Dynamic duo dives deep into the psychology of relationships
The heart of UMKC is our campus community. With lots of opportunities, it’s easy to develop student mentorship teams. And these rich relationships, our Dynamic Duos, are some of our best success stories.
Jennifer Truitt is a second year Ph.D. candidate in psychology. She is currently doing research on her thesis, where she looks at a type of therapy called behavioral activation that is highly efficacious for treating depressive symptoms. Truitt is looking at it as an intervention for LGBTQIA+ young adults who experience loneliness and depression. She is also looking to see if social environment impacts how effective that therapy is.
As Truitt considered different programs, she decided that her direct mentor would be one the most important things to consider.
“When you’re applying to a Ph.D. program, you are typically applying to work with a specific person,” Truitt said. “I joke that the application process for Ph.D.s is if like children had to send out applications to be adopted.”
After doing some research, Truitt reached out to Daniel Maitland, Ph.D., a professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio at the time, now UMKC associate professor, after learning more about his research. She wanted to see if they would get along as people as well.
“We got along great from the start,” Truitt said. “It was important for me to get a sense of the work he was doing and the speed of his research. I wanted someone who was still early in their career as well. His area of expertise was very close to what my interests were, and he just seemed like a really cool person to work with.”
Maitland’s research is focused on the bi-directional relationship between loneliness and one’s mental and physical health. Maitland originally started as a psychotherapy researcher that specifically looked into a form of therapy that is characterized by an intense therapist-client relationship, where therapists are encouraged to be themselves as much as possible, something uncommon in the field. Essentially, the relationship becomes one of the closest the client has, but it is constrained to the therapy context with the explicit goal of helping the client. He looked into how that relationship predicted therapy outcomes and why those outcomes occurred. His research eventually led him to become interested in the formation and consequences of relationships.
“I think we can create specific types of interactions that foster connection,” Maitland said. “When you look at loneliness research, people tend to just look at the outcome. Are you lonely or not? But they don’t look at how specific behaviors during interactions impact us, and that is really the part that I am interested in.”
Maitland’s research was featured in The New York Times Magazine earlier this year. In the article, they referenced his research in 2021, where he assembled a group of self-identified lonely people to participate in some relationship-building exercises.
Maitland said Truitt had a lot of questions for him when they first met, putting a lot of time and effort into understanding the type of persona and mentor he is.
“It’s actually a funny story,” Maitland said. “My first interaction with Jennifer was when she accidentally sent me an email that was supposed to be for a different researcher she was applying to work with as well. But when we met, I was very impressed with her experiences at this stage in her career and extended an offer for her to work with me. She then spent a long time interviewing me before accepting the offer.”
When the opportunity for Maitland’s wife, Elizabeth Neilson, Ph.D., now assistant professor in the School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences, to get a faculty position at UMKC came, he was also offered a position, which he gladly accepted.
Truitt, being a close mentee to Maitland, decided to come as well. Together they figured out the logistics for their research and her Ph.D. program, and she was able to transfer to UMKC.
“As previously mentioned, when applying to a Ph.D. program, it’s typically so you can work with a very specific person,” Truitt said. “I wouldn’t have moved across the country to work with Daniel the first time if he wasn’t the person I wanted as mentor. He is a wonderful person who is consistent with his values. UMKC also emphasizes working with communities that I am passionate about which made it a lot easier to make that transition.”
Maitland was extremely pleased with her decision.
“I was hoping she would follow me to UMKC,” Maitland said. “So, when she decided to, it was very exciting and rewarding to me as a mentor.”
Maitland is extremely proud of Truitt and how far she has come in her career.
“I am constantly proud of Jennifer," Maitland said. "I am very happy with how far she has come and her constant growth. Not only did she take on a very ambitious research project, but she also got a $25,000 grant, which isn’t common for any first-year graduate student. I can’t wait to grow along with her.”
Truitt was honored as one of the 10 Generation Z changemakers by the Pink with Purpose Project., national initiative presented by the partnership between The Jed Foundation and Victoria’s Secret Pink. It recognizes and supports young individuals pursing projects that strengthen communities and promote positive mental health.
Truitt deeply values her mentorship with Maitland.
“Daniel’s mentorship is tremendously important to me,” Truitt said. “People in mentor roles sometimes don’t know how to deal with people with unpleasant things, and Daniel handles it well. I really value how he treats his students like adults. He is also really good at giving and receiving feedback. I’ve never ended a conversation without him asking if he can help me and I know he genuinely means it.”
Truitt is enjoying her time at UMKC as a transfer student, meeting new friends and getting to see Kansas City. She stated that one of the reasons why she was interested in transferring, besides her mentor, was the potential Carnegie Research 1 or R1 designation UMKC is on track to receive.
“The fact that UMKC is making the push for being R1 made my decision to transfer a lot easier, on top of Daniel’s mentorship,” Truitt said. “I plan to go down the academia route for my career and I knew it would provide me with an environment to do the level of work I am interested in without constantly worrying about funding. There are also just more opportunities at an R1 institution, and I am very excited for the future of research at UMKC.”
Maitland also shares similar sentiments on R1.
“Oh my gosh, UMKC receiving R1 means everything,” he said. “That’s a huge part in why I was excited to join UMKC, besides my wife. It was for the ambition of R1 status. It comes with additional resources and prestige. It allows for you to reach levels of your career you can’t otherwise. It also comes with and understanding of expectations and standards that make a big difference in the scientific community.”
Dec 03, 2024
Clancy Martin, Ph.D., and his work on the interactive classic book application, Rebind, receive national acclaim
UMKC philosophy professor Clancy Martin, Ph.D., can add one more accolade to his illustrious career.
Martin, with his colleagues John Dubuque, an entrepreneur, and John Kaag, Ph.D., philosophy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, have been recognized by Time magazine for their work on Rebind, named in the publication’s Best Inventions of 2024 list.
Rebind, a digital book study application, is hoping to make the classics more accessible than ever. Subject experts, called Rebinders, provide insight through videos, and once the selected reading is completed, readers can “converse” with the expert through an artificial-intelligence-driven discussion curated from the Rebinder’s commentary on the reading.
“Want to discuss ‘A Room with a View’ with Lena Dunham? Or hear Roxane Gay talking through Edith Wharton’s ‘Age of Innocence?’ Now you can, thanks to publishing outfit Rebind,” Time Magazine said of the application in its announcement. “With Rebind, AI provides expert conversational commentary about a book in response to user questions.”
Time magazine selected just 200 entries, decided on by editors from all around the world. There is a focus on growing fields, such as AI, but the true deciding factor is the impact the invention can have on everyday lives.
“Rebind meets people where they are, especially younger readers,” Martin said. “They want to have an interactive thing, right? They go on their phones. They go on their computers. Making it interactive is hopefully going to show them how much spiritual, emotional and intellectual wisdom and guidance and help is available in these great classic works.”
Like his other accomplishments, including his latest book on the New York Times Bestseller list and an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, this worldwide acclaim meant the most on a local level to Martin.
“I've been at UMKC for so long now, and I have such a passionate love of the university, my colleagues and our students,” Martin said. “The most fun thing for me really was just emailing everybody at UMKC and saying, ‘Hey! We got it!’”
Nov 26, 2024
Honorees at annual Bloch School event include leaders in construction, design and social change
The UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management celebrated the 38th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year awards ceremony at H&R Block Headquarters. This year’s honorees include innovative leaders changing skylines and lives in Kansas City and around the globe.
"Each one of our honorees represents a combination of creativity, resilience and impact," said Brian Klaas, Dean of the Bloch School. "Each one of them demonstrates the power of translating vision into reality, no matter the challenges."
Our Inspiring Honorees
Henry W. Bloch International Entrepreneurs of the Year | Bloch Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Inductees
Chris Carver, Ron Labinski, Joe Spear, Dennis Wellner and Earl Santee | Representing the Founders of Populous
Originally founded in 1983 as HOK Sport with its initial roots firmly planted in Kansas City, the firm quickly developed an outstanding reputation for stadium design, with early revolutionary projects including the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. A management buyout in 2009 rebranded the company as Populous, a name reflecting their commitment to fans and the communities surrounding their projects.
"This team has mastered the art of design in a way that goes beyond architecture and engineering," said Tom Bloch, son of the late Henry Bloch. "They create places where people come together and make memories that last a lifetime."
Upon rebranding, the firm’s first notable domestic projects included the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. Internationally, Populous is responsible for venues at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
"I don't think we envisioned this," said Dennis Wellner, one of the founders of Populous. "I don't think it was a goal, objective or anything else, but seeing what has been reflected about us and our clients is tremendously rewarding. I think the most appropriate words to the Bloch School of Management is 'thank you.'"
To date, Populous has more than 3,500 projects to its name, most recently completing game-changing venues like the Las Vegas Sphere and Co-op Live, the United Kingdom’s largest-capacity indoor arena. The company has also earned more than 250 global design awards for projects in 34 countries, evolving into a firm known for historic firsts and award-winning work.
Kansas City Entrepreneurs of the Year | Bloch Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Inductees
Pat McCown (MBA ’83) and Brett Gordon | Founders of McCownGordon
McCown and Gordon founded McCownGordon in 1999 with the desire to build a company that would last beyond their tenure, and that would provide opportunities for their employees and partners. They also wanted to ensure that every employee embodied the company's core values of integrity, performance, and relationships.
"We have never done it for the recognition and to be here is truly humbling," said Gordon. "We've done it for all of those clients, architects, friends, and those that have blessed us enough to let us work for them."
With 25 years in business, McCownGordon is responsible for some of Kansas City’s most iconic buildings including Bartle Hall, the American Royal and Museum at Prairiefire. Their portfolio includes projects in education, science and technology, and healthcare, where they’re leading construction of the $145 million University of Missouri-Kansas City Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building.
"What an opportunity and privilege it has been to be part of this team and become important," said McCown. "Entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity to impact our community, job creation, poverty alleviation and so much more. Entrepreneurs and their businesses can and should be redemptive in all aspects of their community."
Marion and John Kreamer Award for Social Entrepreneurship
Natasha Herdman (EMPA '14) | Founder and CEO of Pawsperity
Herdman is the daughter of a dog groomer and a first-generation college graduate. She received her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Iowa and an Executive Master of Public Administration from the UMKC Bloch School. She is passionate about working with parents who have multiple barriers to entering the workforce, such as lack of education, training or past incarceration. She brings experience in both staff and volunteer roles for Healing House, Reach Out and Read, Community LINC and Stop Child Trafficking Now to Pawsperity.
"I am indebted by the strangers who became my mentors and are still on this journey with me today," said Herdman.
Based in Kansas City, Pawsperity is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit grooming school in the country. Their students are some of society’s most vulnerable, with a focus on single parents living in poverty. In addition to a detailed curriculum for pet grooming, Pawsperity provides soft-skills classes such as communication and budgeting. Students also have access to a variety of wrap-around services to support them while in school such as housing, food assistance and case management. Soon, the organization will go beyond Kansas City.
"We are turning Pawsperity into a licensing model that can be purchased by other nonprofits throughout the country who want job training options who have multiple barriers to entering the job market," said Herdman.
Student Entrepreneur of the Year
Grace Kertz | Junior, Business Administration
Grace Kertz is a junior enroll in the Bloch School's Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in marketing and a minor in communications studies.
Her passions for both strategy and creativity have drawn her naturally to entrepreneurship, where she has combined her interests to develop Sensory Sync. This new venture utilizes artificial intelligence to identify workplace triggers in sensory-adverse employees. The platform offers the employee immediate guidance for self-regulation, then recommends accommodation strategies to the employer based on company-wide trends in sensitivity. Sensory Sync seeks to decrease sensory burnout while increasing productivity and retention of diverse talent, including individuals with disabilities.
"I'm thankful for the opportunities that entrepreneurship has created in my life," said Kertz. "The unification of of analytical and creative thinking will be central to my career."
Kertz intends to pursue a career in brand strategy within an advertising agency and has completed four internships with this goal in mind.
All proceeds from sponsorships and donations directly benefit the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, as well as student and community programs. Join us as we celebrate a legacy of entrepreneurship that lives on in Kansas City.
Nov 22, 2024
Phases will include retail and then an arena
UMKC has revised its vision for how to develop a five-acre parcel of land at 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard, next to the southern terminus of the Kansas City Streetcar. That new vision calls for a phased approach, with the first step focused on retail and a later step to include building a small arena for UMKC Division I athletics and community events.
Based on this new approach, UMKC will close the current Request for Proposals, or RFP, which sought plans for a combined retail/arena project adjacent to the new streetcar stop. UMKC may seek further proposals in coming months.
With the highly anticipated start of streetcar service to UMKC in mid-2025, the university foresees increased traffic and visitors to campus. In collaboration with the Streetcar Authority, UMKC has opened a parking garage for public use by commuters that is connected by a pedestrian walkway from the garage to the streetcar stop.
UMKC envisions a project on its Brookside property as a community asset and highly visible gateway to the UMKC campus from the west. Retail amenities would be a natural addition to the area, and would also benefit UMKC students, faculty and staff.
The university launched the original RFP in 2023, but later hit pause to conduct a feasibility study to determine the right combination of size and programming for the proposed arena and how that would fit in with retail development and be financially viable.
The results of that analysis have led to the uncoupling of the projects. But UMKC leaders are still high on the project. They say the phased approach will give the university more flexibility to work with partners to achieve their vision for a community asset that will benefit the campus and its neighbors.
Nov 19, 2024
Grant recipients represent students from across campus
The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship has awarded 23 students with SEARCH grants.
Started in 2000, SEARCH stands for Students Engaged in the Arts and Research and represents UMKC’s first structured undergraduate research program. Initially offering small grants to a handful of students, the SEARCH program now awards up to $1,500 in reimbursable research expenses to more than a dozen students each year. Each SEARCH grant recipient is also mentored by a UMKC faculty member.
This year’s awardees represent:
School of Education, Social Work, and Psychological Sciences
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Henry W. Bloch School of Management
School of Science and Engineering
School of Medicine
SEARCH grant recipients will present their work as part of the 25th Annual Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship on April 24, 2025.
Julia Bruno | Major: Geology
“Understanding the Eruptive and Thermal History of Dotsero and Cerro Overo Maars”
Faculty Mentor: Alison Graettinger
Chloe Craig | Major: Geology
“A Record of Paleohurricanes from Grain-size Analysis of Sediment Cores, Clear Pond, The Bahamas”
Faculty Mentor: Tina Niemi
Andrew Custis | Major: Geology
“Enhancing Analytical Techniques for Faster and Accurate Estimation of Microplastic Concentration in Groundwater”
Faculty Mentor: Jejung Lee
Johnny Diep | Major: Physics, Computer Science David Keltner | Major: Physics
“Linking the Atomic and Electronic Structure of Amorphous Silicon Rings”
Faculty Mentor: Paul Rulis
Sienna Ficken | Major: Biology
“Investigation of PKA dependency of Bru1 nuclear translocation in Drosophila muscle”
Faculty Mentor: Maria Spletter
Olivia Fritz | Major: Biology | Minor: Biotechnology
“Investigating the Structural Basis of Lomitapide Inhibition of the Ceramide Transfer Protein CERT”
Faculty Mentor: XiaoLan Yao
Yasmeen Hanon | Majors: Political Science, Environmental Studies
“Swimming Upstream: Water Conflicts as Resource War Outliers”
Faculty Mentor: Rebecca Best
Ruweyda Hassan | Majors: Chemistry, Political Science
“Media Framing and its Impact on Muslim Political Ambition”
Faculty Mentor: Debra Leiter
Marc Herman | Six-Year Medicine program
“An Epigenetic Approach to Controlling Cytokine Release Syndrome in CAR-T Cell Therapy”
Faculty Mentor: Daniel Scott
Sam Herman | Major: Biology “Investigation of How Axon Guidance Molecules Operate in a Lineage-Restricted Manner”
Faculty Mentor: Haluk Lacin
Z Kemp | Major: Civil Engineering
“Properties of Kaolin Slurries and Burned Soil: Applications in Post-Wildfire Debris Flow”
Faculty Mentor: Megan Hart
CJ Kreeger | Major: Environmental Science
“Assessment of Macro- and Microplastic Pollution at Beaches and in Beach Sand on San Salvador Island in The Bahamas”
Faculty Mentor: Tina Niemi
Rachel Marquart | Major: Geology
“Characterization of the Elm Branch Shale in Kansas City, Missouri”
Faculty Mentor: Tina Niemi
Raine Morrigan | Major: Computer Science
“FocusPocus”
Faculty Mentor: Jesse Lowe
Cadao P Nguyen | Major: Chemistry
“Investigation of anti-fogging properties of surfactants”
Faculty Mentor: Xiaobo Chen
Spencer Norman | Major: Urban Planning and Design
“Public Transportation Stop Improvement within Kansas City”
Faculty Mentor: Sungyop Kim
Vari Patel | Majors: Finance, Political Science
“State Legislative Term Limits and Representational Loss”
Faculty Mentor: Greg Vonnahme
Ainsley Pickering | Majors: Psychology, Criminal Justice, Criminology
“Dreaming, a Reflection of Mental Health”
Faculty Mentor: Westley Youngren
Wylie Putnam | Majors: Physics, Chemistry
“Characterization of Malassezia pachydermatis Isolates from the Oral Cavity of Kansas Canines”
Faculty Mentor: Brooke Esquivel
Alex Rose | Majors: Biology, Chemistry
“Solar-Powered Reactor for Clean Energy”
Faculty Mentor: Xiaobo Chen
Mya Thomas | Major: Geology
“Field and remote identification of small diameter lava tubes from 1961 lava flow at Askja, Iceland”
Faculty Mentor: Alison Graettinger
Gabriel Worcester | Major: Biomedical Engineering
“Physics-Driven Force-Feedback Haptics for Augmented Reality Mid-Urethral Sling Surgical Training”
Faculty Mentor: Antonis Stylianou
Nov 19, 2024
Association of Fundraising Professionals recognizes exceptional charitable giving
The local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized three honorees with close University of Missouri-Kansas City ties for their extraordinary charitable contributions on National Philanthropy Day.
The special day, annually on November 15, as founded in 1986 by presidential proclamation of the Association of Fundraising Professionals to recognize charitable giving in all forms. The Greater Kansas City chapter celebrates locally with an annual event to honor individuals and companies that embody the spirit of philanthropy in Kansas City. The UMKC Foundation nominated people in two categories for this year’s awards; not only were both selected as honorees, a family with close ties to UMKC also was awarded.
Spirit of Philanthropy – Individual
Alvin Brooks (B.A. ’59, M.A. ’73) is a Kansas City hero with close ties to UMKC. As an alum, not only does he have a scholarship named after him for more than a decade, he also received an honorary doctorate from UMKC in 2012. The UMKC Foundation nominated Brooks for the award, and he was selected. The award honors an individual with a proven record of embodying the spirit of philanthropy through financial support, community service and leadership. Brooks has made an impact to not just UMKC but has dedicated himself to Kansas City as a whole.
Spirit of Philanthropy – Family
The Brain family was selected as the honoree for this award. Just like the individual award, the family award honors families that have a proven record of embodying the spirit of philanthropy through financial support, community service and leadership. The Brains have close ties to UMKC; David Brain is a Board of Trustees member. He and his wife, Cathi Brain, give to many areas of UMKC, Including scholarships.
Spirit of Philanthropy –Youth
The award honors an individual or group of young people ages 5 to 23 who demonstrate outstanding commitment to community through direct financial support, volunteer service or charitable partnerships. The UMKC Foundation nominated UMKC Enactus, and it was selected. Enactus is the world’s largest experiential learning organization, with a mission of engaging the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders to use innovation and business principles to improve the world. Earlier this year, UMKC Enactus partnered with Operation Breakthrough to keep Kansas City families on the road through its Stay Driven project.
Nov 15, 2024
With their unique structures and tried-and-true training procedures, the UMKC emergency medicine residency and education programs prepare the next ...
It was an unseasonably warm February morning. Fans in Kansas City Chiefs red congregated around Union Station, the post-victory parade rally spot for celebrating the world-champion team. As the rally ended, thousands crowded around, hoping to get one last glimpse of their favorite football players.
As confetti fell, loud pops rang in the air. Shouts and screams erupted. Police officers rushed parade goers away from the scene. A tragedy unfolded on live television, and the community soon learned several people – including children – had been shot, and one person killed.
Immediately, emergency responders rushed into the chaos. University Health and Children’s Mercy Kansas City staff – including UMKC emergency medicine faculty, residents and fellows – provided medical care both on site and back at the hospitals to those who were injured.
Despite the fear, sadness and confusion that day, the residents responding were all able to work swiftly, efficiently and calmly, thanks in large part to the education they receive at UMKC. The rigorous emergency medicine residency training – along with the emergency response preparation all its medical students receive – are critical pillars of the curriculum at the School of Medicine.
Preparation is Key
Mark Steele (B.A./M.D. ’80), associate dean and chief clinical officer at University Health, said while mass casualty situations are never expected, emergency medicine physicians are always prepared for them.
“There are different policies and procedures written and reviewed on a regular basis,” Steele said. “There are community-wide disaster drills we take part in. It’s the repetition of the mechanics that gets us prepared.”
To reach that level of preparation, doctors must train and practice for years – and all UMKC School of Medicine students have some degree of emergency training, no matter what specialty they pursue. Every student must complete an emergency medicine clerkship in their fifth or sixth year, which Steele said isn’t common at most other medical schools.
Melanie Camejo (BLA ’13/M.D. ’14) is the school’s emergency medicine clerkship director. She is also an associate professor, associate fellowship director and associate emergency residency director at the school, as well as an emergency medicine physician at University Health.
“We do disaster drills and simulations in the trauma bay at a moment’s notice, have weekly didactics (or workshops) that cover emergency topics and have monthly simulation didactics,” Camejo explained.
During these simulations, students and residents are assigned roles they might have in a real-life hospital setting. An ED attending follows along with a script and controls a manikin “patient,” which mimics a human’s real reactions. The “patient” can either stay alive or code – depending on which actions the students decide to take in the moment. This makes the scenario as real as possible – without an actual life at stake. Once the simulation is complete, the group debriefs and everyone has an opportunity to give feedback.
“We offer a seizure simulation, heart failure simulation and a ‘sick or not sick’ simulation for our students,” Camejo said. “The manikins are neat because they make noise, have pulses and can tell if it’s been correctly intubated. These simulations are great for students because they all get to oversee different aspects and work together to keep the simulated patient alive like they would in the emergency room.”
The Heart of Kansas City
Unlike other peer institutions, UMKC has affiliations with seven hospitals that allow UMKC medical students and residents to train more effectively. The affiliate hospitals provide students with multiple specialties to choose from, specialized equipment to work with and a large variety of patients and cases to see. This is beneficial for all students and residents, but especially for residents in the emergency medicine program.
Emily Hillman (BLA ’07/M.D. ’08), the school’s emergency medicine residency program director, said one of the university’s best attributes is its location within the city.
According to Camejo, because of the large influx of patients at hospitals like University Health, UMKC students and residents who train there also get more of an opportunity to practice being quick on their feet.
“You don’t have time to prepare for a stressful situation in the emergency department,” Camejo said. “They happen in seconds with no warning, so every shift you go in knowing that anything can happen. Most of us do our best thinking in high-stress situations.”
Dustin Neel, M.D., associate professor at the UMKC School of Medicine and trauma medical director at University Health, believes practicing inside an emergency room in downtown Kansas City prepares students for anything once they graduate.
“It is already uncommon to have a trauma department, but University Health is a Level 1 trauma center,” Neel said. “That, plus our location and population, allows for a great variety of pathologies of various diseases people just don’t see very often, which allows the medical students to get comfortable seeing things they might only see once in their career.”
Jennifer Watts, M.D., MPH, is a professor at UMKC and pediatric emergency medicine physician at Children’s Mercy. Instead of a lecture hall, Watts does most of her teaching in the hospital – the only place medical students in Kansas City can train in pediatrics.
“There are a lot of benefits to being the only training program for pediatrics in our city – and really in our region,” Watts said. “We know when UMKC students, residents and fellows leave us, they have a solid foundation in pediatrics that allows them to take care of kids and to provide high-quality pediatric care – no matter where they are.”
Six-Year Program Sets Students Apart
The unrivaled emergency medicine curriculum at UMKC isn’t something that developed overnight. Adam Algren (B.A./M.D. ’01), chair of UMKC’s emergency medicine program, said UMKC’s program was one of the first of its kind in the country, and added that the program’s longevity is one reason acceptance letters are so sought after.
“We have a lot of history and tradition,” Algren said. “We’ve trained more than 400 emergency physicians who have gone out and practiced throughout the country, and we have quite a few alumni who have served in various leadership roles.”
The unique six-year B.A./M.D. program at UMKC also allows students to get more hands-on experience than at a typical four-year medical school. That extra experience makes a big difference in the emergency room – and mentors notice.
“I work with residents from many different programs,” Watts said. “The UMKC graduates have all been extremely well prepared to handle any emergency. They come with such a great foundation that it makes our job easier.”
Scott McCulloch (B.A./M.D. ’89) is a retired emergency medicine doctor who completed his residency with UMKC at University Health. He felt much more prepared than his fellow residents because the program at UMKC provided him with experiences they didn’t have.
“I think having interaction with patients since the age of 18 is something that can’t be compared or exchanged,” McCulloch said. “I remember when I started my residency, there were residents from other programs, and they were always so surprised with how seasoned and comfortable we were around patients. We were already ahead of the game.”
Meaningful Mentorships
The UMKC emergency program also has deeply committed faculty and staff. Alexander Garza, M.D. (B.S. ’90) received his undergraduate degree at UMKC and came back to complete an emergency medicine residency. In 2009, appointed by President Barack Obama, Garza served as assistant secretary for health affairs and as chief medical officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Today, he is chief community health officer at SSM Health in St. Louis.
Garza said what he remembers most about his time at UMKC is the dedication of the faculty.
“I think what set UMKC apart were the staff and instructors that I had,” Garza said. “They were truly vested in the mission, from the way they took care of patients in the emergency department to the care they delivered.”
McCulloch shared a touching story about one of his mentors.
“I’ll never forget our exit interview when we were finishing residency,” McCulloch said, with tears in his eyes. “At the time, Mark Steele was our residency director. He told me from that point forward, I am always going to be considered a peer and not just a mentee. I always get choked up because it means so much to me, even all these years later.”
Nov 14, 2024
Despite costs of travel and tuition, studying abroad was an opportunity I knew I couldn’t pass up
Two months after applying for the Gilman scholarship, I received the news I had been hoping for: my dream of studying in France was officially within reach.
Funding a study abroad experience is never easy, but with the opportunity to earn nine credit hours toward my French minor, I was determined to apply my language skills outside the classroom. In October 2023, I applied for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship in anticipation of my study abroad program with the UMKC Department of World Languages and Cultures.
The Gilman Scholarship is a national program under the U.S. Department of State designed to support students with limited financial means study or intern abroad. I first learned about the Gilman Scholarship through the Study Abroad and Global Engagement (SAGE) office at UMKC. With encouragement from the Chair of World Languages and Cultures and Associate Professor Gayle Levy Ph.D., and support from fellow students at the UMKC Writing Studio, I submitted my application and project proposal.
The proposal was simple. I would use my experience as a student worker at the UMKC Strategic Marketing and Communications department to document my experience abroad for a campus audience. In December, my application and project proposal were approved, and I could officially begin planning for my seven-week journey in France.
Week 1: Touching Down in Paris
My time abroad started in France’s most famous city, where I spent a week exploring with friends. Since the UMKC program hadn’t begun yet, I rented an Airbnb and set off to discover as much as I could.
For seven days, I wandered and visited the most iconic landmarks, the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. I also was able to see The Louvre and the National Assembly from a guided boat tour on the Seine River.
Weeks 2-3: Taking UMKC Classes in Lyon
As classes approached, my fellow UMKC students and I boarded a two-hour train ride heading southeast from Paris to our main destination: Lyon. The former Roman city, and the third-largest city in France, would be our home for the remaining six weeks.
For the first two weeks, I took a French and Francophone Civilization course taught by Levy, which focused on the German occupation of France during World War II and the French Resistance. As part of the immersive learning experience, we visited Lyon’s Resistance and Deportation History Center along with other historic sites connected to the French Resistance.
Weeks 4-7: Studying at Université Lumière Lyon 2
My final weeks were spent at the university in Lyon, where I was taught by native French professors. My courses included French grammar, photography and an analysis of Lyonnais street art. But it wasn’t all coursework! I also participated in weekly excursions to places like Barcelona and southern France.
As part of my Gilman Scholarship project, I documented my study-abroad journey through photography and video, sharing my experiences on UMKC social media channels. I wanted to give others a glimpse into what it was like to study abroad, especially for those who might think it’s financially impractical.
Now that I am back in the United States, I am looking forward to applying my study-abroad experience to my internship with Alliance Française de Kansas City, a local nonprofit chapter dedicated to French language and culture. This internship is funded by the Mellon Humanities Internship Program at the UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Hunter Miesner is a senior double majoring in marketing and strategic communication. Upon graduation in 2025, he plans to further his studies to potentially work in data analytics.
Nov 14, 2024
UMKC Conservatory researcher is helping heal premature babies with music therapy
When Amy Robertson, Ph.D., walks into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU, at a hospital, it’s with the goal to provide stress relief for premature babies and their parents. Her primary tool is her voice.
“Music therapy is a professional healthcare field; we use music to reach non-musical goals,” Robertson said. “If you think about physical therapy, occupational therapy or therapy with a counselor, those are all using different methods to reach a wellness goal. Music therapy is the same, we just use music as our medium.”
Robertson is a music therapist and music therapy professor with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Her specialty is working with babies who were born prematurely and who often require a stay in the NICU.
“When I first started pursuing music therapy, I had a clinical working in a hospital, and part of that was working in the NICU,” Robertson said. “We started the music intervention, and the infant gave a huge smile, and I just fell in love with being in the NICU. I was amazed at the effect music can have on these infants who are so young.”
The NICU can be an overstimulating environment for premature babies. The sounds, touches and pain associated with medical procedures all add stress. Music therapy can relieve some of this stress without involving any pain medication or medical procedures.
For her therapy work in the NICU, Robertson relies on 30 years of music therapy research and evidence to support the infants’ still-developing neurological systems. The evidence shows that very specific music protocols can have positive effects on infant development without overwhelming them. For these young infants, slow songs sung in person without instruments are the most effective. As they age and develop, more complicated songs and even small instruments, such as maracas, can be used to reach various developmental goals.
“Premature infants are a totally different ballgame when it comes to auditory processing and we have to be aware of what they can take in,” Robertson said. “Lullaby music is slow and repetitive, so it’s very soothing to them. Think of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ and how it imitates the way we speak to infants.”
Positive outcomes of music therapy include increased oxygen rate, stabilized respiration rate and heart rate, faster weight gain and feeding, lower pain scores and decreased risk of brain bleed. Infants who receive music therapy leave the NICU an average of 15 days sooner, a significant time in their young lives.
The evidence currently used by Robertson and other music therapists only applies to infants born at 28 weeks and later. Robertson is currently conducting research to apply those same principles to extremely pre-term infants, born 25 to 28 weeks, hoping for similar findings. Early results are promising, particularly with regards to reduced brain bleeds and pain scores.
The benefits of music therapy in the NICU extend to the parents as well. Robertson says that many parents feel out of control as their infant undergoes treatments and medical interventions. Teaching them about music therapy gives them a tool to bond with and take care of their infant, even after they leave the NICU. For some families, this tool can be a lifeline during a stressful time.
“A couple of years ago, I had a referral for an extremely premature infant, born at 25 gestational weeks weighing less than a pound,” Robertson said. “During a conversation I had with the dad, he told me that the infant’s mom was being treated for cancer, so that was one of the reasons the infant was born so early. Giving him those music therapy tools was a really important way for him to bond and feel like a ‘normal’ parent, especially because Mom couldn’t be there at first. Once Mom was able to start visiting, we ended up writing a song for the infant that they sang whenever they visited the NICU. Mom loved it, because those were moments she could have with her infant when she wasn’t able to have as much time as other moms in the NICU, given everything she was facing. Even after they were discharged and back home as a family, they still sang the song to their infant every day.”
Stephanie Schlatter, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist in the NICU at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Part of her work is to help identify which infants would benefit from music therapy, and she works with Robertson to connect with those infants and families. She sees firsthand how important Robertson’s research is, as medical staff are increasingly caring for infants born at earlier gestational ages.
“As medicine improves, we’re seeing more of these infants come into our care,” Schlatter said. “We’re having to ask ourselves how we can best and most appropriately help these infants with music. Amy does a great job of stepping in to help with that.”
Nov 13, 2024
This record-breaking year comes with a format change for the annual fundraiser
Crescendo, the annual gala hosted by Friends of the Conservatory, raised more than $1 million this year, a record-breaking amount for the event. The funds raised will support scholarships for students in the Conservatory’s music, dance and theatre departments.
Crescendo has been a staple of the Kansas City performing arts community for more than 25 years. This year, the format of the event was reimagined to showcase the talents of the Conservatory in a new way. The gala was held at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on November 9. Intimate performances took place in small vignettes around the museum and on a runway platform during the gala dinner in Rozzelle Court.
“This year’s Crescendo showcased the extraordinary creativity of our faculty and students who pushed artistic boundaries and inspired our audiences through this innovative new integrated arts format,” said Conservatory Dean Courtney Crappell. “The overwhelming support from our community fills us with gratitude and deepens our commitment to cultivating the next generation of artists who will shape and elevate the cultural landscape of Kansas City for years to come.”
The collage performance will be April 29, 2025 will be in Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the venue where Crescendo has been held for more than a decade. This performance will be in the traditional and beloved Crescendo format that highlights dance, music and theatre in a continuous performance.
Many of the students who perform in Crescendo benefit from the funds raised with student scholarships; more than 70% of Conservatory students receive scholarship or some form of financial assistance to pursue their education and art.
“For many prospective students, access to financial assistance can be the determining factor when deciding on whether or not to pursue an academic degree in the performing arts,” said Mark Mattison, senior director of development with the UMKC Foundation. “Since the day it was founded, the Friends of the Conservatory has been devoted to raising money for student scholarships. Through funds raised through Crescendo 2024, more students than ever before will benefit from their generosity.”
Melanie Rine (BME '94, M.A. '99) was a chairperson for the event, along with her husband, Jim, and honorary chairpersons Jerry and Patty Reece. Rine knows firsthand the importance of financial support.
“As an alumna of the Conservatory, I know the critical impact financial assistance has on a student's life,” Rine said. “That is why we were so honored to help encourage others in the community to support the work of the UMKC Conservatory's incredibly talented students and faculty.”
The internationally renowned UMKC Conservatory was founded more than a century ago, and trains professionals in music, dance and theatre. The Conservatory’s mission is to advance creativity, performance, scholarship and learning in the arts. They are a vital partner in Kansas City’s cultural environment and collaborate deeply with community institutions through performances, workshops and more. Faculty and alumni of the Conservatory have won numerous honors and awards, including Grammys, Pulitzer Prizes and Fulbright and Guggenheim fellowships. The Hollywood Reporter has recognized the UMKC costume design program among the Top 10 in the U.S. for six years in a row.
Nov 12, 2024
Construction includes largest capital improvement project to date
The University of Missouri-Kansas City has announced and begun construction on major improvements to its physical facilities to meet key strategic goals.
Projects currently under construction include:
The 160,000 square foot Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building project at 25th and Charlotte streets, the largest capital improvement project in UMKC history.
The $14.5 million medical building for the School of Medicine campus in St. Joseph, Missouri, that will provide 22,000 square feet of medical education space.
A new campus dining concept called the Foodiverse that will bring a food-parlor environment to the first floor of the Student Union on the Volker Campus.
An expansion of Student Success services, with new facilities on the fourth floor of the Miller Nichols Library.
51st Street Pedestrian Plaza, which will enclose 51st Street from Cherry to Rockhill to provide a walkable, landscaped area for campus and community use.
Look here for regular construction and project updates or sign up for a regular email update to be delivered to your inbox.
Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building (11/11)
Due to construction around the Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building, traffic flow on 24th Terrace and Charlotte Street is now one way. No left turns are allowed from Charlotte onto 24th Terrace. Right turns only are allowed when exiting the parking garage onto 24th Terrace. This traffic pattern will be in effect for the duration of the project.
The campus surface parking lot at 25th and Charlotte streets closed. Student permit parking is no longer allowed in lot 68, located south of 25th along Charlotte Street. Health Sciences Campus map and Shuttle (PDF).
Faculty, staff and students can park in the seven-floor Hospital Hill Parking Garage 28 on the southeast corner of 24th and Charlotte streets, just north of the construction site/former lot, or in a surface lot 67 to the east at 25th and Campbell streets. Student parking in the garage is available on floors four through seven.
Parking for UMKC School of Dentistry clinic patients as well as metered spots for other UMKC Health Sciences District visitors has been moved to surface lot 68.
UMKC IDs are required to scan in and out of the parking garage.
UMKC hosted a community celebration of the construction launch in September.
Project Video Feeds
51st Street Pedestrian Plaza (9/17)
Starting Monday, Sept. 23, 51st Street between Cherry Street and Rockhill Road will be closed to cars and open to pedestrian traffic.
Barriers will be placed:
at the intersection of 51st and Cherry streets. (Cherry Street will remain open).
just north of the Linda Hall Library access road on Holmes south of 51st Street.
just west of the Plaster Center loading dock access.
Barricades with “Street closed, delivery access only” signs will be placed at Rockhill Road and 51st Street.
Several stop signs were added and road markings were repainted as traffic-control measures and to enhance pedestrian safety.
UMKC administrators will be engaging with various constituent groups this semester to gather feedback about amenities to be added to the walkway. Enhancements, including furniture and lighting, will continue through spring semester.
St. Joseph School of Medicine Campus (7/26)
Construction officially began in April.
The site has been prepared for foundational work, which has begun.
The elevator shaft and some piping work has also been completed.
This project is on schedule to open in June 2025.
Foodiverse (7/26)
Construction at Student Union started in June with clearing space.
The dining hall at Atterbury will remain open in the Fall 2024 semester, as well as the Starbucks in Student Union.
When the Foodiverse opens in January 2025, Atterbury dining services will be closed for renovations to create a new expanded student welcome center at Atterbury.
Miller Nichols Library Renovation (7/26)
The fourth floor of Miller Nichols Library, formerly the silent study floor, is currently closed.
The second floor of the library is now the silent study floor; this change is permanent.
For the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters, UMKC Tutoring will be available in person in Atterbury Student Success Center, Room 236.
In Fall 2025, the renovated fourth floor will offer open study spaces for all students, study and meeting rooms and laptop stations. Student-success programs such as Supplemental Instruction, UMKC Tutoring, UMKC PALs (Peer Academic Leadership program) and First Gen Roo will gain areas to meet with the students in their programs and updated classroom space.
Nov 11, 2024
Faculty for two-day event at Bloch School includes Chiefs president, retired CEOs
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Henry W. Bloch School of Management welcomed some of Kansas City’s most well-known and respected business leaders.
The CEO Academy kicked off with a two-day event at the Bloch School, and was born from the collective vision of former chief executive officers Bill Zollars of YRC Worldwide, Greg Graves of Burns & McDonnell and Dan Hesse of Sprint. Their experiences as executives inspired them to create a program that would educate and inspire the next generation of leaders.
“Bill, Greg and Dan fondly recall how when they started out as a CEO, established business leaders in Kansas City reached out to offer support and connect them with their network,” said Brian Klaas, dean of the Bloch School. “They wanted to find a way to offer a program that would offer that same kind of support to Kansas City’s next generation of business leaders.”
The Bloch School has a strong tradition of leadership development and a reputation for cultivating senior business talent. The CEO Academy serves as a perfect extension of its mission.
“We’re committed to helping to develop the next generation of leaders, and this outstanding program helps showcase the opportunities available at the Bloch School,” Klaas said.
A standout feature of the CEO Academy is its impressive faculty. Among them and joining Graves, Hesse and Zollars were:
Mark Donovan, president of the Kansas City Chiefs
Beryl Raff, retired CEO of Helzberg Diamonds
Brent Shafer, former CEO of Cerner
David Feinberg, chair of Oracle Health and former CEO of Cerner
Brent Stewart, former CEO of United Way of Greater Kansas City
Dave Dillon, retired CEO of Kroger
Donovan kicked off the two-day event with a lesson in championing success. Prior to his role as president of the Kansas City Chiefs, Donovan's experiences took him through roles with the National Hockey League, the National Football League and the Philadelphia Eagles.
"I'm a big believer in stages of leadership," said Donovan. "My experiences early on with the NHL, in Philadelphia with the Eagles and now in Kansas City have allowed me to grow into the leader I am today."
Participants in the academy were taken through practical, hands-on learning while developing critical, often underappreciated, skills essential for top-level performance. The CEO Academy focuses on teaching participants how to actively listen, absorb feedback and incorporate it into strategic decision-making. Other courses addressed how to overcome barriers to innovation, build a strong company culture and ultimately how to become a CEO, which is something all in attendance aspire to and faculty members provided advice on.
Graves said: "It's important to be an authentic listener. Almost all of your best ideas are going to come from someone else's ideas or thoughts or energies and if you are a really good listener, a lot of great people will want."
Feinberg said: "Be humble, be passionate and have humility. Beyond that, be present. As soon as you realize that the key is to be completely present in the moment, I have found that that's opened more doors than I could have ever opened by only worrying about what's next."
Raff said: "I think you have to have passion for whatever it is that you want to take on. Without passion, you won't do well at it, and you can't have success. The passion for what you're doing is critically important."
Shafer said: "You want to try and learn from everyone you work with, those that are great leaders and those that are not so great. Learn the good and the bad. Learn how to apply it and keep the energy and passion for the business you're involved in."
The CEO Academy is not just about developing individual leaders, it’s about investing in Kansas City’s future. Zollars, Hesse and the other faculty members are dedicated to giving back to the business community that supported them throughout their careers.
“By offering their expertise on a pro-bono basis, they ensure that the CEO Academy remains accessible,” Klaas said. “Fees generated from the program fund scholarships for Bloch School initiatives.”
The CEO Academy will return to the Henry W. Bloch School of Management in 2025.
Nov 08, 2024
Collegiate Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council support local families, including UMKC alumni
The students in the University of Missouri-Kansas City Collegiate Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils have two new small but mighty heroes.
Brooke, 6, and Olivia, 4, are two Kansas City-area kids who despite their young age, have already beaten a formidable foe: childhood cancer.Brooke and Olivia were matched with the UMKC students as part of a national organization, B+ (Be Positive) Foundation. The foundation provides financial, emotional and advocacy support for families who are fighting childhood cancer. A signature of the group is matching children who are fighting cancer, whom they call heroes, with volunteers to provide support during their cancer journey.
That connection was key for the leaders of UMKC Greek Life’s involvement in B+. Alana Lopez, a junior studying biology is the Collegiate Panhellenic Council’s vice president of service and philanthropy and Baran Basu, a junior in biology, is vice president of community service and outreach of the Interfraternity Council. They have been leading their groups’ involvement with B+.“I remember when I first met Brooke, I was walking into the hospital room and she was yelling, ‘She's here! She's here!’” Lopez said. “Having the B+ heroes just shows us how important philanthropy is, because we have such an emotional attachment and see the impact firsthand.”She’s not the only one. Brooke’s mom, Rachelle Parks-Rieckhoff, said what drew her to B+ was the chance for her daughter to get tangible support. She said Brooke counted down the minutes to her visits with the UMKC Greek Life students, who paid visits and sent cards to show their support for Brooke and Olivia. “Raising money is amazing, but they are also doing things with the kids involved, which is nice,” Parks-Rieckhoff said. “It kind of helped Brooke get through treatments this summer.” For Olivia’s parents, Bre and Robert Robinson, that support came from a familiar place. Both are UMKC alumni who were involved in Greek Life. Bre, who graduated from the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies, was a Chi Omega, and Robert graduated from the UMKC School of Pharmacy and was part of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. “It can be pretty lonely, especially for the kids, and you have to stay pretty isolated because of the treatment that they are getting,” Bre Robinson said. “So, I think it's cool that they are local and they could come play with the kids if that's something that they need to cheer them up during treatment.”One of the ways the group has shown their support is through the first-ever Roos for Relay, an event where the fraternities and sororities in the councils faced off for some good-natured competition. Brooke and Olivia’s families also joined in on the fun. “I love the girls who came to visit, but watching college-age boys play make believe with a 6-year-old girl little girl, and just go along with it, was so touching.” Parks-Rieckhoff said. “One of them played dolls with her.”Being back in Durwood Stadium, where they’d played intramural sports in college, and listening to the Greek chants was a full circle moment for the Robinsons.“You don't really think about where you're going to be in 10 years,” Bre said. “It kind of was just a weird feeling, a cool feeling, that we could go back to where we went to college and try to make a difference, and we can go back there and try to raise awareness for something that we didn't even think about when we were in their shoes.”While both girls recently got news they are in remission, the families and Greek Life both say raising awareness of childhood cancer was a key motivator to keep going. “Childhood cancer is like that taboo topic,” Parks-Rieckhoff said. “No one wants to talk about it because it's scary, but a lot of kids end up with it. It's not rare.”The group has raised nearly $9,000 at Roos for Relay and expects to hit $10,000 in fundraising for the B+ organization by the end of the semester. The funds go to a general B+ endowment that families like the Parks-Rieckhoffs and Robinsons can access if needed. Lopez and Basu are both planning on running for president of their councils in the coming year and plan to make B+ an annual tradition. In addition to forming connections with the families, they say it’s brought students closer together too.“UMKC Greek Life has never, ever done like a collaboration event live B+,” Lopez said. “I think it’s changing the future a little bit with Greek Life because we all need that collaboration sometimes, and it can be so easy to distance yourselves. But if we come together, we can raise so much more money than individually and just have a better college experience in general.”
Nov 07, 2024
Rarely heard recordings from the archives are part of new “Bird in Kansas City” album
In 1951, jazz icon Charlie Parker jammed on his saxophone at a party at Kansas City’s Eastside, in the home of his friend Phil Baxter. Most of these casual jam sessions are lost to history, but that night, a friend of Baxter’s brought a wire recorder to the party to capture Parker and others playing. More than 70 years later, those recordings are public for the first time.
“Bird in Kansas City: Charlie Parker” is a brand-new album featuring rarely heard recordings of internationally known Parker playing in his hometown of Kansas City. Two recordings, the Baxter wire recording and a disc recording made by band manager John Tumino, come from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Marr Sound Archives. The Marr Sound Archives, located in Miller Nichols Library, house more than 400,000 audio and audiovisual recordings. The archives focus on capturing the American experience in music, radio programs, speeches and interviews.
The Marr Sound Archives include a wide range of audio formats and instruments to play them, including LPs, 78s, 45s, cylinders, transcription discs, instantaneous-cut discs, open-reel tapes, CDs and digital audio files.
The music on “Bird in Kansas City” was originally recorded in 1941-1951, beginning when Parker was just 21 years old.
“These recordings chronicle Parker’s musical transformation from a budding soloist with the Jay McShann Band into a brilliant improviser who dominated after-hours jam sessions,” said Chuck Haddix (B.A. '97), curator of the Marr Sound Archives and Charlie Parker expert.
Haddix is also the author of “Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker.” He worked with jazz collector Norman Saks and Ken Drucker, senior vice president at Verve Label Group, to create the album. Haddix co-produced and wrote the liner notes for the record.
Haddix and the Marr Sound Archives aren’t the only UMKC connection to the Parker album. In the fall of 1938, Parker, as part of the Jay McShann Band, played a series of gigs at the Kangaroo, a malt shop and “jelly joint” at 300 E. 51st Street co-owned by a University of Kansas City (now UMKC) alumnus and a senior at the university. A photo of Parker playing his alto saxophone at the Kangaroo was featured in the 1939 UMKC yearbook and became the only known photo of Parker playing his alto in Kansas City. Thanks to the UMKC University Archives, that photo is featured on the cover of “Bird in Kansas City.”
This page out of the 1939 UMKC yearbook features the only known photo of Charlie Parker playing his saxophone in Kansas City, on the far right.
“While flipping through the yearbook, LaBudde Special Collections Curator Stuart Hinds came across the photo of Charlie Parker playing his saxophone for UKC students at the Kangaroo malt shop,” Haddix said. “We couldn’t believe a photo like this was in the yearbook, especially to be the only known photo of its kind. It’s just an important snapshot of Kansas City history.”
The UMKC Miller Nichols Library is hosting a “Bird in Kansas City” reception and listening event on Nov. 16. The reception will feature guest performer Bobby Watson and the exhibit “Saxophone Supreme: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker.” Haddix will play excerpts from the album and talk about Parker’s time in Kansas City and the stories surrounding the making of the recordings. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP here.
“Bird in Kansas City” is available now from Verve Records.
Nov 05, 2024
Critical Materials Crossroads, on behalf of UMKC, advances as finalist for National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines Type II Award - ...
In May of 2023, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, on behalf of the University of Missouri System, received a $1 million 24-month federal cooperative agreement to lead the development of an energy materials ecosystem in Kansas City.
The $999,480 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines (RIE) Program is funded through the CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in 2022, to significantly boost U.S. production of microchips and tackle supply chain vulnerabilities to revitalize Americas scientific research and technological leadership.
Over the last 18 months, the Critical Materials Crossroads has been building momentum on the development of an energy materials campus that would produce midstream materials for energy generation, storage and distribution in the Kanas City Area to promote technical and economic development and prosperity in the Kansas City region. As part of this project, the Critical Materials Crossroads will create a highly trained workforce focused on advanced manufacturing, robotics and automation.
In October 2024, The UMKC Critical Materials Crossroads team officially advanced as a finalist for the NSF RIE Type 2 award. The full proposal is due in February 2025 and could lead to $160 million in additional funding over the next 10 years to help launch new businesses and educate the future critical-materials workforce.
Governor Mike Parson congratulated the four Missouri higher education institutions, including UMKC, for advancing to the next stage. The other three advancing institutions include the Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Missouri–St. Louis and Washington University in St. Louis.
"We are excited that out of 71 teams advancing in this national competition, Missouri is home to four of them," Governor Parson said. "Missouri's technology sector is budding and growing, and these teams will help us continue the exceptional work we have done to develop our workforce, strengthen our infrastructure and emerge as a technological leader. We congratulate our higher education institutions, as well as their application partners, on the incredible work that has gotten them to this point, and we trust that Missouri innovation will win the day, potentially securing these NSF Engine designations for our state."
This collective will leverage partnerships with universities, businesses, industry, non-profits, and state, local and federal government institutions in Kansas and Missouri to drive the growth needed for this new hub. To do this, manufacturers will be equipped with the necessary workforce, materials and innovation to develop domestically sustainable and profitable critical goods.
Goals for the collective include:
Coordinate, facilitate and mentor creation of 70 small businesses in Missouri and Kansas
Increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area by greater than 5.5% ($17 Billion) by 2035, creating an average of 1,000 new jobs per year from 2026-2035 (10,000 jobs total).
Become a national thought leader in the Kansas City region on energy materials
Secure a sustainable, competitive and complete US based supply chain for energy materials processing and manufacturing
Create and maintain a pipeline of targeted degree/certificate holders to meet workforce needs
Be the catalyst and trusted partner for U.S. energy material processing and manufacturing that drives innovation
Develop a technology maturation network that rapidly scales new technologies from lab scale to full scale by providing centralized business support services and funding for startups and new innovations.
“UMKC is proud to take the lead on behalf of the University of Missouri System and its four universities on this exciting effort to create a new industrial base in our region focused on computer chips and other microelectronics,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. “The potential for business formation and job creation is extraordinary, and we’ll be working with partners throughout Missouri and Kansas to make it happen.”
Anthony Caruso, Curators' Distinguished Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering and UMKC Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, is the principal investigator for the grant.
“Our goal is to realize a self-sustaining Kansas-Missouri microelectronics industrial base that will become profitable without the need for government subsidy,” Caruso said. “That requires reinventing manufacturing practices. To meet this grand challenge, the team will focus on synergistic and symbiotic partnerships that leverage the unique natural resources, manufacturing and transportation capacity of Missouri and Kansas. The ultimate goal is to develop marked improvements in regional educational attainment and economic growth.”
Energy materials – underpin many aspects of day-to-day life, including medical equipment, cars, industrial machinery and consumer electronics. U.S. manufacturing has declined significantly since the early 1990s, leaving the country reliant on imported critical materials which many see as a threat to both economic growth and national security. The CMC aims to reshore these manufacturing jobs and provide a sustainable pathway to develop these critical goods and materials domestically, lowering our reliance on foreign entities of concern and increasing national and economic security.
The team includes institutions of higher education, representation from local and state governments, industry and business partners, national labs, non-profits, and civic organizations across the KC MSA, Kansas and Missouri. Major partners include all four universities in the UM System, the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Lincoln University, Wichita State University, Missouri State University, Pittsburg State University, Central Missouri State University, Lincoln University, Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis University, Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Integra Tech, Nitride Global, EaglePicher, MEMC-Global Wafers, Jost Chemical, Arkin Sales, ICL, Brewer Science, Doe Run, Enersys, Asir, Catalytic Innovations, Sylvatex, U.S. Strategic Metals, ThREE, KC Rising, National Security Crossroads, The Full Employment Council, Great Jobs KC, Birch Creek Innovations, Impossible Metals, JE Dunn, Burns and McDonnell, Black and Veatch, Midwest Recycling, KC Area Development Council, Enterprise KC, KC Economic Development Council, KC Digital Drive, Missouri Department of Economic Development, PortKC, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Missouri Tech Alliance, Entrepreneurship KC, KC Rising, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and startups Homebase, Bravas, Balto, Pierian, Torch, Potter, Nidec, Digital Ally and Crosstalk.
Nov 05, 2024
Matthew William’s research explores spaceflight’s effect on the human body
For Matthew William ((BLA ’23/M.D. ’24)), the sky isn’t the limit. It’s more like other planets, stars and space stations. William, who is one of the School of Medicine’s most recent graduates, just began his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. Long-term, he hopes to become an astronaut, focusing on the effects of space flight on the human body.
“Michigan has medical faculty members who are either past NASA astronauts or are currently engaged in research with NASA, so I’m hoping to get mentorship from some of them during residency,” William said.
The connection between anesthesiology and space flight may not seem obvious, but the ties run deep through the aerospace medical field, according to William. He has already logged hundreds of hours participating in research with NASA, SpaceX and military members exploring how the human body reacts to space flight, how to best prepare humans for that journey and what guidelines will be necessary in the future.
As the associate dean for research at the School of Medicine, Paula Monaghan-Nichols, Ph.D., sees the significance in William’s research.
“His research will be critically important in creating guidelines that could not only impact regulations on space flight but may also guide therapeutic interventions that address the physiological challenges to the space exploration,” Monaghan-Nichols said.
William is especially intrigued that surgery, one of the main areas anesthesiology comes into play, is largely unexplored outside Earth.
“I was curious about, ‘what if someone has trauma in space or an emergent issue like appendicitis or cholecystitis, and they must come back to Earth immediately?’” William wondered. “‘How are the things that space does to your body going to affect your morbidity and mortality after surgery?’”
These questions led him to analyze NASA’s existing data and calculate that just two weeks in space already showed a minor increase in mortality.
“With longer-duration spaceflight coming up in the future, I think that risk is going to be a lot higher,” William said. “Learning how to optimize cardiovascular parameters like your heart rate and blood pressure is going to be huge in figuring out how to make people have better surgical outcomes when they come back from space.”
William is part of an international team working under the Aerospace Medical Association, where he’s working with top-notch minds to develop guidelines that commercial companies and government agencies can use when space flight becomes available to the average person. While we aren’t quite there yet, we aren’t too far off.
“When you’re thinking about sending everyday, regular people to space, there’s a concern about, ‘how do we make that optimal for coming back to Earth?’” William said.
William’s research sounds right out of a science fiction story, and for good reason. He has loved science fiction his whole life, and outer space is now an arena where he can work – and play – in real life.
“I think, at some point, I’ll join the Air Force or Navy to get more aerospace training,” he said, “and then eventually apply for astronaut candidate school.”
Nov 01, 2024
The Institute for Urban Education showcases impressive industry and retention statistics
Do you know how far giving can go? Here at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, many of our students and programs thrive because of our donors’ generosity. Their gifts impact all aspects of the university, and those resources change lives everyday.
Dana Reel and Nancy Reel (B.A. ’77) are both Kansas City natives, with Nancy graduating from UMKC with a degree in elementary education. The Reels came in contact with the UMKC Foundation in 2015 when they first established a scholarship in the then College of Arts and Sciences, now School of Humanities and Social Sciences, in honor of Dana’s sister and brother-in-law who attended UMKC. The couple learned about the Institute for Urban Education, commonly called IUE, a program dedicated to supporting educators in historically underserved schools in urban communities, through their communications with the university when they expressed a desire to expand their giving. The Reels wanted to provide more opportunities to underrepresented populations in Kansas City and were incredibly inspired by the IUE. They were impressed with the program’s leadership, mission and achievements. “Hearing about the program for the first time was so refreshing,” Dana said. “I’ve never heard of a program as exceptional as the IUE. We went to one of their events and were so impressed with how it was structured. Every student and teacher we met were so excited and jazzed about their careers and they all had such good camaraderie.”IUE scholars in the program not only receive a scholarship to support them during school, but also receive additional training focused on teaching in urban schools and are committed to teaching in Kansas City’s public schools for four years after graduation. The program also provides consistent guidance and support even after students start teaching full time. Since its inception, the IUE has given Kansas City talented educators who are highly sought after: 100 % of the teachers who come from IUE who are certified have been hired. This impressive statistic has been true even in the years even before the teacher shortage.
Dana and Nancy Reel chatting with an IUE student
“I'm constantly getting emails and phone calls from school principals and HR directors asking if we have any more IUE teachers,” said Jennifer Waddell, Ph.D., director of the IUE. “They tell me that first year IUE teachers are performing at the level of second- or even third-year teachers. It’s nice to hear that the intense preparation and opportunities we provide not only help them get their jobs, but they execute their jobs effectively as well.”Having 100% of teachers hired isn’t the only impressive statistic the IUE has. The program also boasts extremely high retention rates.“Our teachers’ retention rate is almost three times higher than the state’s,” Waddell said. “Currently, 91% of IUE graduates are still teaching or working in public education at the five-year mark. That is compared to a little less than 50% nationally and 34% in Missouri. On top of that, 100% of our students of color who are from urban communities, our core demographic for recruitment, are still teaching at the five-year mark.”Those numbers left the Reels in awe of the program. “I was a teacher myself,” Nancy shared. “I know that the turnover rates are extremely high in the profession and to have a program that is so supportive even when you graduate really does make a big difference. The teachers who come out of the IUE program stay in the profession for a long time, it’s very exciting and hopeful. I wish more programs like the IUE existed.”The Reels explained that the IUE is a program they specifically give to because they are addressing problems that impact the education of Kansas City’s community and children. They expressed gratitude for their own education and wish to pay it forward. “Kansas City is our home,” Dana said. “We want to make a positive and lasting impact here. Nancy and I are fortunate to be able to give financially, it’s truly a blessing. There is a huge need for scholarships and financial aid, and we are just happy to be involved and provide some opportunities.”
Jennifer Waddell, Ph.D., on the left at an IUE event
Waddell expressed how grateful the IUE is with their donors and contributors. “They give us a reason to exist,” Waddell said. “Without the scholarships, we don't have a way to support our students, and we cannot grow our enrollment, much less maintain it. Our students are unbelievable. The teachers they become are nothing short of exceptional and our team members are all here because our donors believe in the mission of the IUE. Their philanthropy and donations make our work possible and help us contribute to the educational landscape of Kansas City.”The Reels shared their satisfaction with the program, especially when they attend events and see dedicated students who are excited about teaching express gratitude to their help. “The schools that these teachers get placed in are extremely lucky,” Nancy said. “They have resources and support that other teachers don’t, and they also have more training because of the IUE. It’s wonderful because ultimately it all goes back to the kids in the classrooms.”The couple said they hope their gift will have a ripple effect for years to come. “I wouldn’t have gotten the job I got without the education I received,” Dana said. “The same goes for Nancy. Scholarships like ours help students focus on their studies. We understand it takes time to study and absorb the material; if we can lighten their financial load, it will only benefit their education and our community. They just need some to help move along, and we are more than happy to do so. We hope they’ll see that and be inspired to give back as part of their future too.”
Oct 30, 2024
Programs will increase research opportunities and community engagement
The University of Missouri-Kansas City has added eight Ph.D. programs to its curriculum. All of these programs will begin admitting students in Fall 2025. With the addition of these programs, UMKC now offers more than 35 doctoral and professional programs.
The doctoral programs – some that include multiple focus areas – are:
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Science
Economics
Education with focus areas in Curriculum and Instruction; Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations; Music Education
Humanities with focus areas in English; History
Natural Sciences with focus areas in Biomedical and Health Informatics; Cell Biology and Biophysics; Chemistry; Geosciences; Mathematics; Molecular Biology and Biochemistry; Oral and Craniofacial Sciences; Pharmaceutical Sciences; Pharmacology; Physics
“These programs allow students to earn a globally recognized credential right here in Kansas City,” School of Graduate Studies Dean Christine Getz said. “They combine an advanced disciplinary specialization with opportunities to diversity skills in preparation for a variety of careers in academics, industry, government, education and the nonprofit sector.”
The programs won’t just benefit students. As Kansas City’s university, the impact to the city and larger region is always top of mind when new opportunities are considered.
“When we consider new academic programs, we determine if there is a need in the Kansas City region and how the program will benefit the community,” Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said. “We’re particularly excited about the opportunities for research that our new Ph.D. programs will provide, including bringing more funding and jobs to the community.”
The new degree programs will help move the university toward its goal of attaining Carnegie Research 1 status that would designate the university as having very high research activity. The R1 designation would make it easier to hire additional excellent faculty and attract more students. It also helps with national prestige, leading to more research funding and partnerships with other R1 institutions and organizations in the community. Only 146 universities – or 5% – in the country have R1 status, and none currently do in the Kansas City region.
“The new degree programs better identify the areas in which faculty and students are already researching and working,” said Jennifer Lundgren, provost and executive vice chancellor. “We expect that this clarity will us recruit high-quality faculty and students, as well as boost our research opportunities.”
Oct 29, 2024
Mya Thomas’s passion for interdisciplinary learning fueled her interest in STEM organizations such as Women in Science (WiSci) and Baja Buggy
Conducting research in Iceland, presenting to NASA and working with Baja Buggies. That’s the typical college experience for Mya Thomas, who loves a hands-on approach in the STEM field. We sat down with the Science and Engineering student to learn exactly what gets her gears going.
What inspired you to pursue your major?
My major is a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Environmental Science with a geology emphasis. I am pursuing minors in astronomy and physics as well as a certificate in Geographic Information Systems. I love exploring the natural world and learning about geologic processes I can observe with my own eyes in the field. I decided to add on minors in astronomy and physics because I want to specialize in planetary geology. It has always been a dream of mine to work for NASA and help plan missions to extraterrestrial lands.
How and why did you get involved with WiSci?
During my freshman year, I first discovered Women in Science through an alumna that now works with NASA. She said that WiSci was a wonderful and supportive environment for her to be a part of while she was at UMKC. I started off as a general member, but then was elected vice president the next semester and here I am as president about a year later. Since being involved with WiSci, I have gained a passion for making STEM more accessible and success in it more achievable.
How and why did you get involved with Baja Buggy?
I joined the Baja Racing Team my freshman year because I thought it was cool! My dad has always been a fan of NASCAR and I grew up riding go-karts with him, so I developed an interest in cars and racing.
As the current president, I approach this role with a mission to, again, make STEM more accessible and approachable to non-majors. The executive team is composed of all non-engineering students, and we have leads from each engineering discipline at UMKC. I quickly learned how important it is to foster a supportive atmosphere, put trust in your team, and just ask the question when you have it.
What do you plan to pursue post-grad? Why?
Once I graduate from UMKC, I am going off to grad school to study planetary geology and continue building an interdisciplinary background in STEM. My dream career is to be on a mission planning team at NASA. I am most interested in being a part of a team that develops scientific data collection and analysis plans for a mission to planets or asteroids in our solar system. Mission planning teams at NASA are as interdisciplinary as you can get.
Why is the representation of women in science important? What does it mean to you?
Learning about science in school, I only recall hearing about Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Galileo. It wasn’t until late high school that I learned about famous female scientists like Marie Curie, Katherine Johnson and Mary Anning. Growing up with this narrative of science being a man’s field made it feel deviant to be interested in pursuing a career in STEM.
I don’t want young girls to feel intimidated to pursue a career in STEM. I want young girls to grow up and maintain their curiosities in science and carry that into their career paths. Building a more encouraging atmosphere around STEM would open the industry to so many more diverse perspectives.
Do you have any advice for women thinking of pursuing a STEM field?
My biggest piece of advice would be to branch out and try new things, more so if you are intimidated. Not only will you grow as a student when you step outside of your comfort zone, but also as a human being.
Do you have any current mentors who have inspired you?
Hands down,the MELT team at UMKC. The MELT team is a volcanology research team led by Alison Graettinger, Ph.D. in the Natural and Build Environment Division in the School of Science and Engineering at UMKC. Graettinger has been an incredible mentor to me regarding both my undergraduate research pursuits and my general career path. She is passionate about facilitating her students’ success. The path I am on feels so much more fun with Graettinger and the MELT team by my side.
Thomas' incredible academic achievements and student involvement on campus with organizations such as Women in Science and Baja SAE has not gone unrecognized, with her receiving the 2024 Central Exchange Student Achiever STEMMy Award.
She is also the grand prize winner of the 2024 AGU Michael H. Freilich Data Visualization Competition. The award provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate creative ways to visualize data and present complex problems in the Earth, space and related scientific disciplines and advance their ability to communicate science with broad audiences. Thomas will get the chance to present on the NASA hyperwall at the 2024 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting this December in Washington, D.C.
Oct 24, 2024
13 alumni and one family will be honored on April 25
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Class of 2025 Alumni Award recipients include a CEO and founder of a company frequently mentioned in the Kansas City Business Journal, and a family that has made a significant impact in dental healthcare.
Each year, UMKC recognizes a select group of alumni for their inspirational accomplishments. The event is one of the university’s largest events to support student scholarships. In the past decade, the Alumni Awards event has garnered more than $1 million in scholarships and immediate student aid for UMKC.
The Class of 2025 awardees will be honored at a celebration on April 25 at the Student Union.
Alumnus of the Year: Nathaniel Hagedorn
Nathaniel Hagedorn (BBA ’02, MBA ’04) has had a 22-year career in commercial real estate. In 2012, he founded NorthPoint Development, a Kansas City-based commercial real estate development company focused on industrial, multifamily and data center projects. As the CEO of the firm, Hagedorn is responsible for strategically ensuring NorthPoint remains an innovator in data science and technology.
NorthPoint has grown to a team of 400 team members with nine offices across the country and has become the largest industrial developer in the United States, serving most Fortune 500 companies. The company has also invested in more than 8,000 apartment units and is developing several multi-billion-dollar hyperscale data center campuses. NorthPoint has been recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as a Best Place to Work in Kansas City for 11 years running.
Hagedorn also serves on the NorthPoint Foundation board, which focuses on charitable efforts to support children in need across Kansas City and in the other communities NorthPoint serves across the country.
Spotlight Award: James Mitchell
James Mitchell (B.M./B.A. ’13) has always been passionate about music and the environment. He majored in cello performance and environmental studies and is currently a leading expert in the field of climate finance whose work has shaped the climate strategies of some of the world’s largest banks and investors. He started his career as a researcher at the University of Oxford Sustainable Finance Group, where he published novel research that exposed climate and environmental risks in high-emitting industries.
In 2019, Mitchell built a global coalition of banks that adopted a first-of-a-kind climate change standard, the Poseidon Principles, while working at RMI, formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Institute. The Poseidon Principles are the most successful voluntary climate standard in the financial sector by market share today. In 2020, he became the founding director of the Center for Climate-Aligned Finance, which is now a leading center of excellence in the field of climate finance.
Mitchell is a senior expert at RMI and Head of Impact at the Center for Climate-Aligned Finance. He also serves on several climate finance advisory boards. His work is incorporated into the strategies of some of the world’s largest funds and financial institutions and has been featured in publications such as the Economist, Financial Times, Guardian and New York Times.
Mitchell also has a significant music career. Him and his folk band, the Infamous Flapjack Affair, launched Confluence, a musical documentary that explores social and environmental issues along the Colorado River in 2018. The film has since received several awards.
Defying the Odds: Diana Kander
When Diana Kander (B.A. ’02) was just 8 years old, she and her family escaped the Soviet Union, entered the United States as refugees, and resettled in Kansas City without money or the ability to speak English. And yet it is from these humble beginnings that Kander became a Georgetown-educated attorney, a university professor, the founder of 10 companies, a consultant to Fortune 500 companies and government leadership teams, and a New York Times bestselling author whose books have been taught in more than 100 universities and translated into many languages.
Kander credits UMKC with resetting her expectations for herself. Between a debate scholarship and the opportunity to accelerate her studies and graduate in two and a half years, UMKC made her experience possible by making it affordable. But beyond affordability, UMKC granted her unusual freedom to build a course of study, setting her on a life course built around pursuing passions and outsized goals.
Legacy Award: The Mahaffey Family
For three generations, the Mahaffey family has made an impact on the dental profession with oral healthcare throughout Missouri.
Charles Mahaffey graduated from the UMKC School of Dentistry in 1972. He has served as the president of the Dental Alumni Association at UMKC. Though Charles is now officially retired, the family dental practice continues to thrive under the leadership of his family.
Following in his footsteps, his son, Darren Mahaffey graduated from UMKC School of Dentistry in 2005 along with his wife, Sarah (Brown) Mahaffey. Darren and Sarah had a vision of bringing a large-scale dental clinic that would provide free oral healthcare to patients of all ages who cannot otherwise afford or have access to care in Missouri. They launched the first Missouri Mission of Mercy (MOMOM) in 2011, which saw 1,856 patients, gave over $1 million in care and had 1,100 volunteers.
Sarah currently serves as vice president of the Dental Alumni Association. She also created a new dentist conference in conjunction with the Missouri Dental Association called Connect4Success, to mentor and support dentists.
Samantha Mahaffey, granddaughter to Charles and niece to Darren and Sarah, graduated from the UMKC School of Dentistry in 2022. Prior to entering dental school and throughout her time as a dental student, Samantha participated in several MOMOM events, embodying the family’s legacy in providing care and service to the community. She is pursued an Advanced Education General Dentistry residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and is now working at the family practice.
School Alumni Achievement Awardees
Conservatory: John Jenkins (DMA ’12)
Executive Director, Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra
School of Dentistry: Jessica Meeske (DDS ’96)
Senior Partner, Pediatric Dental Specialists of Greater Nebraska
School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences: Terry Ward (Ph.D. ’12)
Principal, Doolin Ward Consulting (retired)
School of Science and Engineering: Nidhi Hegde, (M.S. ’98, Ph.D. ’00)
Associate Professor, University of Alberta
Henry W. Bloch School of Management: Paula Petersen (EMBA ’07)
Executive Director, Consumer Segment and Strategic Services, Commerce Bank
School of Humanities and Social Sciences: Steve Revare (M.A. ’07)
Co-Owner, Tom's Town Distilling Co.
School of Law: Justice Melissa Taylor Standridge (J.D. ’93)
Supreme Court Justice, State of Kansas
School of Medicine: Amy Hara (B.A. ’93/M.D. ’94)
Professor of Radiology and Board of Governors Member, Mayo Clinic Arizona
School of Nursing and Health Studies: Donna Young (BHS ’18)
Chief Operating Officer, Powell Gardens, Inc.
School of Pharmacy: Erica Mahn (Pharm.D. ’12)
Executive Director of Community Pharmacy Services, Alps Pharmacy
Tickets for the 2025 Alumni Awards can be purchased here.
Oct 21, 2024
Mayra Aguirre is a Kansas City leader, first-generation college graduate
Mayra Aguirre, president of the Hall Family Foundation, will give the UMKC Commencement address on Dec. 15.
Aguirre has led the organization, which aims to enhance the quality of human life in the Greater Kansas City Area, since 2020. The appointment was a natural fit for Aguirre, who is passionate about serving her community. As the daughter of immigrants growing up in Emporia, Kansas, she watched as her parents worked in manual labor roles to provide for their family. She was the first member of her family to graduate from college, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Emporia State University. She went on to achieve her Juris Doctorate from he University of Kansas School of Law.Her immigrant and working-class experience instilled a deep and lasting commitment to uplifting under resourced communities, and today Aguirre is known as a dedicated Kansas City leader with a long history of serving the community. Prior to becoming president of the Hall Family Foundation, Aguirre worked for the Mid-America Regional Council Metropolitan Council on Early Learning, and at the Hispanic Development Fund, where she continues to serve on the board and as an advocate and mentor for children, youth and young professionals. She also serves on the boards of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Development Fund and KC2026 World Cup. In her role as president of the Hall Family Foundation, Aguirre has worked with the board to join with community partners across the region to support initiatives that facilitate positive impact in the Kansas City community and align with the initial vision of the organization’s founders, Joyce and Elizabeth Hall. That collaboration includes UMKC with the Hall Family Foundation providing $15 million for the construction of the Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building, which will provide enhanced technology and facilities for students, opportunities for multidisciplinary learning and research and upgraded clinic facilities for the community.
Oct 21, 2024
UMKC researcher studies sleep as a solution to alleviate trauma
As a student dozes off into slumber, an auditory instruction is heard through a monitor.
“Think of a tree,” says Westley Youngren, Ph.D., a psychologist, professor and researcher at University of Missouri-Kansas City, as he observes brainwaves from outside a laboratory that resembles a bedroom haven.
Instead of beakers and test tubes, the equipment in this cubed space includes a bed, nightstand, glowing salt lamp, a few serene houseplants and a two-way speaker for Youngren to communicate with his subjects. This time it’s Bailee Ehlers, a junior studying psychology, who says she is thinking about a forest as she falls asleep with an eye mask and an EEG strapped onto her to measure the electrical activity in her brain.
The sleep lab is soundproof and darkness washes over when the door is closed, leaving only brainwaves for observation from the outside.
This is done as a part of Youngren’s research to prove that imagery and thoughts can control what we dream. While dreams are a fun and happy adventure for him, he understands it may not be so for everyone - especially those who have gone through traumatic experiences, such as combat or sexual assault.
“There is a concept of how much we can control our dreams,” Youngren said. “We’ve found that most people who have chronic trauma-related nightmares don’t really feel like they have control of their dreams. It’s our goal to show that we can control our dreams, or at least influence the content of them. Having that sense of autonomy could help with their treatments down the road.”
Youngren and his research were recently featured in an American Psychological Association cover story about how disturbing dreams, like nightmares, heavily influence sleep quality, leading to long-term effects on individuals’ mental, emotional and physical health.
“There’s a good amount of research suggesting that treating sleep and nightmares can help trauma-related symptoms overall,” Youngren said in the article.
Ehlers is not just a research subject, she is also one of Youngren’s research assistants. Being on both sides of the research provided Ehlers with additional insight.
“I was a subject before a research assistant, so it helped me experience what other subjects feel when they participate in the study,” Ehlers said. “Seeing that you can influence your thoughts resulting in a better quality of life is really interesting. When dealing with trauma, it can be easy to feel helpless, but this research can help show individuals the power to change the effect it has on them is within themselves. They just need to be shown how.”
Youngren hopes to bring joy back to dreaming through his research.
“I think dreams can be a fundamental part of joy in life,” Youngren said. “Some of my favorite moments in life are sharing the cool dreams I had with other people. So, a big picture of my research is asking how we can bring the joy of dreaming back into every individual’s life.”
Oct 08, 2024
High school- and college-age students are introduced to pharmacy earlier than ever before with a UMKC summer internship
For the next generation of healthcare workers, the starting line is earlier than ever, thanks to the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy. There, future students are getting early exposure to pharmacy during their high school and undergraduate years.
This past summer, a cohort of students working under Drinnan Sante, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Pharmacy, experienced hands-on learning every week in a new internship program at the school designed to expose young learners to the profession years before having to make any career decisions.
Sante is researching the way medications are delivered to the body. More specifically, how to target treatment to only the affected areas of the brain or body that need a drug. His goal is to work towards a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which affects 6.9 million people in the United States alone.
Sante assembled a team of high school and undergraduate interns who assisted him about 20 hours per week. The goal of the program was to give the students experience in a lab, which will give them a leg up in their studies.
UMKC School of Pharmacy Dean Russell Melchert, Pharm.D., knows that early introduction to the discipline helps show potential students the versatile career paths in pharmacy.
“We like to welcome all who are interested in learning more about pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences,” Melchert said. “Whether they end up wanting to go into one of the many different areas of pharmacy practice or into research, we are trying to get students some hands-on experience and a greater understanding of the many rewarding career pathways our graduates take.”
“This part of the medical field isn’t super obvious when you’re younger,” Sante said. “You think either doctor or dentist, but there’s a whole field where you can do research and actually try to help cure diseases that aren’t cured yet, and this project is a little window into that.”
For recent Blue Valley West High School graduate Cooper Canfield, the opportunity to participate in this research and assist Sante came after conversations with Steve Stoner, Pharm.D., the school’s associate dean for student affairs, when he spoke to the high school’s pre-med club.
“He was talking about some neuroscience research that was happening in the lab over here and I spoke to him afterwards and said, ‘That sounds interesting. Is there any way I can get in a lab and get into all this?’ and he said, ‘Absolutely,’” Canfield said.
Canfield enrolled at the University of Kansas this fall as a chemistry major and neuropsychology minor, and is considering a career in pharmacy down the line.
“It’s the perfect combination of neuroscience and chemistry,” he said.
St. Pius High School senior Meet Kaur was interested in pharmacy from an early age, and her summer spent doing hands-on work at UMKC was a step up from her earlier shadowing experiences.
“I’ll go volunteer at hospitals here and there, but it’s not the same as being in a lab and getting the experience,” Kaur said. “I’m learning before college even starts.”
Anay Chatterjee, a sophomore at Olathe North, was the youngest of the group, earning pharmacy lab experience years before other students do. A large part of his internship was honing lab safety skills that he can bring back to his classroom at Olathe North.
“I worked in a biosafety cabinet, where you work with sterile objects,” Chatterjee said. “The safety procedures that I’m running here are really important, because we also have biosafety cabinets back in my high school.”
Chatterjee is working to fill gaps in his resume to make him a competitive college applicant and someday, be accepted into medical school.
The older the student, the more involved the role they play in assisting Sante’s research. For Jacob Suchman, a sophomore studying biology at Davidson College in North Carolina, the summer was a chance to keep his skills sharp.
Suchman worked with a nanopore, a tool commonly used in labs to determine DNA and RNA sequences.
“There’s all sorts of tools that I’ve learned how to use,” Suchman said. “I’m helping Ph.D. students, like Drinnan and some of his colleagues, as they learn and understand nanopore like I am, and figure out how to use it best for their Ph.D. dissertations and other work.”
“It’s given me a great insight on Drinnan’s day-to-day life as a Ph.D. student and the challenges he has to work with,” Suchman said. “I would like to do something similar to what he’s doing.”
Program director, Gerald Wyckoff, Pharm.D., has seen the benefit of the summer program for budding pharmacists.
“It was fantastic to have students in our labs this summer and we enjoyed seeing them make connections in the lab to what they may have seen in their studies,” he said. “Our graduate students were truly an excellent asset in ensuring the success of these summer experiences.”
Interested in getting hands-on experience at the School of Pharmacy next summer? Reach out to Gerald Wyckoff at wyckoffg@umkc.edu.
Oct 07, 2024
Both CPKC Stadium and The Rabbit hOle have UMKC ties playing prominent roles in the success of these attractions
TIME recently announced its annual list of the World’s Greatest Places to visit, and two Kansas City spots with UMKC ties were recognized.
CPKC Stadium and The Rabbit hOle were named on the media company’s list as extraordinary destinations among hotels, restaurants, attractions and more.
CPKC Stadium opened earlier this year, cementing its status as the world’s first stadium built for a women’s professional sports team. The world-class facility includes FIFA-approved turf pitch and dedicated spaces for wellness, recovery and weight training for the Kansas City Current players.
UMKC is a higher-education partner with the Current, and that agreement includes Current player mentorship of UMKC women’s soccer players and UMKC educational opportunities for Current team members.
UMKC alumni serve as top KC Current leaders. Monica Ngo (B.A. ’08) is the vice president of human resources and Maggie Walters (L.L.M. ’15) is general counsel. UMKC faculty Meg Gibson, M.D., is a physician for the Current.
Current founders and co-owners Angie Long and Chris Long were named Kansas City Entrepreneurs of the Year by UMKC for their leadership roles at Palmer Square Capital Management and their work with the Current, both powerful platforms that are leading the way in making positive global change.
The Rabbit hOle is a museum experience in North Kansas City that celebrates children’s literature for people of all ages. With three floors, visitors are able to explore immersive and multi-sensory narrative landscapes from various children literature tales.
UMKC alumni also serve as significant members of the Rabbit hOle, with Iris Appelquist (B.A. '21) as the current human resources manager and Emily Hane (MPA ’15) previously serving as the development director.
The governing board of the Rabbit hOle also has a UMKC alum, Larry Taft (MBA '91).
“Knowing our alumni are making an impact that is not just recognized in Kansas City, but also worldwide, is exciting,” Kaity Woody, assistant vice chancellor of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, said. “It is a true testament to how UMKC is also a world-class university in a world-class city.”
Oct 04, 2024
UMKC announces new endowment, donation to GLAMA archives
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Swinney Center was transformed into an elegant reception hall for the first-ever UMKC Pride Luncheon. The UMKC tradition, which previously had been a breakfast, raises funds to support LGBTQIA+ students, allies, programs and scholarships.
Kansas City community members were in attendance, along with UMKC staff, faculty and students.
UMKC raised a record-breaking amount at this year’s Pride Luncheon, with more gifts still coming in. On top of that, former Missouri Senator Greg Razer also established a $40,000 endowment to be dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ students at the university. Razer said he hopes the gift will inspire a legacy of generosity.” “I was only able to go to college because someone else provided a full scholarship for me,” Razer said. “I am now paying that forward, and hope to inspire others to do so as well.”
Former Kansas City mayor and UMKC alumna Kay Barnes (M.A. '71, MPA '78) was honored at the luncheon with the C. Stephen Metzler Pride Champion Award, which recognizes an individual (LGBTQIA+ or ally) who embodies the legacy of Metzler (MBA ’76), who made Kansas City a better place for the LGBTQIA+ community through volunteerism, philanthropy and leading by example.
Barnes was known as a fierce ally of the community, regardless of the political and business risks, during her career in public office which included terms as county legislator, city council member, mayor and U.S. Congressional candidate. She is the only woman to have served as Kansas City’s mayor, serving from 1999 to 2007, and was one of two women in the Jackson County Legislature in 1974. Barnes is most known for spearheading the revitalization of downtown Kansas City through the construction of the T-Mobile (formerly Sprint) Center, the H&R Block headquarters and the Power and Light District.
“I am so proud of my relationship with UMKC,” Barnes said, as she accepted her award. “The students here are fortunate to be part of a wonderful university that has grown so much since I was a student here. Everyone in this room has a unique contribution to make in our university and our community. You each are valued, let’s keep the momentum going, we have so much more to accomplish together.”
As a trailblazer, Barnes is also a UMKC Starr Women’s Hall of Fame inductee. Her out-of-the-box thinking, assertiveness and devotion to public service led her to being nominated in 2014 and inducted in 2015. Barnes is senior director of university engagement at Park University.
“Kay Barnes is an inspirational figure in Kansas City, and we are excited to honor her with the C. Stephen Metzler Pride Champion Award,” UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said. “Her determination to strive for equality, inclusivity and justice while elevating the city amazes all of us. We are glad she is deeply connected to UMKC and our community.”
Another former Kansas City mayor was also closely involved with this year’s Pride Luncheon. Former Mayor Sly James, who served from 2011 to 2019, was an honorary co-chair along with his business partner and former chief of staff Joni Wickham of Wickham James Strategies & Solutions.
The event co-chairs were Casey Simmons and S. Sloane Simmons who own A Store Named Stuff in Brookside, and Jonathan Gregory, UnitedHealth Group, and Eric Thomas, Zurich Insurance.
Ophelia Griffin, a junior in communication and former Student Government Association president, shared her experience of acceptance at the Pride Luncheon.
“It is a point of pride for many students like me that UMKC and its faculty and staff are fiercely committed to nurturing and sustaining an inclusive culture,” Griffin said. “UMKC lets us be our awesome, brave self. I’ve experienced being the first, but I am here to assure you that I am not the last. Know that UMKC and Kansas City are different. We do matter and are seen at this institution. We will always have a seat at the table at this wonderful, vibrant community.”
Former Missouri State Senator Jolie Justus (J.D. ’98) was also in attendance. She was the first openly gay member of the Missouri Senate, serving the 10th district from 2007-2015. Justus and Razer announced at the luncheon they had purchased the senate seat where they sat as the first two openly gay state senators in Missouri to donate to the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America (GLAMA) at the university.
The Pride Luncheon has raised more than $650,000 since 2015, showing the university’s continuous support and commitment to inclusivity on campus.
Oct 02, 2024
$8.3 million grant is largest NIH award in university history
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Healthcare Institute for Innovations in Quality and Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute today announced a nationwide four-year study of U.S. pregnant women with heart disease to better understand and combat maternal deaths and illnesses. The National Institutes of Health awarded $8.3 million to UMKC HI-IQ, the largest NIH grant the university has received so far.
The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any industrialized nation, and the only country whose rate is increasing, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of maternal death. While only 2% to 4% of pregnancies are in people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, they account for more than a third of maternal deaths. These adverse events disproportionately impact Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native and Asian/Pacific Islander pregnancies.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute awarded UMKC HI-IQ funding for the study, Heart Outcomes in Pregnancy Expectations (HOPE) for Mom and Baby, which will enroll 1,000 pregnant women with cardiovascular disease from 36 confirmed enrolling sites nationwide, to study their care and outcomes.
HOPE will be the first U.S. study to describe the care and outcomes of pregnant individuals with heart disease to better understand the patient characteristics, treatment and organization of healthcare delivery that most influence these outcomes so that standardized-care protocols can be developed and disseminated to combat the United States’ tragically high rate of heart-related deaths and illnesses.
HOPE was initiated as a two-site pilot by Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City in 2019 at Saint Luke’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Philanthropic gifts from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation, the Victor E. Speas Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee and Saint Luke's Hospital Auxiliary provided the runway for the institute’s nationwide HOPE study, said Anna Grodzinsky (B.L.A. '08/M.D. '09, M.S. '15.), cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and associate professor of medicine at UMKC.
“Heart disease is responsible for more than a third of all pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., yet we lack research that has followed this patient population,” Grodzinsky said. “The HOPE study will help us gain a better understanding of how we as providers can better care for these patients in a more standardized way in an effort to lower the risk of adverse outcomes.”
Grodzinsky was a co-principal investigator in the pilot phase along with Karen Florio, D.O., M.P.H., a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at both UMKC and the University of Missouri, now a co-principal investigator on the expanded study. Both will co-lead HOPE with principal investigator John Spertus, M.D., M.P.H., UMKC HI-IQ founder and director, clinical director of outcomes research at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, a UMKC professor of medicine and the Daniel J. Lauer/Missouri Endowed Chair in Metabolic and Vascular Disease Research.
“The HOPE study will generate important new insights into the care of pregnant people with cardiovascular disease,” Spertus said. “We anticipate generating two key contributions: patient-level prediction models of adverse clinical outcomes and defining the structures of cardio-obstetrics care that are independently associated with better outcomes. Both lay the foundation for improving care for these high-risk patients.”
“Guided by patients with lived experience and committed experts, the HOPE study will support improvements in patient-level care by developing risk models that can be used to support evidence-based protocols while also guiding the enrolling centers on how best to organize cardio-obstetrics care to optimize outcomes and minimize disparities,” Florio said. “The study will further our understanding of the nuanced care needed for pregnant people with heart disease.”
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City Healthcare Institute for Innovations in Quality Since 2017, the team of UMKC Healthcare Institute for Innovations in Quality, or UMKC HI-IQ, has worked with a network of providers, payers, patients and nonprofit organizations to identify strategies to improve the value (better care at lower cost) and equity of healthcare in Kansas City. For more information about the institute, visit healthcareinstitute.umkc.edu.
About Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute is part of Saint Luke’s Health System, which serves the West Region of BJC Health System, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States. The Heart Institute, a teaching affiliate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, is one of the most distinguished cardiovascular programs in the country. Its legacy of innovation began more than 40 years ago when it opened as the nation’s first freestanding heart hospital. Since then, the nearly 200 board-certified specialists and cardiovascular experts have earned a global reputation for excellence in the treatment of heart disease, including interventional cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, imaging, heart failure, transplant, heart disease prevention, cardio-oncology, cardiometabolic disease, women’s heart disease, electrophysiology, outcomes research, and health economics by being the third hospital in the U.S. to achieve Comprehensive Cardiac Center certification from The Joint Commission.
In 2023, the Heart Institute completed its 1,000th heart transplant, making it one of only 23 advanced programs to have reached this milestone.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City The University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public research university serving more than 15,500 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and world based on its mission: placing student success at the center; leading in life and health sciences; advancing regional engagement; excelling in visual and performing arts; and promoting research and economic development. For more information about UMKC, visit umkc.edu.
Sep 30, 2024
School’s initiative yields 90% pass rate
The pass rate of UMKC School of Law students who took the Missouri bar exam for the first time in July 2024 was 90.6%, more than 5% higher than the pass rate of all Missouri first-time test takers. UMKC Law students had the highest pass rate of all public universities in Missouri and Kansas.
“We are incredibly proud of our success on this bar exam,” UMKC School of Law Dean Lumen Mulligan said. “It is a team effort: hardworking students, great faculty, the nation’s top bar-passage professor in Wanda Temm and alumni support. Each teammate is essential. Indeed, we appreciate all the alumni gifts supporting the bar prep program, especially our gold-level sponsorship from Wagstaff & Cartmell, LLP.”
Students who took the July bar exam are some of the first to benefit from the new bar preparation program, an initiative by the UMKC School of Law to provide every juris doctorate student with a commercial bar prep program and in-person supplemental course at no extra cost. With a July 2024 pass rate that is 9% higher than the July 2023 pass rate of UMKC Law students, the program’s impact is outstanding.
Wanda Temm, J.D., a nationally recognized expert on bar passage, has taught the supplemental course for more than 20 years. Temm has taught nearly 2,000 students how to prepare for the bar exam. When she began the course, UMKC School of Law was one of the first in the country to offer a supplemental bar preparation course.
“UMKC has a proud tradition of supporting our students throughout their legal education and bar preparation,” Temm said. “Credit goes to our students who put in the effort it takes and to the law school community, from the administration to faculty, staff and alumni who volunteer to help year after year. We are so proud of this team effort and results.”
UMKC School of Law is one of few in the country to provide both a commercial bar preparation program and a supplemental in-person course at no cost to students beyond tuition and fees.
“This has been a game-changer for our students,” Mulligan said. “Law school is probably the most challenging intellectual exercise they’ll engage in, and the bar exam is the top of that mountain. This initiative ensures that every student has access to these important resources and the best chance to be successful.”
Reputable commercial bar preparation programs cost an average of $4,000, a high expense to ask students to pay before many of them have full-time jobs and one that cannot be paid for with a student loan. This leaves many students to make the difficult choice to take out a commercial loan to pay for a program or try to pass the bar exam without using a program to prepare.
Alexis Denny (J.D. ‘23) was in the first class of students to prepare for the bar exam with this extra support.
“The reality of bar prep is that some people have to make an economic-driven decision,” Denny said. “So they choose the cheapest or free option, don’t enroll in the in-person class and try to go it alone. With this initiative, no student has to choose between paying for bills or a bar prep program.”
Some large law firms pay for bar prep expenses, but students with ambitions in areas of law that don’t pay for bar prep, and likely don’t start at high salaries, are now able to pursue those ambitions with less concern regarding expense. UMKC School of Law prides itself on its ties and service to the Kansas City community, and this is one more way it provides value to that community, as well as its students.
“This initiative is deeply in line with our mission,” Mulligan said. “First-generation and other students with fewer economic means now have access to that resource to succeed. We’re helping to create lawyers who seek a career outside of the private sector such as in public defense, district attorney offices and public service work.”
Learn more about the bar preparation program and how to support UMKC Law students.
Sep 30, 2024
Honoring Kansas City influential female leaders who are first in their fields
The newest class of inductees to the University of Missouri-Kansas City Starr Women’s Hall of Fame, established a decade ago to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of women who have benefitted the Kansas City region and beyond, showcases a major multitude of firsts.
The seven inductees include: the first Native American to argue a case in the Supreme Court; the first woman named as president of the Black Coaches Association and the first African American woman to coach the Olympic women’s basketball team; a philanthropist who helped shape the arts and healthcare delivery in Kansas City and who established the first center dedicated to women’s heart health in the U.S.; the woman who founded the first bilingual newspaper in the four-state region; a communications firm founder who has led the first family of multiple U.S. presidential administrations on diplomatic tours in dozens of countries; the first African American superintendent of the Hickman Mills Schools District who mentors women seeking doctoral degrees; and the first at-large chair of the Board of County Commissioners in Johnson County.
Starr Women’s Hall of Fame will induct its sixth class honoring trailblazing Kansas City women at 4 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Sponsor opportunities are available and individual ticket information will be available in the upcoming months.
From left to right, top to bottom: Eliza Conley Jr., Muriel Irene McBrien Kauffman, Roshann Parris, Clara Reyes, Annabeth Surbaugh, Marian E. Washington, Marjorie A. Williams
Learn more about the seven exceptional women who are the Class of 2025 inductees:
Eliza Burton Conley Jr.
Conley, who died in 1946, is the first Native American to argue a case before the Supreme Court and the first woman admitted to the Kansas Bar Association. She is best known for her advocacy to prevent the Wyandotte ancestral burial grounds in downtown Kansas City, Kansas being sold for commercial development space and her lifelong work to protect tribal rights. An alumna of the Kansas City School of Law, now UMKC School of Law, her legal and civic advocacy resulted in the placement of the Wyandotte National Burial Grounds on the National Register of Historic Places. She brought this battle to protect a sacred and culturally significant burial ground all the way to the Supreme Court and she, her sister and other women of the tribe erected a barricade on the cemetery and guarded it with shotguns.
Muriel Irene McBrien Kauffman
Through her leadership and investments in this community and those of the foundation that bears her name, Kauffman, has forever changed the arts and healthcare delivery landscape of the Kansas City community. Known as Mrs. K, she established a small business when she was only 16, and after her father died at age 50, she took over his businesses, including an insurance company, real estate holdings and a law practice. In the early 1960s, she married Ewing Kauffman who had a thriving business in Kansas City, Marion Laboratories. Muriel Kauffman became vice president-director of Marion Laboratories, and also served as the treasurer for 20 years before becoming president of the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation that focused on her passion for the performing and visual arts. She also championed healthcare. The Saint Luke’s Muriel I. Kauffman’s Women’s Heart Center was the first center of its kind in the United States that is dedicated to proactive treatment of women’s heart health when it opened in 1994 in Kansas City. Kauffman also was the first woman elected to a major Kansas City bank board and the first woman to step onto the floor the New York Stock Exchange. Prior to Kauffman’s passing in 1995, her last wish expressed to her daughter, Julia, was to build a performing arts center. Julia took this request to heart and opened the 316,000-square-foot Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in 2011. This center is not only home to three resident arts organizations: the Kansas City Symphony, the Kansas City Ballet and the Kansas City Lyric Opera, but also provides diverse performances and support for smaller arts organizations and programs creating unique accessibility for all. It is due to her that the area has the Kansas City Royals, convincing her husband they should purchase the team in 1968; and she became the first woman to receive a “Mr. Baseball” award from the Baseball Writers Association.
Roshann Parris
Parris began her career in Washington, D.C. in 1978 as a researcher on U.S. Middle East policy for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, while traveling nationwide as national chairperson of the New York-based United Jewish Appeal Student Advisory Board. In 1988, she founded Parris Communications, a Kansas City-based public relations and strategic communications firm specializing in strategic corporate communications, media relations, public affairs and crisis communications with clients including Fortune 50 companies nationwide. Throughout her career, Parris has led advance teams on behalf of the White House during multiple presidential administrations, traveling to 60 countries. She considers her pro-bono White House work her national duty to the U.S. Just a few examples: Parris served as Lead Advance on the White House Presidential Advance Team accompanying President Clinton and the First Lady to more than 50 countries including historic visits to peacekeeping troops in Bosnia; to Greece for the Olympic Torch Lighting; to London for Princess Diana’s funeral; to Calcutta, India for the funeral of Mother Teresa and to Belfast, Jerusalem and Gaza in support of diplomatic peace efforts. Parris also has led a similar scope of work for both the Obama and Biden administrations.
Clara Reyes
Reyes, who died in February, came to the U.S. from Mexico with a dentistry degree that wasn't recognized. Instead of giving up, she pivoted and used her tenacity and determination to work in real estate and interpreting before founding the Dos Mundos (two worlds) newspaper in 1981, the first bilingual newspaper in the four-state region, with stories written in Spanish and English. She led by example, giving Hispanic people a voice whether by featuring them in the bilingual newspaper, providing jobs or through mentorship. She served in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, the National Federation of Hispanic-Owned Publications and other organizations. She was integral in beautifying Southwest Boulevard in the ’80s and ’90s, working with city leaders to improve parking and pavers. Reyes, who had cancer and because of her advocacy for early detection, was president of the Hispanic Women Against Cancer, a support system for Latinas diagnosed with cancer. Reyes Media Group expanded into radio in 2006, starting three Spanish stations KYYS 1250 AM “La X,” KDTD 1340 AM “La Grande” and KYZZ 1480 AM “Dos Mundos Radio.” Her legacy lives on as the media group continues to thrive and is led by her children, Diana Reyes Raymer and Ed Reyes.
Annabeth Surbaugh
Surbaugh, who learned of her of her induction into the Hall before she died in August, was a pioneering leader in Johnson County, helping shape it into a prominent part of the metro area. A member of the Board of County Commissioners for 18 years, she was the first publicly elected, at-large chair of the board after passage of the county’s home rule charter. She served two terms (2003-2011) as chairman after 10 years (1993-2003) as Third District commissioner. As chair, the hallmarks of her service included restorative justice, environmental sustainability, affordable housing and mental health as well as long-term land planning in the rural areas of the county, not previously addressed. She focused on the greater Kansas City area, championing the bi-state tax for Union Station as well as the Mid-America Regional Council known as MARC. Prior public service included being elected as the first woman to serve on the board of Rural Water District No. 2 in 1988. In 1989, she was elected to the board of Water One of Johnson County, becoming the first woman chair in 1991.
Marian E. Washington
Coach Washington not only pioneered the women’s athletic program at the University of Kansas where she served as athletic director and women’s basketball coach, she also paved the way for Black women in sports in the U.S. She was the first of two Black women to play on a U.S. national team (1969-71); the first to serve as the head coach for a U.S. international team (1982 U.S. Select) and the first to coach on an Olympic women’s basketball staff (assistant on 1996 gold-medal-winning U.S. team). She was the first woman elected president of the Black Coaches Association and the first person to serve consecutive terms. She excelled in seven sports while in high school and was a two-time AAU All-American at West Chester State. She helped lead the Golden Rams to a national title in 1969 the first-ever in the history of collegiate women’s basketball and was also an outstanding track and field athlete and handball player. She was the face of women’s basketball at KU for more than 30 years, leading the Jayhawks to the NCAA Tournament 11 times and the AIAW Tournament (pre-NCAA) another four times. During her time at KU, she recruited and facilitated scholarships for students across the region, and was known to work tirelessly for opportunities and equity for women in all endeavors. Washington’s teams excelled with a high win rate, and she was widely recognized as an example of women’s success. Many players in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, where she was inducted in 2004, attribute their success and leadership style to Coach Washington.
Marjorie A. Williams
Known widely as Dr. Marj, Williams has given nearly 40 years in service of schools, children, university scholars and teachers. Williams in 2000 became the first African American superintendent in the 100-year history of Hickman Mills School District. Williams, a Local Investment Commissioner, started in education with teaching and administrative jobs in Kansas City Public Schools and the Columbia and Ferguson Florissant school districts before becoming Hickman Mills’ superintendent. She also served in higher education as an adjunct professor with UMKC, Baker University, Ottawa University and Kansas State University. In 2012, she founded The Marste Group, a consulting firm that serves school districts and businesses nationwide. In 2016, she co-founded and continues to be involved in the Sisters’ Circle Fund-Greater Kansas City. Williams also mentors women of color in doctoral program through the national organization, Societas Docta. In 2021, Williams served as co-chair to the Starr Women’s Hall of Fame Awards with Alicia Starr.
Leading the 2025 Starr Women’s Hall of Fame induction event are chair Michelle Wimes (B.A. ’88), senior vice president and chief equity and inclusion officer at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, and honorary chair Karen Daniel (M.S. ’81), president of the KC2026 Board of Directors for the FIFA 2026 World Cup Games hosted in Kansas City.
Visit
To date and not counting those who will be inducted in 2025, the Hall of Fame has inducted 45 women, half of them posthumously. By sharing their stories, the Hall of Fame encourages and inspires women everywhere. Written and video biographies of each of the inductees are available on the Starr Women’s Hall of Fame website.
A permanent display honoring Hall of Fame members is open to the public on the third floor of the Miller Nichols Library and Learning Center at UMKC, 800 E. 51st St., Kansas City. The Hall of Fame includes a wall of honor as well as an archive of important papers, images and artifacts of the enshrined members. Money raised from the induction event assists in further development of the digitization and acquisition of materials for the Hall of Fame archives, ensuring that the works of these exceptional women will be accessible in perpetuity not only to community members, but also to researchers, educators and historians worldwide.
History
Founded in 2014 with its first class of inductees in 2015, the Starr Women’s Hall of Fame is named in honor of Martha Jane Phillips Starr, a legendary activist and philanthropist who blazed a trail for family issues and women's rights. She played an important role in establishing the university’s Women's Council and the Graduate Assistance Fund, which today provides financial assistance to female students. Starr died in 2011 at the age of 104.
The Hall is made possible through the Starr Education Committee, Martha Jane Starr’s family and the Starr Field of Interest Fund, which was established upon her death through the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. The idea for the Starr Women’s Hall of Fame stemmed from Starr Education Committee members.
Supporting organizations
The civic organizations that advocate on behalf of women and family issues and have signed on in support of the Starr Women’s Hall of Fame include: American Association of University Women; American Business Women’s Association; Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City; Central Exchange; CBIZ Women’s Advantage; Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri; Greater Kansas City Chamber’s Executive Women’s Leadership Council; Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus; Jackson County Missouri Chapter of the Links, Inc.; Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri; KC Metro Latinas; Kansas City Athenaeum; Kansas City Young Matrons; OneKC for Women; SkillBuilders Fund; Soroptimist International of Kansas City; Soroptimist Kansas City Foundation; UMKC; UMKC Women’s Center; UMKC Women’s Council; UMKC Women of Color Leadership Conference; United WE; WIN for KC; win|win; Women Leaders in College Sports; Women’s Public Service Network; Zonta International District 7; and Zonta Club of KC II.
Sep 25, 2024
Yugyung Lee and Sean O’Brien receive most prestigious rank in UM System
The University of Missouri Board of Curators recently named two University of Missouri-Kansas City faculty members Curators' Distinguished Teaching Professors.
This designation is the highest and most prestigious academic rank awarded by the Board of Curators, given to a select few outstanding scholars with established reputations for research or teaching.
This year’s honorees from UMKC are Yugyung Lee, Ph.D. of the School of Science and Engineering and Sean O’Brien (J.D. ‘80) of the School of Law.
“Both Lee and O’Brien are exemplary models of what it means to be a UMKC faculty leader,” said UMKC Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Jennifer Lundgren. “It is rewarding to celebrate the achievements of talented colleagues who are passionate about their work.”
Lee’s teaching focuses on artificial intelligence, data science, deep learning and other emerging technologies. Some of her work focuses on real-time and big data analytics for pervasive systems, a network of continuously connected embedded devices to enhance quality of life. She recently worked on research to improve accurate detection of oral cancer by addressing the scarcity of deep learning-based image segmentation research specifically targeting oral cancer and the lack of annotated data.
"I am deeply honored to receive the Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professors Award. This recognition highlights the inseparable connection between teaching and research.” Lee said. “Working with students has always inspired my research, just as my research has enriched the next generation of scientists and educators. A true researcher is, at heart, a true educator, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue learning and growing alongside my students."
O’Brien joined the law school faculty in 2005, teaching criminal law, criminal procedures, sentencing mitigation and post-conviction remedies. He has made a career of freeing the wrongly convicted, including people who have been in prison for decades. He successfully argued in front of the Supreme Court Schlup vs. Delo, a landmark case that expanded the ability to reopen a case in light of evidence of innocence. O’Brien is a member of the Board of Directors of Miracle of Innocence, a nonprofit organization that advocates for innocent prisoners and helps restore them to the community. Since 1983, O’Brien has supervised clinics at UMKC Law that provide pro bono legal assistance to innocent and condemned prisoners with the help of UMKC Law interns.
A UMKC School of Law alumnus himself, he was recognized as the 2023 Alumnus of Year by the UMKC Alumni Association.
“I have such wonderful faculty colleagues campuswide,” O’Brien said. “I am deeply honored by this recognition just for doing what I love to do.”
In addition to Lee and O’Brien, this year’s recipients also include:
Cody Ding, University of Missouri-St. Louis
David Kimball, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Xuemin (Sam) Wang, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Merilee Krueger, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Ming C. Leu, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Sep 24, 2024
Kansas City’s university earns continued recognition for its degree programs and student success
The University of Missouri-Kansas City jumped 25 spots in new overall U.S. News and World Report 2025 Best National Universities rankings released today.
UMKC leaders attribute the rankings improvement to a combination of efforts in recent years to accelerate student success. UMKC increased its performance in both six-year graduation rates and retention rates. In addition, the university achieved an increase in graduation rates for Pell-eligible students. “Student success is at the core of everything we do, so we’re proud that is the driving factor reflected in these rankings,” Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said. “It is a testament to our dedication to putting students first.”Among all public universities in the nation, UMKC ranked 244 of 434 public and private universities. UMKC ranked No. 135 in a comparison of the nation’s 225 public universities.In addition to the overall rankings, two UMKC undergraduate programs – nursing and engineering – ranked as top programs of their kind in Missouri. The UMKC Bachelor of Science in Nursing program tied with the University of Missouri in Columbia at 96th nationally. UMKC graduate nursing programs have consistently achieved top national rankings, as well. Earlier this year, the UMKC Doctor of Nursing Practice program ranked 19th in the nation, and 36th for online graduate nursing programs. It has ranked in the Top 50 in that category for 12 consecutive years.Dean Joy Roberts of the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies said the new 2025 rankings show the impact UMKC programs have. “Our commitment to excellence not only helps our students succeed, but also helps ensure that our region has access to high-quality care,” Roberts said. “This recognition solidifies that continuous work.”UMKC had the top-ranked undergraduate engineering programs in the state of Missouri, based on U.S. News and World Report criteria.Nationally, the engineering programs came 78th out of 286 universities. The UMKC School of Science and Engineering offers four engineering programs: biomedical, civil, mechanical, and electrical and computer.
Dean Kevin Truman said the recognition solidifies UMKC as a leader in engineering education.“We are thrilled to offer students a nationally recognized program right here in Kansas City, and we plan to build an even stronger set of programs for the future,” Truman said. “Between the Robert W. Plaster Center that opened in 2021 and new space for biomedical engineering opening in 2026 in the Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building, our students have unmatched access to faculty, equipment and technology to help them learn and innovate.”UMKC has a number of nationally acclaimed academic programs. Earlier this year, the UMKC School of Medicine ranked 20th in the nation in “Serving Health Professional Shortage Areas” and 75th in “Most Diverse Medical Schools” in the U.S. News and World Report 2024 Best Graduate Schools for Medicine. Also this year, the UMKC School of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy program ranked 31st in the country and the UMKC School of Law ranked in the nation's Top 50 in two sub-specialty categories: legal writing (16) and trial advocacy (48).
Sep 24, 2024
Current educational affiliation agreement to expire June 30, 2029
After a groundbreaking and fruitful partnership of more than 60 years, Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KCRep) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) announce today that their current educational affiliation agreement will be allowed to sunset upon its conclusion in 2029.
The affiliation agreement was created to identify benefits for both institutions including providing professional opportunities for UMKC students both on stage and behind the scenes throughout the KCRep season and create ongoing academic opportunities in the theatre arts for both faculty and students with KCRep artistic leadership. The agreement includes the sharing of some resources and facilities, most notably Spencer Theatre in the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center on the UMKC Volker Campus. The growth of both organizations has led to space and scheduling constraints. The UMKC Conservatory will soon begin a renovation project in the building and KCRep is currently charting a plan for their future.
KCRep and UMKC Conservatory have always been and will continue to be valued partners to each other. Both organizations will continue fruitful collaborations in staging productions and creating opportunities inside and outside the classroom for students, as they continue to benefit from exposure to theatre professionals who work with and for KCRep. Notably, KCRep plans to continue its beloved Kansas City tradition of staging its annual production of A Christmas Carol in the Spencer Theatre at UMKC past 2029.
The history of both Kansas City institutions has been linked together thanks to the longtime chair of the UMKC theatre department, Patricia McIlrath, Ph.D. (1917-1999), known as Dr. Mac. In 1964, she founded the Missouri Repertory Theatre (later renamed KCRep). Many in Kansas City credit her influence and mentorship for establishing local theaters including the Coterie, Unicorn Theatre and New Theatre and Restaurant. McIlrath believed in the importance of practical training for theatre students in an academic setting, and for decades, the repertory theatre was a key component of UMKC students’ curriculum. Over time, this partnership helped establish KCRep as a source for outstanding regional theatre. This success for both institutions now allows this transition toward more individual paths.
“We wouldn’t be the organization we are today without our visionary founder Dr. Patricia McIlrath and UMKC,” Kansas City Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Stuart Carden said. “We are truly grateful for our rich partnership, which has made so much possible for our organization. KCRep is now poised to grow and expand in new and exciting ways in the coming years throughout our community. And I know UMKC has bold strategic plans as well. This next step is a natural evolution for us both. In additon to A Christmas Carol, we will continue to partner with UMKC as opportunities arise. This revised agreement gives us the freedom to envision and plan our future. I cannot wait to share what’s to come!”
”This is a story of success for UMKC and KCRep,” said UMKC Conservatory Dean Courtney Crappell. “Both of these institutions have grown and flourished to such an extent that they are able to embark on new ventures and opportunities. Our shared history goes back to longtime UMKC Theatre chair and KCRep founder Patricia McIlrath, Ph.D., and her pioneering spirit. The UMKC Conservatory and KCRep honor this history by continuing on our mission of education, innovation and access to the arts. We look forward to the future renovation and expansion of Olson Performing Arts Center and a new phase of our relationship with KCRep.”
About Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Celebrating 60 years of transformative theater, Kansas City Repertory Theatre is a cultural catalyst at the center of our nation's creative crossroads. Upholding their mission to inspire, entertain, and open minds by creating transformative theatre experiences for all KCRep produces world-renowned classic works and world premieres on their two mainstages, in unique spaces, and throughout the community. Lauded by The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Variety and The Toronto Sun, KCRep regularly produces at Spencer Theatre, where it serves as the professional theatre in residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Copaken Stage located in downtown Kansas City. Under Artistic Director Stuart Carden KCRep employs more than 150 professional artists, technicians, and administrators, and historically serves more than 60,000 patrons and 10,000 school children annually. To receive updates and news, like KCRep on Facebook, follow on Twitter (@KCRep) or Instagram (@KCRepTheatre) and YouTube.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public research university serving more than 15,500 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and world based on its mission: placing student success at the center; leading in life and health sciences; advancing regional engagement; excelling in visual and performing arts; and promoting research and economic development. For more information about UMKC, visit umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on X, see us on Instagram, engage with us on LinkedIn and watch us on YouTube.
About the UMKC Conservatory
The internationally-renowned UMKC Conservatory was founded more than a century ago, and trains professionals in music, dance and theatre. The Conservatory’s mission is to advance creativity, performance, scholarship and learning in the arts. They are a vital partner in Kansas City’s cultural environment and collaborate deeply with community institutions through performances, workshops and more. Faculty and alumni of the Conservatory have won numerous honors and awards, including Grammys, Pulitzer Prizes and Fulbright and Guggenheim fellowships. The Hollywood Reporter has recognized the UMKC costume design program among the Top 10 in the U.S. for six years in a row. For more information about the UMKC Conservatory, visit conservatory.umkc.edu. You can also find it on Facebook and Instagram.
Sep 23, 2024
Robust faculty and staff allows student to make professional connections
At UMKC, students write their own stories, form their own definitions of success and chart innovative career paths. Aaron Beckman, from Omaha, Nebraska, came to UMKC to build his future as an Urban Planning + Design student and has made connections and taken part in research projects in the process.
Aaron Beckman
Anticipated graduation: 2025
UMKC degree program: Urban Planning + Design
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Why did you choose UMKC?
UMKC offers an accredited urban planning program, which was an important factor to me when it came to deciding where to attend college. Plus, no other colleges offered the program at an affordable cost with outstanding faculty and staff close to home. I knew attending a college in the heart of Kansas City would significantly enhance my college experience.
Why did you choose Urban Planning + Design?
The urban planning + design field combines a lot of my interest, such as history, politics and geography. I also like that you get to make an impact by helping people solve issues through policy.
What are the benefits of the program?
The faculty and staff are definitely a huge benefit of the program. The faculty is diverse, and everyone has their own niche area of expertise. For example, Professor Julia Crowley focuses on environmental planning while Professor Jacob Wagner is more focused on history, people and community. Each professor having a different area of expertise makes the urban planning and design program well-rounded.
How has your program inspired you?
I’d say it has inspired me to go out and talk to people more. Just being out on the field and learning about the impact you can have on community; it has showed me the importance of interacting with people to find out more about their concerns.
What do you hope to take from your experience from UMKC into your professional career?
There are a lot of amazing connections here, specifically with the resources that the faculty provide you.
One of my recent research opportunities came through one of my professors. I was working closely with Professor Sungyop Kim when he asked me to help him with a project he was working on for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).
We examined bridge conditions, specifically in rural Missouri as a lot of the infrastructure there had not been updated or maintained properly. We did background research on how other state departments of transportation were managing their assets and did field work an hour north of Kansas City by scanning bridges using Lidar, which is a software that creates a 3D model of the bridge. A program was then created by the computer science department to serve as a tool to access the quality of the bridges by simply scanning them, saving MoDOT time, money and resources.
What is one word that describes you?
Focused. I’m a very detail-oriented person and like to make sure every little thing is accounted for.
What is your favorite spot in Kansas City?
I really like the Nelson-Atkins lawn. It’s especially nice when the weather is warm because you can just lay out a blanket and have a picnic.
Do you see yourself staying in Kansas City after graduation?
Yes, that is the goal. I have family here. The job opportunities are also really good, especially with how connected the urban planning community is.
Sep 19, 2024
Chen Yi’s newest world recognition follows a career of breaking glass ceilings; overcoming obstacles
Chen Yi, DMA, Lorena Searcy Cravens/Millsap/Missouri Distinguished Professor of Composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, is one of the newest honorary members of the International Society for Contemporary Music. Chen joins the ranks of legendary musicians such as Igor Stravinsky (“Rite of Spring,” “The Firebird”) and Aaron Copland (“Appalachian Spring,” “Fanfare for the Common Man”).
“It’s a privilege and an honor to have my work supported by my peers worldwide,” Chen said. “I have studied many of their compositions extensively because they’re the great composers of our time, and I’ve worked with some of them in competitions and festivals. It’s humbling to be recognized along with them.”
Musicians are nominated and voted on before becoming an honorary member. The title honors a person’s internationally remarkable achievements in the field of contemporary music.
“Dr. Chen’s accomplishments are incredible and can be held up next to any composer of our time,” UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said. “We’re fortunate to have her here at UMKC, and there’s no question that her students benefit greatly from her knowledge and creativity.”
Founded in 1922, the International Society for Contemporary Music, or ISCM, has inducted 74 musicians in its history; only four are women. Chen is one of two musicians to be inducted since 2020.
“As the only female, Asian composer to be an honorary member, I feel more responsibility to support female composers in our society,” Chen said. “I share my experiences with younger generations and work hard to inspire more people, to bring up more female composers and let their voices be heard in our society.”
Chen has achieved international renown as a prolific composer who blends Chinese and Western traditions, transcending cultural and musical boundaries. Born in China, Chen began playing the piano at age 3 and the violin when she was 4. The Cultural Revolution interrupted her studies as a teenager. After nearly two years of hard labor in the countryside, Chen returned to her home city of Guangzhou to play violin as the concertmaster in the orchestra for the Beijing Opera Troupe in Guangzhou.
Chen received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Central Conservatory in Beijing, and in doing so became the first woman to earn an M.A. in music composition from the institution. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from Columbia University in New York and has served as Composer in Residence in the Women’s Philharmonic, Chanticleer and Aptos Creative Arts Center. In 1996, Chen became the first woman in the United States to give a whole evening of multimedia concert with her symphonic and choral works in San Francisco.
She has received fellowships and awards from the Guggenheim Foundation (1996), Fromm Foundation at Harvard University (1994), Koussevitzky Music Foundation at the Library of Congress (1997) and National Endowment for the Arts (1994). Chen was a recipient of Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letter in 2001-2004 and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for orchestra in 2006. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005 and the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2019.
In addition to all her accomplishments, Chen is a strong advocate and cultural ambassador for musicians around the world. She has worked with musicians in programs in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland and many Asian countries. Her influence can be felt worldwide in the works of her students, including UMKC Doctor of Musical Arts student Ian Chung.
“Dr. Chen is one of the best teachers I have ever had, her guidance and insights have profoundly shaped my approach to composition,” Chung said. “Her way of explaining complex musical ideas with clarity and patience has transformed how I understand contemporary classical music. Moreover, she provides invaluable insights on the music industry and helped me shape my career path. I feel incredibly fortunate to have Dr. Chen as a mentor, and her influence will resonate in my work and career for years to come.”
Sep 18, 2024
$145 million project is largest UMKC capital project in university history
Tents showcasing University of Missouri-Kansas City dental and medical students using the latest technologies greeted visitors at a celebration open to the neighbors and the community of the university’s largest capital investment to date: the $145 million Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building.
UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal led the program at the construction celebration of the Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building. Photos by Brandon Parigo | UMKC
UMKC celebrated the start of construction on Wednesday with a party on the corner of 25th and Charlotte streets where this five-story, 160,000-square-foot signature building will soon rise from the ground. UMKC envisions that the new building will catalyze growth in the UMKC Health Sciences District, a collective entity that includes four UMKC health professions schools, University Health, Children’s Mercy and numerous other healthcare organizations in an 18-block area on Hospital Hill.
The new building will enable the university to provide state-of-the-art education for the next generation of dentists and doctors, find new and better ways to serve patients in need, strengthen collaborations with surrounding neighborhoods and facilitate greater interdisciplinary partnerships to fuel innovation and research.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt spoke at the event, saying the new building represents future innovations in healthcare.
Speakers at Wednesday’s event, including former U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi, UM Curator Chair Robin Wenneker, students and UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal spoke of the transformation the building will bring to healthcare education in Kansas City and the surrounding region.
“As exciting as this new facility is – as exciting as today is – I want to emphasize that this is just the beginning,” Agrawal said. “This building is the first piece of a much larger vision for our UMKC Health Sciences District.”
Funding for the project came from public and private sources, with the largest portion coming from state funding. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson led the charge to make the project happen, in partnership with state legislators. The Sunderland Foundation and the Hall Family Foundation also contributed generously, and Blunt secured a federal grant.
At Wednesday’s celebration, UMKC also celebrated one of its alumni - Nelson Sabates (B.A. ‘83/M.D. ‘86) his wife, Rachael, and their children who donated a gift of $3 million for the project - the largest alumni donation the School of Medicine has received. Their family name will grace the terrace and grand lobby of the building.
“This building represents the future of healthcare in Kansas City,” said Sabates, who also is a professor and chairman of the department of ophthalmology at UMKC. “My wife and I made this decision to help improve healthcare and health outcomes for our community. We hope others are inspired by this vision and will join us in creating an ever-growing and vibrant UMKC Health Sciences District."
UMKC School of Medicine professor and chairman of the department of ophthalmology Nelson Sabates, M.D., left, celebrates with Dean Alexander Norbash, M.D. The Nelson and Rachael Sabates Family donated $3 million for the new building.
Two students shared their views on the significance of the new building and the opportunities it affords them to receive an excellent education and give back to the community.
Jacey Brewer, a junior pursuing a biomedical engineering degree, said: “The proximity to Children’s Mercy is one of the reasons why I chose UMKC, and my dream is to work on designing prosthetics that will change children’s lives and give them their childhood back. This new building will provide the foundation for cutting-edge research and technological advancements in healthcare.”
UMKC biomedical engineering student Jacey Brewer spoke at the event.
Tim Nguyen, a third-year dental student and UMKC Trustees’ Scholar, said: “The Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building will provide leading-edge pre-doctoral dental clinics, allowing students to serve more patients in need through advanced equipment, expanded hours for acute dental care and the ability to implement teledentistry for those where access to care is limited. With advanced clinical simulation labs and modern research spaces, UMKC will be able to continue to foster high standards in education and patient care in its future healthcare leaders.”
The Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building, set to open in 2026, will house and support numerous programs, allowing for innovations in education and healthcare research and an emphasis on providing access to care for disinvested neighborhoods in Kansas City. McCownGordon will oversee construction of the facility.
Here are the key areas included in the building:
UMKC School of Dentistry
UMKC is a regional leader in dental education as the only public dental school in Missouri and Kansas. The new building will provide leading-edge pre-doctoral dental and dental hygiene clinics, enhancing the school’s ability to graduate top-notch dentists and hygienists. The new space also means students can serve more patients in need through advanced equipment, greater efficiency, expanded hours for acute dental care and the ability to implement teledentistry. Currently, the School of Dentistry provides up to $750,000 annually in uncompensated dental care for the community.
UMKC Provost Jenny Lundgren interacted with UMKC School of Dentistry students who showcased new technologies.
UMKC Health Equity Institute
The institute brings together researchers, government and community organizations to improve the lives of the underserved and bridge healthcare gaps. The institute combines its research strengths with community groups’ grassroots involvement to identify, quantify and reduce those gaps. In the new building, researchers will collaborate to tackle health disparities and provide access to healthcare with initiatives including Our Healthy Jackson County, bringing free vaccines, health screenings and other resources into neighborhoods and places of worship.
UMKC School of Medicine Professor Jannette Berkley-Patton, director of the UMKC Health Equity Institute, left, stands next to the Rev. Eric Williams and Carole Bowe Thompson. Williams, who partners in community health research efforts, spoke at the event.
Data Science and Analytics Innovation Center
In partnership with the University of Missouri and other UM System universities, UMKC leads a center focused on creating new advances in data sciences and analytics. The new space in the building will provide the center opportunities to focus the power of data science on transforming the way we personalize healthcare. The data center within the new facility will provide high-performance computing for industry, government and nonprofit organizations within our region to solve data-intensive computing problems.
University of Missouri Curator Robert Fry is an alumnus of the UMKC School of Dentistry and did the Roo hand signal.
UMKC biomedical engineering
In the new building, doctors, dentists, engineers and students will work side by side, creating faster, more-effective collaboration between science, engineering and the medical world. Product development will accelerate in areas such as medical implants, imaging technology and surgery tools, and UMKC can expand access to the in-demand biomedical engineering degree program from the School of Science and Engineering with potential global impact.
The UMKC Conservatory Mob band played at the event.
Sep 11, 2024
World-renowned UMKC researcher is making ancient texts available for next generation
In the quiet of the Miller Nichols Library, a faculty member and a student are poring over a book.
While the sight may be a familiar one on college campuses across the country, these two are poring over an original text, hundreds of years old, and they are working to make this text available to an international audience and future generations to come.
Virginia Blanton, Ph.D., Fulbright scholar and Curators’ Distinguished professor of English, and Milton Gómez-Toledo, Ph.D. candidate in English, are both a part of the Digital Analysis of Chant Transmission (DACT), a large network aimed to develop new digital resources in tandem with existing chant databases.
“When I think about how history, and particularly book history, gives us an opportunity to learn about other people, it also gives us a chance to learn about ourselves in terms of being part of the story of the human condition,” Blanton said.
Gómez-Toledo finds value in furthering the field of Medieval history through research, but he finds a lot of personal value as well.
“I have been contacting librarians, archivists and curators all over the United States to help us locate those manuscripts and fragments,” Gómez-Toledo said. “Some of the manuscripts have been relocated to Europe, and some of them are in different university libraries or private institutions. These research opportunities help students like me develop communication, organizational and interpersonal skills that are extremely relevant in our future careers.”
Even beyond the student community, Blanton’s research is giving a voice to people, primarily nuns, who have historically been voiceless for centuries.
“Virginia Blanton is one of those researchers who is very committed to delving into archives and locating materials that during the time that things transpired, were not seen as important,” said Tamara Falicov, dean of the UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “She's excavating the past and looking at people who have been marginalized in society. She’s doing more to make the contributions of this group visible.”
Like her student, Blanton finds value in the research for UMKC and across humankind itself.
“The community is really supported by a research university in terms of what we're able to deliver,” Blanton said. “It’s our obligation as faculty to help make these resources available to the larger community. I think we as humans try to make meaning. We want to look at the world and say that there is a reason and a purpose for our existence, and books are a way for us to inscribe that meaning.”
Sep 09, 2024
5 reasons why achieving Carnegie R1 status matters
The University of Missouri-Kansas City has set an ambitious goal for itself: achieving the prestigious Carnegie Research 1 designation.
As a Research 2, or R2, institution, UMKC already has achieved recognition for its “high” research activity. However, recent dramatic growth in its research enterprise has put UMKC within reach of the coveted R1 designation. From 2018-2023, UMKC more than doubled its total research expenditures and almost quadrupled its total research and sponsored grants.
With research growth continuing to rise, UMKC leaders anticipate that they might be named an R1 institution as soon as Spring 2025, based on Carnegie criteria. That would put UMKC in very elite company. In the past, only 146 of approximately 2,800 four-year institutions in the United States have held R1 status.
“Achieving the R1 designation would reflect our constant pursuit of excellence,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. “But just as important, it would mark a key milestone in our journey as a world-class research institution and bring a host of benefits not only to the university but the entire greater Kansas City community.”
Why does achieving R1 status matter? Here are some of the key benefits for the campus and community:
1. Attracting additional world-class faculty and students
Achieving R1 status will make UMKC even more attractive to top-tier faculty and students from around the world. The prestige associated with R1 universities has traditionally served as a magnet for people seeking to work and study at the cutting edge of their fields.
2. Accelerating knowledge creation, innovation and entrepreneurship
An R1 designation indicates that an institution is investing in people and infrastructure to accelerate the creation of new knowledge to better serve society.
3. Enhancing the educational experience for students
Faculty engaged in research generate new knowledge that can enrich and advance the education students receive in the classroom and in applied experiences outside the classroom.
“Attaining R1 status will allow us to unlock new opportunities for our students,” said UMKC Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Jennifer Lundgren. “For example, to help increase opportunities for students and support our goals for research growth, we’re launching eight new PhD programs. Those new programs will help us attract talented graduate students to work with faculty researchers in key programs, a win-win for both students and faculty.”
4. Increasing engagement with community partners and industry
An R1 ranking for UMKC would be the first for a Kansas City university and would elevate an already strong record of research partnerships to meet critical local and regional needs. UMKC’s status would enhance opportunities to attract increased funding and, ultimately, could lead to economic gains and job growth in the region.
“One of the things that’s impressed me the most about UMKC is the growth in its research enterprise,” said Dennis Ridenour, president and CEO of BioNexus KC. “That growth is making it easier to attract really world-class research talent in the region, and it’s also having an impact on the community as a whole.”
5. Boosting national prestige
Becoming an R1 institution will put UMKC in the top tier of universities nationally. In addition, the new designation will create opportunities to partner with other R1 institutions across the nation, which can lead to more research funding opportunities and partnerships with other elite institutions.
“Our achievements in growing the research enterprise showcase the adaptability, dedication and collaborative spirit of our exceptional UMKC researchers,” said Vice Chancellor for Research Sumeet Dua. “Our research advances accelerate the creation of new knowledge, benefiting our community and enriching our students' classroom experiences.”
Kansas City community leaders are taking note of UMKC research.
“UMKC has elevated its research tremendously in recent years, and achieving R1 status will make Kansas City an even greater place to work and live,” said Charlie Shields, president and CEO of University Health and chair elect of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. “Not only will an R1 status for UMKC mean more innovation, discoveries and solutions, it will result in new funding, businesses and jobs for our region.”
For more on UMKC achievements in research from FY22-23, check out the UMKC Research Annual Report.
Sep 05, 2024
UMKC has numerous resources for students
College can be a challenging time, and UMKC has resources across campus to help ensure student success and wellness.
Academic Support and Mentoring
UMKC has a number of programs to help students reach their academic goals. Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction and writing assistance are just some of the programs available to students. Tutoring is available for nearly 100 courses; students can make appointments or join drop-in sessions. Supplemental Instruction, an internationally renowned program UMKC started, is an active approach to learning that supports students in historically difficult courses. SI uses small group sessions and collaborative activities to increase understanding. The Writing Studio offers consultations for students to develop their writing skills and assist with papers and presentations. Students can schedule a one-on-one consultation or join during drop-in hours.
Roo Wellness
Roo Wellness offers physical health, mental health and accessibility services and is housed in the Brookside 51 Building at the Volker Campus.
Physical health services include preventative care, illness and injury diagnosis and referral, immunizations, health screenings, women’s and men’s health services and more.
Mental health services include individual and group counseling, psychological assessment, medication referral and crisis intervention. Students can receive eight free individual counseling sessions per academic year and additional sessions with a small fee. Consultations and group counseling services are free.
Accessibility services assists in establishing accommodation plans for permanent and temporary needs. Accommodation plans can include parking and transportation, alternate text formats, service animals and more.
UMKC Police Department
The UMKC Police Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Along with crime prevention and response, campus police provide safety escorts, vehicle lockout assistance, jumpstart assistance and property registration.
The police department is involved with the operation of the university’s emergency alert system. The alert system includes an optional safety app students can download which, among other things, allows safety tip submission and text conversations with campus police.
Dr. Raj Bala Agrawal Care Center
The Care Center serves members of the UMKC community facing food insecurity. The Care Center includes a food pantry, meal donation program and information on community food assistance. Students can access the Kangaroo Pantry and select up to 20 items per week.
Student Affairs Case Management
The Division of Student Affairs provides support and crisis intervention to students facing obstacles that may impede their personal and academic achievement. Crisis intervention includes the sudden loss of basic needs such as housing, health insurance, finances and more. A case manager can advocate for students, help navigate community and campus resources and create an action plan.
Financial Wellness Center
The Financial Wellness Center provides education, workshops and individual coaching to help students reach their financial goals. Financial topics include planning to pay for college, creating budgets, understanding loan repayment, navigating credit, preparing for major purchases and more.
Career Services
Career Services has a variety of resources to help students with career development. It can help with resumes and cover letters, interview and networking preparation, graduate and professional school applications, career-path decisions and more. Programs allow students to borrow laptops on a semester basis and shop for business wardrobe items at no charge. Career fairs and other events provide networking opportunities to connect students to area employers.
Campus Recreation
Students have access to Swinney Center, the Aquatic Center, Durwood Stadium and Hospital Hill Annex. These recreation facilities include cardio and weight equipment, indoor and outdoor tracks, multipurpose studios, racquetball courts, a swimming pool, recreational field and more. Students can participate in group fitness classes and intramural sports at no extra cost.
UMKC Libraries
UMKC Libraries offer many academic resources and study spaces for students. In addition to millions of books, journals and other published academic works, the libraries have more than 330,000 sound recordings, audio-visual media, photographs, maps and more. Miller Nichols Library, the largest library on campus, houses LaBudde Special Collections and University Archives, Marr Sound Archives and Music/Media Library. Librarians are available 24/7 by online chat and can provide research assistance and help obtaining materials.
Shuttle Bus
The shuttle bus provides free transportation to students around the Volker and Hospital Hill campuses. The shuttle runs between campuses with stops at residential halls and prominent campus locations.
Student Life Organizations
UMKC is a vibrant community with people from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. The university has programs and resources to connect students with similar interests and backgrounds. Some of these are Multicultural Student Affairs, International Student Affairs Office, Veteran Support Services, Women’s Center, LGBTQIA programs, First Gen Roo and Transfer Student Network.
Sep 03, 2024
The bi-annual celebration is Feb. 20 at Kauffman Center; two notable Kansas Citians are event leaders
The University of Missouri- Kansas City Starr Women’s Hall of Fame is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an induction ceremony at 4 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
The Hall of Fame recognizes Kansas City women who have made the community a better place to live and preserves the history of their accomplishments. So far, more than 40 women have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, located at Miller Nichols Library at UMKC. Inductees, ranging from an architect, the only female mayor of Kansas City, nonprofit founders and beyond, are celebrated through video tributes, and some have donated their archives to the university library so future generations can study their inspirational contributions.
Inductees for the Class of 2025 Hall of Fame will be announced next month, and sponsorships and tickets will soon be available.
Two notable Kansas Citians will lead the 2025 Starr Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony: Michelle Wimes and Karen Daniel.The event chair is Wimes (B.A. ’88), senior vice president and chief equity and inclusion officer at Children’s Mercy. Since she joined the hospital, numerous articles about her leadership skills have been published in journals and magazines.
Wimes, a UMKC Trustee, is a nationally renowned thought leader on workplace inclusion. In 2024, she was one of 15 women nationwide to receive the Women Transforming Business Award in the area of community impact by CBIZ. In 2023, her alma mater, Tulane Law School, presented her with its inaugural Deans Kramer & Clayton Award for Leadership in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She was also recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the top chief diversity officers in hospitals and health systems to know in 2023. In 2021, the Kansas City Business Journal recognized her as one of 25 local “Women Who Mean Business.” She was co-chair of the 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony, and is excited to return to lead the event.
“Being surrounded by such amazing women is a thrilling experience,” Wimes said. “I am so grateful I get the opportunity to continue to take part in something so extraordinary.”
A Class of 2023 inductee, Daniel (M.S. ’81), is honorary chair. As the first independent African American woman to be a Major League Baseball owner since her addition to the Kansas City Royals ownership group in 2020, she embodies what it means to be a trailblazer.
“The Starr Women’s Hall of Fame’s meaningful message about recognizing women past and present who have broken barriers for the next generation is a powerful one,” Daniel said. “As an inductee, I feel honored to celebrate with a new class of inductees and congratulate them on their achievements.”
Daniel, a retired executive director, chief financial officer and division president of the Global Finance and Technology Solutions division at Black & Veatch, was also the first African American female to chair the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. She created a legacy fund for scholarships to support Black college students and was named vice chair of the advisory council on Doing Business in Africa in 2015 by former President Barack Obama.
On top of it all, Daniel was announced as president of the KC2026 Board of Directors for the FIFA 2026 World Cup Games hosted in Kansas City.
Aug 29, 2024
Seven outstanding students were chosen from more than 120 applicants
The University of Missouri-Kansas City welcomed the newest class of the Trustees’ Scholars at a reception on August 16.
The UMKC Trustees’ Scholars Program is a highly selective and prestigious scholarship for first-time students at UMKC. A collaboration between the university and the UMKC Trustees, the Trustees’ Scholar Program not only covers the majority of each scholar’s education but also provides access to the UMKC Trustees’ knowledge, connections and mentorship.
UMKC Trustees' Scholar Aaria Gandhi chatting with reception attendees.
UMKC Trustees Chair Doranne Hudson was unable to attend, so immediate past chair Debby Ballard welcomed the scholars and their families at the reception.
“The Trustees’ Scholar Program is a signature program at UMKC and is one of my favorite parts of being in the Trustees community,” Ballard said. “I think the program is always so inspiring. I gain so much from my mentees every year, and I keep saying it can’t get any better, but every year it does.”
UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal congratulated the scholars.
“The Trustees won’t tell you this, but they are the ultimate group of people in Kansas City,” Agrawal said. “Most people don’t get access to the type of people they have access to. The relationships you build here will go beyond UMKC, so congratulations for being here."
UMKC Trustees' Scholar Haley Heidbreder having a conversation with immediate past chair Debby Ballard.
Suzanne Shank, chair of the Trustees’ Scholars Committee, shared insights.
“You are the best of the best,” Shank said. “We received over 120 applications this year, narrowed it to 25 to interview and selected the seven of you. Even if you have a Trustee mentor, there is nothing stopping you from reaching out to other Trustees for opportunities."
UMKC Provost Jennifer Lundgren welcomed the students.
“Being a Trustees’ Scholar is a rare and competitive opportunity,” Lundgren said. “Being a part of this exclusive cohort presents a lot of opportunities for your futures. At UMKC, we have very high standards for our students, and we do our best to make sure they are successful. So scholars, I encourage you to take advantage of your opportunity.”
Each scholar shared their story and their greatest accomplishments.
Maryam El-Demerdash
El-Demerdash is from Overland Park and is studying biology as a pre-dental student, with a minor in Spanish. El-Demerdash’s greatest accomplishment so far, juggling five varsity sports, community services and advanced courses in high school while graduating with a 4.0 GPA and receiving a Division I soccer offer to UMKC.
Aaria Gandhi
Gandhi is from Carol Stream, Illinois, and is studying health sciences. Gandhi hopes to become a nurse practitioner or a nurse anesthetist. Gandhi said UMKC already feels like home to her. She is most proud of getting her diploma in Indian classical dancing after learning for 12 years.
Carter Hall
Hall is from Washington, Missouri, and is studying biology as a pre-dental student. He is excited to be at UMKC for his undergraduate degree and hopes to attend the UMKC School of Dentistry.
Haley Heidbreder
Heidbreder is from Blue Springs and is studying business and minoring in Spanish. She said her greatest accomplishment is earning her seal of biliteracy for Spanish.
Ann Joseph
Joseph is from Chesterfield, Missouri, and is studying biology as a pre-dental student. Joseph said her biggest accomplishment was becoming a certified mental health first aider. She started the course as a fun thing with her friends, but it has become truly meaningful to her, and Joseph is excited to use and grow her skills.
Audrey Martens
Martens is from Nixa, Missouri, and is studying psychology. Her sister also attends UMKC as a dental student. Martens said her greatest accomplishment is working at Camp Barnabas this summer, giving joy and support to campers who have disabilities and chronic illnesses.
Tiko Tamiru
Tamiru is from Ethiopia and moved to Kansas City five years ago. He is trilingual and studying business administration. Tamiru is proud of how far he has grown and has brought his family’s pride with him. Tamiru is excited to be here, not just as a current achievement, but also for his future success.
Aug 28, 2024
Aijalon Edwards says a sense of community kept him at UMKC and provided lifelong friendships
Aijalon Edwards knows exactly what he wants to do.
After serving four years in the United States Air Force, he knew that mental health resources were vital for veterans. He decided to pursue a degree in psychology to help veterans and the Black community.Edwards had heard from people who attended UMKC that it was culture-driven, which he valued. He also needed a program that was flexible because he was leading a security company and is a single father.At first, he struggled making the transition to school, and even considered dropping out, but then he learned what it meant to find his community here. Edwards met Roland A. Hemmings Jr. (B.A. ’05, M.A. ’12, Ed.D. ’21), the assistant director of Multicultural Student Affairs, during First Semester Experience.“He became a mentor to me,” Edwards said. “He informed me about the office when he saw I was struggling…He is the reason I have not given up; one of the biggest and most humbling relationships God has blessed me with since starting this journey at UMKC.”
Aijalon Edwards (right) met Roland Hemmings (left) through First Semester Experience
At Hemmings's suggestion, Edwards started getting involved in student organizations. He joined the African Americans Cultivating Excellence (AACE) mentoring program, which offers professional and peer mentoring, academic support, workshops and activities. He also joined the Men of Color Academy, a cohort program that promotes personal growth and prepares members for a successful transition into life after college. And he started accessing the services offered by the Office of Student Veteran Support Services, which helped him navigate his military educational benefits and provided social activities, even ones his kids could attend with him. For Edwards, his UMKC community changed his student experience.“Having people around you with the same goals and backgrounds can keep your head in the game and keep you from wanting to give up,” Edwards said. “Also, having so many different cultural outlooks or mindsets can better shape who you are as a person by giving you different perspectives.”
The programs and organizations Edwards joined also helped him learn how to navigate higher education, find resources and encouraged him to ask for help. At first, Edwards said, he was apprehensive to reach out to faculty because of his background.“I’m from the military, where you don’t talk above your rank,” he said. At the encouragement of people in his organizations, he talked with faculty and found they were understanding, approachable and helpful. “It took a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Edwards said. “The most common reason you'll hear for networking is all the opportunities it can provide…however, building relationships with people who have gone through similar struggles and successes can lead to strong and lasting connections, essentially becoming a second family, which, to me, matters much more.”While student organizations, and the community they provided, helped Edwards, Hemmings is the first to say that Edwards is the key to his own success. “Ultimately, AJ’s success is a reflection of his own dedication and hard work, and I'm simply here to help him realize what is already inside him,” Hemmings said. “AJ is a hardworking student, dedicated to making a difference in his family's life and studies. I’m impressed by his resilience in the face of challenges, and his ability to balance academics with all his other responsibilities.”Edwards says being a non-traditional student has its challenges, and he still sometimes finds it tough to summon all the energy it requires to manage school, a team at work and parenting, but the support he’s gained has helped him stay determined and give himself grace.“The best advice I could give anyone who wants to go back to school is, there is never a good time to go back,” Edwards said. “You have to force it to fit your agenda, and your path is never clear and sometimes life just gets in the way. Be thankful for what you can do and do not stress over the things not in your control. Humble yourself and accept that you’re amazing for walking this journey. It took me meeting a wonderful professor to realize that.”While there may be setbacks, Edwards said, that’s not always a bad thing. “Sometimes you may not realize it, but the rain helps. Hold your head straight. A brick a day will pave the way.”
Aug 27, 2024
Both Volker and Health Sciences campuses provide plenty of options to keep you fueled
Can’t wait for the Foodiverse to open soon? Here are plenty of dining options (both on and off campus) to satisfy your hunger in the meantime.
Volker Campus
On-Campus
Dining Hall | Use your meal plan to enjoy rotating cuisine offerings.
Einstein Bros. Bagels| Known for their bagels and shmears, this spot also offers pre-made salads and cookies.
Robot Café | Located in the Miller Nichols Library, grab lattes, smoothies and sandwiches to-go.
Starbucks | Enjoy coffee and pastries at the full-service location.
Off-Campus
Blackhole Bakery | Indulge in classic French pastries and delicious mochi donuts.
Chipotle | The Mexican fast-food chain is known for its custom burritos, tacos and bowls.
Crow’s Coffee | The coffee spot is also perfect for studying.
Kin Lin | Both sit-down and take-out options are available at this Chinese restaurant.
Pizza 51 | Once a gas station, the restaurant now serves pizzas by the slice, calzones and sandwiches.
Tiki Taco | Just a short walk from campus awaits California-inspired Mexican fast food.
Whole Foods Market | The hot bar offers various types of cuisines.
Health Sciences Campus
On-Campus
Hospital Hill Café | Grab coffee and sandwiches in-between classes.
Subway | Create your own sandwiches, wraps and salads at this fast-food spot.
Off-Campus
Billie’s Grocery | Munch on organic plates and bakery items, including gluten-free options.
Brick House | Pair your food with a side of live music.
Orange By: Devoured |The newly open UMKC alum-owned business offers pizza and tapas.
Pilgrim Coffeehouse | The airstream trailer offers coffee and pastries.
Teocali | Enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine with patio-seating.
Aug 27, 2024
Ga Ji Wang is taking in the college experience and paying it forward
Ga Ji Wang had always wanted to go back to school. The business student had started college straight out of high school, but out-of-state tuition at his first institution meant that got put on hold.
He moved from Springfield, Missouri to Kansas City and started doing freelance photojournalism and working in the restaurant industry. When the pandemic hit, he decided to enroll at Johnson County Community College. Wang earned his associate’s degree and began working in the auto-repair industry, but realized there was a pay ceiling.That’s when he took to Google and stumbled upon the Missouri Fast Track Workforce Incentive grant, a program from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development that provides grants to assist with coursework tuition, general fees or direct costs.“I was kind of amazed, honestly, when I saw what it covered in terms of tuition,” Wang said. “I talked with my spouse about that possibility and what that would look like for us and applied.”After that, Wang said, coming to UMKC was an easy decision since he wanted to stay where he and his spouse lived, in Kansas City, and attend in-person courses, something he didn’t get to do during the pandemic while he was getting his associate’s degree. Going in person wasn’t the only difference for Wang.“There's a lot more clarity in terms of what I want out of my schooling,” Wang said. “I think there's a lot more intentionality in terms of my studies.” Wang committed to taking full advantage of his student experience. He sought out student organizations, serving as vice president of Baja SAE, a student engineering group that designs, builds and competitively. He also joined the student entrepreneurship group, Enactus, at the suggestion of one of his professors, Erin Blocher, who is the group’s faculty advisor. At first, Wang said he was a passive member of the group, but he started becoming more involved, even traveling with the group for the national Enactus conference in Texas.“That's when I really got committed to some more leadership roles and the following semester, I tried to help get some more projects going,” Wang said.
He found his prior work experience helped not just his schoolwork, but could also help others in ways he hadn’t imagined. During an Enactus site visit to Operation Breakthrough, he learned reliable transportation was a barrier to families in Kansas City getting to jobs and parenting duties, and he knew he could help. With the help of his Enactus team, Wang started Stay Driven, a car-care clinic to keep KC families on the road. “One of Ga Ji’s superpowers is his ability to listen with empathy and really hear others,” Blocher said. “Ga Ji naturally thinks through an innovative lens. He is a natural problem solver and, as a leader in Enactus, he helped the team look at needs in the community as entrepreneurs.”
Ga Ji Wang stands with his Enactus group during the Stay Driven event
Without his prior work experience, Wang said he may not have had the vision for Stay Driven.“Having done some of the work and been in the automotive industry, seeing what things are simple and what things we can manage, really helped give life to that project,” he said.Last summer, Wang interned with Spotlight AR, a connection he made at a career fair and through career and coffee events at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management. Without Fast Track, and the support of his spouse, Wang said, he may not have been able to come back to school for his undergraduate degree at all, let alone take advantage of all the opportunities that have enriched his experience.“A thing I think about a lot is it's crazy to have this opportunity,” Wang said. That’s why he’s committed to spreading the word and often shares about the program and his experience where he can to ensure that others are aware of the program. His advocacy has made a difference. Wang’s former co-worker, Charles McGraw, saw one of his social media posts and is now also excelling as a Fast Track student at UMKC.
Ga Ji Wang (left) helped inform his former work colleague, and now fellow Bloch student Charles McGraw (right) about the Fast Track grant.
With the knowledge and relationships he’s earned through his degree, Wang hopes to one day start his own business.“I don't think college is always a limiter, but I think now I know I can walk into a space and not have that be something that holds me back,” Wang said.
Aug 27, 2024
Partnership provides unique scholarships and behind-the-scenes opportunities
Nearly two dozen University of Missouri-Kansas City students joined Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal on the field in front of a crowd at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The group consisted of the first two rounds of the Chiefs Kingdom Spirit Scholarship recipients, part of the university’s five-year partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs. The recipients, who were featured at a recent Chiefs game, are:
Arlin Carreon, business administration
Qasim Chohdry, six-year B.A./M.D. program
Kelly Fuentes, philosophy
Sumaya Geelle, business administration
Riley Harris, mechanical engineering
Alexia Jaime, biology
Nazish Khan, criminal justice and criminology
Lorenzo Pecina, civil engineering
Adeline-Corina Salomon, pre-nursing track for health sciences
Peter Stern, mechanical engineering
Chloe Schumyn, biology
Jessica Kim, six-year B.A./M.D. program
Carlos Mata, accounting
Amy Salazar, business administration
Loren Ortiz, sociology
Natilina Mussa, electrical and computer engineering
Fatuma Mustafa, business administration
Samantha Pettus, sociology
Londyn Ibarra, business administration
Ivey Delgadillo Siles, biology
Students also had the chance to watch pre-game warmups on the field and take a tour of the stadium.
This scholarship means a lot to the students who receive it, such as Peter Stern.
“Having the opportunity to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at UMKC has been absolutely incredible, empowering me to dream bigger and brighter than I ever imagined,” Stern said. With the Chiefs’ victories and back-to-back Super Bowl wins, receiving the scholarship has made me feel more connected to the sport and even my city.”
More information on how to apply for the Chiefs Kingdom Spirit Scholarship, can be found on the UMKC Financial Aid and Scholarships website. Applicants must have a 2.75 high school GPA or a 2.0 transfer GPA and write an essay on how they would give back to the Kansas City area community.
Story updated August 2024.
Aug 27, 2024
The KC Scholar is a mom of two, full-time employee and dual-degree student
Leresa Cozart has always loved to learn.
She earned her associate’s degree in mathematics from Houston Community College and started on a business degree, too. The mom of two got a job with CVS Caremark, helping people get their medications. One day, Cozart heard about KC Scholars on the radio. The program offers an adult learner scholarship that provides up to $50,000 for eligible adults who do not have a bachelor’s degree. Initially, she started pursuing a business degree, but switched to pharmacy to be in the healthcare field.Cozart’s son, MJ, was born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Cozart knew first-hand that if she became a pharmacist, she could help others in a different way. “I just wanted to be able to be on the front line to help people as opposed to having to call their insurance company,” she said.
Her first semester was a tough adjustment. She felt pressure to stick with a strict study schedule and was stressed about the workload, but she soon found an approach that worked better for her, taking her schoolwork day-by-day.“My spring semester, I kind of eased up on myself,” she said. “I've learned to not be so hard on myself and to be kind to myself, knowing that this is all new for me and there's going to be ups and downs.”Her love for learning, and knack for business didn’t end there. Cozart enrolled in the UMKC Master’s of Business Administration program to finish her business degree and will start MBA courses, along with her pharmacy courses, in Fall 2024.“I'm really just moving by faith and not by sight at this point,” she said. “I don't know what God has in store for me. I know that I don't write my story. I'm just going according to His plan.”
Managing two graduate programs, full-time work and motherhood is a balancing act, but Cozart says with some determination, there’s nothing that can’t be done.“If I can do it, anyone can do it, given everything I have on my plate,” Cozart said. “So I think it's doable and pharmacy is a good profession if you want to help people and you want a high-paying job that doesn't require the residencies of doctors.”Cozart said working remotely has helped make pursuing her degrees possible because it allows her to spend time with MJ and her daughter, Mariah, who have enjoyed seeing their mom become a student. “It makes me feel proud of her,” MJ said. “And it also shows me that regardless of age, regardless of what stage you are in life, it’s never too late to do what you want to do.”
For MJ, a junior in high school, having a parent who can relate to school-related challenges helps keep him motivated.“I feel as compared to most parent-kid relationships, where the parent just doesn't know what the kid’s going through with school and everything, having a mom in school makes me feel better about asking for help, and she helps me better because we're both going through kind of similar experiences,” he said.Showing her kids what is possible is part of what motivates Cozart to keep going during challenging times. “I definitely do everything I can to try to be the best role model for my kids,” Cozart said. “I want them to know that the opportunities are endless.”
Aug 26, 2024
Diane Stephenson’s love of fencing has taken her around the world
A former UMKC physical education assistant professor has been selected as the oldest volunteer at this year’s Paralympic Games in Paris. At nearly 94, she’s the oldest in the Games’ 64-year history.
Diane Stephenson (M.A. ’67) will work alongside one of her former students, UMKC medical graduate, Sandra Katz (M.D. ’77) throughout the Games. Stephenson, great grandmother to 10 children, will be 94 in October. She coached fencing at UMKC for 14 years and was chosen among thousands of applicants from many different countries for the prestigious Games. “I feel honored, and immensely excited,” said Stephenson, who will perform a number of functions at the international fencing arena to help the competitions run smoothly. “To be a uniformed volunteer is a high point in my life, not just in my fencing career, but all the years I’ve spent in sports.”Stephenson was a tenured assistant professor in sports medicine and physiology of exercise and taught fencing beginning in 1966. She trained champion fencers and competed in tournaments in Chicago, New Orleans and Boulder, eventually earning 40 individual and team member trophies and medals. Among her students was Katz, a medical graduate of UMKC in ophthalmology. “I trained the champion of the Midwest back then and another one of my students was the first to become number one in two weapons, foil and épée, in the U.S. under-19 tournament, thus qualifying for the under-20 World Championship in Madrid,” Stephenson said. “My fencers became so renowned that when the Air Force Academy épée team was preparing for the Pan American Games, they came to Kansas City to train with my fencers and ended up winning first place after training with my team. Some members of my UMKC team are still fencing competitively all these years later.”“Diane fully deserves her selection, and we are proud to have her with us in Paris,” said a spokesperson for the Paralympics. “She has worked very hard in her life to help so many people develop a love of sports, particularly fencing, and we are sure such passion will be obvious during the Games.” “Rarely does a sport create such an inseparable bond for more than 50 years yet amazingly, even though at sword's point to each other, my group of fencers became the closest of friends, like family,” Stephenson said. “There were even several marriages among them.” To help make her training even more effective in Kansas City, Stephenson attended the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City to film specific fencing techniques to share with her students. “You can imagine how excited I am now about Paris and seeing the highest levels of the sport being played there,” she said.Stephenson, who also coached fencing at the University of Maine. She now lives in Tucson, but visits Kansas City regularly, joining her university fencing team for breakfasts. “Forty-two years ago, nine fencers had a photo taken at a team member's wedding,” she said. “Then 42 years later, at one of our reunions, we had a photo taken. The same nine fencers were there standing in the exact same positions.”
Aug 21, 2024
Charles McGraw knows the power of perseverance first-hand
There was a time when Charles McGraw didn’t think he’d ever graduate college, but now that dream is well within reach.
McGraw made several attempts at a bachelor’s degree throughout his early 20s while holding jobs in the restaurant industry, sales and marketing. Each time, he’d ended up dropping out. He’d been out of school for four or five years when he made a realization.
“If I was going to go any higher than I wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to do that without a degree,” McGraw said.
Charles McGraw (right) learned of Fast Track after seeing a social media post from his former co-worker, Ga Ji Wang (left).
He was scrolling social media one day and saw a former co-worker’s post about the Missouri Fast Track Workforce Incentive grant, a program from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development that provides grants to assist with coursework tuition, general fees or direct costs.
“I was like, ‘Well, now I don't really have an excuse not to go back to school and finish my degree,’” McGraw said.
This time, it was different. He enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program with a renewed dedication to earn his degree.
“I'm not going to work this long for this and not try my best at it,” he said.
When he was younger, McGraw said, he was going to college because he felt it’s what he was supposed to do, but this time, he had a clear vision of what he wanted, which paid off both in his academic career and his confidence.
“Now I know what I want to do, and I'm focused and I'm here for me,” he said.
One course proved to be a particular hurdle for McGraw. He’d failed it before, but he wasn’t deterred. He dedicated time to attending three Supplemental Instruction sessions a week in addition to his class. SI is a UMKC-invented academic support program that provides optional additional instruction in difficult courses and has been used by universities around the globe.
The sessions allowed McGraw to revisit challenging topics and get support in a small setting rather than in a full class, where he wasn’t as comfortable asking questions. He ended up with an A in the course and made the dean’s list.
“If you ever have doubts about stuff that you think you can't do, you really can do it,” he said. “You just have to be willing to put in the effort and go the extra mile.”
Being a full-time student while working a full-time job has been challenging, but McGraw said it’s been worth it. “It keeps me busy and it keeps me on a schedule that I can maintain that helps me, I think, be successful in the long run,” he said. “You just have to make sure you get enough sleep, which is a big thing and it's definitely doable. You just have to prioritize.”
Now in his last year of college, McGraw is on track to earn his degree in Spring 2025. He plans to stay at his current job and knows that his degree will help him excel.
“It's just going to be a really big personal achievement because I didn't think I would ever actually graduate college,” he said. “I'm going to be happy to get it over with, but also very happy that I did it.”
Aug 19, 2024
Tori Venske credits UMKC for preparing her for a future of service and leadership
At UMKC, students write their own stories, form their own definitions of success and chart innovative career paths. Tori Venske came to UMKC to further her music, and she left with newfound leadership skills to help her reach her goal of serving in a military band.
Tori Venske
Graduation year: May 2024
UMKC degree program: Master of Music in Clarinet Performance
Hometown: Yukon, OK
From the time she was in high school, Venske knew she wanted to play the clarinet in a military band. Now that she has a Master of Music degree from the UMKC Conservatory and newfound confidence in her abilities, it’s time to make her dreams come true.
Why did you choose your field of study?
I’ve wanted to be a musician since I was a kid. When I was 4, I wanted to be a singer/songwriter. Then I started piano and eventually played clarinet in band. I’ve known since my freshman year of high school in 2014 that I wanted to be a professional clarinetist. I’ve been working hard towards that ever since.
What are the challenges of the program?
With all of the performances and presentations every semester, I’ve had to push myself to be more confident. I was really nervous at first, but the faculty inspired me to think about everything in a musical sense and embrace it.
Balancing everything has been hard, too. My first year here I was in both wind symphony and wind ensemble. It was great to be in band every day of the week, but at the same time trying to balance everything going on was hard at first. I got the hang of it though.
What are the benefits of the program?
The faculty and opportunities to perform and learn are great. I really appreciate the faculty. They’re trying to make me the best musician and person I can be.
I’ve had a lot of opportunities to perform during my time here, which has been rewarding. I went through my undergraduate degree during COVID, so I missed out on a lot of traditional performances. I’ve also had a lot of opportunities to play, learn new instruments and participate in choir. Additionally, the academic resources are great. We’re encouraged to look through the Marr Sound Archives and LaBudde Special Collections to learn more about Kansas City musicians. It’s nice having those right on campus at the library.
How has your college program inspired you?
The faculty are really inspiring, especially professors Steve Davis and Joe Parisi. They’re just really encouraging to me and have helped me be more dedicated in everything I do.
Since entering college, what have you learned about yourself?
I feel like I’ve been able to face challenges better since coming here. It’s always been hard to accept when things are out of my control, even when I know that’s how life is. I’ve been able to work on that and surround myself with people that inspire and encourage me every day.
Who do you admire most at UMKC?
My friend, Beth Christensen, I see everything she does and how well she handles it all. She’s always doing so much, and always with grace and kindness. Just seeing her work every day is inspiring to me.
How does going to school in the middle of a large city enhance your experience and education?
Being in Kansas City is great. I’ve gotten to perform at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Folly Theater. The opportunities to see different types of art makes me better at my craft. I love visual art. I’ve been to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and different art festivals around town. I love that so much is free to access. I like finding inspiration in things other than music.
What do you hope to take from your experiences at UMKC into your professional career?
I’ve learned a lot here that I’ve been able to implement. I’ve embraced my confidence and leadership skills during my time here. I want to be in a military band, and those are important qualities to have. I’ll have to audition for that, so those leadership skills are appreciated.
When I decided that I want to do clarinet professionally, military band stood out to me right away. I like the interactions the musicians have with people. Military bands tour around the country and visit schools to teach masterclasses. I think it’s important to have that community engagement. I also like the repertoire they play; they play standard and new pieces. They also play pieces by underrepresented composers, which is important to me. The variety is exciting.
There are a lot of military branches that have openings, I’ll audition throughout summer. If I’m accepted, I’ll have to enlist. Some of the branches also require going to basic training camp. My grandfather and great-grandfather were both in the Navy, so it would be cool to be accepted into the Navy band.
Aug 07, 2024
Initiative is part of the university’s partnership with the Kansas City Royals
Antonio Sea and Denis Sumarokov were greeted with perfect ballpark weather as they stepped into Kauffman Stadium. As the sun cast a bright glow over the baseball field, the University of Missouri-Kansas City computer science students watched the middle and high school students they had been mentoring step up to the mound. The ceremonial pitch was about to start.
Sumarokov and Sea had been preparing for this day for months.
As part of the UMKC higher education partnership with the Kansas City Royals, they mentored local students for “Bring Out the Bots.” The Royals STEM initiative challenges middle and high school students to create a robot to throw the first pitch at the team’s annual School Day at The K.
Sea and Sumarokov worked with students from WeCode KC and KC STEM Alliance to conceptualize and build the robot. They were there as students got a technical brief from the Royals, designed sketches and helped teach them coding skills with software, such as Python, to power the robot.
“I’ve been helping with WeCode KC for about two years now,” Sea said. “I was in a lot of robotics programs growing up and being able to impart that knowledge back upon the community of kids is a good feeling for me.”
While they were there to share their knowledge, it turns out they had some to gain too.
“Those kids are really smart, so sometimes they teach you more than you teach them,” Sumarokov said. “As an electrical engineer, we have to solve a lot of problems. This experience helped not only me, but also the kids, in terms of learning how to solve problems that have not been solved before and create new ideas.”
A week before game day, students had the chance to test out the robot at the MLB Urban Youth Academy. After some trial-and-error, and figuring out Wi-Fi connectivity issues, the robot successfully threw the ball over the mound.
They were ready for game day.
With thousands of students across the Kansas City metro in attendance for School Day at The K, the stadium was buzzing with excitement.
Nervousness and anticipation filled the air as a group of students who worked on the robot had the exclusive chance to step out onto the mound. They began talking in hushed whispers as they controlled the robot on the field, before activating it to launch the first pitch.
As Sluggerrr caught the ball, cheers could be heard from their teammates who watched the action from the stands.
“Seeing the students’ hard work come to fruition at School Day at The K was exciting,” said Kevin Truman, Ph.D., dean of the School of Science and Engineering. “I’m glad the partnership with the Royals provided our students with mentoring opportunities that will serve as a positive impact in their future careers.”
Plans are already in the works for next year’s pitching robot.
Jul 30, 2024
Former Olympians and Paralympian include circuit judge, professional golfer
Since its founding, the University of Missouri-Kansas City has always strived for excellence both in and out of the classroom. For some UMKC alumni, that push toward greatness has taken them all the way to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Four Roos have reached that peak, representing not only the United States, but also the countries of Austria and France.
“UMKC has a rich history of attracting people from across the globe,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. “It is no surprise these Roos found success not only in the classroom, but also on their respective field of play.”
Courtney Frerichs (B.A. ’15), 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Olympic silver medalist and UMKC alumna Courtney Frerichs raced to a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the 3000-meter steeplechase. After the 2020 Olympics, she reset her American record in the event, becoming the first American woman to break the nine-minute barrier.
During her athletic career at UMKC, the native of Nixa, Missouri, was an 11-time conference champion, five-time All-American and set seven school records.
Frerichs intended to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics but announced in May that she had undergone surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus in her right knee. Her intention is to heal and return to the track, saying on social media, “I hold hope that I will be back out there again as a healthier and stronger version of myself.” Frerichs is married to fellow alum, Griffin Humphreys (B.B.A. ’16), who currently serves as an assistant cross country coach at Portland State University.
Antoine Rozner (B.B.A. ’16), 2020 Tokyo Olympics
French professional golfer and UMKC alumnus Antoine Rozner attended UMKC from 2012 to 2016, notching six wins as a Roo. He played in the 2016 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Golf Championship where he tied for 8th place, and was also named Western Conference Player of the Year. The Paris, France native turned professional the year he graduated and played for Europe in the 2016 Arnold Palmer Cup, winning all four of his matches.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming from Paris,” said Rozner. "UMKC was a lovely four years, and I’d do it again.”
Fast forward four years, Rozner earned a spot representing his home country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rozner placed 45th in individual competition. Currently Rozner plays on the European Tour and has three tour wins, including the 2022 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
Viola Kleiser (B.A. ’12), 2014 Sochi Olympics
Former UMKC sprinter Viola Kleiser made history when she represented her home country of Austria in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Kleiser and her teammate were the first women to qualify in bobsleigh for the Olympic Games in Austrian history. Yes, despite being a track and field student-athlete at UMKC, Kleiser competed at the Olympics in an entirely different sport.
During her time as a Roo, the Reichersdorf, Austria native set a then-school record in the 200-meter dash at the 2012 Summit League Indoor Championships with a time of 25.17. Upon leaving UMKC, Kleiser began speed and strength training back home. Just a week later, the Austrian National bobsleigh team asked her to try out. She made the team as a lead pusher, later competing at the 2013 Bobsleigh World Cup and then the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where she finished 15th.
Kleiser currently serves as a coach for the Austrian Athletics Federation.
The Hon. Sarah Castle (J.D. ’12), 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Paralympics
Castle is a four-time Paralympian, competing and earning medals in both swimming and basketball. During her first games in 2000, Castle claimed the silver medal while competing in the breaststroke. She would finish fourth in the same event four years later, before switching sports for the 2008 and 2012 games. As a member of the paralympic basketball team, Castle earned a gold medal at the 2008 games and finished fourth in 2012.
Castle’s success at UMKC is now reflected in the courtroom. Graduating with her law degree in 2012, she then went on to work in the U.S. Attorney’s office before serving Jackson County, Missouri as an assistant prosecuting attorney. In January 2020, Castle was appointed as an associate circuit judge by Missouri Governor Mike Parson. Later that same year, she was appointed as circuit judge of division 1 in Jackson County.
Jul 26, 2024
Myles Hardy is making more connections than ever at their second home
At UMKC, students write their own stories, form their own definitions of success and chart innovative career paths. Myles Hardy is a psychology major who is finding their home away from home by participating in organizations including First Gen Roos and Professional Career Escalators.
Myles HardyAnticipated graduation year: 2027UMKC degree program: PsychologyHometown: Springfield, MissouriHardy has always looked for connections outside the box. After picking UMKC and arriving on campus, they realized they made the right choice. Hardy said UMKC allowed them to express themselves like they haven’t before and find new communities with opportunities around the corner.
Why did you choose UMKC?
I knew that staying around my hometown wasn’t for me as there wasn’t much of a community there. People there aren’t as open-minded and tend to follow the same kind of career track. If their dad was a doctor, then that’s what they would do. I just wanted to go somewhere else and start new.
Why did you pick psychology as your field?
I knew I wanted to help people. I thought about being a doctor, but I didn’t think I would work well with medical materials. I am very interested in the way people think and how different events in life can affect the way we think, how we are different and the way we interact with each other.
What do you like the most about UMKC?
The people I’ve met genuinely want me to succeed. They want to prep us for our future, and don’t give up. It’s more than just my professors, the success coaches and program organizers at UMKC are always there for you. It’s very motivating.
How is UMKC preparing you for a career that you want?
UMKC as a whole, especially in the psychology department, has so many connections that you can find. Whether it’s through professors, program organizers or even campus career events, there are a lot of outlets for bigger career opportunities.
Do you plan on pursuing a graduate degree?
Yes, I do. I would love to do it at UMKC.
How does it feel being a first-gen student at UMKC?
Before I got here, I was extremely stressed. It was a lot of pressure. But through the First Gen Roo program, they did a great job of comforting me without making me feel like I had to fit in a certain way or live up to specific expectations. I also noticed that other universities don't really talk about first-generation students or really give them an opportunity to feel not only welcomed, but celebrated. That’s a big thing the First Gen Roo program does very well. In addition to First Gen Roo, I’m in the Honors Program, Professional Career Escalators and I’m involved in the Peer Academic Leadership (PAL) program as well, prepping to be a pal next year. I’m also involved with the Neurodivergent Student Union and UMKC Trans+.
What have you learned about yourself since being at UMKC?
My strengths. I would say I've definitely blossomed since coming to UMKC. I was a very introverted person when I was in Springfield and in high school. I didn't like what I was doing at all. I wasn’t having fun. But being here, I feel that I have a track. I'm doing things, I'm involved and I’m interacting with people I truly connect with. It has really helped me grow in many areas.
Would you recommend UMKC to prospective students?
Yes, I would. I would recommend it because I don’t think you can find this kind of joy and family feeling anywhere else at other universities. I think that's what makes UMKC so special.
What’s your favorite place to study on campus?
I really like the library when it’s cold. But now that it's warmer, I like the Quad more. I'm really glad they have the lounge chairs out there too. It’s super chill and perfect with the shade.
What is something you wished more people would know about UMKC?
I wish people knew more about the family feel of UMKC. I think that's hard to see from an outside perspective. If you're just looking in, you don’t get to feel it. But there is such a strong emphasis on community, and you will find your group of people at some point.
What is something you are looking forward to?
Becoming a leader. I always want to take on more opportunities, even though I already have a full schedule as is. But next year, I'm going to be in the PAL program and I'm really excited for it. I want to talk and help people. I think that is something that's really important, not only as a first-gen student, but as a UMKC student. Nobody is going to be exactly like you or be on the same exact track. Everyone is different and special in that aspect. There are many ways to be a leader but doing it your own way is something to be really proud of.
Jul 25, 2024
Investment aimed at safeguarding the U.S. research enterprise
The University of Missouri-Kansas City and University of Missouri will lead one of five regional centers for a new research security effort sponsored by the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act through the National Science Foundation.
The NSF announced a five-year, $67 million investment establishing the Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) Center. Funding includes $5 million over five years for UMKC and MU to establish and run the SECURE Midwest regional center.
With support from nine institutions of higher education nationwide, including UMKC and MU, the SECURE Center aims to serve the research community to recognize and address threats to the U.S. research enterprise, such as interference and unethical or unlawful access by a foreign entity. Michele Kennett, MU associate vice chancellor for research compliance and integrity, and Anthony Caruso, UMKC interim vice chancellor for research, will lead the SECURE Midwest center.
“Research security is not common, unnecessarily complex, expensive to staff and yet essential – we are helping to make research security challenges understandable, manageable, affordable and effective,” Caruso said. “We are humbled and honored to connect to the Midwest universities.”
“We are excited to be part of an initiative that will engage university leadership, compliance officials, individual researchers and private organizations across the U.S. research community,” Kennett said. “This engagement will assure that the research community is integral in the process to arrive at security solutions that protect the national research enterprise.”
The national SECURE Center will share information and reports from the regional centers on topics such as research security risks. It will also provide training on research security to the science and engineering community, and serve as a bridge between the research community and government funding agencies to strengthen cooperation on addressing security concerns.
“The SECURE Center is how we bring the research community together to identify risks, share information and leverage national expertise on research security to develop solutions that protect essential research being done at institutions across the nation,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.
Jul 24, 2024
Powerhouse partnership has provided $590,000 to future oral healthcare practitioners
The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry and GEHA Solutions this month received the 2024 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.
The award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from a broad spectrum of diverse backgrounds to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
According to Dean Steven Haas, D.M.D, J.D., MBA, the school is grateful for the acknowledgement of their efforts to broaden the pathway into oral health careers.
“There is an immense benefit as a patient to receiving care from dental providers who understand and resonate with their background,” Haas said. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication of the School of Dentistry community and our invaluable partners, such as GEHA Solutions, who exemplify impactful community engagement. We hope this inspires others to participate in similar initiatives.”
The oral health equity partnership between the Lee’s Summit, Missouri,-based GEHA Solutions and the UMKC School of Dentistry began in 2022 with the company’s investment of $150,000. Over the course of the three-year partnership, GEHA Solutions has provided $590,000 to the school to support disadvantaged students who have a commitment to oral health equity, especially among dentally underserved communities.
The funds established 15 annual fellowships that provide stipends for students participating in the UMKC pathway program, Students Training in Academia, Health and Research (STAHR) Scholars Program. Since 2022, the funds have provided financial support, enabling recipients to focus on test prep and enhancement of their qualifications as dental school applicants. The partnership also established 14 one-time scholarships to support and help attract incoming dental hygiene and dental students.
STAHR Scholars is an innovative summer program intended to develop competitive health professions applicants. Established in 2018, the program is a collaboration between the UMKC schools of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy designed to increase representation in healthcare fields from a broad spectrum of backgrounds.
Jenna Mills, vice president at GEHA Solutions, has seen first-hand how the guidance, support and mentorship the STAHR program provides these students, setting them up to reach their full potential.
“I’ve had the great pleasure to meet STAHR fellows as well as dental and dental hygiene students, learning of their backgrounds and the obstacles they have overcome to be ready to enter and succeed in dental school,” Mills said. “To say I am impressed is an understatement. Our oral health delivery system will benefit from having such a talented and diverse group of individuals in the coming years.”
This is the second time the UMKC School of Dentistry was recognized by Insight Into Diversity magazine, having received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award for health professions schools in 2016. The UMKC School of Medicine, a participating partner in the STAHR program, received the same award in 2022 and 2023. UMKC received the award in 2019.
According to Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine, many STEM programs are not always recognized for their dedication to encouraging students from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to pursue these fields.
“We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in STEM,” Pearlstein said. “We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”
Jul 23, 2024
Continued recognition as a leader in medical education
U.S. News & World Report announced its 2024 Best Graduate Schools for Medicine and ranked the UMKC School of Medicine as a leader in two categories.
The school was ranked No. 20 in the nation in “Serving Medically Needy Areas” and No. 75 in “Most Diverse Medical Schools.”
Dean Alexander Norbash (B.A. ’85/M.D. ’86) has been a champion of rural healthcare and diversity since he was a student.
“UMKC School of Medicine has been committed to serving the underserved from the moment of its inception,” Norbash said. “We have remained true to our community and are grateful and proud of this recognition. We look to the future with anticipation and optimism as we seek to further better the health and wellbeing of our expanded community, with a special focus on medically needy areas, the dispossessed and the underprivileged, whether urban or rural.”
With campuses in Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri, the School of Medicine is uniquely situated to prepare the next generation of medical professionals to provide both urban and rural care to the areas that need it most. On the Kansas City campus, School of Medicine students and faculty participate in the Our Healthy Jackson County initiative, which brings free vaccinations and health screenings to communities that need it.
The initiative began during the pandemic to reduce the burden of COVID-19 in vulnerable areas, and has since expanded to provide mental health, dental and other health screenings alongside vaccinations.
The commitment to serving medically needy areas also is being realized with the construction of a new education center on the St. Joseph, Missouri, campus. The $14.5 million building is expected to open in 2025 and will aim to help address the physician shortage in Missouri and give students and faculty a space to focus on rural healthcare and communities in need. Research suggests that medical students who have training in rural areas during residency are more likely to pursue careers in rural medicine.
This is not the first time the school has been recognized for leadership in education people with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. In 2023, the school received the Health Professionals Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the second year in a row. The School of Medicine also earned the award in 2018.
The school promotes a culture of inclusion and the ability to effectively deliver healthcare in diverse communities, and its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion works to prepare students for the workplace. Students participate in an anti-racism and cultural bias program before going into clinical rotations, helping to ensure that they are providing excellent care from day one.
Other initiatives, including specialized care for students at academic risk, the Multicultural Advisory Committee of Students, LGBTQIA+ resources and the Summer Success Seminar Series all help students achieve their full potential and prepare them for a career of caring for all.
The full rankings and report can be found here.
Jul 23, 2024
Sumeet Dua will lead growing research enterprise at Kansas City’s top public university
Sumeet Dua, Ph.D., will become the new University of Missouri-Kansas City vice chancellor for research on Sept. 9. Since 2002, he served in a number of leadership roles at Louisiana Tech University, where he helped to advance research, grant awards and collaborative efforts.
UMKC has elevated its research enterprise, doubling expenditures from $25 million to $53 million in four years and increasing annual external awards from $36 million to $147 million. With the forward momentum, UMKC aims to be designated a Carnegie Research 1, or R1, university, meaning it has “very high” research activity. It’s currently R2 with “high” research activity.
“Dua will be pivotal in strengthening our research enterprise and expanding our impact,“ said UMKC Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal, Ph.D. “His expertise in building partnerships and leading innovative research programs will help propel UMKC research endeavors to new heights, and we look forward to the further growth his leadership will bring to our university.”
Most recently, Dua served as executive vice president for research at Louisiana Tech, and under his leadership in the past year, Louisiana Tech’s research enterprise saw an 18% increase in annual research expenditures and a 39% increase in federally funded research expenditures.
Dua has also led the university’s research operations in the National Cyber Research Park and Louisiana Tech Research Institute, fostering engagement with federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense. This aligns well with UMKC’s research portfolio, which includes a significant number of defense contracts. This year, UMKC became the first university to partner with U.S. Cyber Command.
“I’m excited to partner with UMKC to continue its strong momentum in research and reach its goal of achieving a Carnegie R1 status,” Dua said. “I am eager to work with UMKC’s faculty across diverse disciplines and forge strong partnerships and collaborations with government, business and community leaders to accomplish our goals.”
Dua also has made significant contributions to academia and industry throughout his career. He has written five books, secured two patents and published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles. His research specialties include data analysis, computational decision support and biomedical imaging.
Dua received a Ph.D. in computer science and an M.S. in systems science from Louisiana State University and A&M College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology in Patiala, India.
Jul 19, 2024
A true surround sound system, dozens of speakers line the walls for a unique listening experience
When you walk into the Sound Mandala in the black box theatre, you’re greeted by speakers on all sides. The lights will dim, and you’ll hear music and audio like never before.
“When you listen to a recorded track, the sounds have been mixed already and you’re hearing it all come out of one console,” said Tom Mardikes, professor of sound design at the UMKC Conservatory. “I wanted to know how a song would sound if it was mixed in the air, as you listen to it.”
Mardikes is the creator of the Sound Mandala. Inspired by intricately crafted sand mandalas, Mardikes wanted to apply that precision and artistry to sound. He created a system to place individual sounds of a track on different speakers and move those sounds throughout the duration of the track. Much like movies are moving images, the Sound Mandala is moving audio.
Mardikes has been working on the Sound Mandala since 2014. Graduate students in sound design at UMKC have been involved in the process, including his core Sound Mandala team of current and former students. Mardikes holds a patent for the system and foresees its use in theatres, auditoriums and even haunted houses in the future.
Photo by Luke Harbur
The Sound Mandala has progressed to more than 80 speakers in the black box theatre in Olson Performing Arts Center. Mardikes’s team outfitted the theatre to ensure the best audio experience possible to showcase their creation. The intimate venue holds 40 people, ensuring that every seat is the best seat in the house.
“You can hear sounds moving around the room,” Mardikes said. “You might hear a guitar coming from in front of you, a voice behind you and a piano next to you. You’re truly immersed in the sound, it’s an entirely unique experience that’s never been possible before.”
Experience a taste of the Sound Mandala. Headphones are required for listening.
The Sound Mandala debuts to the public at the 2024 Kansas City Fringe Festival. Sound Mandala shows are July 19-27 at the Black Box Theatre at Olson Performing Arts Center on the UMKC campus.
Jul 15, 2024
Nearly 2,000 students recognized
The University of Missouri-Kansas City celebrates the time and energy it takes for excellence: Commitment, integrity and tenacity are required each semester. During the Spring 2024 semester, 1,899 of our undergraduate and professional students made the UMKC Dean’s List.
This is an impressive academic honor. Students must complete a minimum full-time program of 12 graded hours and meet their individual unit’s GPA threshold to qualify for the Dean’s List. These students showed what it meant to take pride in their academic success. If you know someone who made the Spring 2024 list, be sure to congratulate them for their achievement!Below are the Dean’s Lists for the Spring 2024 semester.
Conservatory
Donovan AndesCiel BackusBrett BoyerIsabella BrownGage BrownAurora ConroyEmi CreamerOlivia De Oliveira KalamboukasRobin DeimerlyKimberly DeWittElsa DickersonTaylor DingmanFrancesca FarinaBraden FordCameron GurssHannah GuzmanSara HanfordDalton HartsfieldKailey HrencecinHadley JarvisEthan KauffmanMaria KennedyGalen KroegerRaef LandesKennedy LaughlinSantino LicameliElizabeth LollarTess MartensMackenzi MasonAbby MauldinSarah McguyerZoe MeinsKendal MeyerJason MeyerLily MonroeReuben MorrisonNicole NormanChin NukulvutthiopasAbigail OhmsDavid OosseNeil PedersenDillon PottsArianna RichardsonRozlynn RichertMicah Ruiz EsparzaEmily SchutzelWhitney SchweigerCrew ShaferMolly SloanJaxon St.ClairElla StottsBrandon ThibodeauSol VeenstraKloe WagnerElizabeth WatzkeThomas WelnickZach WestMaddie WilliamsBrady WolffIsabel Yearian
Henry W. Bloch School of Management
Zuhur AbdiJassan AdamsNick Aleman JrYassin AliCole AllenRylan AllsupNicholas AlvaradoMariam AlvaradoCamden BakerRobin BaltersKaia BarkmanBret BeardJack BeardDarren BemissLessly BerriosLauren BlakelyAmy BlevinsNathan BonnerEzra BottsMckenna BowersJulianne BromagenAudrey BrownNicole BruewerHenry BunteJack ButtsStefano CamerlengoAutumn CampbellJaqueline Cardenas TostadoChandler CarterBri CastleberryYan ChenXuyuzhi ChengOlga CherniavskaChris ChiDrake ClevengerSatori ClosserWen CloughBraeden ConnellyCaroline CooperPatrick CottonZaylee CoxAllie CrawfordMackenzie CroleyAbby CrooksTravon CrossPayton Crump-McHughCao DatDaniel DavalosNicole DavisAdriana Diaz LeguilluKannon DillaboughAaron DilworthNoah DoanHaley DowlerBryce EasleyGreta EbersoleAbbi EllermanAlyssa ElslooKendall ErnzenLuke FacinelliMesa FalleurMiguel Fernandez NovasSebastian FloresSydnee FlowersCaroline FoellerLuke FosterTyler FranzoiaJesse FrazierGrace FrederickVal FryPaulina GarciaFrancis GatdulaTaylor GatesAki GebreSumeya GeelleFathi GeelleCelina GentaMitch GoodmonBryson GoschJohn GosseBlane GrayJordan GreenBryce GreenwaltAlicia GroenhagenVictoria GuerraDaniel GutgesellAustin HaggardSaid HajiNicolas HartungJensen Hassani-SadiYasmen HassenLily HayGriffin HerSophie HernandezRene HernandezDeya HernandezDeanna HoenshellLexi HoffmanAmari HollandKatie HollarAsher HolleyJoshua HoodBryce HortLibby HortonXiaoyan HuMissy HuntebrinkerJessica HuynhDong HuynhEmily ImesOlga IvanovaBrandon JamesSadie JantzPhilania JohnsonParker JohnsonLiam JoyceRirika KamimuraSarah KannenbergTeayom KarimpourianNavi KaurGrace KertzCharlie KingHayden KnellAshley KochAvery KrahenbillEmma KratzAnna KruegerBrooklyn LammersChas LarsenJordan LaubLily LefferdKatie LemonLuke LeonettiWei LiSophia LimongiYijun LiuHope LockeAdriana Lopez-JuradoSebastian LucasXingjian MaArsh MaheyMahailet MamoJuan MarronMia Matthews-BeavenJackson McBrideMorgan McginnisJude McGrawLeah McIntyreMyles MeadJason MearsGabby MeyerHunter MiesnerKai MillerHayden MitchellAbdirahin MohamedThuweyba MohamedKhadija MohamedRiley MooreDaniella MoralesClaudia Muñoz-CaraveoShayla MurphyDavid MyersPerla Navarro-OrtizAlex NguyenKim NguyenNathan NguyenVivian NguyenAnh NguyenJustin NguyenQuan NguyenZach NicholsAndrew O'DellCameron OesterleFernando OlivaresJavier Olivares BurgosJoshua OliverAlice OropezaRory PaolicchiKrina PatelElyse PayneLeila PedrerosSavannah PeisertMarlon Perez-MoralesKatie PoisnerTori PolandEthan PotterDunia QakeiCassandra QueralHannah QuintAndrew RamirezChase RedingtonRiley RhoadsMicaela RichardsGabby RiegelJessica RomeroLesly RomoJazmin RomoAnnabella SaittaAndy SanchezLawrence SangKevin SarmientoMirian SarresMaggie SchoemehlAvari SchwenkIan ScottRiLeigh ScottLiddy ScuratoMizki ShireGabrielle SimmsAlyssa SmeraNick SmithAshley Solis-JimenezBrenda SosebeePhilip St. JohnEmily SteinbeckMiriya StilesJeffrey SuKristen SwartsRaivion TaylorWhitney TaylorGavin TewErin ThessenSivkan ThindKyler TickleAnastassiya TimofeyevaAsh TorresDominic TorresDariana TorresJosh TranMicah TribittSilvia TruongMae TuschmanAlex UnsethJesper van HalderenNayeli VargasJayden VazzanoSteven VuGa Ji WangPaige WerremeyerTristin WhittonEmma WoodJulia WyattTianzhao XuIvy YangMaey YangKendra YoungbloodGrace YuJayden YurthWenwen ZhangLauren Zoller
School of Dentistry
Ahmad AlhoutiAli AliMichael AllisonFares AlsafarAdison BaseyCamden ChastainMegan DartDrake DuganGiovanni FerraroJason FirthShelbi FlahautCasey GeddesMichael GimottyJackson GlynnAshlyn HarbaughHaley HeatonSeth HofheinsOlivia HombsKatie JenningsChristopher JohnsonCole JohnsonTia KahwajiElizabeth KiefnerAnastasia KruegerPeyton KusgenAnthony LeisureJamaica LovanGabby MertzEthan NettlerAnh NguyenKylie NicholsMichelle PalmerK-Leigh PappasAlexis ParkeRiley PerelesRiley PurdunLisa RaymondQuinten ReasonerMatthew RodriguesKatie Roe-BlytheAdam SattlerAmy SchmiemeierHadley SchreinerMackenzie SimpsonLauren SlavensHaylie StansellDiana StepanovaJustin SurberJaiden TaggartNoah TallySaxon TeubnerJuliana TomitaMatthew WahleClaire WaughHaley WorfordEdward Wun
School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences
Byan AbuounMary AguirreShams AlarthyFatima AlborElla AlexanderRayan Al-HamdiGenesis Amaro VenturaAlea AshfordConnor AthearnKayauna BarnesAdelin BaynumCharlie BellAlyssa BlevinsElaina BlodgettVanessa BoltenKylee BrazealJaylie BuiJenna BulgerErica BurnettAlex BurneyLucy Cardenas VargasMargaret CarsonEileen ChangAngie ChavezMariah ChavezAva ChinnockLindana Clavijo FajardoEmily CollierJessa ConnatserKelsee CorbinDarci DaughertyYike DengPaige DinkelLaura DoranMaleah DowntonAnthony DuKimberly EscobedoIsabel FabianOlivia FesslerCamille FryAndrea Gamboa RizoEmma GarciaAnnelise GarrisonGio GiangrossoGrace Gomez-PalacioNaomi GontermanAbby GuzmanMyles HardyAudrey HarperLydia HarterCatherine HawkinsHanan HayyehMayerli HerreraCelina HoLily HollisRaeli HowertonSamm HudginsAndria JersettMattea JonesMya JonesKayda KamolzCaroline KeithleyLyba KhawarSummer KhounvongsaMikaylah KingTeagan LeeAbby LogsdonJackelyn LopezAlyssa LopezTiffany LowellErin MagelGracie MalicoatLogan MartinMattie MartinIsaac McBurneyHeather McCoyBrianne McGovernKate McKownNyah MisenerBrenna MorganConfi MuhozaReyam MukhtarMegan NealeCarmen NedblakeAlex NelsonJacob PaineNatalie PeaceAinsley PickeringRonnie QuickKyra ReesRakiah RichardsonJacqueline RiveraAlanie RiveraChase RobertsonKiko RodriguezGuadalupe Rodriguez-GonzalezIsabella SalinasKarnveer SandhawaliaPaige SanfordCandy SarresSamara SayidCayloma SehnertAmina ShahDanei SmithTaylor SmithAdriana SpanglerKarissa StarkBlair TaylorAnnie TranGrant UrbanMeaghan VandeheyHolly VervaeckeKaylene VickersLydia WeaverDallas WelchNoah WerremeyerSean WesselIsaia WilcoxenRenika WilliamsKy WilliamsLyric Williams-McGuireGrace WilsonHenry WittBahsan Yussuf
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Youssef AbouelelaMaanvi AggarwalLaila AlhajeriElizabeth AllenSarah AllisonMayar Al-ShaikhliDanielle AltschulEsli Alvarado-IslasAnalisa AlveyMaici AmorAva AndersenTaylor AndersonShayaan AnisAshley AppleberryDaniela Arzabala LopezMeha AsirLaila AtkinsAnam AzimKaylee BaggerlyIsabella BakerAmelia BaldwinAshlyn BandelierKelby BannermanLili Becerra-PujolsKaya BeitzLogan BeltEvelyn BergerRiya BhatMolly BindelEmily BlackGeorgia BlakemoreMaisy BlantonJenna BodnarMatt BollinAlex BoydTommy BrittendallBridger BrockmanSydney BrownZach BungeBrinlea CalaisLauren CarberySy CartwrightYessica Casares-MaldonadoEthan ChaJuan ChavezQasim ChohdryOlivia ChristensenIteara ChristianEmily ClarkJocelyn ClarkGrace CoganMorgan ColeAurelia ColletteMichael CollingsDestanie CollinsAbby ConnorOlivia CottonLuke CozadDaze Creamer-EllecampPidge CrozierLilah Crum BarnhillAdelina CurielSaja DaifallahAidan DavisLilith DavisAshley DavisTruman DickeyAmy DoAvery DolanJayden DorrellJenna EikelFreyja EmeryRachel EricksonAlexandrea ErismanViolet EsquivelLilly EstradaTochi EzeanolueAreej FalahNoah FanslerDaisy FergusonMachaela FordMia ForneyMcKaylie ForrestNicole ForysMorgen FosterRowan FrazierBrynn FuquaJasmine GamelOlivia GebhardtKeshav GhanekarTayler GilbertCatherine GillumEllie GiraDevan GirishRebekah GrantSydney GravattMaddie GrimesOscar GrisNatalya GruzdCarmen GudinoEmani GuerinShekhar GugnaniAlizah HaaseTory HamonShicagolyn Hams ScrogginsYasmeen HanonHaylee HarrellYusuf HasanMichael HaynesGrace HeathRayney HeldLogan HendersonMarc HermanEve HerrBen HillearyLauren HirningSamuel HitchcockAnnie HoustonPeyton HowardEvan HuangAmy HurleyAbby HusakSarah IllimoottilZarifa ImanliMira IyerFahad JamalAdriana JanischFaduma JarikAJ JenkinsEmily JohnsonCerylean JonesDaniel JonesAidan JoyceHugo Juarez-AvalosKat KalfayanKatelyn KaysCaiden KeenErynn KellGrant KendallChavi KhannaAmanuel KifleMackenzie KlausSydney KramerLauren KreiselSara KronawitterSindhuja KudapaNeha KumarAnnalise LawlorJulien Le BourdoulousMarissa LeggioSam LendoBenjamin LewisHannah LeyvaNoah LibowitzDayton LittleBenjamin LiuEvie LozanoJada LymanKushi MadduruLauren MageeDaisey MaldonadoSundus MalikTorie MallingerMayzie MangosLilah ManningScott ManuelGabby Marin CastanedaMicaela MartinCameron McCaslinKiara McCreaDeborah McCurninSarah MedinaItzel MendezGovind MenonClaire MersmannEmma MeyersCeleste MichaelGrace MillerAnthony MishrikyAndrew MishrikyDaniel MoftakharYasmina MokhtarCatherine MonaghanKenney Monzon BrunoYeanna MoonJay MoorePhoebe MurphySamuel NagyMichael NavatoJillian NeeleyKamryn NelsonCarla NemerEthan NguyenErick NicolasAbby NugentKanyon OlberdingAsh OnstottAarti PalaniappanRiya ParikhSarah ParkReece ParkerRonit PatelMeirah PaulJordan PaxtonCaitlin PickertAbbey PierceMegan PilegeUma PillaiPrecious PlaisimeLeya PogueAmani PoindexterJailyn PolkElizabeth PorrittVanessa PyleArthur QualmanOmar RadoncicArushi RaiTheo RaitzerJillian RayPrisha ReddyAdam ReedRyen ReedyIsabella ReyesNovalee RiveraCorrie RobertsMarco RodriguezRogelio RodriguezTania Rodriguez-GonzalezJoslyn RossOlivia RubioThessa RyanJoy RyanJouhel SalinasVanessa SandersAbby SanduskyNeal SawyersWilliam SchniedersIsabelle SchroederTina SchwartzeFaith ScribnerJoel SetyaVictor SewankamboAnanya SharmaAhad SheikhNikitha ShethDelaney ShieldsKowthar ShireKoda ShivelyJoe SimmonsAmritasha SinghSebastian SkaggsMolly SloanJulia SmithCourtney SmithJonathan SmithHarry Soper PlazaEmma StaufferAydan StiglerEvan StolbergTyler Stone-HowertonLiana StowellPeyton StremmelTristan SupernawSid SuvarnaNatalie SwampillaiAkhila SwarnaSahithi TadakamallaTennessee TaffnerSelina TahirkheliYordanos TarikHannah TawneyNuria TellesDa'Mya ThomasClaire TilleyEmily TownsDiana TranBrian TranSophia TrudeHannie TruongAllBright TunKellen TurnerMichaela Vanden HullJacob VanzantDanusri VaratharajSarai VasquezCamille VerhoevenEthan VillasenorStephanie VincentSanchi VishwakarmaAnshal VyasCatie WalkerKeegan WatkinsCece WattsAbigail WeilerDylan WelchEmily WheelerElla WhitfieldJulia WiestNathan WilcoxJosh WildeSophia WildeAlexander WildtAbram WilliamsHolly WilliamsLainey WillisBrynn WinklerThistle WolfMarley WoodfordLeigh WoodyGrace WorkmanJames WorthamJustin WuGauri YadavIsabella YenniePark Zebley
School of Law
Kit AdderholtLoulya AlabedMohammad AlkhatibMohammad AlkurdiDe'Ja AlstonAllee ArmitageIsabelle ArmourTiara ArtiesKelsy AustwickSidney Bach-NormanBailey BakerMichael BalkOlivia BanesLevi BanesJuliana BartoliMelanie BattsRaef BellAlyssa BenjaminOlivia BenoitBekah BerardiAlyse BergerNichole BergtollOlivia Bess-RhodesEmma BeuerleinJenniece BooneReema BounajemBrent BoydKenn BoyleMolly BravermanShayna BrazealKyle BrownNaomi BuieHarrison BurchfieldEthan BureshCade BurghartKarima BurnsJacob BurtonJason CantrellJosie CareyRachel CarrJohn CastelloTrevor CernechAshley CerrentanoMatt ChampagneMolly ChasteenPiper ChristensonBrian ChristianTyler ClevengerPayton ClouseThomas CluckPhilip ColeMakenna CopelandAshley CornishCade CortezBobbie CrewStephanie CrockerKristen CroucherIsabella CrutchfieldMegan CurrieMegan DeanAlexus DeanMegan DeGuniaTrinity DelaneyAlex DeLucaEmily DesbienKendall DillonEmma Kate DillonSofia DominguezAnna DonaldsonJosie DostalJack DoughertyMarkia DouglasIvana EasleyErica EdmistenJacob EisenhauerJackson ElderBijan EsfandiaryNoah FahnestockLukas FieldsCarson FinkSamantha FisherNatelee ForbesBrian FordLexie FoxJustice FrankeTaylor FreundJoey GambleDanny GamezOscar GarciaVictoria GardnerAshley GeeConnor GoldsboroughErika GreerVictoria HaggertyLillian HallMcCalister HallMary Paige HawkinsAddison HaynesCorbin HealyGrant HeimanJay HellebuschCatherine HenneReed HenselEmma HeroldLiam HeuselHans HodesCliff HollyJoe HooperJordan HopperBrett HoukJulia HowellLukas HudsonAlison HuffElena HumphreyAaron HungMatthew HyattMaddi IlsemanOlivia JabaleyRyan JacobsenKaylee JacobsonTara JanowskiLogan JeffersCristina JimenezNoah JohnsonCat JohnsonNathan JohnsonJared JohnstoneIan JonesRyan KatzTara KeeverMargaret KellstromEmma KingWilliam KnutsonKaren KutninkJonathan LacKampSalenna LaffoonShelbie LangfordNick LangsdaleJustin LarsonLauren LawsonJacob LeamonJilliane LewisLauren LipariCaroline LoweryLilly LucasMia LukicFiona MaddenIlse MaloneyMadeline MannRob MasseyBrad MatteuzziLauren McFailGregory MelhamBruce Mena-SierraAlexandra MiddlecampKaleb MillerDalila MillerAnna MooreBrett MordecaiMeredith MorrisonAaron MottMaureen MurphyCorey MyersKyle NelsonMatthew NeswickTimothy NicholsJacob NiemeyerKendal NilgesThomas NocitaSam NultonSarah OldfatherAnnMarie OrlandoReid ParkerDeyanira Parra LugoChanelle PerezSamuel PetersonEmma PiazzaKirsten PintoAustin PolinaKaylee PopejoyGarrison PriddleLeslye QuintanillaParker RahmanJohn RellihanMatthew RhoadsErin RichardsMaximillian RichardsonChance RiddleJessica RigbyHunter RobertsAddison RockersChristopher RogersMichael RoseTaylor RumseyDana SamaniegoGavin SampleJosefina SanchezJoseph SanorRhiannen SchneiderKloe SchnellAshley SegniboMadelyn SeleyMadison SelfJarrett SextonKelly ShannahanTeresa SingletonHaley SirokmanSamuel SketersJoseph SkojacDaniel SlaybaughHelene SlinkerLiudmila SloanKathryn SopcichCait SpackmanWill SpeidelMatthew SpringerAndrew StaffordKaylee StillieEllen StingleyColby StoneJenni SweetonAnna Syptak-WelchCinthia TerrazasGabrielle ThurnMegan TiedeReece TreasureMark TrompeterLuke TrusdaleNika TsiklauriGiorgi TsivtsivadzeJoseph UnanaowoAnna VanBuskirkWilliam VanceElias VaoifiJohn ViewAlex VillalobosSydney VogelgesangRobert WaldMatthew WalkerSeth WalkerStephanie WaxmanSiler WehrmannBryn WhiteSamantha WhiteBrennan WhittFletcher WilsonAndrew WiseKevin WiseIan WisemanCalli WisemanThomas WolffBryce WolffRegan WoodKristin WoolumsConnor WorksChristopher YardleyHeather YatesWilliam YoungsGrant Zykan
School of Nursing and Health Studies
Halawe AbdiLexi AdamecYaretzy Aguirre CamachoHiba AlterjalliKeeley AtkinTami AyegboJudy BattsLindsey BekebredeOmamah BetrowRyhana BetrowMaqdas BhattiCaroline BrandtAlivia CalvertJadeyn CampbellAlex CarreonAnnabel ColonLydia CripeBrenna CroninJordan Cunningham-ContrerasMalath DaffaallahMackenzie DaltonKayla DansbyKelsey DavisRiley DeWittBrylee DierkingBree DowdyNouran ElhiweejAlyssa ElliottLyric EwingChris FadriHanna FarahzadTia FieldsFatima Fierros-EspinozaTonique FlemingToni FraizerJennifer FrisbeyEllyssa GallingerKatelyn GendronKorbyn GentryAnnabelle GettysSonya GomezKatelyn GoochSophia GranthamKinzie GuyAshley HannersZahra HassanHalle HeerenBritney HernandezCecelia HinesGlenne HinkleHawa IbrahimChinecherem IhenachoJohana Infante MaganaAbby IslandAnna JenningsSierra JohnsonLily JohnsonKayla JumpMaddy KennicuttKenzie KennicuttMeik KernsLogan KlingeleIndy KrohneAmber KwonKat LamannoMayson LaneRami LeRoyAspen LivengoodNatalia Lopez-RodriguezDanielle MakaraMichael MaloneyNallely MartinezJane MasseyTaylor MathewsRafia MehmoodSarah MelvinKarla Menjivar FrancoMaria MergenHannah MiddaughCierra MitchellEdgar MontoyaBrooke MuehlingCassandra MurreyNathan MuserBrianna MyersNatalie NguyenKristina NguyenTrang NguyenCrystal OdugweStailey OlmsteadMumtaza OsmanKimberly OstmannTaylor OswaldBrittany ParkerKelly Perea InestrozaKassandra PerezSarah PerreaOlivia PlattEmily PriceSydney RhodesNatalie RigdonJulia Rivera-BotkinSam RobinsonGray RobisonJeffrey RodriguezSydney RogersShannon RoseAbbey RowellSophy SaykallyKennedy SchritenthalEmma SinclairJocelyn SotoOlivia SoursRiley StehlikKarsyn StehlikElizabeth SteppAshley StonerMarzayna TagaloaSebastian TorresKrystal TowneJenny TranBethany VandenburgCooper VaroneMel VentersKadin VireCaden VoAlexis VoigtToree VroomanGrace WaldeierDaisy WanaswaBailee WestonBriona WoodsRegan Young
School of Pharmacy
Aya AbdullaCaitlin AhearnChaehyun AhnMark AllredHaley AndersonSafa AnsariBrooke AtchisonTaylor BarberSharon BaskaranMacy BerhorstEthan BillupsKeith BodenhamerKayla BondWeston BoswellKelen CaskeyAdam ChanliongcoIan CoffmanKatherine ComerKylie CowanMadison CrawfordMollie CuppAlyssa DavisMackenzie DavisHannah DeienCaleb DiehlZoe DobsonCassy DoeblerScott DuensingScott DuensingShania EarlyFaith ElfrinkMaddie EppleJacqueline EstesKassandra EstradaOwen FanMakenzie FletcherNatalie FrankKylie GeorgeJackson GibbsNate GiboneyRyan GibsonAmir GiurgiusJay GoldenJake GriebelClaire HainesSeth HammackDarra HarperDrew HedrickJoshua HendersonLauren HendrixMaddie HosickJohn HydeRyan JonesNav KaurJessica KentBen KissnerMaya KivistoClaire KollarsKatie KorahSophia KovalenkoAvery LakeMary LePiqueAshley LewisMegan MaettenBrandi MarkhamKamryn MartinShane McConnellLauren MeizlerSam MennerKyndall MillsCarson MohrJaci MoorePaige MuellerAyatt MusletPayton NeubauerJenny NguyenTam NguyenGabby NordhusBrooke NovakAlannah NowakHailey OeschCole ParkerAhmad PazhoohiCole PetershagenMalaina PitschKyler RademanGage RelfordAli RyalsCarter SadlerJoseph SalazarMaggie ShermanChris SimkinsPeyton StearmanThomas StewartMegan StewartMallory StollRachel SturdevantVictoria TaggartMegan TandyJessica ThomasGabriella ThornePeter TranTommy TranLucy TraskEmily TrinhDominick VittoneTrendon WatsonKatie WeberSamuel WesthovenWill WhiteClara WiedemanMyah WilsonAllison WinklerAddison WuebkerLauren YoungbloodJefferson ZhongJennifer Zulovich
School of Science and Engineering
Hashim AbdullaMary Abou JawdeAryan AhirHafsa AhmedKurtice AkinSadia AlamSaleh AlameeriAhmed AlbarwaniAmmar AlbeloushiKalkidan AlemayehuHanna AlemuSaid Al-FarsiAbdulrahman AlhammadiJafar Al-HassanRuba AliHamad AlkhameesMohammad AlmousawiMansour AlmutawaAlex AlonsoMeshal AlqahtaniAbdullah AlrasheediAli AlsaffarNadeen AlsalmanLina AlsalmanSabea AlshammariAli AlsulaimanBrandon Alvarez De La CruzDivenderjit Amarjit SinghCaijah AndersonEmma AngleNnenna AnikweNicolas AponteHalena Aquino-DunkinChristopher AranaJeremiah ArthurKali AughinbaughBenny AulnerKeeli AustinHasina AziziCarley BakerJosh BalinoDylan BallDrew BarcelonaRabeea BariKailynn BarntRoberto BarreraAbdalrahman BashirMason BassHanva BassembatTanu BassiJackson BauerLucy BeckenbachLuke BeckerAaron BeckmanAmanuel BekeleTrevor BellClay BelzAmgad BenkhadraSalma BensahriMauricio BernalLogan BeshearsEthan BessetteJesse BestAshlesha BhojaneGrady BiceMarie BiernackiAlex BiglerAzaan BilalMikenna BirdEmma BjornstadColton BlakleyTessa BlytheElizabeth BondHarshitha BonthuKate BoosmanKelsey BoucherAiman BoullaouzRyann BowmanWyatt BoydDylan BrollSharli BrownJasmine BrownBela BrowningBraunson BrownsbergerChamberlain BrownsbergerRiley BruceJulia BrunoJaden BruscatoZaina BsataLindsey BuehlerBk BurkaJessica BurkhartKate BurnesKaitie ButlerKyle ButlerCooper BuzbeeYuqing CaiJuan CalderonOlivia CarlsonAustin CassDonovan CastanedaJosh CastroNoah ChapmanPavneet CheemaXingyu ChenYumiko ChenCameron CiancioloJenna ClarkMichael ClaussMarissa ColmarRiley ConnorsBridgit ConwayKaleb CookCitlalinzi Cortes TorresKarina CoxTim CruzPrincess CullomKayla CusumanoMuzan DaffaallahMichael D'AgostinoMichael DahnEthan DangDavid DangGrace DangThu DaoAbdulaziz DarweeshCaitlyn DavisSafae DbaibiNicholas de RaadTim DeGraffenreidSheyda DehghaniSasha DellenbaughKopelyn DeLongNoah DevlinGaby Diaz LeguilluJohnny DiepKatreena DinhLydie DjibaKhoa DoAleigha DollensMika DonelsonAbigail DotyLogan DudleyRegan DunnVy DuongBrian DuongSilas DuvallVictoria DyeTessa EadsMason EarlyReed EasonBhavana EdigaRayaan EkilahGasim ElgasimMohamed ElgasimSeth ElliottMichael EnglertKatelyn ErceEuropa EstabrookMichael FamurewaMatt FeakerLauren FergusonAlexis Fields-MarksArfa FirozChristina ForbesTiana FordEthan FordJacob FordDavid ForsonLogan FortnerKylan FosterSymone FranksDylan FrazierConner FreeoufOlivia FritzNolan FroesePeyton FryWilliam GarayJosh GehrLogan GeorgeAlex GerkenAlex GhasemiGianna GiarraputoTaylor GilbertSirat GillAmber GillaniWalter GilliamMary GipsonKathleen GodornesSamantha GonzalesKaitlyn GoodeKyle GoodmanBrandon GouvionLance GrabmillerJackson GrantLeah GreenSam GriffinAnnabelle GriffinSeth GrishamElaina GurungTanyaa GurushankarNeha GuruswamyStephen HangeJosh HarraldBethany HartNathaniel HartmanAlina HasanRuweyda HassanMahmood HassanMason HawleyAlexis HeadDominic HeaterRoe HendricksDaniela HernandezDiana HernandezSelena HerreraRegina HoKevin HoTrenton HoeflickerIzzy HogelinKona HudsonTimothy HuffSpencer HughesAndy HumphreyRoman HunterCollin HunterJayden HunterDaniel HuynhAisha IbitoyeMohid IdreesMaisha IslamHiba IssawiLillie JacobsSteven JalinskyGuntas JammuJocelyn Jarquin GarciaMohammad JarradAJ JayasekarJudah JerlsSahithi JilakaraMark JohnsonGrayson JohnstonJacob JonasKevin JonesKate JonesMalayiah JonesJessica JosephJoan JoshyDaniel JumpTyler KaiserTyler KaminskiLillian KamlerAkshay KannanAlan KarnesDylan KarrDavid KeltnerZ KempSydney KennedyCharles KeysJack KeysRahhaf KhalilShree KhambekarAzim KhamisSean KhanFatima KhanEshal KhanHannah KhatiwadaZawni KhineWei Shen KhooSydney KingGabe KingdonAubry KleinsorgeMary KleneElijah KlineCarolyn KnappMadison KoesterAshok KothamasuElise KraenowGabriel KribbsKopal KumarMatthew KunkleMaddie KunzJack KurtzThao LamHarshmeet Kaur LambaJade LambertzAnthony LeAlicia LeDavid LeeGrace LeistCat LewinMary LewisBrett LewisJohn-Charles Lile-HenleyDevin LinMatt LindboeJordan LindererBishop LohmanMelanie Loma-JassoJoey LongMakayla LongEstrella LopezMichael LuAlex LyAbdullahi MaalimLisa MachGorata MackenzieBrady MaesFrancesca MakuchAtlas MallamsNiharika MallelaSavanah ManionWilson MaoEvan MarleyCorey MarrsYasamin MashayekhiAleena MazharChloe McAdamsJosh McAnerneyNatalie McCarthyEvan McDanielMike McDonoughNicholas MckenzieKayla McKnightJacob McQuerreyFinn MeggittHamza MehidiLynda MehouelMadison MeltonVanessa MenzAva MetcalfBryce MillerBrooks MillerMadyson MinkerSalman MirzaMadison MitchellVincent MitchellJaxen MitchellGenova MongaloKaylee Monroy RiverosEli MontgomeryMaddie MooreKatelyn MooreElizabeth MooreLeslie Moreno-PerezPeter MorganRaine MorriganKegan MorrowDenny MosbyXander MosleyAnthony MunizBree MurphyJames MyersShrihari NagarajanKyle NaluanShriya NandakumarEmily NatanovaBen NelsonTaylor NevezMinh NgoAmy NgoTiffany NgoTrang NgoToan NguyenDanny NguyenCadao NguyenEthan NguyenBrandon NguyenDuy NguyenChristine NguyenScott NguyenGretschen NicholBrendon NixonStaphany NunezShelby O'BanionBridget O'BrienDiamond OgunsijiMumiye Olatunde-SalawuSemire Olatunde-SalawuVictor OlatunjiCaden OllarIan O'NealDylan OrpinJoseph OrtizIsa Ortiz-AcostaZachary OsmanovicMekhi OwensGunner PaceSara PaceNicholas PageSui ParJasmine ParmarJazmin ParraCarmen Parrado LabradaCahaya PasekAna PastoraYagna PatelAarohi PatelPari PatelPearl PatelGarrett PazderaRyan PetersKendall PetersonSara PetropoulosWill PeverillSteven PhamHallee PhamJason PhanJahnavi PingaliCarter PittsHarshdeep PlahaAudrey PlunkettMisha PolaraOliver PowellAdam PowersEdgar PradoEden PradoIsabelle PrussWylie PutnamAlexis RamosBrielle RedingerAlexis ReedJackson RelfordEllayna RettingerAna Ribeiro TostaKaitlyn RichmondLuis RivasAlyssa RobersonKyndall RobinsonParker RobinsonAlexander RobinsonLanden RobyLuis RodriguezChris RodriguezTimothy RonoAly RubleAndrew RuffinSam SaflyAhmed SalousJeremy SanchezDori SandritterMorgan SansonePreston SantoSafal SapkotaSofia SarrisSamantha SaunsaucieShahab SayediGalen SchickRowan SchmidliGage SchneiderTirzah ScholtenEvan SchoorAvri SchultzCarson SchultzZain SchwartzSam ScottCatherine SegoviaAyush ShahMahnoor ShahidQuinten ShanksLee ShaverAnna ShawJacob ShipmanAlend ShkurElizabeth ShockleyCalvin ShuckWilliam SikorskiNiketa SinghGauravdeep SInghBrayden SingletonAbi SivaramanAtlas SizemoreClayton SlonikerSebastian SmithJacob SmithBrady SmithKatie SmithAlessandra SmithKeiAsia Smith-LoweryAdam SolimaniSurya SompalliRichard SorianoJose SosaJames SparksVinay SriramananeLily StedmanTom SteinmanPeter SternSavannah StewartJaydine StilesDylan SullinsChristian SuttonEd SzczukaStephanie TaHannah TaiAlex TangEmelin TapiaJordan TarantoMatthew TaylorAli TehraniLilli TeichmanA Chao ThaoMarcus ThimeschMya ThomasSam ThompsonBawi TialEmra TmusicLindsy ToddMichelle TranMichelle TranAnh Thu TranTaylor TrudellYen TruongAmy TsaiMadison TwiteLauren UkenaAaron UptonSailor UsherElisabeth VancercinNathan VanzeylHarry VasquezBhavya VattikondaHaley VaupellAndrew VelascoChris ViermannJulia VoPhuc VoKevin VoBrian VoBrianna VossHay WahAdam WaldrenJake WalkerKara WalkerGriffin WalshStephen WangNicholas WardChris WardNoah WatkinsAshton WeeksJayden WehrJacob WeidleJailyn WendtCara WenningerBrody WhalenKimora WhetstoneMeghan WhiteKai WhiteTori WilliamsIsaac WilliamsTomie WilliamsCole WilsonBraden WittIsaac WoodwardGabriel WorcesterGracie WrightZhen XiaoJada YanceySupra YedemSamuel YohannesEllie YuEmily YuAlice ZhaoPresley Ziegenbein
University College
Adelle BakerCollette BuschhornGrace ClarkRiley ColeKiran DeolAnthony EppelheimerAilyn GonzalezKenia HerreraAnevay MartzIrielle MccarrollCrystal NguyenCaleb NielsenMarissa PolkEll RayCarson RocheAshley RosalesAnthony RuizIsaac ScottJade SotoLaurel SutterBrant WilsonIf a student’s name does not appear on the list, please direct questions to the appropriate school or college.
Jul 11, 2024
Savannah Jenkins is seeking doctoral and master's degrees simultaneously
At UMKC, students write their own stories, form their own definitions of success and chart innovative career paths. Savannah Jenkins, a St. Louis native, came to UMKC to become a pharmacist and found community, leadership opportunities and a program with unwavering commitment to student success.
Savannah JenkinsHometown: St. Louis, MissouriGraduating Year: 2025Degree Program: Pharm.D. and MBAUndergrad: St. Charles Community College, UMSL
Why did you choose UMKC?
I chose UMKC for several reasons. My fiancé got accepted into the dental school right across the street. I also felt like the School of Pharmacy program’s values aligned with mine with their community outreach, their emphasis on professionalism and innovation. The community I saw in my interview reeled me in. Our professors care about each of us, and there is a lot to get involved with!
Why did you choose pharmacy?
I used to play doctor with my mom as a kid, so I knew I wanted to do health care, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. My dad has a pharmacist friend, and initially I thought pharmacy was just standing behind the counter and looking at pills all day. I didn’t realize that there were a ton of job avenues within pharmacy. That flexibility and the different opportunities within pharmacy really spoke to me.
Do you know what avenue you want to take within pharmacy?
There are so many that it’s hard for me to try and narrow them down, but I think I’ve got it down to two. Ambulatory care or industry work in sales, research or development. I’m also getting my MBA with my Pharm.D. through the Henry W. Bloch School of Management. UMKC offers that unique opportunity to their pharmacy students, which is great. I take my MBA classes online so I’ll graduate with both degrees at the same time. The MBA will give me more opportunities within pharmacy down the line.
What has been inspiring to you about pharmacy?
I’ve been inspired through my peers and seeing their own experiences in pharmacy. Also, when you go through your rotations and get the chance to apply what you’re learning in the classroom out in the real world and interact with patients, you see that what you’re learning will impact people as a pharmacist. I can look down the road and say, ‘that is going to be me someday!’
What have you learned about yourself at UMKC?
Time management. Planning and initiating good time management practices into my daily routine has been important. I try to have three big goals for each day. I have a couple of school goals and one personal goal.
Who at UMKC do you admire most?
One of my best friends in my program is a single mom who is balancing motherhood with schoolwork and several different jobs. She’s doing all this pharmacy work and has four kids to take care of. At the end of a long day, when I’m tired, I know that if she can do it, so can I. She’s really a rock star.
What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
Last year, I was on the executive board of APHA (American Public Health Association). This year, I’m the president of PHL, or Public Health Organization. I also do research with Our Healthy Jackson County . I get to go out into the community at least twice a month and work with my peers in dental, nursing and medical school. As pharmacy students specifically, we provide free vaccinations and mental health screenings. We are able to refer a patient to additional resources if their screening shows that they need additional mental health support. I feel like I’m really making a difference.
What do you hope to take from your experiences at UMKC into your professional career?
The professionalism that UMKC instills in their students. They set us up well to communicate effectively with patients and other health-care providers, and they help establish confidence. Confidence, communication, professionalism and problem-solving are all skills I hope to take with me.
What is one word that best describes you?
Persistent. I had to be persistent about wanting to get where I am. I did community college and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do yet. Then, I got my B.S. and knew I wanted to go into health care, but it was between dentistry and pharmacy. Then I took a gap year and was really working on making myself competitive. I finally made it here, and persistence was the key. At any point, I could have said, “this is a lot of school and I think I’m done.”
Most used social media channel?
Pinterest. It feels much more relaxing than other social media platforms.
What’s your favorite place to eat in Kansas City?
Brickhouse
Where’s your favorite spot to hang out in Kansas City?
I don’t get to hang out a lot but when I do go out, I like the Power and Light District. I spend most of my time at home or at school studying. I also like all the different cafes in Kansas City.
How is Kansas City different than St. Louis?
It's my first time getting a real feel for downtown city life. There's so much to do just a few minutes away, whether it's catching a game, hitting up some cool bars or exploring local parks. Back home is great too, but it's really nice to switch things up and enjoy the new scenery here. Every day brings something new and exciting!
Jul 11, 2024
Partnership includes $10,000 scholarship award per student
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Henry W. Bloch School of Management is partnering with five top Kansas City banks to announce a new scholarship program. Banking Leaders of Tomorrow is designed to inspire future professionals to make a difference in their communities as leaders in the banking and finance industries.
Available to incoming students from Missouri or Kansas, this scholarship totals $10,000 over four years for incoming freshmen who express interest in pursuing careers in banking and finance. To provide continued support during their education, accepted students will also receive both academic and professional mentoring as well as networking opportunities.
This scholarship is made possible through generous support and close partnerships with area banks who have committed to supporting students in and out of the traditional classroom through lectures, site visits and panel discussions. They have also committed to providing internship opportunities, ensuring real-world experience throughout these students' time at UMKC.
Academy Bank
Arvest Foundation
Commerce Bank
Lead Bank
UMB Bank
“Banking Leaders of Tomorrow is much more than a scholarship and we could not launch this program without great partners,” said Jocelyn Evans, associate dean of the Bloch School. “These banks are not only committing their time here on campus, but they are also providing important opportunities for our students to explore their future in banking and finance.”
Scholarships will be awarded based upon a student’s essay describing their interest in a financial services career and how their experiences have prepared them to engage in banking relationships with individuals and businesses in low- and moderate-income areas in the Kansas City metropolitan area where many residents do not have traditional banking relationships.
“The Bloch School is committed to educating students who will improve the communities where they will one day live,” said Bloch School Dean Brian Klaas. “Banking Leaders of Tomorrow furthers that commitment, and we’re grateful to our partner banks for making this possible.”
Jul 10, 2024
One of 17 schools in the nation to receive the inaugural award
The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy recognizes pharmacy programs committed to providing community pharmacy services in a transformational way and has designated the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy a Community Pharmacy Center of Excellence.
The designation recognizes the significant commitment the school has made to advancement in teaching, service, scholarship, leadership and partnerships. The school is one of 17 schools to receive the award.
Faculty members Kendall Guthrie (Pharm.D. ‘13), Sarah Oprinovich, Pharm.D., and Heather Lyons-Burney (Pharm.D. ‘94), applied for the award, with help from Mark Sawkin, Pharm.D., Mark Patterson, Ph.D., M.P.H. and Yifei Liu, Ph.D.
Alongside the other schools, the UMKC School of Pharmacy will serve as an ambassador for the discipline, and will have unique opportunities to share its knowledge and help other programs develop community-oriented care.
“We will be used as a model for other institutions that would like to incorporate more community pharmacy education into their curriculum,” Oprinovich said. “We will also be in closer contact with other Centers of Excellence, so we can all share practices that will improve our students’ readiness for practicing in contemporary community .”
Dean Russ Melchert, Ph.D., noted the accomplishment’s importance.
“We are very excited and honored to receive the prestigious Center of Excellence designation by AACP for our faculty’s innovative work in advancing community pharmacy practice,” Melchert said. “Pharmacists have been among the most accessible health-care providers, with estimates suggesting that over 90% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a community pharmacy. We are happy to be recognized nationally as a school with expertise in producing outstanding, innovative and entrepreneurial community pharmacy practitioners."
As a Center of Excellence, the UMKC School of Pharmacy now sets its sights on advancing community pharmacy practice for everyone, and on continued training of the caregivers of tomorrow.
According to Oprinovich, many people realize that their community pharmacy is where they can get vaccines, testing for minor acute illnesses, monitor blood pressure and more.
“We have multiple faculty who are given the time and space to serve professional organizations, innovate, and research,” Oprinovich said. “Our experiential education leaders also place high value on training students to be well-prepared for the rapid change that is happening in community pharmacy today.”
The School of Pharmacy will hold this designation for the next five years, after which it will be invited to reapply.
Jul 09, 2024
New center provides opportunities to use multimodal data to solve community problems and develop a critical workforce in Missouri and Midwest.
Shu-Ching Chen, Ph.D., has always known big data would be the wave of the future.
Chen is the inaugural executive director of the Data Science and Analytics Innovation Center (dSAIC) at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a position he took to continue his research into multimodal big data analytics. By harnessing immense datasets to extract insights, patterns and knowledge, dSAIC provides the foundation for transformational research.
Multimodal big data analytics combines techniques from artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics and more to analyze data from different sources and apply them to solve fundamental and real-world problems.
“Companies need to analyze data to benefit business,” Chen said. “If you don’t take advantage, you fall behind.”
At dSAIC, Chen and his team are working to create tools to help students, companies and stakeholders seamlessly bring together different kinds of data points as quickly as possible to allow for easier analysis and integration.
During his 21 years at Florida International University in Miami, Chen’s research into multimodal big data analytics earned funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Homeland Security, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, Army Research Office, Naval Research Laboratory, Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Florida Department of Transportation, IBM and Microsoft.
His research was also used to help emergency management in several aspects of post-hurricane recovery efforts, like insurance approvals and damage analysis. Chen plans to continue that work in Kansas City, collaborating with emergency management in other natural disaster- related recoveries, as well as continue to develop tools that can make an impact in all industries and communities across the state.
"Companies need to analyze data to benefit business. If you don’t take advantage, you fall behind."
— Shu-Ching Chen, Ph.D.
Now, with Chen as the leader of dSAIC, the center will support university research across Missouri and will play a critical role in workforce development across Kansas City and the region. He also hopes to continue developing models and projects that can be easily recognized by the general public.
In his short time as executive director, the center has been awarded grants, including from the U.S. Department of Education Center of Excellence in Spatial Computing, bringing in more than $1 million in funding.
In Chen’s eyes, dSAIC has the potential to be a prestigious hub for multimodal data science due to Kansas City’s continued growth and potential. He hopes to bring together stakeholders and community leaders to identify the need, identify potential projects and identify the impact, helping make it the best data science center in the country.
Kansas City’s central location, growing potential and opportunities make it an ideal place for students to learn and apply multimodal research into the community, as well as making an impact on surrounding states in the region.
Chen sees the center as a place where graduates will learn the necessary skills and stand out when applying for jobs in the Kansas City area, the region, across the country and around the world.
In an industry where technology is evolving quickly, the center will allow students to develop the skills necessary to keep up with the challenges and changes. The Data Science and Analytics Innovation Center will also be a place for alumni to return to campus and share experience from real-world applications, giving students a unique learning experience.
But it doesn’t stop at data science. Chen believes students from all disciplines and academic units can benefit from studying multimodal data analytics at dSAIC and meet the demand for high-quality employees from top companies.
Data is at the heart of artificial intelligence and machine learning, like the popular ChatGPT, which has seen several applications that go beyond simple search inquiries. With a center like the dSAIC, Chen sees possibilities at the forefront of the next generation of data science technologies.
Jul 02, 2024
UMKC students’ work will be featured on the iconic Crown Vision screen at Kauffman Stadium
Students studying journalism and film and media arts got a grand slam of an opportunity with Pine Tar Collective, the in-house marketing agency for the Kansas City Royals.
The collaborative effort led to a promotional commercial for the University of Missouri-Kansas City partnership with the Royals on Kauffman Stadium Crown Vision, the almost 9,000-square-foot screen above the outfield.
“It was an extraordinarily unique opportunity to have a chance to go out to Kauffman Stadium and really experience what life at The K is all about,” said Steve Kraske, teaching professor of journalism. “To work with professionals who really know what they're doing, have a very clear idea of how to film this project and get it in the can. It was a great experience for our students to have that opportunity.”
Cristian Martinez, a journalism and film and media arts major, was one student who saw the whole project from concept to screen.
“To work with the Royals on this project was amazing,” Martinez said. “It felt like a dream come true. UMKC, whether it be equipment or the professors themselves, has really prepared us for this moment to be on a set with the Royals. It made us felt comfortable. It made us feel like that we were able to really translate what was what we learned in the classroom to a professional set.”
Students got the MVP tour of Kauffman and Pine Tar workspaces. They met again later where the students were able to pitch concepts to the production team and finalize a plan. After two days of shooting, where students got to be hands-on behind and in front of the camera, Pine Tar edited the final video that premiered at UMKC Night at The K. It will air during every Friday home game of the remaining Royals season.
“All of us we were able to attend and watch our commercial up there,” Martinez said. “The Royals showed us on Crown Vision, which is crazy because I always wanted to be up there. They showcased all of us and it was awesome.”
The prime location and partnerships of UMKC allow for these amazing opportunities that students get to advance their career before they even enter the workforce.
“I think coming to KC, this is what it's all about,” Martinez said. “I think some people like to tell themselves, ‘I want to go to Chicago. I want to go to New York. I want to go to LA,’ when in reality, Kansas City is the place to be. You get so many opportunities, like the chance to work hands-on early in your dream career.”
Jun 28, 2024
Award recognizes University of Missouri System students for character and collaborative spirit
Rithika Ginjupalli, a six-year B.A./M.D. student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, has made her mark at the intersection of medicine and public health.
Ginjupalli, originally from India and raised in Colorado, found her love for orthopedic surgery and community public health at UMKC.
Ginjupalli was honored on June 27 at the University of Missouri Board of Curators meeting as this year’s UMKC recipient of the Remington R. Williams Award, which celebrates the life and legacy of late UMKC alumnus Remington Williams (J.D. ’22), who died in a car crash in 2022.
In UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal’s nomination letter, he wrote: “Rithika consistently demonstrates integrity, respect, compassion and empathy in all her interactions. Beyond her academic achievements, she works collaboratively to build and foster environments of empathy and inclusion wherever she goes.”
As a medical student, Ginjupalli has noticed a lack of crossover opportunities for two of her biggest interests: public health and medicine. In addition to her academic duties, she has leaned into public health organizations as much as her schedule allows. With involvement in organizations such as the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society, she works to effect systematic changes in public health from a medical perspective. She is currently the American Cancer Society’s congressional district lead, collaborating with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver to develop policies.
She also is heavily involved with medical research projects that focus on improving health outcomes through community-based participatory research.
“Each community is different, and that is part of the challenge when approaching systemic issues,” she said. “Community-based participatory research lets you tailor the interventions to each specific community rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.”
In this work, Ginjupalli found her niche in projects that aim to increase health literacy.
“There’s a big gap in health literacy for patients and for a lot of the community members we were seeing,” she said. “It’s an issue that’s everywhere.”
“Rithika has created opportunities for her fellow classmates to learn and participate in these advocacy spaces,” said UMKC Associate Professor Trung Pham, M.D., in his nomination letter for Ginjupalli. “Rithika is an exceptional and diligent student, consistently demonstrating her commitment to academic excellence.”
In 2023 alone, Ginjupalli was given the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award by the Association of Women Surgeons and Association of Out Surgeons and Allies, the Community Champion Award and the Award for Excellence in Diversity and Health Equity and the Ida Bamberger Memorial Research Award by the UMKC School of Medicine.
Her celebrated achievements haven’t stopped her from dreaming up more ways to make an even bigger impact. Receiving the Remington R. Williams Award is “just a sign that I’m doing something right and to continue what I’m doing,” she said. “We don’t do this work for the recognition of it. But recognizing public health work is important because it motivates others to enter this space too.”
Next up for Ginjupalli is a temporary move to Baltimore, Maryland. She will spend the next year at Johns Hopkins, earning an accelerated Master of Public Health degree before her sixth and final year at UMKC in 2025.
The Remington R. Williams Award is the highest non-academic honor that a student can receive from the Board of Curators. In addition to being a UMKC alumnus, Williams was the student representative to the University of Missouri Board of Curators (2020-2022), and this award is given to students who embody his legacy of high academic achievement, natural leadership and exceptional care to others.
Recipients are selected annually and will receive a leadership medal to wear at commencement, a $1,000 award and an invitation to be recognized at a Board of Curators meeting.
Jun 27, 2024
Genesis Ventura Amaro is on track to become an educator who changes lives
Recent University of Missouri-Kansas City alumna Genesis Ventura Amaro is an Institute for Urban Education (IUE) scholar who is committed to teaching at historically underserved schools. She received the Milken Teacher Leader of Tomorrow Award before she graduated, making her one out of only 13 recipients in Missouri.
The Milken Teacher Leader of Tomorrow Award is a recent establishment from the Missouri branch of the Milken Educator Awards program to celebrate and encourage pre-service teachers enrolled in Missouri’s public Educator Preparation Programs. This year, one Kansas City area student teacher had the honor of receiving this award.
Amaro decided to become an educator after she immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic six years ago. Amaro attended UMKC to study early childhood education and was an IUE scholar. This means that Amaro received additional training focused on teaching in urban schools and received a scholarship to support her while becoming a teacher; as an IUE scholar Amaro is committed to teaching in Kansas City’s urban schools for four years after graduation. “I loved being a Roo and I am sad that my time at UMKC is over,” she said. “I really valued how much people wanted me to succeed at UMKC. Being a part of the IUE has allowed me to bring in a different, more responsive perspective to the spaces I find myself in. Discussions with my peers, the school I teach at in urban KC and even anybody who would let me talk about the importance of culturally responsive teaching and restorative practices. All of this I have learned through the IUE seminars.”
Amaro’s professor and mentor Jennifer Fergerson nominated her for the Milken Teacher Leader of Tomorrow Award. “Gen has been a really strong student teacher and has thrived as an educator since she began,” Fergerson said. “She truly embodies what an educator is, and it shows in the classroom. It’s really easy to forget that she is student teaching, since she develops skills so quickly and teaches as someone with much more experience than she actually has.” It was no surprise to Fergerson when Amaro was named as a recipient. “I was really proud of her when she won,” Fergerson said. “Especially because right before I found out, Gen was having a conversation with me about how much she loves what she does. It was just so fitting. She truly deserves this recognition.” However, it was a big surprise to Amaro since she didn’t even know she was nominated. “I feel so honored to be a recipient of the award,” Amaro said. “As a student teacher, my focus has always been on what I could do better, so noticing what I am doing well can be challenging at times. It is very rewarding to know that my hard work is being noticed and acknowledged by others as well.”
Amaro completed her student teaching as part of a year-long internship at the Academy for Integrated Arts charter school (AFIA), which is also where she was presented with the surprise award.The Milken Teacher Leader of Tomorrow Award recipients not only get an exclusive network of highly regarded fellow educators, but will also be actively supported during their first year in the classroom. Each recipient will be paired with a seasoned Milken Educator, who is an experienced teacher, as a mentor. The mentor will provide a safe space for the new educator to ask questions, share ideas and gain guidance. “I’m inspired to become a teacher that students can relate to and connect deeply with,” Amaro said. “Even if I can’t change the teaching world, I can change the lives of individual children. I know how important early childhood is, and I am thankful to be blessed with the opportunity of being trusted with so many little minds and hearts to take care of.”
Jun 18, 2024
Kayla Tottress has a calling to help children love learning
For most teachers, their classrooms look much the same, desks, white boards and colorful posters. But for Kayla Tottress, the classroom sometimes looks quite different, a turf-and-dirt kind of different.
The junior in elementary education is part of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Urban Education (IUE), which trains culturally responsive teachers who receive scholarships in exchange for committing to teach in Kansas City-area districts. Among the IUE’s many partners are Major League Baseball and the Kansas City Royals. Together, they team up to help kids in Kansas City enjoy reading and learn a love of the game through the MLB Urban Youth Academy.
“What a great way for our students to get involved in their community because we have a team, the Royals, so not only are they getting to learn about baseball and teamwork, but they have a fun outlet, a place to go while also encouraging them to do well in school,” Tottress said.UMKC students work with local elementary students throughout the year, helping them strengthen their reading skills at “Power Hour” tutoring sessions. At the end of the semester, students get to have a baseball trivia night. The game requires students to read and answer trivia questions to earn their chance to hit the ball. After they get a hit, the game proceeds like regular baseball.
Though it may seem like fun and games, Tottress said it’s important for students.“I think it's very important that students don't get used to just the tedious, mundane task of everyday learning,” she said. “If we can get them to learn and have fun at the same time, we feel like we're doing a good job as educators.”Major-league partnerships aren’t the only experiences Tottress has had in the classroom. She has also participated in Lead to Read, an initiative to read with students. And she’s been a student teacher at Trailwoods Elementary, part of Kansas City Public Schools, also a UMKC partner. Tottress said being in a classroom, having unique teaching and learning experiences and learning from teachers who have different teaching styles have inspired her to think of how she can bring her own style into the classroom.“One of the advantages of being in a city like Kansas City is that I get to see all different types of people that come from all different walks of life,” Tottress said. “I wouldn’t want to teach anywhere else.”Whether it’s teaching in the classroom, tutoring or leading baseball trivia, for Tottress it’s all about connection. In fact, she says that’s why she chose UMKC. From the moment she inquired at UMKC, Tottress said faculty were responsive to her questions and dedicated to ensuring she was supported. “I really sensed that someone wanted me in their program,” Tottress said. “I love that personal aspect and connection of being connected to a college. I hadn't even said yes yet, and they were already setting things up, saying, ‘We want you to be here.’”
Jun 18, 2024
Five new details about the Foodiverse
Construction is underway on new campus dining options at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In his State of the University address, Chancellor Mauli Agrawal offered a sneak peek of the UMKC Foodiverse.
“This is an exciting addition for our students, our employees on campus and the Kansas City community,” said Jody Jeffries, director of the Student Union. “This will elevate our dining experience at UMKC.”
What is the Foodiverse?
The Foodiverse will be a food-parlor environment on the first floor of the Student Union. There will be eight food concepts, including the full-service Starbucks on the east and a full-service Chick-fil-A that will replace the Chick-fil-A Express on the west. The other six food stalls include:
An isolated allergen-free zone
Pizza and pasta
Deli
Salad bar
Grill
Home-style meals
Additionally, more modern furnishings will be added to both interior and exteriors space at Student Union.
Why is the Foodiverse being created?
The Foodiverse will be closer to UMKC residence halls and centrally located on campus. It also will be short distance from the KC Streetcar stop that is expected to run to and from the UMKC Volker Campus next year.
What is the construction timeline, and will the dining hall remain open at Atterbury?
The construction at Student Union recently started with clearing space, and is expected to be completed in January 2025 for the spring semester. Meanwhile, the dining hall at Atterbury will remain open. When the Foodiverse opens, Atterbury dining services will be closed for renovations to create a new expanded student welcome center at Atterbury.
Will any dining options remain open at Student Union?
Yes, the full-service Starbucks will maintain its normal business operations during construction.
How will meal plans work for students and for the community?
Meal plan holders will engage with the area by visiting one of the six Foodiverse options to compile a full meal from the specific station, and then will be afforded second helpings from any one of the six options during the same meal period. Plan holders will have Meal Exchanges and Flex Dollars associated with their accounts to allow for full retail purchasing at Starbucks and Chick-fil-A. This will be managed through point-of-sale technology.
Jun 17, 2024
Using AI in teaching and research is just the beginning
Kansas City’s research university is known for being innovative and future-forward. As artificial intelligence engrains itself into our everyday lives, many faculty have been on the leading edge of using this technology in the classroom and in their respective fields. Here’s what professors campuswide are doing to keep up with AI.
School of Science and Engineering
ZhiQiang Chen, Ph.D. is one of the founding chair members of a new American Society of Civil Engineers national committee looking at AI in the classroom. The committee is working to answer the global pressing needs of adopting generative AI into civil engineering classrooms.
In Fall 2023, he developed the first civil engineering AI course offered at UMKC titled “Intro to AI for Natural and Built Environment Applications.”
School of Medicine
Sara Gardner (B.L.A. ’01, M.D. ‘02) is looking at how to incorporate appropriate use of AI in patient care and education.
“Clinically, as our faculty and institutions have adapted and learned more, we understand the utility of AI to recognize small, incremental changes in our patients that could lead to better treatment strategies that ultimately improve patient outcomes,” Gardner said. “Our graduates will likely encounter this technology very early in their post-graduate training, so we are looking for opportunities for them to be exposed to, and learn to respond to, this data on clinical clerkships. Our students also need to understand and become adept at querying these databases, whether that is generating clinical documentation to a complex interpretation of test results specific to the personal characteristics of your patient, to better understand how to interpret these results for their individual patients.”
School of Nursing and Health Studies
Jim Spence (B.A. ’95, M.P.A. ’02, B.S.N. ‘09) interim associate dean for academic affairs, has presented at nursing conferences on AI in nursing education.
Spence is also encouraging both faculty and students to utilize AI in the classroom, whether that is for developing test questions or patient case studies. For patient case studies, AI is able to generate details of the patient’s social history such as name, gender, age, occupation and physical history from lab tests such as neurological assessments and cardiac testing.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Antonio Byrd, Ph.D., serves on the Modern Language Association and Conference on College Composition and Communication Joint Task on Artificial Intelligence and Writing, a national task force that discusses humanities interventions in AI and higher education. One such example is creating guidelines for AI policies to honor students' linguist diversity and autonomy.
School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences
Jake Marszalek, Ph.D., interim associate dean and professor of psychology, is investigating the potential outcomes of using AI for learning and education.
Marszalek is a co-investigator on a multidisciplinary grant from Unanimous AI to investigate educational outcomes for a software that enables peer-to-peer collaboration while protecting data privacy and security.
Henry W. Bloch School of Management
Larry Wigger, Ph.D., is currently exploring humanity’s role in increasingly automated workplaces due to AI. With AI automation threatening to displace the lowest-skilled workers, given their predominantly routine tasks, tomorrow’s workforce needs a better way to gain the critical experience to manage and lead. Wigger’s research focuses on how future workers should be equipped with critical thinking skills to employ AI ethically, minimizing negative effects.
School of Law
School of Law professor Ryan Copus, J.D., encourages students to use large language models when writing papers, exploring ideas or completing any other assignments. Copus teaches a course titled “Data, Decisions and Justice,” where he introduces the idea of technically and ethically responsible ways to apply the power of AI to regulate legal decision-making. In this course, students get to code and build their own machine learning model as well as engage in AI research literature.
Jun 17, 2024
Flexibility and drive allow student to forge professional connections for a greater purpose
At UMKC, students write their own stories, form their own definitions of success and chart innovative career paths. Emmanuel is turning dreams into reality by creating connections in political science and Spanish degree programs and participating in organizations including the Association of Latin American Students and Multicultural Student Affairs.
Emmanuel Fabian Anticipated graduation: 2026 UMKC degree program: Political science and Spanish Hometown: Clarksville, Arkansas
Emmanuel Fabian came to UMKC and found his passions. While studying to be a filmmaker, he discovered his true career goal was to help immigrants in the United States. He changed his major to support that goal but still finds time to hone his art and make connections throughout the university and beyond.
Why did you choose UMKC?
I have a desire for filmmaking, and that wasn't really something that was offered anywhere near me in Arkansas. So, I came to Kansas City. Now that I'm here, I've also learned that I have other interests, and some really dominate. I've been wanting to work with immigrants; see if I can help them out. That’s why I changed my major, even though I am still making films.
How has your college program inspired you?
I try to really get involved, and not just at the university, in Kansas City. I’ve found that it's been very beneficial. I've met a lot of great people.
Who do you most admire?
The people I admire most at this school are all the people that I collaborate with. Some in the Association of Latin American Students, some have been in the Multicultural Student Affairs Office. Some are in the world and languages departments. It's many down-to-earth, great people. They’ve assisted me in so many different ways with my academic career.
Do you have any leadership positions here on campus?
I serve as a public relations officer for the association of Latin American students.. It's beneficial to me. I've been able to meet a lot of great people over there. It’s awesome to talk to everyone, and it helps me balance my schoolwork.
What word best describes you?
Indecisive. That’s something I’ve learned about myself, coming to school here. I've also learned that it just means that I'm interested in many things. Career-wise, it's let me really narrow down my decision on what I want to do in life: helping immigrants.
Jun 13, 2024
Meet the UMKC alumnus as he takes on a new role
Alexander Norbash (B.A./M.D. '86) has returned to his alma mater as the dean of the School of Medicine.
Previously, he served as the chair and professor of radiology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, where he continued to hone his extensive background in research and health-care collaboration.
Norbash joins the school at a pivotal time, with a $120 million Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building breaking ground later this year and a new $14.5 million medical education building under construction on the St. Joseph, Missouri, campus. He joined the school as dean in March.
What inspired your career in medicine?
My father was a surgeon and the town physician in Platte City, Missouri, for many years. His practice was actually a family business. My mother was the office manager. My little brother and I did odd jobs and filing. This was many years ago before electronic medical records. We saw the patients enter the office with numerous ailments and symptoms, many clearly worried, some visibly with discomfort or pain and others with some level of reluctance. Inevitably, many — if not most — left with a sense of relief and gratitude. This left an impression on us that the work was serious and meaningful. Being a physician’s son also means I heard about the frustrations and limitations of health-care delivery, so I felt that I had a balanced impression of the career. In the end, any frustrations or limitation of the career were offset by the gratitude the practitioner felt for the privilege of alleviating pain and suffering in a fellow human being. Later, when it came time to decide on colleges and a career, the final choice was clear.
Talk about a fond UMKC School of Medicine memory.
My classmates were remarkable. They were brilliant and gifted and energetic, always testing the limits of what we could or should do. For a period of time, we believed that our teachers and professors knew us by the moniker, “that terrible class.” We were always testing the limits of rules, rather than following them. Which I suppose is what you expect with individuals who are adventurous, creative, innovative and want to do things “better.” The respective rules might just go out the window in certain instances.
When I was a student, the units were all alive and buzzing with activity. Students were everywhere, and you could hear laughter and happy conversations in all the halls. We had a full-sized pool table on the fifth floor, and on any given evening, six or seven of us would congregate around the pool table watching our classmates winning and losing. (We) talked about politics, religion, what we were doing and planned on doing and all that lay ahead of us in that long and barely visible road we called the future.
What are your goals for the School of Medicine as dean?
I want to have the best and happiest medical school possible. I want the students to be exceptionally kind, brilliant clinicians, completely satisfied and pleasantly surprised by their experience. I want the faculty and staff to be fulfilled and contributing to a community of innovation and experimentation. I want the community – including Kansas City and our adjoining states – to appreciate this amazing gem for what it is, and what it will become.
You are well-versed in the importance of medicine in rural communities, which is the focus of our St. Joseph campus. What is your vision for that program as it grows?
I had a remarkable rural medicine elective experience i