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Eye on UMSL: Global exchange
Eye on UMSL: Global exchange

Provost Steven J. Berberich presents an UMSL sweatshirt to Han Liming, who visited St. Louis over the weekend as part of a delegation from its sister city in Nanjing, China.

Eye on UMSL: Global exchange

Provost Steven J. Berberich presents an UMSL sweatshirt to Han Liming, who visited St. Louis over the weekend as part of a delegation from its sister city in Nanjing, China.

Eye on UMSL: Global exchange

Provost Steven J. Berberich presents an UMSL sweatshirt to Han Liming, who visited St. Louis over the weekend as part of a delegation from its sister city in Nanjing, China.

MORE IN Academics
Remembering a legend: Chancellor Marguerite Ross Barnett Memorial Plaza

Remembering a legend: Chancellor Marguerite Ross Barnett Memorial Plaza

“Good. Better. Best. We just met the best.” Those were the words of Ruth Bryant in 1986. Bryant was president of the Chancellor’s Council at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and the council had just completed interviews of three finalists for the position of UMSL chancellor. The council members agreed: The final candidate, Marguerite Ross Barnett, was number one.

Teacher of music teachers enters hall of fame

Teacher of music teachers enters hall of fame

Fred Willman, Curators’ Teaching Professor of Music and Education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, has influenced music education and music educators for almost half a century. His contributions were recognized in January with his induction into the Missouri Music Educators Association Hall of Fame.

Getting through college on the fast track: 20-year-olds graduate from UMSL

Getting through college on the fast track: 20-year-olds graduate from UMSL

Among the more than 1,500 students graduating from the University of Missouri–St. Louis Saturday, four of them stand out for what they have in common. They’ve all earned high honors, entered college at the sophomore level and are 20 years old. (Since 1974, only 217 of more than 60,000 UMSL graduates were 20 years old or younger.) Not surprisingly, they’re highly focused individuals with grand plans.

Creative writers to give one last reading as students

Creative writers to give one last reading as students

A day before they graduate from the University of Missouri–St. Louis with an MFA in creative writing, eight students will read their original works. The semiannual MFA Graduate Reading will begin at 7 p.m. Friday (May 11) in the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. The reading is free and open to the public.

Character education: You got a case

Character education: You got a case

I was recently asked how to convince people that character education actually works. The cynicism, skepticism, and conservatism out there often astound me. Amy Johnston, the award-winning principal of 2008 National School of Character Francis Howell Middle School in St. Charles, M0., expresses the same frustration.

Eye on UMSL: Hybrid teaching

Eye on UMSL: Hybrid teaching

Mimi Duncan, lecturer in information systems at UMSL, helps Lucas Matecki, a junior business major, on May 3 during Duncan’s course Computers and Information Systems 1800. The hybrid class combines online lessons and weekly in-person teaching at Express Scripts Hall. CIS 1800 is a pilot course funded by a grant from Next Generation Learning Challenges, a nonprofit initiative that’s working to improve college readiness and completion with technology.

Chancellor announces Monsanto gift, redesign of Natural Bridge

Chancellor announces Monsanto gift, redesign of Natural Bridge

With a $1 million gift to the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Chancellor Tom George announced the Monsanto Company will fund a community education center in the university’s new building in Grand Center. George also announced funding of the “transformative” redesign of a portion of Natural Bridge Road from Hanley to Lucas and Hunt roads that runs through the campus in North County.

Students Greece-bound for summer excavation project

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.

National entertainer envisions change

National entertainer envisions change

Tom Sullivan has been blind since shortly after birth. But that hasn’t stopped him from gaining national recognition as an award-winning actor, singer, author, producer, humanitarian and inspirational speaker.

Arianna String Quartet mentors high school chamber groups

Arianna String Quartet mentors high school chamber groups

The Arianna String Quartet is taking a hands-on approach to fostering music education in the area. The Arianna, composed of four associate professors of music at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, is the university’s resident quartet.

Health care focus of outsourcing professionals meeting  at UMSL

Health care focus of outsourcing professionals meeting at UMSL

Health care is a growing global concern. Insurance costs, doctor bills and prescription fees continue to increase. The recent meeting of the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals’ Midwest Chapter meeting held at the University of Missouri–St. Louis focused on outsourcing of health care services.

Mercantile to host Civil War series

Mercantile to host Civil War series

Missouri’s pivotal role in the Civil War will be explored at 7 p.m. every Thursday in May at the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Schools collaborate for new Gallery 210 exhibit

Schools collaborate for new Gallery 210 exhibit

Students from three St. Louis-area high schools have collaborated on a new exhibit of their artwork that will be on display in Gallery 210 at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “Collaborative II: The Things That Bring Us Together” can be viewed through May 19.

Eye on UMSL: Education Mural

Eye on UMSL: Education Mural

Pat Duffey (left) and Dan Fahy of GROUP360 Worldwide, a St. Louis-based marketing company, install a six-panel wall mural on April 26 in Marillac Hall on UMSL’s South Campus. Joan Barnidge, graphic designer at UMSL, designed the mural for the College of Education. The picture, by campus photographer August Jennewein, is the latest to be featured at Eye on UMSL.

UMSL’s first poet laureate: Jennifer Tappenden

UMSL’s first poet laureate: Jennifer Tappenden

Jennifer Tappenden works by day making small databases for researchers to track study data. By night, the 42-year-old New York native hones her poetry skills while in pursuit of her master’s of fine arts in creative writing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. She’s scheduled to graduate in December, but before then she’s spending her final year at UMSL as the university’s first poet laureate.

Character education: You got a case

The Challenge

“Educate and inform the whole mass of the people … They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” “Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.” –Thomas Jefferson

Southside Cafe opens to steady stream of customers

Southside Cafe opens to steady stream of customers

How about a French vanilla cappuccino with your muffin? A fresh salad? Enchiladas with Southwestern corn? Welcome to the Southside Café. Right on schedule, a new eatery at the University of Missouri–St. Louis opened for business April 25. And at least one customer is positively ecstatic about the change from vending machine fare to fresh food.

Alumna leads team to undefeated season, tournament play

Alumna leads team to undefeated season, tournament play

Winning is no new feat for University of Missouri–St. Louis alumna Deena Applebury. As head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., she led her team through a historical 2011-12 season of 30 straight wins and into NCAA Division III tournament play.

Symposium to explore Japanese female cartoon icons

Symposium to explore Japanese female cartoon icons

Since her introduction to Japanese consumers nearly 40 years ago, Hello Kitty has exploded into a global pop culture phenomenon. Her cute cartoon cat face is adored by throngs of teens and adults.

Express Scripts founder to discuss new book

Express Scripts founder to discuss new book

Harlan Steinbaum knows a thing or two about tough calls. A businessman for more than 20 years, he has made thousands of hard decisions, but one call became his career-defining moment.

UMSL inventors honored at induction ceremony

UMSL inventors honored at induction ceremony

For James Bashkin, one of the driving forces behind his inventions is saving people’s lives. Bashkin, a professor of chemistry at the University of Missouri–St. Louis is the co-founder of NanoVir, a company that is working to develop antiviral drugs for the human papillomavirus or HPV, the chief cause of cervical cancer.

Must there be an inevitable conflict with robots?

Must there be an inevitable conflict with robots?

Teachers, children, parents, scientists and an artist or two showed up at the Missouri History Museum last Wednesday to play with robots and hear about a coming war we humans might have with them.

Director helps St. Louisans take Shakespeare to the streets

Director helps St. Louisans take Shakespeare to the streets

The culmination of months of hard work will play out in the streets of the Benton Park West neighborhood of St. Louis this weekend. The intersection of Cherokee Street and California Avenue will be the backdrop for the Shakespeare-inspired play “The New World.” It’s an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” being presented by Shakespeare in the Streets.

Mercantile Library’s 2012 print fair has a few surprises

Mercantile Library’s 2012 print fair has a few surprises

Now in its sixth year, the St. Louis Mercantile Library’s annual Fine Print, Rare Book and Paper Arts Fair attracts a throng of enthusiastic patrons and customers interested in viewing and buying an Audubon print, an antique map or historic photo. But fair organizers have added a few surprises this year to appeal to an even wider audience.

Put UMSL in your pocket

Put UMSL in your pocket

Whether you are lost on campus, want to easily contact a faculty member or are looking for the latest University of Missouri–St. Louis news, UMSL has a new solution. And it’s free and fits in your pocket.

Character education: You got a case

Raising awareness of domestic homicide in Missouri

Two people meet, fall in love and then live happily ever after. The ideal ending, right? Or wrong? Since the beginning of 2012, at least five Missouri women have had their happily-ever-afters cut tragically short by violence. These women have been killed, not by strangers, but allegedly by men they once loved. The deaths of Jamie L. Fields-Arrington, 33; Sarah Billingsley-Walker, 18; Kristie Steed, 43; Gwendolyn E. Pahmeyer, 51; and Alyshia Alexander, 24 are startling reminders of the seriousness of domestic homicide in our own community.

Engineering students Ethiopia bound

Engineering students Ethiopia bound

Two University of Missouri–St. Louis engineering students will clock nearly 16,000 miles round trip this summer to work on a construction project in Africa.

Domestic violence fair to give voice to Missouri victims

Domestic violence fair to give voice to Missouri victims

Normandy (Mo.) police Officer Amanda Cates was shot to death in August 2006 at the hands of her boyfriend. Since then, the number of Missouri residents that have been the victims of domestic homicide continued to grow.

Director helps St. Louisans take Shakespeare to the streets

Irish poet talks Yeats

Native Irish poet Eamonn Wall holds a special place in his heart for William Butler Yeats. “I think in some ways, W.B. Yeats’ poetry is kind of the soundtrack of childhood and adolescence in Ireland,” Wall said on a recent episode of “Cityscape” on St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU.

Business students place 3rd at Midwest Model European Union

Business students place 3rd at Midwest Model European Union

Each year, a contingent of business students from the University of Missouri–St. Louis gain first-hand experience with European Union policies and decision-making mechanisms by creating proposals and prepping a delegation that attends the Midwest Model European Union. This year, 10 students led by Betty Vining, assistant teaching professor of marketing at UMSL, participated in the simulation at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.

Students, faculty, alumni express multiculturalism at Gallery Visio

Students, faculty, alumni express multiculturalism at Gallery Visio

The newest exhibit at Gallery Visio will celebrate cultural differences. The show, called “Multi-Cultural Expressions,” will be on display April 26 through May 16 at Gallery Visio at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. An opening reception will take place from 4 to 7p.m. April 26. Admission is free and the exhibit is open to the public.

Do you see what I see?

Do you see what I see?

Children in the two-year-old “Explorers” class at the University Child Development Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis examine their newly planted apple tree with the help of Carol Usery, a horticulturist in the grounds department at UMSL. The students assisted Usery on Wednesday (April 18) with planting an apple tree in the center’s garden. The planting was part of a lesson to demonstrate to the class where their food comes from, said Pam Daniel, lead teacher for the class. (Photo by Jack Crosby)

Grad School Research Fair: From school bus routes to new solar systems

Grad School Research Fair: From school bus routes to new solar systems

Jeremy North and William Ellegood have applied business college logistics to school bus routes for their doctoral research in logistics and supply chain management. Logan Brown, a doctoral candidate in physics, asks the question: “Where is the water?” in her research on the possibility of finding water in solar systems still unformed and light years away from our own.

Computer scientist to explore battlefield for future wars: cyberspace

Computer scientist to explore battlefield for future wars: cyberspace

As the 21st century progresses, world powers have begun to acknowledge a new battlefield for future wars: cyberspace. The New York Times, for example, revealed that the U.S. debated using cyber warfare in its initial strikes against Libya, before giving way to conventional military means.

Grammy winner headlines 2012 Jazz Festival

Grammy winner headlines 2012 Jazz Festival

As a sideman with more than 20 years experience, bassist Christian McBride is no stranger to winning Grammy Awards. But never has he basked in Grammy glory as a bandleader – at least not until the most recent awards were handed out.

Marketing expert talks power of pricing

Marketing expert talks power of pricing

Consumer behavior has been under the microscope of marketers for years. Determining the buying habits of individuals is big business and many consumers can be deceived by the power of pricing.