This year’s recipients of the annual Trailblazer Awards are (left to right) Bob Sundvold, head men’s basketball coach; alum Chelesa Holden, executive director of The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth; Jill Bernard Bracy, the director of the Supply Chain Analytics Center of Excellence and an associate teaching professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Analytics; Keeta M. Holmes, assistant vice provost for academic innovation and executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning; Addy Yoder, a PhD student in the Department of Biology; and Carl Bassi, a Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor and director of research in the College of Optometry. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
Innovation and dedication are key components of any college campus. At its annual Trailblazers Award ceremony on Wednesday, the University of Missouri–St. Louis celebrated six members of the campus community who are leading with innovation and dedication and, in doing so, forging paths for a better tomorrow.
“Innovation is part of everything we do, as faculty members, as students, as administrators, to be adaptable to new things, to be able to change, to be able to go in new directions,” said Carl Bassi, a Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor and director of research in the College of Optometry.
That innovation has an immeasurable impact across the entire campus.
“Innovation and dedication impact our campus by making it a more welcoming and exciting place to be and also creating opportunities for students to learn and engage on campus,” said Addy Yoder, a PhD student in the Department of Biology.
“Innovation and dedication are what allow a campus like UMSL to remain responsive, relevant and rooted in community,” said alum Chelesa Holden, executive director of The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth.
Bassi, Yoder and Holden were just three of the recipients of this year’s Trailblazers Awards, which were also presented to Jill Bernard Bracy, the director of the Supply Chain Analytics Center of Excellence and an associate teaching professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Analytics; Keeta M. Holmes, assistant vice provost for academic innovation and executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning; and Bob Sundvold, head men’s basketball coach.
Patricia Zahn, UMSL’s director of community engagement and outreach and a 2024 Trailblazer, served as mistress of ceremonies for the event. Chancellor Kristin Sobolik, a 2023 Trailblazer, opened the event, which was held during UMSL’s annual homecoming celebration, with welcoming remarks.
“Over the last several years, we have made enormous strides through our Transform UMSL initiatives and with the launch of several new and innovative academic programs,” Sobolik said. “Today, it is fitting that we celebrate the faculty, staff, students and alumni who have helped us achieve that vision as we as a university trailblaze all across the region. We can do that as a university because we have trailblazers and leaders that really help us along that path. Today’s Trailblazers represent a vast spectrum of professional disciplines that are positioning St. Louis for growth and propelling the region forward toward unmeasured success and impactful change. And I am so proud to say that these remarkable individuals have chosen to call the University of Missouri–St. Louis their home.”
Read more below about the 2026 class of Trailblazers:
Chelesa S. Holden, LMSW, is a nationally engaged social worker, nonprofit executive, and equity-centered leader whose work spans education, community wellness, and organizational change. A proud two-time UMSL alum, Holden earned both her Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice and Bachelor of Social Work from the university and had foundational experiences that shaped her lifelong commitment to justice, service, and community impact. She currently serves as president of the UMSL Social Work Alumni Association, where she remains deeply invested in strengthening alumni engagement and advancing the legacy of social work leadership at UMSL. Holden went on to earn her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, where she developed advanced expertise in systems-level practice, trauma-informed care, and community-based interventions. She is currently pursuing a PhD in higher education administration, with scholarly interests focused on equity, institutional policy and leadership, particularly as they relate to historically marginalized communities. Professionally, Holden is the executive director of The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that addresses youth trauma, violence prevention, and mental wellness through innovative, healing-centered programming in schools and community settings. She also leads Innovative Change Consulting Group LLC, where she supports nonprofits, schools and public agencies in strategic planning, capacity-building, and equity-driven organizational development. Beyond her professional roles, Holden is a mentor, educator and advocate who believes deeply in the power of education as a pathway to liberation and possibility. Her continued service to UMSL and the broader St. Louis community reflects her commitment to lifting as she climbs and to blazing trails for those who follow.
Jill Bernard Bracy, PhD, is the director of the Supply Chain Analytics Center of Excellence and an associate teaching professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Analytics. She holds a PhD in logistics and supply chain management, an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Bracy teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Supply Chain Strategy and Quantitative Methods for Business, with a teaching philosophy centered on connecting analytical frameworks and theory to real-world industry challenges and current events to enhance student engagement and career readiness. Bracy is deeply committed to building strong, sustained partnerships between academia, industry, and the broader community. She serves on the Association of Supply Chain Management Academic Committee, is president of the Transportation Research Forum and is the academic advisor for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals–St. Louis Roundtable. She is also actively involved in workforce development initiatives including Missouri Career Pathways, Girls Inc. and the UMSL Bridge Program. In support of experiential learning, Bracy co-founded the UMSL/ASCM Midwest Gateway Supply Chain Student Case Competition, providing students with opportunities to solve real business problems in collaboration with industry partners. Most recently, she has led the development of innovative, high-impact talent pipelines, including an intercompany rotational internship program and the Boeing Procurement Co-Op Program, designed to give students immersive, applied experience across complex global supply chains. These initiatives reflect her commitment to preparing students for dynamic, data-driven careers while addressing critical workforce needs. Bracy’s research focuses on student success in higher education, experiential learning, and closing the gap between academic preparation and industry expectations. Her work and leadership emphasize applied analytics, professional skill development and meaningful industry engagement.
Carl J. Bassi is a Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor and director of research in the UMSL College of Optometry, where he has served since 1988. Throughout his career, Bassi has demonstrated a sustained commitment to innovation that bridges basic science, clinical care, education and sometimes even golf. Trained as a vision scientist with expertise spanning psychology, neuroscience and optometry, Bassi’s work has focused on understanding how anatomy of the eye and visual pathways relate to function and how that knowledge can be translated into new and better ways to assess the visual system. His research has led to the development of novel diagnostic technologies, multiple issued patents and productive collaborations with industry and interdisciplinary partners. These innovations have moved beyond the laboratory, reflecting his belief that meaningful research should ultimately impact the “real world.” As a leader, Bassi has played a central role in building and sustaining the research mission of the College of Optometry. In addition to his long-standing service as director of research, he has served as chair of the UMSL Institutional Review Board for over 20 years. He is most proud of developing and leading the college’s Optometry Scholars Program, which fosters research skills in optometry students and encourages curiosity, exploration and the development of their own paths as trailblazers.
Keeta M. Holmes serves as the assistant vice provost for academic innovation and executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, where she has been a leader in elevating teaching, strengthening curriculum, and advancing student success since 2010. Her career began at Bryn Mawr College in Russian language education using instructional technology, eventually leading her to design web-based learning modules and direct its Language Learning Center, work that shaped innovation, evidence-based practice and relationship-centered leadership. At UMSL, Holmes has pioneered transformative initiatives such as the “Online in 9” program, quality course certification systems, large scale course redesigns and supporting the campus during its shift to remote instruction in 2020. Her leadership of the university’s Curriculum Alignment Process strengthened degree pathways across more than 100 academic programs, clarifying learning outcomes and resulting in streamlined degree program assessment. Recognized for her impact across campus and the region, Holmes received the UMSL Hero Award in 2025 for her exemplary service to faculty and students, and in 2017, she was honored nationally as one of the Center for Digital Education’s “Top 30 Technologists, Transformers & Trailblazers.” Colleagues consistently describe her as an inclusive collaborator, a thoughtful mentor and a visionary builder of systems helping others thrive. Her leadership of the CTL and the regional Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference has connected thousands of educators across more than 30 institutions, growing the event into a premier regional forum for innovation in teaching. For her part, Holmes describes herself simply as someone who shows up, listens and works alongside others to make ideas possible. Holmes holds an EdD in Curriculum & Instruction from UMSL, an MA in Russian from Bryn Mawr College and a BA in Russian from the University of Kentucky.
Bob Sundvold is in his 13th season as the head men’s basketball coach at UMSL, where he owns a record of 230-147 (.610), which includes five seasons of 20 or more wins (2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2024-25). He became the school’s all-time winningest coach with an 81-79 win over Ferris State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last March and has guided the Tritons to four NCAA Tournament appearances in the past seven years, three trips to the Sweet Sixteen, the school’s first regional title in 50 years and an Elite Eight Appearance in 2022-23. Sundvold was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Coach of the Year in 2020 after guiding UMSL to a school-record 27 wins, including a 16-4 record in GLVC play and culminated with the school’s first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 1988. Under his leadership, the Tritons have advanced to the championship game of the GLVC Tournament four times since 2020 and won the school’s first conference title, defeating the University of Indianapolis in 2022. That season also saw UMSL win its first game in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 34 years en route to a Sweet Sixteen appearance. In the 2022-23 season, the Tritons got off to the best start in school history at 12-0 and climbed to as high as No. 4 in the country in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 poll. UMSL defeated GLVC rival McKendree for the Midwest Regional championship to advance to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Indiana. Under his tutelage, 14 players have garnered All-GLVC accolades, three have been named the GLVC’s Defensive Player of the Year (Steve Webb, Isaiah Fuller and Troy Glover II) and two have been named to the GLVC’s All-Freshman Team (Webb and Matt Enright). Five players have earned All-Region recognition. Now in his 21st season as a collegiate head coach, Sundvold has a career record of 354-255, which is good for a .581 winning percentage. In 2023, Sundvold was honored with the Gary Filbert Lifetime Achievement Award from the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, and in 2026 he was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
Adrianna (Addy) Yoder is a PhD student in the Department of Biology. Yoder is an active member of the Biology Graduate Student Association and the current BGSA president. She leads with a focus on creating professional development and community building opportunities for the department’s graduate students. In Spring 2025, Yoder led the biology graduate students in hosting the Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference at UMSL, an annual all-student led conference catered toward student researchers that is hosted by different Midwestern institutions each year and has been ongoing since 1979. Yoder is a wildlife ecologist in Jalene LaMontagne’s Lab, studying the patterns and environmental drivers of year-round habitat use by red-headed woodpeckers, a species in decline. She has been awarded several grants for her work from organizations including the Webster Groves Nature Study Society, the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation via the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Illinois Ornithological Society and the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center. Yoder has also been awarded the Des Lee Scholarship at UMSL and the Arnold B. Grobman Graduate Award in Field Biology within the biology department. Yoder also leads through mentoring undergraduates both in her research and on their own projects and has helped those undergraduates to win awards and grants for their own work.
