gokel, director of the Center for Nanoscience at UMSL.

Much of Atkins and Patel’s research centers on ion channels – proteins that act as pores within cell membranes and enable electrical currents to pass in and out of cells. They recently developed new technology to transfer DNA into cells. The development is an inexpensive and non-toxic method to help DNA cross the cell membrane so that cells can be modified.

In honor of their work, Atkins and Patel were inducted as honorary members of the UMSL chapter of the National Academy of Inventors, and they were presented the UMSL Student Inventor of the Year Award, which brought a $500 prize.

Atkins and Patel will also share a $50,000 grant with Gokel for the trio’s project “Novel, non-toxic and highly efficient chemical transformation and transfection reagents.” The four-campus University of Missouri System awarded the grant through its FastTrack Funding program.

The three honors were bestowed upon Atkins and Patel on April 26 at a reception that capped UMSL’s annual Research and Innovation Week.

And earlier this month, the pair picked up a fourth award, taking home a $50,000 Arch Grants to help fund their biotechnology startup company Genetix Fusion. The duo was among 20 companies chosen out of an initial field of more than 700 applicants, according to an article published May 14 in the St. Louis Business Journal.

“Standing among the winners not only validates our technology and the team, but also provides us the opportunity to network with entrepreneurs and scientific and business leaders,” Patel said. “The grant will help us establish our operations here in St. Louis and initiate sales and marketing for our first product.”

Eleven other researchers were honored at UMSL’s annual Research and Innovation Week reception:

• Matthew Hile, UMSL Senior Investigator of the Year Award

• Xuemin Wang, UMSL Senior Faculty Inventor of the Year Award

• April Regester, UMSL Junior Faculty Inventor of the Year Award

• Edward Jarka and Michael Howe, $42,000, UM System FastTrack Funding program for “A hand-held Meibomian gland warmer and expressor”

• Michael Nichols and Alexei Demchenko, $39,900, UM System FastTrack Funding program for “Development and testing of an Endotoxin antagonist compound”

• Joan Brennan, Matthew MacEwan and Steven Mestemacher, honorary inventor inductees, National Academy of Inventors, UMSL chapter

• Joseph O’Sullivan, inventor inductee, National Academy of Inventors, UMSL chapter

Media coverage:
KMOX (1120 AM)
KSDK (Channel 5)

UMSL’s Rita Csapó-Sweet (left) receives a letter announcing her University of Missouri President’s Award for Cross-Cultural Engagement by Chris Weisbrook, director of academic programs at the University of Missouri System.

Rita Csapó-Sweet grew up a first-generation Hungarian-American. Her parents came to the United States after World War II. Because of her ethnic background, she felt a little out of place growing up in America. But a college trip to Hungary remedied her feelings of alienation and carved out a path that saw her become a cultural ambassador of sorts.

“Suddenly, I understood why I had always felt myself an outsider,” said Csapó-Sweet, associate professor of media studies at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “My year abroad put the narrative of my life into context. A foot in both worlds has served me well during the past 40 years.”

In late April, Csapó-Sweet, of St. Louis, was honored by the four-campus University of Missouri System with the UM President’s Award for Cross-Cultural Engagement. The award recognizes her efforts to build cultural and educational exchange projects with Eastern European universities. She established institutional links with the University of Debrecen in Hungary, University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina and University of Dubrovnik in Croatia.

“Rita is more than deserving of this prestigious award,” Barbara Harbach, professor of music at UMSL, wrote in a nomination letter for the award. “She has worked passionately in helping victims of war in several of these countries but most importantly in cultivating exchanges for faculty and students that can benefit from the understanding of learning to appreciate different cultures with their unique ethnicities and customs.”

In 1995, Csapó-Sweet developed an educational and cultural exchange program with the University of Debrecen in Hungary, with a grant from the U.S. Department of State and International Studies and Programs at UMSL.

For decades, Csapó-Sweet’s international research has been funded by the Soros Foundation, IREX, and the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

And she recently received her third UM Research Board grant to curate a program of films from the former Yugoslavia at the 2013 St. Louis International Film Festival. Her documentaries have been broadcast nationally and internationally, and she is the faculty adviser for the UMSL Film Production Society.

Through the efforts of Csapó-Sweet, UMSL signed student-faculty exchange agreements in 2007 with the Universities of Sarajevo in Bosnia and the University of Dubrovnik in Croatia. In 2010, UMSL students began taking classes in Sarajevo, and this fall two students from Sarajevo will study at UMSL. Csapó-Sweet will donate funds from her UM President’s Award to bring the two students to St. Louis.

Since making her first trip back to Hungary in 1973 to study at the  Royal Academy of Fine Art and discover her heritage and family roots, Csapó-Sweet has frequently visited Eastern Europe.

“That one year of being abroad completely changed my life,” she said. “I realized I had this whole other part of me that I didn’t really know existed.”

For Csapó-Sweet, creating UMSL’s cultural exchange programs is a career highlight. She said the programs can be a salve for young people experiencing similar emotions, and even if students aren’t looking to fill a void, exchange programs are a unique and valuable experience.

“It’s easy for a child to feel like an outsider if you have cultural roots elsewhere,” Csapó-Sweet said. “You never really feel completely 100 percent part of this society. If there’s some chance you can go back to a place where you have family, where you have another language, students should grab the opportunity. Because after college you might never have a chance again.”

This summer, she’ll return to Hungary, Sarajevo and Dubrovnik to continue her research and strengthen ties on behalf of UMSL.

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 Csapó-Sweet, four UMSL faculty members won a UM President’s Award this year: Vicki Sauter, professor of information systems, for university citizenship; 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.

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

Dan Isom, Endowed Professor of Policing and Community at UMSL, announces the St. Louis Initiative to Reduce Violence program during a news conference May 20 at UMSL. (Photo by August Jennewein)

With 24 years of experience in law enforcement, Dan Isom understands the problems facing St. Louis residents.

“During my tenure as police chief I saw the issues related to violence in our community, both for individuals, and for families and neighborhoods,” said Isom, Endowed Professor of Policing and Community at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “We know it is a problem in our community, so a selected group of people came together to focus on two areas. We know that the violence is going down … but we think these areas need some special treatment.”

The St. Louis Initiative to Reduce Violence was announced during a news conference Monday at UMSL. The conference, hosted by Isom and Richard Rosenfeld, Curators’ Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UMSL, outlined the pilot program, which will be implemented in St. Louis’ sixth police district and Jennings, Mo.

SIRV is a grassroots effort to increase community safety, engage youth to build trust and increase the quality of life for families and communities. The initiative was created by the Rev. B.T. Rice of New Horizon Christian Church in St. Louis County, and brings together both law enforcement and community leaders from St. Louis and St. Louis County.

Visit sirvstl.org for more information about the St. Louis Initiative to Reduce Violence.

Media coverage:
CNN
KSDK (Channel 5)
KTVI (Channel 2)
St. Louis Beacon
St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU

David Abolt is a freshman on the UMSL men’s golf team.

Freshman David Abolt, of the University of Missouri–St. Louis, has been named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Golf Team, as announced by the league office.

Abolt, a business administration major, joins junior Joe Atkisson and senior Chase Smith on the list. Atkisson, who was the league’s medalist, and Smith, who tied for third place at the GLVC Championship, were automatic selections based on their top-five finishes at the tournament. Following completion of the conference meet, five additional members were voted on by the coaches to complete the 11-member All-GLVC team. 

Abolt entered NCAA Regional play with a team-best stroke average of 73.92. He recorded five top-10 finishes during the year, including earning medalist honors at The Jewell Midwest Regional.

Keith Womer (left), dean of the College of Business Administration at UMSL, talks with Casey Nolan, host of “Stay Tuned” on KETC, about what students can expect after graduation.

‘Tis the season to graduate. And many young people are looking to make their next move. But what is it?

Three University of Missouri–St. Louis scholars were recently featured on “Stay Tuned,” a weekly live program that airs on KETC (Channel 9). Keith Womer, dean of the College of Business Administration, Alan Byrd, dean of enrollment services, and Carl Hoagland, the Emerson Electric Endowed Professor of Teaching and Learning, took part in the show “Graduation Season: What’s Next?”

The program touched on the value of a college education, internships, marketable skills and dealing with student loan debt.

Tom McPhail is a professor of media studies and chair of the Department of Theatre, Dance and Media Studies at UMSL. (Photo by Myra Lopez)

Tom McPhail, professor of media studies and chair of the Department of Theatre, Dance and Media Studies at the University of Missouri­­­–St. Louis, has accepted an invitation to join an advisory group at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.

As part of the advisory group for research evaluation, McPhail will review internal faculty research grant applications in the areas of journalism, communication, media studies and international relations. He’ll also help perform quality assessments of completed research projects. McPhail was one of five foreign experts invited to join the advisory group earlier this spring.

“They consider me one of the preeminent scholars on the subject matters and welcome my participation as long as I have the time,” he said.

Pontifical Catholic University of Peru is a private university in Lima, founded in 1917 by a Catholic priest as Peru’s first nonprofit private institution of higher learning. It’s the only Peruvian university to be listed among the top 500 universities in the world in international rankings.

McPhail is a media analyst, who’s frequently quoted by national and international news outlets. He joined UMSL in 1990 and teaches courses on international media, cultural studies, new media and telecommunication policy. He’s also a fellow in International Studies and Programs at UMSL. His book, “Global Communication: Theories, Stakeholders, and Trends,” is an authoritative text on international communication. The third edition was published in 2010, and McPhail is working on the fourth edition.

Susan Brownell, a professor of anthropology specializing in China at UMSL, recently weighed in on gender wage disparity in China for a Bloomberg Businessweek article. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Of the 20 richest individuals in China, three are self-made female billionaires. But the ranking certainly isn’t a norm. In fact, China has a growing gender pay disparity, which Chinese expert Susan Brownell told Bloomberg Businessweek harkens back to the country’s male-oriented work traditions.

The particular nature of China’s modern business landscape emphasizes guanxi, said Brownell, an anthropology professor specializing in China at the University of Missouri­­­–St. Louis. That refers to the stoking of interlocking personal and professional connections.

“Guanxi itself is such a male world,” Brownell told Bloomberg Businessweek. “Businessmen go to KTV bars and often patronize prostitutes together. It’s hard for women to share the same bonding experiences.”

According to Brownell, at least one successful female Chinese business owner has designated a young man on her staff to take male clients out on her behalf. She said the arrangement is evidence of successful women in China developing tactics to handle the male aspects of guanxi.

However, she notes that while the solution is “crafty” it’s “a depressing form of accommodation.”

To read the full article “Why China Needs a ‘Lean In’ Movement” visit Bloomberg Businessweek.

Media coverage:
China Digital Times

What started out as just an idea of Dance St. Louis Artistic and Executive Director Michael Uthoff has exploded into one of the hottest dance festivals in the country. Thirty professional dance companies, three nights, $15 tickets – the Memorial Day Weekend phenomenon, Spring to Dance Festival, returns for its sixth year at the University of Missouri–St. Louis with a smorgasbord of dance styles, including everything from cutting-edge contemporary dance and tap to classical ballet, modern and more.

Dancers from 30 companies across the country will gather at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL for three nights of nonstop performances. It’s the best opportunity of the year to see all types of dance, varying in style and repertoire, from nationally touring professional dance companies in the Midwest and on the East and West Coasts. Presented by Dance St. Louis, the Touhill Performing Arts Center, Edward Jones and Whitaker Foundation, the sixth Annual Emerson Spring to Dance Festival will take place May 23 through May 25.

Spring to Dance has two notable highlights this year: over half of the 30 companies have never participated in the festival and, back by popular demand, St. Louis native, dance extraordinaire and principal dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Antonio Douthit, is performing a duet with the talented and breathtaking Alicia Graf Mack, another Ailey principal who once resided in St. Louis with her husband, a native St. Louisan.

“What’s unique about this year’s Spring to Dance is that 16 of the companies are new to the festival,” Uthoff said. “So while there are some returning favorites like Chicago Human Rhythm Project and MOMENTA, there are also new participants like Camille A. Brown from Durham, N.C., and Robert Moses’ Kin and others from San Francisco.”

Uthoff, who created Spring to Dance in 2008, developed a formula for the festival’s program whereby participating companies are a mix of those that appeared the year before, those that did not appear that year but did appear in previous festivals, and those completely new to St. Louis. This formula ensures the return of audience favorites while keeping the mix constantly fresh.

“Audiences flock to the performances — the price is right and the offerings are generous,” stated Time Out Chicago. “Dance St. Louis has just the ticket,” hailed Dance Magazine.

“Spring to Dance is the most popular event of the season because of its affordability, accessibility and variety, which attract a wide mix of people from the greater St. Louis area and beyond,” Uthoff said. “It’s also a fun and upbeat festival with a convivial atmosphere, making it the perfect way to wind down the season.”

Each evening’s $15 ticket covers three sets of performances. Interactive demonstrations from St. Louis-area arts groups, ranging in style from Irish and African dance to hula and hip-hop, will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Touhill’s Terrace Lobby. Performances by four different professional companies will start at 6 p.m. in the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater, followed by the 7:30 p.m. mainstage performances by another six professional dance companies in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall. A total of 10 professional dance companies will perform each evening of the festival.

Performances in the Lee Theater will begin at 6 p.m. Due to the intimate and limited seating in the Lee Theater, its performances are only open to ticket holders who have special Lee Theater passes. The Lee Theater passes are free and will be handed out in the Touhill’s Upper Lobby beginning at 5 p.m. on the night of the show until all passes are gone. If guests are not able to secure a pass, they can enjoy the interactive performances by local dance troupes in the Terrace Lobby, which will run continuously from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. until the mainstage performances begin in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 per night and available at the Dance St. Louis box office at 3547 Olive Street in the Centene Center for Arts and Education in Grand Center in St. Louis, by calling 314-534-6622 or by visiting dancestlouis.org.