UMSL’s vice provost for access, academic support and workforce integration has been working to expand access to education for more than 25 years.
Stories by Steve Walentik
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Anita Manion, Steve Moehrle, Kimberly Welch tapped as Presidential Engagement Fellows
The three will serve as ambassadors throughout the region, speaking to local organizations and communities about their areas of research and expertise.
Assistant Professor Vivek Singh’s research aimed at addressing practical problems of industry
Singh has studied different aspects of cloud computing including cost, security and operations and has expanded his research to incorporate machine learning.
UMSL honors faculty completing ACUE’s Effective Online Teaching Practices program
Forty-two faculty members completed the rigorous, 25-module program and learned evidence-based strategies to help students stay engaged and learn in online courses.
Tina Pamintuan chosen to serve as CEO of St. Louis Public Radio
Pamintuan has more than 20 years of experience in public media and has spent the past three years as the general manager at KALW (91.7 FM) in San Francisco.
Philosopher Gualtiero Piccinini’s new book dives into the computational theory of cognition
“Neurocognitive Mechanisms: Explaining Biological Cognition,” was published in December by Oxford University Press.
Love of music brings Mark Briguglio back to college, almost 50 years after he started, to earn degree
Briguglio has studied music and psychology while working toward his bachelor’s in liberal studies, and he aims to provide music therapy to military veterans after graduation.
UMSL launches new bachelor’s degree program in data science and analysis
Students can begin enrolling in the interdisciplinary program with emphasis areas in biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, social science and supply chain analytics.
MPPA alumnus David Gipson leading Clayton as city manager
Gipson was named the 2021 recipient of the Jay T. Bell Professional Management Award from the Missouri City/County Management Association.
Anthropology Professor Susan Brownell shares insight on China’s Olympic success with Radio New Zealand, Financial Times
Brownell is an expert on Chinese sport and authored “Beijing’s Games: What the Olympics Mean to China.” She has attended five Olympic Games.
College of Education earns full accreditation from Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation
UMSL students can get the training and certification they need by earning a BSEd or through alternative certification routes such as the Teach in 12 or Teach Residency programs.
Educators from across St. Louis take part in IT Career Summit hosted by UMSL
The three-day summit highlighted the role that K-12 educators can play inspiring students to pursue IT careers and offering them training to be successful.
CLIMB program internships take students into community gardens to study bees and their behavior
A total of 10 students from Jennings, Ritenour, Riverview Gardens and University City High Schools took part in the paid summer internship program.
STARS program exposes 36 area high school students to summer of scientific research
Jim Maher, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Mayo Clinic, delivered the keynote address last Friday during the program’s virtual confirmation ceremony.
Lav Gupta’s experience with broadband brings value to UM System’s Digitally Connected Communities Guide
Before coming to the United States, the assistant professor of computer science led a team planning and building networks to bring broadband access to cities across India.
D’Andre Braddix relishing even more opportunity to serve in new role as dean of students
Braddix was promoted to dean of students in April after 14 years working in the Division of Student Affairs at his alma mater.
Bird Skins Workshop helps biology students get up-close look at feathered fliers
Assistant Teaching Professor Meghann Humphries organized the workshop, which taught students how to taxidermize migratory birds donated by the St. Louis Audubon Society.
UMSL’s Nursing Learning Resource and Simulation Center to receive $1.5 million in state funding
Gov. Mike Parson signed the FY22 state operating budget bills on Wednesday evening that directed funding to assist with the $7 million project.
Renamed Geospatial Collaborative working to foster research collaboration to address community needs
The center is helping facilitate connections with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and geographic information system-related companies in St. Louis.
Tritons student-athletes excel academically during a challenging year
A record 150 UMSL student-athletes earned Academic All-GLVC honors, including 19 who posted 4.0 GPAs throughout the academic year.
UMSL ranks first in Missouri in Military Times ‘Best for Vets: Colleges’ list
The publication also ranked UMSL No. 37 nationally out of 366 institutions, marking the seventh straight year the university finished in the top 50.
White House cites UMSL criminologists’ research while announcing new strategy to combat gun violence, other crime
Curators’ Distinguished Professor Richard Rosenfeld and doctoral student Ernesto Lopez have been studying the rise in violent crime over the past year.
Online MBA to help busy adults advance in their careers with degree in 18 months
The fully online, cohort-based program provides teaching and support from expert faculty members and can be completed in 18 months.
August graduate Gabriela Hernandez takes indirect path to biology degree, has plans for PhD
Hernandez has landed a position as a lab assistant at the Danforth Plant Science Center and will begin applying to doctoral programs this fall.
Justine Patterson, Loyola Harvey and Mike Toohey receive UMSL Hero Award
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.
Natissia Small taking on expanded role as UMSL’s vice provost for access, academic support and workforce integration
Small is being charged with helping build even more pathways to education and job training for students who might not otherwise have been considering higher education.
Eye on UMSL: Summer reading
A student takes a book from the new Free Little Library created from a repurposed The Current student newspaper box in the Quad.
UMSL to host St. Louis County COVID-19 vaccination clinic starting Friday through end of July
The clinic in the Millennium Student Center will provide vaccinations Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 6 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Andreia Figueiredo following passion for biology, bees to earn PhD at UMSL
Figueiredo, a native of São Luís, Brazil, has been researching color vision in orchid bees with support from the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center.
Missouri Institute of Mental Health leading new effort to reduce suicide in Southeast Missouri
Katie Ellison is directing the Gun Suicide Prevention Planning Project in Butler County, Missouri, with the support of a $350,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health.
Organizations can and need to be engaged in addressing inequality in the St. Louis region
Businesses should be intentional about improving recruitment, hiring and career development as well as broadening the base of companies with which they do business.
Media studies major Tori Foster develops a broad range of communication skills to succeed in the digital world
Foster will graduate magna cum laude in August with a degree in media studies, a minor in digital marketing communications and a certificate in public relations.
UMSL preparing to welcome back students for fall semester with support services, events held in person
Positive public health trends will allow students to meet face-to-face with staff and faculty members and engage with each other in on-campus activities.
Mentors, friends shape economics graduate Alyssa Leibold’s experience at UMSL
Leibold completed the BS/MA Dual Degree program and served as a research assistant for Provost Marie Mora on an NSF-funded grant project.
Doctoral student Ernesto Lopez contributes to impactful work on crime trends during COVID-19 pandemic
Lopez has worked as a research assistant for Curators’ Distinguished Professor Emeritus Richard Rosenfeld on the Council on Criminal Justice project.
UMSL names Reggie Hill new associate vice chancellor for strategic enrollment
Hill brings 15 years of experience working in higher education enrollment management, most recently at the University of the Ozarks. He’ll start his new position July 1.
Provost Marie Mora announces 28 faculty promotions for the 2021-22 academic year
Seven faculty members received tenure and promotions to associate professor, five earned the rank of full professor and 16 non-tenure track faculty members also advanced.
Philosophy graduate Zanyar Rojhelat’s Kurdish heritage inspires his work exploring right to self-determination
Rojhelat will pursue his PhD in philosophy at the University of Ottawa after earning his master’s degree at UMSL.
Alumnus Will Werner hired to lead UMSL’s National Security and Community Policy Collaborative
Werner is looking to develop partnerships and connect UMSL researchers with the NGA and other geographic information system-related companies in St. Louis.
Lav Gupta part of UM System team working to bring high-speed internet to rural communities
The assistant professor of computer science worked in telecommunications in India and helped build the backbone network there before going into academia.
Better vision care in the palm of your hand
Optometrist Tareq Nabhan and computer scientist Sanjiv Bhatia are investigating a way to use smartphones to improve diagnostics.
UMSL holding virtual commencement ceremonies for more than 1,800 graduates on May 15
A commencement address from 2021 Missouri Teacher of the Year Darrion Cockrell, an UMSL alumnus, will be incorporated into each ceremony.
UMSL awards supplemental research funding to 79 faculty members through the CARES Act
The awards totaled nearly $115,000 and assisted faculty members whose research and creative works were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biology Professor Patricia Parker elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Parker has had a long and distinguished career as an evolutionary biologist, with much of her work focused on avian populations in the Galápagos Islands.
Chancellor Kristin Sobolik unveils ‘Rise Up for St. Louis’ initiative aimed at increasing inclusive prosperity
Sobolik made the announcement during her livestreamed inaugural event, which included a performance from Golden Globe-winner Andra Day, singing “Rise Up.”
New addition to Science Learning Building lobby celebrates innovation
The newly installed UMSL Innovation wall contains 54 plaques recognizing UMSL inventors on issued U.S. patents.
UMSL recognizes six faculty members for outstanding research, innovation over the past year
Jianli Pan, Nancy Singer, Jerome Morris, Katherine O’Daniels, Michael Gearhart and Shea Kerkhoff received awards for their work.
Criminologist Beth Huebner wins President’s Award for Intercampus Collaboration
Huebner is part of a team of researchers across the UM System working to better understand and improve the prison environment in the state of Missouri.
Newman Civic Fellow Bella DeArmitt aims to share her passion for volunteering
The public policy administration major was among 212 students chosen to be part of the 2021-22 cohort from 39 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Mexico.
Center for Behavioral Health helps address rural mental health care gap with new location in Union, Missouri
CBH psychologists began providing easily accessible, comprehensive psychological evaluation services to Franklin County patients earlier this month.