Faculty members (from left) Jill Delston, Jerome Morris and Lee Slocum are part of the third class of the University of Missouri System’s Presidential Engagement Fellows and will present their research throughout Missouri. (Photos by August Jennewein)

University of Missouri–St. Louis faculty members Jill Delston, Jerome Morris and Lee Slocum have built their careers researching issues of philosophy, education and criminal justice, respectively.

Now they’re getting a platform to share that expertise more broadly around the state of Missouri. President Mun Choi included them among the University of Missouri System’s 15 newest Presidential Engagement Fellows during Thursday’s meeting of the Board of Curators.

“The Presidential Engagement Fellows are among our best scholars and are widely respected by their peers,” Choi said. “This group also demonstrates the breadth and depth of the expertise among our faculty. I’m excited as we welcome them. This is yet another example of our commitment to serving the state of Missouri and improving the lives of our fellow citizens.”

Delston is an associate teaching professor of philosophy, focusing on social and political philosophy, normative ethical theory, applied ethics and ancient Greek philosophy. Her book “Medical Sexism: Contraception Access, Reproductive Medicine and Health Care,” released in 2019, looks at the sexism behind doctors requiring excess testing or denying patients access to birth control.

Morris is the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Urban Education and a research fellow with the Center for Public Policy Research. In a research investigation sponsored by the Spencer Foundation’s Major Research Grant Program, Morris studied achievement gaps and related issues in an Atlanta school district. His book “Troubling the Waters: Fulfilling the Promise of Quality Public Schooling for Black Children” incorporates research from schools in Atlanta and St. Louis.

Slocum is a professor of criminology and criminal justice whose work focuses on police-citizen relations, developmental criminology and how people’s environment shapes their behavior. She is part of the UMSL Comprehensive Safe Schools Initiative, a study that explores school safety. In her recent work, she has looked at how people’s interactions with police affect their perceptions of law enforcement.

Delston, Morris and Slocum join the third class of Presidential Engagement Fellows, who were selected based on their demonstrated excellence and their ability to communicate their research to the public.

The fellowship allows faculty members to share their research discoveries and expert knowledge with Missouri citizens in every county. They participate in training and take part in three to five speaking events throughout the year.

The 2020-21 Presidential Engagement Fellows are:

• Scott Christianson, business management, University of Missouri–Columbia
• Dima Dandachi, infectious diseases, MU
• Jill Delston, philosophy, UMSL
• William Horner, political science, MU
• Jamila Jefferson-Jones, law, University of Missouri–Kansas City
• Joey Lightner, nursing and health studies, UMKC
• Joan McDowd, psychology, UMKC
• Jerome Morris, educator preparation and leadership, UMSL
• Kathleen Preble, social work, MU
• David Rogers, geosciences and petroleum engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Lee Slocum, criminology and criminal justice, UMSL
• Julija Sukys, creative nonfiction, MU
• Dave Westenberg, biological sciences, Missouri S&T
• Virginia Ramseyer Winter, social work, MU
• Guirong (Grace) Yan, engineering and computing/civil architectural & environmental engineering, Missouri S&T