In the summer of 2010, University of Missouri–St. Louis archaeologist Michael Cosmopoulos and his team uncovered the oldest written record in Europe.
Stories by Myra Lopez
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UMSL delegation brings art, music to Balkans
Art and music are the great equalizers to language barriers. The two played an important role when an official delegation from the University of Missouri–St. Louis recently visited Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Dubrovnik in Croatia.
Scholar to lend expertise to international anthropology organization
Susan Brownell will lend her expertise to an international organization that is one of the major funding sources for anthropological research in the U.S.
New dean takes helm at College of Nursing
A little over a month on the job and boxes still line her office floor while empty bookshelves wait to be filled. Susan Dean-Baar, the new dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, is still moving into her position, literally and figuratively. She started at UMSL July 1.
Excitement, tears as families drop off new crop of UMSL students
A student-guided tour of the University of Missouri–St. Louis last year sealed the deal for Rachel DeKanick. The freshman psychology major from Minneapolis had several universities on her short list, but the UMSL tour won her over.
Chemist honored for science contributions, named ACS fellow
For years of outstanding achievements in his profession and contributions to science, Lawrence Barton has been named a 2012 American Chemical Society Fellow.
St. Louis artists gain exposure in Gallery 210 exhibition
An exhibition that’s become one of Gallery 210’s most anticipated shows is back. “Exposure 15” is the latest in a series of group exhibitions designed to feature artists who live and work in the St. Louis metropolitan area. This year, Gallery 210 at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, will present the work of Heather Corley, Deborah Douglas and Gina Alvarez, who was named Best Local Artist by the Riverfront Times in 2009.
Study abroad program offers language, cultural opportunities
Chantal Rivadeneyra yearned to learn French with a native’s accent. Scott Morrissey hungered for a foreign adventure. And Jack Tucker wanted to refine his Spanish skills.
Gallery Visio to exhibit live interactive art show
There will be no standing back and simply admiring the art work at the next Gallery Visio exhibit at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
$1M grant to fund ‘Innovation Campus’ at UMSL
Getting students out of college faster with better job prospects and less debt is the goal of an ‘Innovation Campus’ program to be established at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Gallery 210 season to include 10 new exhibits
You know those dust bunnies that meander through your house? They get the star treatment in a new short film to be screened at the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ Gallery 210.
STARS program caps another successful year
A summer of hard work has paid off for more than 80 aspiring scientists who spent six weeks conducting intensive...
Student on a roll with research on marbles
Clocking many hours doing research and analysis can be a solitary experience. Often times leaving Mary Lynn Longsworth, a senior anthropology major at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, wondering if anyone besides her could be interested in the work she’s doing.
Professor in demand for Olympic expertise
With the London Olympics just around the corner, the demand has increased for the expertise of a professor at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Susan Brownell, professor of anthropology at UMSL, is an expert on the Olympic Games, with a special emphasis on Chinese sports. She was in Beijing during the 2008 games and has written two books on China and the Olympics; “Beijing’s Games: What the Olympics Mean to China” and “Training the Body for China: Sports in the Moral Order of the People’s Republic.”
Gallery season will range from DIY art to quilts
Do-it-yourself art, large-scale surreal dreamscapes and a series of handmade quilts will be part of the 2012-13 exhibition season in Gallery Visio at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. The exhibits are free and open to the public.
STARS student has science in her genes
At 15, with college right around the corner, Preethi UmaShanker has been giving a lot of thought to the universal question that plagues most teenagers, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
‘Whelm’ sculpture takes shape outside Gallery 210
The metal mound taking shape outside of Gallery 210 on the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus will become a 50-foot-long outdoor sculpture called “Whelm.”
A star is born: Student carves out thriving music career
“I don’t sleep as much as I’d like to,” said a chuckling Lydia Vaughan. The 19-year-old junior majoring in communication at the University of Missouri–St. Louis is extra busy these days balancing her school work, a part-time job and a thriving music career.
Alumna aims for sensory overload in new photo exhibit
Please touch the art! You won’t find any signs asking the public to keep its distance at the current exhibit of photographer and University of Missouri–St. Louis alumna Rebecca Haas, BFA 2010.
Grobman Drive re-opens to vehicle traffic
Arnold B. Grobman Drive is driveable once again! The section of road on the North Campus of University of Missouri–St. Louis has re-opened to vehicle traffic. It was closed down in early June for a construction project. The portion of Grobman Drive directly east of Parking Lot D was closed off to cars.
Study questions long-held conclusions of male mating habits
During courtship, peacocks raise their colorful fan of tail feathers and shake them, the objective is to advertise to potential mates and win female favor. But a recent WIRED magazine article is poking holes in that theory, indicating that the mating dance between the sexes is far more complicated than male showmanship.
Chinese flowers focus of student’s research on climate change
How do flowers in a remote area of China factor into the study of climate change? Since 2009, Robbie Hart, a PhD candidate in biology at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, has been traveling to China’s Yunnan Province to study how rhododendrons in the region are adapting to global warming, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
Students pull out all stops to make ‘The Stakes’
Joshua McNew thought he’d scouted out the perfect location to shoot the gritty student-driven drama “The Stakes.” In January, cast and crew set up shop at the Ford Asphalt Company building in Bridgeton, Mo., for a two-day, 24-hour marathon shoot. One problem, the site is right next to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
Student’s digital portrait paintings to be displayed at Gallery Visio
Becky Wulf blurs the lines of animation and fine art through her series of digital portrait paintings. The University of Missouri–St. Louis student will display her work July 12- Aug. 8 at Gallery Visio. An opening reception for the exhibition called “Booshi” “will be from 4 to 7 p.m. July 12. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Greek dig makes pages of Archaeology magazine
Each summer for more than a decade, University of Missouri–St. Louis archaeologist Michael Cosmopoulos has led an expedition of students and volunteers to an area in the middle of an olive grove in southwest Greece for hands-on experience they’re likely to never forget.
The Current wants you! Paper offering internships
Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel did it. So did Gary Belsky, a contributor at TIME.com and former editor-in-chief of ESPN The Magazine.
Instructor shows off international instrument collection
Aurelia Hartenberger has been collecting musical instruments for nearly four decades. But, they’re not your average run-of-the-mill ones. They come from all over the world. Her collection features African drums, bells and rattles, plus historical Civil War instruments and one-of-a-kind custom-made modern jazz pieces, including some played by jazz greats Artie Shaw and Clark Terry.
Beekeepers to swarm UMSL for 3-day conference
The University of Missouri–St. Louis will be buzzing with activity during a three-day conference of beekeepers July 12-14. The 2012 Heartland Apicultural Society Conference will offer instructional classroom programs and hands-on classes in a bee yard. Sessions are designed for beekeepers at all skill levels. Click here to view the conference schedule.
Scholar walks away winner at Madrid Film Festival
Niyi Coker’s film “Pennies for the Boatman” took center stage at the Madrid International Film Festival by beating out the competition and taking home the prize for best film script.
New bike trail, underpass taking shape
A new bicycle underpass being constructed on the campus of University of Missouri–St. Louis finally started to take shape Friday, as crews used a large crane to put sections of the underpass in place.
Student gets hands dirty at Cahokia excavations
Timothy Meyer, a senior majoring in anthropology at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, has been getting his hands dirty this summer, logging real-world experience helping excavation efforts at Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, Ill., just east of St. Louis.
Piano students to hold benefit concert
A group of University of Missouri–St. Louis piano students will soon travel to Russia and to help defray the costs they are holding a special benefit concert June 15 at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis.
Legendary Japanese queen focus of lecture
The legendary and mysterious Japanese queen Himiko will be the focus of a lecture sponsored by the Japan America Society Women’s Association.
Nursing leader to be inducted into American Academy of Nursing
Margaret Barton-Burke will join an elite group of health-care professionals when she’s inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing in October.
Touhill makes St. Louis ‘Hot List’
The University of Missouri–St. Louis has snagged a ranking in a St. Louis magazine that puts out an annual “Hot List” of the 100 things to love about St. Louis.
Watch Venus cross the face of the sun at UMSL
A rare event will transpire in the sky June 5, and astronomers at the University of Missouri–St. Louis are inviting the public to watch.
Detour alert: Construction to close Grobman Drive
A construction project will close a section of Arnold B. Grobman Drive on the North Campus of University of Missouri–St. Louis starting June 4.
Game-show dream comes true for alumnus
University of Missouri–St. Louis alumnus Jim Virtel tested his trivia knowledge during a recent “Jeopardy!” appearance. And while he didn’t walk away a champ, he was happy with his third-place performance.
Film with UMSL ties scores coveted Cannes showing
A movie with ties to the University of Missouri–St. Louis has scored a major coup. The thriller “Fatal Call,” was recently screened at the Marché du Film, a film market that is part of the Cannes Film Festival in France. Jack Snyder, a lecturer in media studies at UMSL wrote, produced, directed and edited the film. He also makes a cameo in it.
Instructor, alumna honored for health-care work
Sheila Grigsby works with churches and congregations in the St. Louis metropolitan area to educate young people about their sexual health and HIV and AIDS.
Victorian era inspires new Gallery Visio exhibit
The latest exhibition at Gallery Visio at the University of Missouri–St. Louis takes its inspiration from the splendid Victorian era of St. Louis.
STARS places students with scientists in lab, field
Academically talented high school juniors and seniors will get a chance this summer to research everything from plant responses to environmental stress, to a protein important for nervous system differentiation and cancer, during the 2012 STARS program at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Instructor sheds light on Pentecostalism, tongue-speaking
While it might sound like gibberish to the untrained ear, there are actually two varieties of tongue-speaking among Pentecostals, according to Peter Marina, a visiting assistant professor of sociology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Thinking out loud with the intellectually curious
Why do we think about certain things? Why do we do certain things? A three-day conference for the thinking person gets under way May 20 at the Moonrise Hotel in St. Louis. The St. Louis Annual Conference on Reasons and Rationality or SLACRR is sponsored by the University of Missouri–St. Louis and Washington University in St. Louis. It runs through May 22. The conference provides a forum for new work on practical and theoretical reason.
Instructor receives prestigious honor from French government
The French government has singled out a language instructor at the University of Missouri–St. Louis to receive a prestigious honor it bestows to academics, cultural and educational figures.
Student graduates with more than degree
Travis Abbott graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis Saturday with more than just a degree; he also took with him the title of published author. Abbott, a double major in computer science and mathematics, has co-authored three papers along with Uday Chakraborty, professor of computer science at UMSL. The most recent paper was published in the prestigious journal Energy, an international, multi-disciplinary journal in energy engineering and research.
Partnership between UMSL and Missouri Institute of Mental Health is one to be ‘proud of’
It’s 8:30 a.m. and Joseph Parks has already fielded four conference calls, all of them while driving into St. Louis from his home in Columbia, Mo. Parks is the director of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Once a week, he makes the trip to MIMH, which is housed on the grounds of the old St. Louis State Hospital.
In her own words: Nurse oncologist talks about breast cancer in black women
Margaret Barton-Burke has been an oncology nurse for more than 35 years. But it wasn’t exactly a career path she grew up dreaming about. Actually, it was more or less preordained.
$14M funding secured for Natural Bridge redesign
A section of Natural Bridge Road in north St. Louis County could soon become the region’s next Great Streets Project. Tom George, chancellor of the University of Missouri St. Louis announced funding for the project at the university’s annual Chancellor’s Report to the Community May 4.
Students Greece-bound for summer excavation project
A lack of experience turned out to be a boon for two University of Missouri–St. Louis anthropology students. Seniors Amanda Anderson and Timothy Meyer will take part in a Greek excavation project this summer courtesy of a grant from the National Science Foundation program called “Research Experience for Undergraduates.” The grant is specifically targeted at undergrads who’ve never done archaeological field work. They’ll head to Greece in mid-June, and be there for several weeks.