The nursing alumna is the director of Cardiology Services and Respiratory Care Services at both Progress West Hospital in O’Fallon, Mo., and Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital.
Stories by Marisol Ramirez
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UMSL chemist talks HPV, antivirals, progress toward cure
James Bashkin is the moderator for “Infectious Diseases and Their Impact on American Society,” the next in the Hellen and Will Carpenter Series on Contemporary Issues in American Society.
Innovative teaching wins optometry professor education award
Ed Bennett was recognized with the 2015 Michael G. Harris Award for Excellence in Optometric Education by the American Academy of Optometry.
Bat woman: Not the fictional heroine, the real UMSL alumna
Vona Kuczynska, MS biology 2015, is a bat specialist for SCI Engineering, a consulting company that helps developers comply with the Endangered Species Act.
New UMSL Planetarium opens to universe
The first open house for the new facility caught the attention of St. Louis Public Radio and attracted more than a hundred visitors its opening weekend.
Biologist wins international ecology prize
The Catalan government awarded Curators’ Professor of Biology Robert Ricklefs the 2015 Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology for his contributions to the field.
New year, new look for optometry nook in Marillac
Wander down the west stairs of Marillac Hall to its bottom floor and stumble upon all new sights.
Tough-love teaching wins computer scientist Chancellor’s Award
Sanjiv Bhatia will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching on Sept. 16 during the State of the University Address.
Optometrist, military man, humanitarian wins Chancellor’s Award for civic engagement
Dr. W. Howard McAlister, associate professor of optometry at UMSL, will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement on Sept. 16 during the State of the University Address.
Eye on UMSL: Helping hands
Student volunteers gave incoming freshman Katie Kluesner (center) a helping hand as she set up her room in Oak Hall during UMSL’s Move-In Day on Friday.
Little Nursing School educates girls, strengthens UMSL community nursing
UMSL nursing students volunteered with the program that teaches fourth-grade girls about nursing and health science.
STARS students awarded for pre-collegiate science research
Nearly 30 high school students in the 2015 STARS cohort have snagged an LMI Aerospace Award for Excellence in Research.
Eye on UMSL: Degree in hand
Nursing graduate Kirstin Hill smiles wide at the Aug. 8 commencement ceremony after completing her bachelor’s of science degree at UMSL.
UMSL, WUSTL Joint Engineering grad’s climb to MAVERICK
Michael Goedeker graduated this past spring with his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and now works for MAVERICK Technologies.
Triton Overnight Experience leaves students oriented, set to go
New Student Orientation sets up incoming freshmen for success. The last two orientations are Aug. 6 and 7.
$2 million grant brings College of Nursing to rural, underserved communities
The DNP program will use the money to establish more community partnerships and fund new teaching technology.
STARS program graduates budding scientists
More than 60 of the top area high school students graduated from the STARS program housed at UMSL.
Behind the scenes: KETC on campus, STARS program on camera
KETC came to campus to do a segment for “Science Matters” on the STARS program at UMSL.
On the Chinese stage: Jazz faculty, student combo performs abroad
The faculty and student jazz combo traveled to China this summer to perform at three of UMSL’s exchange universities.
Student’s iOS game app lands him programming internship
Computer science graduate student Eryn Cantrell’s summer internship is at the application and mobile development company Asynchrony in St. Louis.
DNA, supramolecular chemistry research wins PhD student science award
Joe Meisel won the 2015 Ciel DeGutis Award for “transfecting” cells with DNA, research that has implications for genetic disease.
First Opportunity Scholars graduate
Briona Perry and Elle Fitzpatrick are on to bigger dreams with their bachelor’s degrees in biology.
Eye on UMSL: Feet in pond
Amanda Davis and Shane Bower’s friendly competition of rock-paper-scissors ended with their feet in the pond.
Biology graduate studies avian malaria parasites in Cuba
Lindsey Gray’s research was made possible by grants the recent graduate received during her senior year at UMSL.
Mental health expert discusses art, healing, advocacy on KETC
Andrea Purnell shared her perspective on art’s relationship to healing and advocacy.
Remembering UMSL’s first and only palace
Table tennis tournaments were a regular thing on campus at The Fun Palace before it closed in 1984.
Rochelle Henderson’s numbers change patients’ lives
She earned her doctorate in political science at UMSL and is now the senior director of health services at Express Scripts in St. Louis.
Meet Natalie Smith: PRIZM president, LGBT advocate, community builder
She oversaw the Walls of Intolerance event, where students shared moments of discrimination on red paper bricks.
Cardinals tickets and more at UMSL Night at the Ballpark
UMSL Night at the Ballpark is Sept. 4. Festivities include a pre-game reception, an exclusive field visit and limited edition St. Louis Cardinals baseball caps.
Mental health advocate, leader awarded Chancellor’s Medallion
Director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health Keith Schafer (center) was awarded the Chancellor’s Medallion on May 1.
Botanical Garden internship focuses on endangered species research
Senior biology major Rachel Becknell studied the endangered species commonly called Pyne’s ground plum through the internship.
The different hats of Chancellor Tom George, but especially the science one
People know the name Tom George as chancellor of the University of Missouri–St. Louis. But he does so many other...
Cooking up a neighborhood
Chef and restaurant owner Ben Poremba (BA philosophy 2003) is helping revitalize the Botanical Heights neighborhood in St. Louis.
Summer STARS program to turn high school students into college scientists
This summer, 68 high school juniors will fill UMSL laboratories, conducting science research involving everything from fighting cervical cancer to designing and building satellites.
Psychology professor, Nawgan co-founder talks startups, research at UMSL
UMSL Director of MIMH and psychology Professor Rob Paul knows about startups and research after his ventures in producing a brain alertness drink called Nawgan.
MIMH website gets facelift
“The revitalized website was strategically designed from the ground up to highlight the extraordinary work conducted … at MIMH,” says Rob Paul, director of the institute.
Peruvian primate fieldwork leads biology student to found nonprofit
Biology doctoral student Gideon Erkenswick teaches about Amazon wildlife through his nonprofit Field Projects International.
Tritons baseball’s inspiring second baseman featured on KSDK
Cystic fibrosis hasn’t stopped senior business administration major Daniel Seddon from playing baseball for UMSL.
Pi Day winner talks digits, memorization
Freshman Omar Ismail covers his eyes to concentrate on reciting pi, a number with an infinite decimal representation best known by its first three digits (3.14).
Children’s oncology nurse advances career through online BSN program
Jori Derner (left), a nurse at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, graduated from the RN to BSN online program in 2013.
Eye on UMSL: Piece of pi
Freshman computer science major Omar Ismail captivates a crowd in the Pilot House as he recites 2,020 digits of pi.
Parkinson’s gene focus of biology student’s research
Christine Noto studies human neural cells for her research on Parkinson’s gene LRRK2, for which she received an Undergraduate Research Grant.
The Big Man on Campus can sing
Mason Scott is a junior music major with an emphasis in vocal performance at UMSL.
Astrophysics student duo to run observatory open house
Astrophysics students Matt Dennis and Matt Wentzel will run the 2015 Richard D. Schwartz Observatory Open House.
Eye on UMSL: Mediterranean flavors
Restaurant owner and chef Ben Poremba toasts in Olio, a former gas station he transformed into a wine bar and eatery in St. Louis’ Botanical Heights neighborhood.
Language student headed to Germany on scholarship
Sophomore Seth Huntington will study abroad in Germany thanks to the St. Louis-Stuttgart Sister Cities Language Immersion Scholarship.
Emerson awards associate professor of nursing, UMSL alumni for teaching
Associate Professor of Nursing Wilma Calvert received an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. Chancellor Tom George attended the fall celebration, where 11 other UMSL alumni were also recipients.
UMSL scientist named NAI Fellow for blood glucose measuring device
This prestigious distinction comes after Xu’s portable, inexpensive, noninvasive monitor for people with diabetes earned him “Inventor of the Year” from The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Want a nursing career? BSN Preview Day around the corner
Kelsi Schlundt, a junior BSN major, will be volunteering at the 2015 BSN Preview Day on Jan. 31.
UMSL Newman Center turns 50
The center remains a place of social gathering, where service and faith and sharing experiences build a warm community for students, alumni, faculty and staff.