Zapata, who earned his PhD at UMSL and is now an assistant professor at UCLA, consulted with Disney on the plants depicted in the film, set in his native Colombia.
Stories by Steve Walentik
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New website highlights UMSL’s continuing efforts to improve gender equity among STEM faculty through ADVANCE
The site outlines the project’s action areas, provides a list of resources for women faculty members and features space to spotlight their work.
Professor Susan Brownell’s expertise in demand with Olympics underway in Beijing
Brownell has shared her insights on the Games with The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg TV and St. Louis Public Radio, among other outlets.
UMSL’s annual economic impact exceeds $429 million in Missouri
A new report from consulting firm Tripp Umbach affirms UMSL’s role as a vital contributor to economic development, particularly in St. Louis.
UMSL Tritons weekly rewind
Senior center Kiara Stewart averaged 15.3 points and 7.7 rebounds last week as the women’s basketball team continued its roll with three home wins.
Ask an Expert: David Kimball and Anita Manion discuss process and importance of redistricting
The Missouri Senate was expected to open debate on a proposed redistricting map for the state’s eight Congressional districts on Monday afternoon.
International Business Appreciation Month opens with panel discussion featuring journalists Ali Velshi, John Casey
The event, moderated by Dean Joan Phillips, was one of eight planned throughout February with the theme of Embracing Diversity and Opportunities.
UMSL once again receives high marks for student voting, and the work continues
The National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement found that 71.2 percent of UMSL students voted in 2020, more than 5 points higher than the national average.
Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center renaming World Ecology Award to honor late philanthropist Robert R. Hermann
Hermann was a longtime supporter of the Harris Center and presented singer and activist John Denver with the first World Ecology Award in 1990.
US News ranks UMSL among nation’s best for online bachelor’s programs
UMSL ranked second in Missouri and No. 47 nationally out of more than 360 universities on the 2022 list, unveiled on Tuesday.
Student veteran William Redden excited to begin his future after earning degree in history
Redden landed a full-time position in human resources at Patriot Machine in St. Charles before graduation and recently got engaged.
Marie Mora receives American Society of Hispanic Economists’ 2022 Academic Achievement Award
The award, first presented in 2008, was created to recognize the impact of ASHE members on research and scholarship.
Chancellor Kristin Sobolik taps experienced strategist, communicator Adella Jones to serve as chief of staff
Jones has spent the past nine years at the Centene Corporation and previously worked in community and government affairs at the Bi-State Development Agency.
Dual major Anne Brown finds direction with support, experiences she’s had at UMSL
Brown, who is on track to graduate with degrees in psychology and sociology in May, is conducting qualitative research at Bridge of Hope Ministries.
Graduate programs in criminology, supply chain management get top marks from Intelligent.com
UMSL also received top-five rankings for its online DBA and school counseling master’s programs in the website’s Best Colleges of 2022 rankings.
Alumni Association honors legislators Brian Williams, Caleb Rowden, Marlon Anderson and the late Tom Hannegan
The Friends of Higher Education Award recognizes both Democratic and Republican members of the Missouri General Assembly for their strong support.
UMSL Tritons weekly rewind
Jose Grubbs led the men’s basketball team to a win at Wisconsin-Parkside during an otherwise quiet holiday break. The Tritons are back in action Tuesday.
Internal drive, supportive family help Natalie Orf juggle parenting, school to earn economics degree
Orf was the first recipient of the Manjarrez Hawn and Centene Charitable Foundation Scholarship and had a summer internship with the Centene Corporation.
Bob Samples retiring after 31 years as spokesperson, key policy advisor at UMSL
Samples has helped lead UMSL’s marketing and communications efforts since 1990, and he’s most recently served as chief of staff to Chancellor Kristin Sobolik.
UMSL celebrating 2020 and 2021 graduates with six in-person commencement ceremonies this weekend
The university is expected to confer nearly 1,000 new degrees as it holds its first in-person commencement ceremonies since 2019.
Professor Susan Brownell lends expertise to news outlets covering diplomatic situation ahead of Olympics in Beijing
The UMSL professor of anthropology has authored multiple books about Chinese sport and the Olympic Games.
Boys Scouts of America’s local council honors UMSL for support of STEM programming
UMSL was recognized for its long partnership with the Greater St. Louis Area Council’s STEM University program, among other initiatives.
HEC Media features innovative new website from Des Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative
The website serves as a digital resource for educators and students to access arts videos, master classes and other tools from local arts organizations.
Social work students, faculty taking advantage of renovated, more centrally located space on North Campus
The School of Social Work moved from its former home in Bellerive Hall to renovated space on the fourth floor of the Social Sciences and Business Building.
Emily Blackburn implements advanced tools to help St. Louis police better understand crime and protect communities
Blackburn, a 2001 CCJ alumna, has served as the manager of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s crime analysis unit since 2012.
Community Innovation and Action Center looks to deepen its impact under new co-directors Kiley Bednar, Paul Sorenson
The center serves as a facilitator of collaboration between community partners looking to address large-scale challenges in the St. Louis region.
Up and running: Cross country teams laying the foundation for future success
Coach Steve Picucci guided the men’s and women’s cross country teams through their first full season of competition since his hiring in 2019.
Gateway Human Trafficking honors Anthony Harper with Blue Heart Award
Harper, a 1994 UMSL alumnus, has spent the past eight years working as a forensic interviewer for Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis.
UMSL faculty members help news media make sense of supply chain shortages heading into holiday season
Mitch Millstein and George Zsidisin from the Department of Supply Chain and Analytics shared their expertise in television newscasts earlier this week.
USDA awards UMSL-led team of researchers $633,000 grant to study pollination in urban orchards
Aimee Dunlap and Nathan Muchhala are collaborating with researchers from the Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, SLU, Webster and Maryville.
UMSL takes steps to address problem of plastic bags on America Recycles Day
UMSL is hosting a bench made from recycled plastic bags throughout the month of November as part of OneSTL’s Bags2Bench Tour.
STL CyberCon panel highlights different paths to careers in cybersecurity
The seventh annual conference attracted more than 160 registrants and featured a discussion on the benefits of four-year degrees and certifications.
Academic Influence ranks Richard Rosenfeld among world’s five most influential criminologists
Rosenfeld is a leading researcher on crime control, criminal justice policy, the social sources of crime and statistical trends in criminal justice.
Flag raising ceremony kicks off UMSL celebration of Veterans Day
Student veteran and music major Krishaun Dotson-Orange performed “Reveille” and “To the Color” on his trumpet as Army ROTC members raised the flag.
St. Louis County Council honors UMSL men’s basketball team for accomplishments in season cut short by COVID-19
The council adopted a resolution commending the Tritons for winning the GLVC title and securing an NCAA berth before the tournament’s cancellation in 2019-20.
Veterans Center getting some upgrades with grant from Veterans United Foundation
The $17,200 donation will pay for physical improvements to the student lounge, including new furniture and a coffee bar, to enhance students’ experiences.
UMSL celebrating first-generation students
The Opportunity Scholars Program and the Proud to Be First Scholars Program are two UMSL initiatives aimed at supporting first-generation students.
Staff members highlighting UMSL programs and initiatives in CUMU Learning & Sharing Virtual Series
D’Andre Braddix, Robin Kimberlin, Will Werner, Karl Guenther, Prima Wagan and Natissia Small are all among the scheduled presenters.
Ask an Expert: Samantha Simon explores the challenges to changing police culture in the United States
The assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice authored a recent journal article in “Social Problems” about police training.
Computer scientist Jianli Pan working to make IoT security smarter and automated with new NSA grant
Pan is one of the primary investigators on a $510,000 grant awarded through the NSA’s Cybersecurity Research Innovation 2021 Program.
Students pitch in to clean up campus streams as part of Extension & Engagement Week activities
UMSL and MU Extension also held a pop-up health and well-being event for community members at the Regional Center for Education and Work.
UMSL playing leading role in St. Louis Anchor Action Network with goal of building inclusive prosperity
The network will leverage intentional hiring, career development and spending in parts of the St. Louis region that have faced disinvestment.
Amber Reinhart talks to St. Louis Public Radio about ways to persuade loved ones about COVID-19 vaccines
The associate professor of communication and media specializes in health communication and has worked on messaging to encourage healthy behavior.
DBA students Emily Lane, Matthew Aplin-Houtz win recognition for paper highlighting communication challenges of remote work
The two first-year students won the Best Paper Award at the 2021 Engaged Management Scholarship Conference held last month in Miami.
UMSL’s new Close the Gap Grant will assist low-income students in earning their degrees
The program will help eligible students graduate with significantly less debt.
Harris Conservation Forum highlights Indigenous knowledge and its lessons for sustainability
This year’s annual forum was part of a five-day collaborative virtual conference “Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability – Food.”
Students express gratitude for scholarship support during Founders Celebration
Opportunity Scholar Afina Fayez was one of the UMSL students discussing the impact scholarships have had on their education in a new video.
Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference brings more than 1,900 educators together online in 20th year
The conference provides professional development on emerging trends in technology applications in higher education as well as online teaching strategies.
NGA, UMSL partnering to develop STEM professionals and educators
NGA Director Vice Admiral Robert D. Sharp and UMSL Chancellor Kristin Sobolik signed an Educational Partnership Agreement on Wednesday.
Hispanic Heritage Month panel discusses inclusivity in the workforce
Career Services Coordinator Scottie Floyd moderated the discussion, intended to help students discover strategies to target inclusive workplaces.