A native of Kearney, Nebraska, Kingsley was first connected with his new colleagues while studying at UMSL.
Stories by Heather Riske
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At the Missouri Arts Council, Bob Madden helps foster community engagement and education through art
Madden works to strengthen arts education in Missouri and make art more accessible to non-profits and communities across the state.
College of Optometry using VR technology to create customized progressive lenses
The breakthrough virtual reality tool allows opticians to design progressive lenses that are fully customized to patients by tracking their specific gaze dynamics.
UMSL optometry alum Dr. Brianne Hobbs named dean of Chicago College of Optometry
A 2010 graduate, Hobbs has spent the past 15 years carving out a career in optometric education.
Faculty members Rachel Wamser and Kim Werner contribute chapters to book on cognitive processing therapy for complex cases
Developed at UMSL in 1988, the evidence-based therapy focuses on identifying how traumatic experiences change thoughts and beliefs and how those thoughts influence feelings and behaviors.
UMSL honors exemplary faculty, staff with Chancellor’s Awards
Twelve faculty members and seven staff members were recognized following the annual State of the University Address.
Michael Howe, Natalia Mata and Emily Byrne receive UMSL Hero Awards
The award is presented to up to three staff or faculty members each month in recognition of their efforts to transform the lives of UMSL students and the wider community.
2023 graphic design alum Nicole DuFour builds on passion for illustration with children’s book, ‘The Star Dweller’
DuFour created the book, which has been featured in The New York Times Book Review and at international book festivals, as her senior capstone project.
DNP graduate Victoria Cobb works with BSN students to treat loneliness in older adults
Cobb’s project used weekly socialization visits and mindfulness interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness in residents at St. Andrew’s Senior Solutions.
Assistant Clinical Professor Dr. Tareq Nabhan named president of the St. Louis Optometric Society
The organization provides continuing education to local optometrists with the goal of improving visual health across the greater St. Louis community.
Nursing DNP graduate Luke Little works to improve NPO times for geriatric patients
Little’s project aimed to reduce the amount of time that geriatric patients go without being able to eat or drink while in the emergency department.
Second location of Triton Pantry opens in Seton Hall on South Campus
The pantry offers dried goods, canned goods, deodorant, toilet paper, hygiene supplies and diapers free of cost for UMSL students.
Nursing PhD graduate Erin Doan studies resilience in chronic stroke patients
Doan’s research focused on using a mindfulness-based stress reduction program to support recovery from stroke.
College of Optometry Professor Julie DeKinder appointed chair of the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education
The organization is responsible for setting the standards for the profession of optometry.
Acappellooza Summer brings more than 140 high school students to UMSL campus
The annual overnight music camp features an immersive four days of singing led by some of the world’s best-known names in a cappella music.
MFA grad Alysha Black selected for Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award in Belgium
Black will spend the 2025-26 academic year at Howest University of Applied Sciences in Bruges, Belgium, where she will teach, conduct creative writing workshops and continue to work on her novel.
Fourth-year Optometry student Emerald Jones honored as recipient of prestigious Remington R. Williams Award
Jones previously served as president of both the Missouri Optometric Student Association and the Fellowship of Christian Optometrists and has been heavily involved in the college.
Art and Design Professor Jeff Sippel named Missouri Arts Council’s Featured Artist for June 2025
A renowned printmaker in his own right, Sippel has devoted much of his career to revolutionizing safer practices for lithographic printing.
Honors College welcomes 2025 cohort of five Opportunity Scholars and 20 St. Louis Scholars
The all-inclusive four-year program focuses on academically gifted first-generation college students or students who face substantial challenges in accessing a university education.
Nursing, Optometry students team up for mock hypertension exams in Nursing Simulation Lab
The interprofessional event brought together students from the College of Optometry, the College of Nursing’s Accelerated BSN Program and the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy.
May graduate Cameron Schroeder builds on passion for research in College of Optometry
Schroeder conducted research and presented posters at several national conferences, including on refractive error and pinhole acuity relationships.
May graduate Tiffany Aldridge Rhine pivots to career in optometry with new position at Center for Vision and Learning
Aldridge Rhine, who earned her bachelor’s from UMSL in 2000, decided to embark on a career in optometry after reading a story in UMSL Magazine.
UMSL Center for Character and Citizenship hosts MyImpact Challenge Showcase for Missouri with local high school students
The civic engagement contest highlighted the creativity, leadership and impact of students ages 16 to 19 who are actively engaged in service, volunteerism or entrepreneurship in their communities.
UMSL alum Princess Stormm builds on passion for supporting local music talent
After working for Hot 104.1 for over 10 years, Stormm is turning her focus to the Midwest Music Summit.
May graduate Abbey Martin pursues passion for optometry with new position at Regional Eyecare
Martin found her passion for humanitarian work while volunteering with UMSL’s chapter of Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity last month.
Through its humanitarian work, UMSL’s College of Optometry helps students see a new side of health care
UMSL’s chapter of Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity sends students to schools, Native American reservations and refugee resettlement institutions across the country.
BSN grad Sarah Barksdale starting position at St. Louis Children’s Hospital Heart Center
Barksdale will be working as a registered nurse, caring for children born with congenital heart defects.
Optometry graduate Alex Fenson launching career in vision therapy
Fenson, who competed in the Olympic trials for curling while starting optometry school, plans to bring needed care to his hometown of Bemidji, Minnesota.
UMSL College of Optometry launches partnership with Kansas City University Biomedical Sciences Program
The new agreement between the two universities will help funnel students in the one-year BIOS program into UMSL’s College of Optometry.
Upcoming BSN graduate Miranda Martin lands position as operating room nurse at SSM Health DePaul Hospital
Through the Opportunity Scholars Program, Martin received a full-ride, four-year scholarship to UMSL.
Upcoming UMSL Optometry graduates Alexandra Buffington and Vivien Pham build on shared interest in humanitarian work in Guatemala
The group of volunteers through I Care International examined approximately 1,100 patients during the clinics in early March.
Lauren Stumpf, Ann Kauffman and Elijah McCoy receive UMSL Hero Awards
The award is presented to up to three staff or faculty members each month in recognition of their efforts to transform the lives of UMSL students and the wider community.
Mirthweek returns with a full week of events on campus, including the Student Leadership Awards, Mirthweek Carnival and more
New events include an after party and Jeopardy-inspired trivia game.
2025 Trailblazer Awards celebrates individuals who educate and inspire generations
This year’s recipients are Grace Desjardins, Adella Jones, Dawn King, Ekin Pellegrini, Chanua Ross and Lynn Staley.
First-year optometry student Luke Pellegrino builds on passion for working with low-vision patients by raising a puppy for Dogs Inc
In addition to his studies, Pellegrino is teaching the puppy basic cues and exposing her to new environments.
Biology major Kyliyah Walker presents at UM System’s Undergraduate Research Day
Walker studies Poecilia mexicana, a species of live-bearing fish that have adapted to surviving in hydrogen sulfide-abundant waters, in the Tobler Lab.
Senior Khadija Tall builds on interest in international relations with DC internship
A triple major studying international relations, political science and modern languages, Tall recently participated in the Honors College’s Washington, D.C. internship program.
Student-produced documentary from UTV highlights 25 years of Bellerive
Members of the Bellerive staff and UTV, UMSL’s student-run television channel, produced a short documentary about the Honors College publication.
College of Optometry partnering with Ritenour School District Husky Health Center to provide eye care to students
The newly opened health center allows students to access little-to-no-cost medical care and behavioral health services during school hours.
Longtime Optometry faculty members Dr. Ed Bennett and Dr. Vinita Henry recognized for contribution to field of contact lenses
Bennett received the CLMA Medal of Honor, while Henry received an award named for Bennett himself: the Dr. Edward S. Bennett GPLI Educator of the Year award.
Engineering grad Bob O’Neill builds on passion for sustainability working in retro-commissioning
As a project engineer with Grumman|Butkus Associates in Chicago, O’Neill looks for ways to save energy and optimize mechanical systems in existing buildings to make them more efficient and sustainable.
DNP graduate Roselie Woodard embarks on new role as outpatient psychiatric nurse practitioner
Woodard’s research project examined how screening guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics can be used to improve early identification of ADHD for female youth with a history of self-harm.
Nursing PhD graduate Cherryl Rainey researches the impact of mentorship on work engagement and professional development in nursing
Rainey, who works at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, has found mentorship to be a critical component of advancing in the nursing field.
Third-year optometry student Hallie Traverse awarded scholarship from Wisconsin Optometric Association
A Wisconsin native, Traverse was recognized for her academic performance, ability, character, leadership and interest in the profession of optometry.
BSN graduate Madison Zerban working as a pediatric hematology and oncology nurse at St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Zerban graduated in December with her bachelor’s in nursing and a certificate from the Honors College.
UMSL alum Nicole Northway designs bamboo pajamas with personality at Emerson and Friends
Based in Clearwater, Florida, the company is known for its playful illustrations, from ocean animals to rainbows, florals and holiday imagery.
Biology graduate Julia Talbert working as research assistant at the Danforth Plant Science Center
Talbert, who graduated in December with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a certificate from the Pierre Laclede Honors College, researches sorghum, one of the top five cereal crops grown in the world.
College of Nursing receives funding from Missouri State Board of Nursing to develop new nurse educator certificate program
The program will offer advanced training in curriculum development, teaching methodologies and leadership skills.
Joint engineering graduate Daniel Olejniczak lands position working on the electrical transformer system at Hitachi Energy
Olejniczak will be part of a team of technicians that operates on transformers – such as the ones used by Ameren and other large power companies – that are experiencing issues.
Five questions with Elena Jenkins, DNP student in the College of Nursing
Jenkins, who is also an artist, is passionate about maternal health and plans to open a birth center after graduation.