Held on the Third Thursday of each month at 3:00 p.m. (3Tr@3), this Research Speaker Series is designed to acknowledge the achievements of UMKC’s faculty researchers and grant recipients.
Distinguished guest faculty members present their ongoing research or projects to UMKC colleagues, students, and fellow researchers. These sessions occur via Zoom, in-person, or through a hybrid format in September, October, November, February, March, and April.
During the 2022-2023 launch of 3Tr@3, a total of 184 faculty, staff, students, and researchers attended the six monthly events.
Email Shannon Wheeler with any questions.
Alexis Petri, EdD, is an educational leader passionate about social justice, inclusion, access, and public policy. Alexis has extensive experience with transitioning to college and careers for non-traditional students and taking leadership roles in building and directing university-wide high-impact learning programs and the campus-community partnerships that are their foundation. Alexis directs the Office of Research Development and is the pillar lead of Research and Creativity at the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE). Alexis is an experienced researcher who has participated in over thirty funded projects from federal, state, and local sponsors. Dr. Petri is also an associate research professor in the School of Education, Social Work, and Psychological Sciences.
The phrase, measure what matters, synthesizes her scholarly work, which foceses on systemic change in educational settings... big lift, pin-cushion-effect change. These efforts require modeling and data: modeling to see the system and data to see the change. Systems are wild spaces that persist, often untended and unintentional. When we do not intervene, systems can harbor structural inequality and pose barriers to individuals trying to work through the system.
This presentation will focus on systemic and structural challenges for college students identifying as neurodiverse or having a disability. Dr. Petri will present national data and promising practices - here at UMKC and nationally.
Register here for 3Tr@3 on September 21, 2023 with Dr. Petri
Dr. Amanda Grimes, a distinguished Assistant Professor in the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies’ Health Science program, is a prominent figure in the health sciences field. Her research delves into the intricate interplay between physical activity, health outcomes, and social influences across demographics. Guided by ecological models, her work explores the multifaceted factors affecting physical activity behaviors. She is particularly dedicated to community-based interventions targeting obesity and chronic diseases through physical activity and nutrition initiatives.
Dr. Joey Lightner, Assistant Professor and Program Director of the B.S. in Public Health, is equally notable. His research centers on enhancing physical activity across diverse populations by analyzing the impact of social relationships. With expertise spanning capacity building, active transportation, LGBT health, and equity, he has gained recognition as a national presenter.
Collaboratively, Drs. Grimes and Lightner have undertaken five joint projects. Among these, they will present their multicomponent Center for Disease Control (CDC) project titled “Impacts of City-Wide Zero-Fare Bus Transit on Ridership, Physical Activity, Health Determinants, and Diabetes-Related Health Outcomes: A Natural Experiment.”
Register here for 3Tr@3 on November 16, 2023 with Dr.'s Grimes and Lightner.
With a strong academic career ambition since undergrad, Dr. Ganesh Thiagarajan earned a Master's and Ph.D. in Civil/Structural Engineering/Applied Mechanics. Prior to their doctorate, practical experience in structural engineering enriched their background. After a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, they worked as a post-doctoral research scientist at LSU and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Since 2002, Dr. Thiagarajan has been a UMKC faculty member, specializing in mechanics, structural analysis, and design. Their research spans Structural Engineering, exploring blast, seismic behavior, and bridge structures, and Bone Biomechanics, employing simulations for bone mechanotransduction and dental structures.
Register here for 3Tr@3 on February 15, 2024with Dr. Thiagarajan.
Dr. Viviana Grieco is a specialist in the history of Spanish America from the 16th to early 19th centuries, focusing on the political economy and culture of 18th-century Rio de la Plata. Currently engaged in Digital Humanities, she is developing software for managing and analyzing Spanish-American notary records. Alongside this, she is working on a new book titled "Conflict and Voice," exploring the history of emotions. Her first monograph, "The Politics of Giving in the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata," was translated into Spanish, and she co-edited "The Río de la Plata from Colony to Nations." Funded by institutions like NEH and NSF, she has presented research internationally and given keynote addresses.
Dr. Grieco, born in Buenos Aires, holds degrees from Universidad de Buenos Aires and Emory University, and has held teaching positions in both institutions. She has also chaired UMKC's Faculty Senate and is involved in the Center for Digital and Public Humanities. Dr. Viviana Grieco will share her current international research.
Register here for 3Tr@3 on March 21, 2024 with Dr. Grieco.
Dr. Mutti-Burke, chair of the History Department, is a historian of the American South and the Civil War, focusing on slavery, women, and the Missouri/Kansas border region. She teaches various 19th-century American history courses, co-directs a summer study abroad program in Ireland, and is Director of UMKC’s Center for Midwestern Studies. Her acclaimed book "On Slavery’s Border" analyzes Missouri's unique slavery dynamics. She's co-edited scholarly collections and works on projects about Civil War refugees and regional history. Dr. Mutti Burke is dedicated to public engagement, directing NEH workshops for teachers, collaborating on a statewide digital exhibit for Missouri's bicentennial, and advising cultural institutions.
Recently, she was awarded a NEH grant for her research, Wide-Open Town: Kansas City in the Jazz Age and Great Depression. She will lead a two-week workshop focused on the "Golden Age" of the 1920s and 1930s in Kansas City for K-12 teachers and museum educators in the KC Metro. Recognized with awards, she's a leading voice in regional history scholarship.
Register here for 3Tr@3 on March 21, 2024 with Dr. Mutti Burke.