Construction work on the Quad on North Campus continues as the Transform UMSL initiative continues to take shape. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
In 2025, the University of Missouri–St. Louis continued to bring transformative change to campus and the St. Louis region.
Despite the many challenges facing higher education institutions today, UMSL is committed to meeting the needs of its students and the region through first-class academics, trailblazing research and state-of-the-art facilities.
“Here at UMSL, we are not standing still in the face of these challenges,” Chancellor Kristin Sobolik said during her annual State of the University Address. “Sustainability and innovation are guiding our ability to adapt and thrive. This morning, I will share how we are managing resources wisely, navigating the evolving landscape of higher education, and – above all – remaining steadfast in our commitment to deliver high-quality academic programs that transform lives.”
This past year, UMSL expanded its academic programming, welcomed the first named college in university history, continued to renovate campus and enjoyed incredible athletic success. Look back at 2025 with a selection of UMSL Daily’s top stories.
School of Engineering
Engineering faculty member Xin Wang (middle) helps students from the first class of the School of Engineering with their robotic car this fall. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
For decades, UMSL has been committed to workforce development in the St. Louis region and beyond. This year, the university took a tremendous step toward meeting the high demand for trained engineers in Missouri by launching the brand-new School of Engineering.
The new academic unit was bolstered by an initial capital investment of $15 million in Missouri’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget and an $8 million grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation, one of the largest one-time philanthropic gifts in the history of the university. The state’s capital investment supported the planning, design and construction of labs, classrooms and student community spaces in the Science Complex, while the grant funded immediate and endowed scholarships to support students.
In April, George Nnanna assumed his role as founding director of the School of Engineering. Previously, Nnanna served as the founding dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Texas Permian Basin and the director of its Texas Water and Energy Institute in Midland, Texas. Nnanna enthusiastically threw himself into the work of building curriculum embedded with hands-on experiences to prepare future UMSL engineers to join the workforce. He also hired the school’s first two faculty members, Hamid Sanei and Xin Wang.
That hard work paid off this fall, as more than 60 students joined the school’s inaugural class.
“Providing high-quality, affordable education that leads to socioeconomic mobility is very dear to my heart,” Nnanna told UMSL Magazine. “That’s what a university should be – and that’s what the School of Engineering will be. By doing so, we’ll help meet workforce needs and address critical challenges not only across the St. Louis region, but throughout Missouri’s economy.”
Ed G. Smith College of Business
Ed G. Smith shares stories of his time as a student at UMSL during a dedication ceremony for the Ed G. Smith College of Business in August. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
In June, UMSL proudly announced the naming of its College of Business Administration as the Ed G. Smith College of Business. The first named college in the university’s history was affirmed by the University of Missouri Board of Curators on June 26 and officially dedicated in August.
Smith, who earned both his bachelor’s and master’s in business from UMSL, has generously supported the university philanthropically for two decades. Smith’s advocacy is driven by his own UMSL success story.
Smith was the first person in his family to attend college, and after graduating, he founded American Direct Marketing Resources in 1983. Thanks to his leadership, the company grew to be a nationally respected, full-service direct response advertising agency serving prestigious clients in consumer marketing and customer acquisition.
To ensure future generations of UMSL students have a similarly transformative experience, Smith has continued his generous financial support. Thanks to his gift, UMSL will strive to provide positive outcomes for students by:
• Increasing student scholarships and access to higher education;
• Expanding student success, experiential education and study abroad opportunities;
• Bolstering workforce, instructional excellence and community innovation.
“I believe in the power of education and the opportunities it creates, and in the importance of giving back,” Smith said. “UMSL was the foundation for my path to success, and I’m honored to help UMSL ensure that future business leaders can find their own successful path forward.”
Transform UMSL
Guests listen in the seats of the Arianna String Quartet Recital Hall as the group performs during the grand opening of the Creative Arts Building in October. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
In 2025, the Transform UMSL initiative has continued to take shape across campus. The plan includes more than $110 million in construction and renovation projects, reimagining the academic core on North Campus with state-of-the-art facilities to create a more vibrant on-campus experience for the UMSL community.
The initiative has been fueled by $80 million in capital funding from the state of Missouri through the American Rescue Plan Act along with university dollars and donor investments.
In October, the newly renovated and renamed Creative Arts Building opened its doors. The building, which sits just north of the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, now houses the Departments of Music and Art and Design. The $10 million project also includes a dedicated Arianna String Quartet Recital Hall as well as a new graphic design lab, expanded practice facilities and upgraded office space.
November marked the official opening of the newly renovated Thomas Jefferson and St. Louis Mercantile Libraries. A new north entrance that connects to the Quad was a key piece of the $12.1 million renovation. Other significant updates include a spacious central corridor, a new computer lab, individual study rooms and the Wallace H. Smith Gallery of Art.
The UMSL Innovation Center also held its grand opening in November. The revamped space houses three cutting-edge institutes: The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, the Supply Chain Analytics Center of Excellence and the Center for Excellence in Financial Counseling.
Athletic success
Members of the UMSL women’s soccer team huddle on the field during their national quarterfinal match against Washburn in November. The Tritons fell 3-2 in the match at World Wide Technology Soccer Park. (Photo by Patrick Clark/Athlete’s Eye Photography).
The UMSL Department of Athletics continued to build on one of its most successful stretches in school history in 2025.
This past spring, the men’s basketball team played its way to the Midwest Region final for the third time in the past four years before losing to Lake Superior State a victory short of the Elite Eight. Coach Bob Sundvold became the winningest coach in UMSL history during that postseason run.
The wins kept coming this fall, as well. The women’s soccer team won a share of the GLVC regular-season title and reached the NCAA Final Four for the first time since 1982. The team’s historic season ended with a 3-2 loss to Washburn. The volleyball team won its first-ever GLVC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament ranked 22nd in the country. Unfortunately, the team’s run ended in the opening round.
There were also standout individual performances, including by particularly from sophomore swimmer Justice Beard, who had three first-team All-American finishes at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis. Beard placed fourth in the 1,000-yard freestyle and fifth in the 500-yard freestyle, but she saved her best performance for the final day of the meet when she touched the wall second in the women’s 1,650-yard freestyle. It was the highest-ever finish by an UMSL women’s swimmer, and she set a school record with a time of 16 minutes, 24.86 seconds, breaking her own mark of 16:34.77. Women’s golfer Wilma Zanderau, meanwhile, earned GLVC Player of the Year and led the Tritons to a 14th-place finish in the national tournament with a 10th-place showing individually. That won her All-American recognition for the third consecutive season.
UMSL Athletics also unveiled a new logo of Louie.
Catch up on what happened the rest of the year:
January
Will and Tonya Rivers display incredible perseverance in finishing their DBA program
Tonya and Will Rivers share a moment during UMSL’s commencement ceremony in December 2024. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
Will and Tonya Rivers graduated with their UMSL DBA cohort on schedule despite a serious car accident, Will’s cancer diagnosis and Tonya losing both her mother and father.
The husband-and-wife duo persevered, drawing strength from their family and lessons learned building their business, Purposed2Lead.
“Their success in the program despite the significant life challenges they faced leaves behind an enduring impact on our DBA students,” said Ekin Pellegrini, the associate dean for graduate business programs and founding director of UMSL’s DBA program. “Their many stories of grit are now embedded in the DBA program’s DNA. The wisdom they inspire is continuously shared by senior students mentoring our more junior practitioner-scholars.”
More notable reads from January:
UMSL alum Lúcia Lohmann took over leadership of Missouri Botanical Garden.
Counseling master’s student Andrea King won a prestigious fellowship from the National Board for Certified Counselors.
February
College of Optometry partnering with Ritenour School District Husky Health Center to provide eye care to students
College of Optometry Dean Keshia Elder and Associate Dean of Clinical Operationss Dr. Vinita Henry (center) pose with Ritenour School District Superintendent Chris Kilbride, Dr. Julie DeKinder, Dr. Patrick Stark, members of the Ritenour school board and other administrators at a ribbon cutting in the Husky Health Center in early February. (Photo courtesy of Husky Health Center)
During classes in the College of Optometry at UMSL, third-year student Kiley Stout has reviewed studies showing that 80 percent of learning is visual. She and her fellow students have learned the impact that uncorrected vision problems can have on reading, writing and classroom participation, ultimately affecting a student’s academic success and development.
Earlier this semester, Stout witnessed the role that eye care plays in learning firsthand as one of several third-year optometry students to provide eye examinations at the Ritenour School District’s Husky Health Center. The Husky Health Center, which the school district opened in a former church last fall, allows students to access little-to-no-cost medical care and behavioral health services during school hours, and UMSL students are now providing eye exams to Ritenour students as part of a new partnership.
“Seeing this firsthand reinforced my belief that optometry plays a key role in a child’s success and strengthened my commitment to making eye care accessible, community-focused and impactful,” Stout said. “For me, vision care is more than a profession; it’s a commitment to empowering communities through sight and compassion. Being part of a school-based health initiative gave me a deeper appreciation for early detection and intervention – many of these students wouldn’t have received an eye exam otherwise. Seeing firsthand how correcting vision can improve a child’s ability to learn and engage in school motivates me to advocate for increased access to pediatric eye care in my future career.”
More notable reads from February:
The API Innovation Center opened its new research and development labs in UMSL’s Science Complex.
Biology doctoral student Soren Johnson studies how cave fish evolve in response to their unique environment.
March
Senior Khadija Tall builds on interest in international relations with DC internship
Khadija Tall is a triple major studying international relations, political science and modern languages and a member of the Pierre Laclede Honors College. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
From an early age, Khadija Tall’s family encouraged her to take an interest in the world around her.
Although she was born in St. Louis, Tall spent most of her life growing up in Guinea, her parents’ home country, after her family moved back when she was 5 years old. Her grandparents were professors and her mother worked for the U.S. Department of State in Guinea, so her family traveled frequently and often discussed culture and politics in other countries.
By the time Tall turned 18, her family had moved to Ghana – her father is now a diplomat in Ghana – and Tall enrolled at a university there to study international relations. Knowing she wanted to finish her degree in the United States, she eventually found her way to UMSL upon the recommendation of her mother, who is an alum. Tall quickly fell in love with the campus at UMSL, where she’s now a triple major studying international relations, political science and modern languages and a member of the Pierre Laclede Honors College.
Last summer, Tall was able to build on her interest in political science outside of the classroom when she interned in Washington, D.C. through the Honors College’s D.C. internship program, which was launched in 2022.
More notable reads from March:
Samantha Dobson and Torin Hovander helped found UMSL YouthMappers, which helps foster interest and develop skills in geospatial technology.
Professor Eamonn Wall, who retired in September, served as honorary marshal for St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
April
Biology alum Chris Hollingsworth contributing to Saint Louis Zoo’s hellbender conservation and care team
Chris Hollingsworth is a part-time hellbender keeper at the Saint Louis Zoo’s Ron and Karen Goellner Center for Hellbender Conservation. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
Chris Hollingsworth earned his bachelor’s degree in biology in December 2023, and since last September, Hollingsworth has served as a member of the animal care team at the St. Louis Zoo’s Ron and Karen Goellner Center for Hellbender Conservation.
The center has spent more than two decades helping to protect and preserve hellbenders, which are the largest species of salamander native to North America and that have been living in Missouri’s fast-moving streams and waterways virtually unchanged for thousands of years.
The populations of both subspecies of hellbenders – the Eastern and the Ozark – have been in decline over the past four decades due to stream impoundments, disease, pollution and siltation. The center has worked in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to rear, breed and provide a head start for hellbenders so they can be released back into Missouri rivers and streams and help restore populations to pre-decline levels.
May
Music education major Jake Philipak finds his passion, place at UMSL
Jake Philipak holds his clarinet while standing in the lobby of the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. Philipak is majoring in music education at UMSL after starting college as a physics major at Missouri University of Science and Technology. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
The audience sat captivated by every note that came from Jake Philipak’s clarinet as he stood at the center of the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall stage March 18 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.
Philipak, a sophomore music education major at UMSL, was playing “Première rhapsodie,” a renowned concerto by French composer Claude Debussy. His fingers danced up and down on the keys as the melancholy sound he made floated over the UMSL Symphony Orchestra behind him and carried throughout the auditorium during the orchestra’s annual concert featuring winners of the Young Artist Concerto Competition.
“It’s an extremely difficult piece to perform on the clarinet,” said Assistant Teaching Professor David Wacyk, who conducted the orchestra that night and serves as UMSL’s director of instrumental studies. “It was really exciting for me and for us to be able to put it all together, because he was performance-ready from the first rehearsal.”
That moment reinforced once more that Philipak was where he belonged.
More notable reads from May:
Opportunity Scholar Zahria Patrick entered a prestigious doctoral program after earning her degree in chemistry.
Interns in the Des Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative work to make an impact in the community.
June
Inaugural UMSL Engineering Camp helps high school students build excitement about the field
Hazelwood West High School student Jay’Lah Grady works on programing a 6 axis collaborative robotic arm in Benton Hall. Grady was one of more than 30 area high school students who attended the inaugural UMSL Engineering Summer Camp in June. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
This past June, a new scene greeted visitors in Benton Hall seemingly every time they peeked through the window to Room 428. One time, they might have found a group of area high school students directing robotic arms as they programmed them to pick up and place weighted blocks on a conveyor belt. The next, they could have seen the same students furiously folding, rolling and taping pieces of paper as they tried to build bridges big enough to span the gap between two desks and strong enough to support a jar of coins.
There were discussions of astronomy, biophysics and advanced manufacturing, an overview of how to develop the coding for a simple Super Mario Bros.-style game in Python, and a chance to test the virtual reality tools in the Geospatial Advanced Technology Lab – all of it part of the curriculum for the inaugural Engineering Summer Camp hosted by the new UMSL School of Engineering.
More than 30 high school students, nearly evenly divided among grades 9-12 and from more than 20 area high schools – a group that included Christian Brothers College, Kirkwood and McCluer as well as Ladue Horton Watkins, Parkway West and University City – attended the weeklong camp at UMSL. It aimed to engage students in interactive engineering-related experiences and get them more interested in educational and career opportunities to explore in the field.
More notable reads from June:
Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor Carl Bassi and collaborators Michael Howe and Wayne Garver developed a Q3D device that allows earlier detection and treatment of “lazy eye.”
Accounting graduate Abby Foust was accepted to law school.
July
Dean Marius Boboc brings leadership, research experience to the College of Education
In July, Marius Boboc began his tenure as the dean of the College of Education. Louis. Before coming to UMSL, Boboc spent 23 years as part of the faculty in the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education at Cleveland State University. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
Marius Boboc has built a distinguished career in education that has spanned multiple decades, countries and institutions. Boboc’s dedicated professional practice and scholarship have helped him rise to several leadership positions, including chair of the Department of Teacher Education and vice provost of the Office of Academic Planning at Cleveland State University. In July, he began his tenure as the dean of the College of Education at UMSL, marking a new phase in his professional journey.
Boboc’s work in his new role started with listening to stakeholders at UMSL and within the St. Louis community to develop a detailed picture of where the college is currently succeeding and where it can evolve.
“There is room for growth in particular areas,” he said. “Through reaching out to community members, we can make collaborative decisions about how to expand our capacity to do more while sustaining the capacity to do what we do so well.”
More notable reads from July:
George Nnanna was named ABET commissioner and team chair.
Biology Professor Aimee Dunlap was elected as a fellow of the Animal Behavior Society.
August
Record fundraising helping prepare UMSL to meet the needs of students and region into the future
UMSL received a record $46.7 million in gifts and pledges during the 2025 fiscal year, including $22 million directed toward scholarships and other student success support. (Photo by Jay Fram)
UMSL has served a vital role in the St. Louis region, educating people from all walks of life and developing the workforce to drive it forward over more than six decades.
New investments from alumni and supporters have been helping UMSL develop innovative programs and transform the physical campus so that it continues to serve the needs of students and the wider region in the years ahead.
The university received $46.7 million in gifts and pledges during Fiscal Year 2025, which ended on June 30. That was more than double the $20 million total in FY2024.
Donors directed $22 million to support scholarships and other student success support.
“We are so grateful to UMSL alumni, friends and donors who believe in the mission of the University of Missouri–St. Louis to transform the lives of our students and people in our community and who are making key investments to support that work,” Sobolik said. “The trust and backing they provide UMSL is helping us renovate learning environments, add and grow scholarships and build lasting workforce and community partnerships that will help prepare our students for success in their careers and their lives.”
More notable reads from August:
Air Force veteran Matt Markivee juggles the demands of parenting and a career while working toward a degree in communication.
Associate Professor April Regester helped launch the Inclusive Postsecondary Education Association.
September
Faculty in computer science, biology and physics receive prestigious NSF research funding
Faculty members (from left) Azim Ahmadzadeh, Jalene LaMontagne, Sara Miller, Erika Gibb and Mohi Saki have each received grants from the National Science Foundation to support their research earlier this year. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)
The National Science Foundation awarded four grants totaling more than $1.9 million to researchers at UMSL.
Faculty members Azim Ahmadzadeh in the Department of Computer Science, Jalene LaMontagne and Sara Miller in the Department of Biology, and Erika Gibb and Mohi Saki in the Department of Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy and Statistics each received approval for funding to support their important work in the past three months.
“NSF funding is extremely competitive,” said Christopher Spilling, UMSL’s vice chancellor for research and economic and community development. “I am extremely proud of this group of faculty members for their innovative research and persistence in securing NSF funding.”
More notable reads from September:
History major Kathleen Jochman shared scenes from a life-changing experience studying abroad in Ireland.
Optometry alum Dr. Sarah Frye Heywood is building a career as optical regional director at Walmart.
October
UMSL Addiction Science Team’s research shows overdose deaths declining in Missouri for second straight year
Members of UMSL’s Addiction Science Team assemble overdose prevention kits with doses of naloxone and information about treatment for addiction as part of their efforts to combat the opioid crisis in Missouri and reduce overdose deaths. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)
A report from the UMSL Addiction Science Team released this fall showed a 26% decrease in overdose deaths in Missouri from 2023 to 2024, with 1,450 people dying last year compared to 1,948 the year before.
It marks the second year in a row that the state saw a decline in overdose deaths, while the number of opioid-related deaths fell by 36% to its lowest total – 910 – since 2016.
Several news outlets were quick to cover the welcome trend, with First Alert 4, Spectrum News and KBIA Radio all publishing stories about the report. But Rachel Winograd, who leads the Addiction Science Team and holds a dual appointment as an associate professor in UMSL’s Department of Psychological Sciences and Missouri Institute of Mental Health, remains measured in assessing the progress.
“The recent decline in overdose deaths, after years of devastating increases, is encouraging and shows that public health efforts are making a difference,” Winograd said. “But the crisis is far from over. Nearly 1,500 lives were still lost last year in Missouri, and that’s 1,500 too many. Beyond the deaths, there are a lot of ways people continue to suffer from our toxic drug supply and the horrible consequences of addiction, so we must continue to strive to reduce that suffering as much as possible.”
More notable reads from October:
Doctoral candidate Becky Hansis-O’Neill’s research helps build better understanding of tarantulas.
November
UMSL’s Advanced Workforce Center delivers diverse pathways to prepare the workforce of tomorrow
UMSL’s Advanced Workforce Center, which has opened a new location on campus, aims to be the leader in professional education in the St. Louis region for skilling, reskilling and upskilling. (Illustration by Martin Baragiola)
Stepping into a classroom for the first time in 13 years in January, Carmen Major felt immensely proud.
A police officer assigned to the body camera unit with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Major has worked for the department for nearly 20 years. She started working with the SLMPD in a civilian capacity in 2007, the same year she began studying at UMSL after transferring from community college. But as a single parent with little support, she quickly got overwhelmed juggling her responsibilities at home, at work and in the classroom. She dropped out of school to focus on her career and providing for her family, going on to graduate from the Police Academy in 2019.
Last year, when Major heard about the SLMPD’s new educational partnership agreement with UMSL, she initially wasn’t interested. Even though the program, developed through UMSL’s Advanced Workforce Center, covers 100% of tuition costs after reimbursement, the idea of going back to school seemed unappealing. It reminded her of a time in her life when she had a lot of struggles.
But the more she thought about it, Major found herself getting excited about the possibility of being back in school and finally finishing her degree. While she wasn’t sure how she would perform, she knew she was older, wiser and better equipped to handle whatever life threw her way. She made the decision to dedicate her time and effort into being successful in school, enrolling in her first course in UMSL’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice this spring.
More notable reads from November:
Eric Zhang pursues his passion for piano while also studying supply chain management.
December
Accounting graduate Alex Paubel adds new layers to Paubel family legacy at UMSL
Heeding the advice from her siblings, Alex Paubel has made the most of her time as a student at UMSL. By the time she finishes her Accelerated Master’s program next year, she will have completed five accounting internships. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
On a beautiful day in late August, a ceremony dedicating the newly named Ed G. Smith College of Business at UMSL was held on the lawn in front of Anheuser-Busch Hall, and the choice of the first speaker for the event was absolutely perfect.
Alex Paubel, the president of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board, held a distinction that made her the ideal person to welcome everyone to the event. A senior accounting major, she was just a few months away from earning her bachelor’s in accounting and becoming the ninth member of her immediate family to earn a degree from UMSL – both of her parents, plus her six older siblings.
So on that day, one legacy name at UMSL introduced another legacy name at UMSL.
“It was an incredible honor,” Paubel said. “I was definitely nervous, but I was excited because of the new era we’re going into at the College of Business, with the naming of the college and all of Dean Shu Schiller’s initiatives. And there was a real sense of community, too. After I had given my speech, all these people I wasn’t aware of, such as former faculty members, people from the Missouri Society of CPAs and UMSL donors, were all congratulating me on my speech and showing excitement for the new era at UMSL. It’s amazing that we have this supportive community.”
More notable reads from December:
Army ROTC returned to the UMSL campus after a several-year hiatus.
New research from Anne Austin has revealed the prevalence of tattooing in ancient Nubia, including on young children.
