Pharmacy dean quoted in Kansas City Business Journal
“Balls Food Stores have provided cutting-edge clinical education, engaging our students in critical medication therapy management and health and wellness services in highly accessible community settings,” UMKC School of Pharmacy Dean Russell Melchert said in the article.
Dec 28, 2018
Some favorite photos of our community this year
Each month, UMKC photographer Brandon Parigo selects his Top 10 favorite pictures. From these, our Strategic Communications team picked our favorites of 2018, and Brandon shared the story behind each image.
“It is a genuine hug by students on a staff member. You can't go wrong with that much emotion.” Photo: Lavender Graduation
“I love how happy they are doing something like cleaning. The woman on the right, Maggie, is another student who is dedicated to UMKC and it shows.” Photo: Roos Give Back volunteering day
“I like the lab shot because of how it was composed with the grad-student teacher in the middle. It shows the fullness of the classroom.” Photo: lab class at the School of Biological Sciences
“Even though this isn’t the best composed image, it shows the energy of Kasey interacting with a high school student from North Kansas City.” Photo: UMKC Day at Sporting KC
“Julian (Zugazagoitia, director of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art) is just a cool guy and I enjoy the off-angle composition.” Photo: portrait taken in Haag Hall
“Joe Parisi, like all of our Conservatory conductors, is passionate about students and learning. I think it is hard to hide that when they make facial expressions when working.” Photo: Wind Symphony performance at White Recital Hall
“Cara and Dakota are friends and that comes out in the snow shot. They are two students I think UMKC is lucky to have.” Photo: snow on Volker Campus
“The three students doing the ninja warrior game makes me smile because they seem to all enjoy doing something over-the-top cheesy.” Photo: UMKC Orientation this summer
“I can't help but love every image that designer Mike Duah and I created with UMKC student-athletes all around Kansas City.” Photo: Men's basketball players outside Gem Theater in historic 18th and Vine district
“The cheering students really captures the new sense of school spirit at UMKC. When you get one this good, you cherish it.” Photo: UMKC soccer game during Welcome Weekend
Dec 21, 2018
Mary Daly ('85) shares her experience and unique views on economic policy
Can a high school dropout turned top economist give a new perspective to the Fed? Learn more in this PBS News Hour piece about Daly.
Dec 18, 2018
Sharing in-demand expertise in pediatric infectious diseases
Cases of acute flaccid myelitis, which mainly affects children and can cause lasting paralysis, continue to be reported this fall across the U.S. When two possible cases of the polio-like disease were reported in Kansas City, people looking for answers turned to Mary Anne Jackson, M.D. ’78, interim dean of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.
Jackson is an expert in pediatric infectious diseases section at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City. She has been offering parents reassurance and colleagues advice.
Stats
Mary Anne Jackson, M.D.
The disease is extremely rare, Jackson said, with one-in-a-million odds of contracting it. So parents shouldn’t be alarmed, she said, even though reports of the disease, often referred to as AFM, have been occurring in two-year cycles since 2014.
Jackson said AFM, which appears to develop after a viral illness, could have several possible causes. Enterovirus D68 has been getting attention as a possibility, because respiratory problems from EV-D68 were widespread in 2014 when 120 cases of AFM were reported. The number dropped to 22 AFM cases in 2015 and spiked again, to 149, in 2016. The pattern continued with just 38 cases in 2017 but 80 confirmed so far this year by the Centers for Disease Control, out of 219 possible cases reported. The AFM numbers coincide with the cycles of viruses such as EV-D68, which tend to rise every other autumn.
Symptoms
Jackson said symptoms are easy to recognize because AFM attacks regions of the spinal cord known as gray matter.
“If your child develops profound weakness, especially involving limbs, make sure to see your physician,” she said.
Jackson also recently prepared an update on the disease for physicians. Besides acute limb weakness, Jackson said, a review of AFM reports also found signs of cranial nerve involvement, such as facial weakness, in more than one-fourth of cases. She said that examining cerebrospinal fluid and doing an MRI of the brain and spine were key to diagnosing AFM, and that all cases should be reported to the CDC.
Prevention
As for prevention, she said, nothing has been identified beyond the usual emphasis on hand washing and
covering coughs to disrupt any viral illness that could be related. Though most AFM patients survive, weakness and paralysis can persist. Jackson said nerve transfer surgery – at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Washington University in St. Louis and Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia – showed some promise in cases of isolated limb disease. One Washington University patient, an 8-year-old boy whose legs were paralyzed in 2016, recently started walking again after the nerve transfer surgery.
Besides keeping good track of cases the rest of this fall, Jackson said, “We will have to stay tuned to see how effective new research is in uncovering the etiology of this disease.”
Dec 18, 2018
More than 700 students received degrees in three ceremonies
Deirdre McCloskey, a renowned economist, rhetorician and historian, was presented with an honorary doctorate during the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s College of Arts and Sciences’ mid-year commencement ceremony Dec. 15.
A distinguished professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago from 2000 to 2015, McCloskey has written 18 books and nearly 400 articles on a wide range of topics including economic history, philosophy, feminism and law. She describes herself as a “free-market quantitative literary postmodern Anglican feminist Aristotelian woman from Boston who now lives in Chicago.”
“We are pleased to honor Deirdre McCloskey for not only her countless contributions to the field of economics but for her unwavering dedication to education,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Wayne Vaught. “Her books on the bourgeoisie have offered an illuminating viewpoint on the history and ethics of capitalism.”
More than 700 students received degrees in three ceremonies. It was also UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal’s first graduation ceremony at UMKC.
“Student success will always be at the core of what we do,” Agrawal said. “Congratulations, Roos, on a job well done.”
Michelle Wimes (B.A. ’88), attorney at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., delivered the College of Arts and Sciences commencement address. Wimes is a lawyer, civic leader and a nationally in-demand speaker on workforce development, diversity and inclusion, and work/life balance.
Recalling her days as an undergraduate student at UMKC, Wimes said, “I remember all the wonderful graduation festivities. The excitement of four years coming to an end. UMKC laid the groundwork for the critical thinking and language skills I have used my entire life. The woman I am today began when I was a young person at UMKC.”
Wimes shared this advice to the graduating students: “Be excellent. Be the best at what you do, and I promise success will abound. Stand for something. Use your smarts for good. You and you alone are responsible for your own personal and professional success. Follow your passion even when others don’t understand you or mock you. Align yourself with others who share your passion. Surround yourself with others who support you.”
Above all, Wimes told the graduates to keep up the good work.
“Be willing to take risk. Choose growth and advocate for yourself. Learn how to weather setbacks. Real success requires step after step and choice after choice, persistence and hunger.”
At the morning Henry W. Bloch School of Management ceremony, Agrawal expressed gratitude and appreciation to University of Missouri System Curator John Phillips, who is nearing the end of his term on the board.
“Since joining the Board of Curators, he has become a strong and powerful advocate for all things UMKC,” Agrawal said. “His leadership specifically related to our efforts to build a new home for the Conservatory of Music and Dance has been invaluable. Our students have no greater champion than you. Thank you for your countless hours of staunch and dedicated service to the Board of Curators. We are better because of your leadership and advocacy.”
“Be willing to take risk. Choose growth and advocate for yourself. Learn how to weather setbacks. Real success requires step after step and choice after choice, persistence and hunger.”-Michelle Wimes (B.A. ’88)
Darcy Howe, managing director, KCRise Fund, LLC; and president and CEO, KCRise Fund Manager, LLC, gave the UMKC Bloch School commencement address. Growing a successful entrepreneurial business within a Fortune 100 company, Howe was named a “Barron’s Magazine Top 100 Women Advisors in the U.S.” as well as Worth magazine’s “Top 100 Wealth Advisors in the U.S.” In her current position with KCRise Fund, Howe connects companies with capital from all over the U.S.
“Because of Howe’s efforts, a number of early-stage firms are growing and prospering,” said UMKC Bloch School Dean Brian Klaas. “Her efforts have helped to create a vibrant environment for entrepreneurs and her efforts are setting the stage for long-term growth and prosperity in the region.”
Klaas said Howe works hard to make a positive difference in the community and has been a friend of UMKC. She has mentored and coached UMKC Bloch students, employed Bloch graduates and traveled to China with a Bloch student group to study and promote economic development.
At the conclusion of the commencement ceremonies, Agrawal presented the Class of 2018 – future world leaders, innovators and humanitarians.
“Graduates, the years you’ve spent here at UMKC are like the great opening chapter in a good book. You just know there are a lot of great chapters to follow.”
Dec 17, 2018
Dean of Students celebrates new graduates with high academic and community service achievements
It’s difficult to believe now that at one point Matheus Rohde wasn’t sure he was in the right place.
His transition to UMKC four years ago when he came to play tennis wasn’t an easy one. Rohde, whose coach and teammates nicknamed “Brazil” for his birthplace, was not crazy about the cold weather in Kansas City. And he had just had surgery and didn’t get to play tennis immediately.
“I had a hard time adjusting to the classes and the dorms,” he said.
But on Dec. 14, Dean of Students Sandra Miles recognized Rohde and eight of his fellow graduating students for their commitment to leadership and service to the university while maintaining high academic standards at the Honors Recipient Breakfast.
Rohde credits his tennis teammates for his success.
“The cool thing about being on a team is that you come to a new place, where you know literally no one, and you still have a group of people who you can count on as friends,” Rohde said.
Rohde was able to play second semester and began to find his place at UMKC.
“(Matheus Rohde) is one of those players who motivates by example…His work and effort are a major reason why we won the 2017 Western Athletic Conference championship.”
-UMKC Tennis Coach Kendall Hale
“I knew something big was waiting for me at the finish line and I needed to push a little bit,” he said.This tenacity allowed Rohde to emerge as a strong team leader.“Up until college, tennis was just about the individual. But college tennis is different—it’s about the team,” he said. “It’s a lot more energy. It’s a lot more intensity. I became one of the people who tried to hold the knots together. I was one of the people who tried to make sure that everyone was being accountable in practice and doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”UMKC Head Tennis Coach Kendall Hale—who nominated Rohde—recognized his player’s potential.“I’m not in the habit of nominating students for this honor,” Hale said. “Matheus is the old-school model. He is one of those players who motivates by example. He worked for two years as an assistant without pay or credit. His work and effort are a major reason why we won the 2017 Western Athletic Conference championship.”In addition to his high academic standing and his accomplishments on the court, he’s represented UMKC in the community and volunteers at a soup kitchen and the Ronald McDonald House, Harvesters and the Kangaroo Food Pantry.
“I knew something big was waiting for me at the finish line and I needed to push a little bit."-Matheus Rohde
Rohde, who majored in psychology, is planning to attend graduate school.“I’ll be pretty open,” he said. “But I’m thinking industrial organizational psychology.”At the ceremony recognizing Rohde and his fellow honor recipients, Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal noted “student success is at the core of what we do. These students began as students on fire and ready to learn.”Rohde encourages younger students to find that fire.“Try to get involved as much as you can. UMKC offers so many resources for students to find their niche – whether it’s research, organizations, a campus job or even athletics. My motto during my time on the team and for life is ‘Always leave a place a little better than it was when you came in.’”
Dean of Students Fall 2018 Honor Recipients
The program recognizes graduating students from all academic programs who have actively demonstrated their commitment to leadership and service to the university community while maintaining high academic achievements
Felix AmparanoCollege of Arts and SciencesHonors CollegeMichele BakerSchool of Nursing and Health StudiesHonors CollegeAshutosh BarveSchool of PharmacyAnita CapSchool of Biological SciencesCollege of Arts and SciencesHonors CollegeEun-Li DeemHenry W. Bloch School of ManagementEmma DyerHenry W. Bloch School of ManagementAkshay JainSchool of PharmacyMatheus RohdeCollege of Arts and SciencesElizabeth SitesCollege of Arts and Sciences
Dec 14, 2018
Sixteen alumni and one family will be honored March 15
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Class of 2019 Alumni Achievement Award recipients includes the director of the world-famous San Diego Zoo, the former chief of staff at the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, a winner of the prestigious Cliburn Gold Medal piano competition and the president and CEO of Union Station.
Each year, the UMKC Alumni Association recognizes individual alumni and one family with top honors. UMKC will honor these outstanding alumni at the 2019 Alumni Awards Event Friday, March 15 on campus. UMKC’s Alumni Association will highlight recipients’ stories and accomplishments during an evening program in White Recital Hall, followed by a reception. Click here for tickets to the event.
Alumni Awards is one of the university’s largest events and proceeds support student scholarships. In the last decade, the Alumni Awards event has garnered more than $1 million in scholarships and immediate aid for students.
Co-chairs for the 2019 event are Jim Hogan (B.S.C.E. ’84) and Tamra Hoffman (B.S.D.H. ’05).
Following are the 2019 UMKC Alumni Awardees:
Campus-Wide Award Recipients
Alumnus of the Year: Dwight Scott (B.L.A. ’94)
As director of the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Scott has helped the 102-year old organization grow into a leading force in conservation worldwide. Home to more than 3,500 rare and endangered animals and 700,000 exotic plants, the Zoo participates in the science-based Species Survival Plan, which maintains genetic diversity and long-term sustainability in captive populations. Through science-based, collaborative projects and cutting-edge, immersive exhibits, the organization strives to lead the fight against extinction and connect people with wildlife.
Spotlight Award: Steven St. John (B.A. ’96)
St. John has been a fixture on the Kansas City sports scene since 1999. He is the host of the popular sports morning show “Border Patrol” on 810 WHB, the first program to be simulcast daily on radio and television in Kansas City. St. John spent several years offering color commentary for the UMKC men’s and women’s basketball teams and has spoken at numerous university events including the College of Arts and Sciences Graduation with Distinction Luncheon. He also serves on the board of directors for the ALS Association of Mid-America Chapter and as honorary chairperson for the annual Sheffield Place Golf Tournament.
Bill French Alumni Service Award: Dick Gibson (B.M.E. ’67, MBA ’02)
Gibson’s impressive military career spanned 26 years and included serving as the chief of staff at the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and twice working with General Colin Powell. During his time in the military, Gibson received the Silver Star, Bronze Star for Valor and Purple Heart for action in Vietnam. A former president of the Bloch School of Management’s Alumni Association Board, he was one of the founding members of the EMBA Alumni Admissions Council and currently serves on the business advisory board to Enactus, the award-winning UMKC student group focusing on entrepreneurial service projects in the Kansas City community. Gibson is also an at-large director on the UMKC Alumni Governing Board.
Defying the Odds Award: José Faus (B.A. ’87)
Faus lived with his grandmother in Bogota, Colombia, before moving to the U.S. at nine years old. He and his brother came to Kansas City in the dead of winter to live with his mother, who’d come to the U.S. three years earlier. While he went through a period of rebellion, Faus realized he had a knack for writing and has used his personal journey as a source of inspiration for his work. As an artist and writer, Faus is a founding member of the Latino Writers Collective and serves on the boards of The Writers Place, UMKC Friends of the Library and Nuevo Eden. He has been involved in many mural works in the Kansas City area, Mexico and, most recently, Bolivia, where he received a cultural ambassador grant from the U.S. State Department.
Legacy Award: The Strickland–Hembree Family
The Strickland–Hembree family is anchored by two sisters, Dr. Mary Pat (Strickland) Lange and Dr. Kathryn Ann (Strickland) Hembree. Both are graduates of the UMKC School of Medicine and are ophthalmologists. Mary Pat graduated in 1985 and has served the Lawrence, Kansas, community for more than 25 years as an ophthalmologist and senior partner at Lawrence Eye Care Associates. Kathryn Ann graduated in 1986 and founded Northland Eye Specialists, focused on providing comprehensive family eye care. Kathryn Ann’s daughter, Kathryn Hembree Night, a second generation Roo, received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and philosophy in 2009 and is a graduate of the UMKC Honors College. She works in finance in New York.
School-Based Award Recipients
College of Arts & Sciences: Jeanne Drewes (B.A. ’76)
Drewes’ career spans four decades and encompasses a myriad of achievements. She has worked in university libraries and museums and currently serves as chief of the Binding & Collections Care Division and Deacidification Program at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In 2017, Drewes was awarded the Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services.
School of Biological Sciences: Patrick M. Rose (B.S. ’73, M.S. ’75)
Considered one of the world’s leading experts on the Florida manatee, Rose, executive director of Save the Manatee Club, has tirelessly advocated for their health and habitat for more than 40 years. He served as the first federal manatee recovery activities coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the first manatee and marine mammal administrator for the Florida Department of Natural Resources and was also the environmental program administrator for the Department of Environmental Protection in Tallahassee before joining the Save the Manatee Club in 1996.
Bloch School of Management: George M. Guastello II (B.B.A. ’82, MBA ’84)
Guastello has used his extensive civic and business experience to help lead the transformation of beloved Kansas City institutions including the Starlight Theatre, the American Royal Association and, most recently, Union Station. Since becoming president and CEO of Union Station in 2008, Guastello, with board and staff, has reimagined Kansas City’s favorite monument into a financially stable civic center that has attracted a variety of new tenants, hosted a number of exciting world-renowned exhibits and created an internationally awarded science center within the station called Science City.
School of Computing & Engineering: Philip Straub (B.S.E.E. ’92)
As executive vice president, managing director at Garmin International, Straub oversees all aspects of the company’s aviation division including product development, flight operations, sales and marketing. Straub, who has a passion for promoting STEM education, also serves as chairman of the board of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and is a member of the Drone Advisory Committee for the Federal Aviation Association. An accomplished pilot, he earned his private pilot license at the age of 17.
Conservatory of Music and Dance: Stanislav Ioudenitch (Performance Certificate ’03)
Winner of the prestigious Cliburn Gold Medal, a world-renowned piano competition, Ioudenitch has performed at cultural centers around the world including Carnegie Hall in New York, Conservatorio Verdi in Italy, the Mariinsky Theater in Russia and Théâtre du Châtelet in France. Ioudenitch founded the International Center for Music at Park University where he is artistic director and master teacher of piano. Additionally, he is director of the Young Artists Music Academy and vice president of piano at the Piano Academy of Lake Como. Since 2017, he has served as associate professor of piano at Oberlin Conservatory.
School of Dentistry: Terry G. O’Toole (D.D.S. ’81)
Prior to his retirement in April 2018, O’Toole served the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration for more than 35 years holding various roles including chief of dental service and, most recently, director of dental informatics and analytics. In the latter position, O’Toole oversaw the development of strategic plans, healthcare budget and national policy initiatives including the implementation of an integrated electronic medical/dental health record. He has served as chair of the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Council on Dental Practice.
School of Dentistry – Dental Hygiene: Rebecca L. Stolberg (M.S. ’96)
A leader in both the profession and education of dental hygiene, Rebecca Stolberg serves as senior director of allied dental education and faculty development at the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). Prior to joining ADEA, Stolberg led the Department of Dental Hygiene at Eastern Washington University (EWU) for 15 years.
School of Education: Deborah Siebern-Dennis (B.A. ’05)
As a seventh-grade teacher at Bode Middle School in Saint Joseph, Missouri, Siebern-Dennis was the only Missouri teacher to receive the Milken Educator Award in 2015. She is currently one of 45 middle school science teachers from across the U.S. selected to participate in a two-year teaching and learning project funded by the National Science Foundation. Siebern-Dennis is known for her engaging lessons, understanding of students’ needs and passion for learning.
School of Law: Paul F. Kavanaugh (J.D. ’84)
As a trial lawyer specializing in medical malpractice, Kavanaugh has represented seriously injured clients for more than 30 years, been ranked in the top 100 trial lawyers by “The National Trial Lawyers” and lectured on the prevention of medical negligence at UMKC School of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical School and University of Arizona College of Medicine. As co-founder of the Kavanaugh Charitable Foundation, started with his wife, Debbie, he has funded elementary schools in Cambodia, donated 1,500 wheelchairs to the underserved and created a fully endowed scholarship for students in need at UMKC School of Law.
School of Medicine: William Arthur Cooper (M.D. ’92)
Going above and beyond a career as a cardiothoracic surgeon, William Cooper is founding medical director of a nationally recognized heart surgery program, has served 30 years with the U.S. Army Reserve, including four tours of duty, and received his MBA from Emory University. Since joining WellStar Health System in 2004 as medical director, Cooper has paved the way for new technologies that have transformed the standard of care for cardiac patients.
School of Nursing & Health Studies: John Stevens (D.N.P. ’12)
As CEO and clinical director of deNovo Health in Dallas, Texas, Stevens puts his 18 years of experience in aesthetic services to work. He began his career serving as a trauma nurse and member of the United States Army during Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia. A lifelong learner and entrepreneur, he has started multiple companies, earned his doctorate of nursing practice at UMKC and is studying metabolic and nutritional medicine with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.
School of Pharmacy: Alan W. Carter (B.S.P. ’79, Pharm.D. ’02)
With more than 35 years of experience in clinical pharmacy management and research, Carter has worn many hats including: educator, board member and researcher. Currently serving as a consultant, Carter also donates his time as an adjunct professor at the UMKC School of Pharmacy and as a board member for the UMKC Pharmacy Foundation. Earlier this year, a study Carter completed on the concentration and efficacy of insulin garnered national attention and resulted in a formal confirmatory study commissioned by the American Diabetes Association and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Dec 13, 2018
Stronger academic skills than co-educated peers cited along with confidence and community involvement
Graduates of all-girls schools have a definitive edge over their coeducated peers in academic achievement, community involvement and self-confidence in the sciences, according to research led by a School of Education professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.Tiffani Riggers-Piehl, assistant professor of higher education at UMKC, was principal investigator of the study in collaboration with the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at the University of California-Los Angeles. The study, Fostering Academic and Social Engagement: An Investigation into the Effects of All-Girls Education in the Transition to University, shows statistically significant advantages for girls’ school graduates. The study used sophisticated multilevel modeling to separate the effect of an all-girls education from other influences including socioeconomic differences, race/ethnicity, parent education and the characteristics of the high schools attended.Riggers-Piehl and her colleagues note the data reveals “a consistent portrait of girls’ school graduates who are more engaged academically and socially than their coeducated peers.” Commissioned by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the study is an update of a 2009 HERI report that was originally conducted by Linda Sax of UCLA with colleagues, including Riggers-Piehl.The new study identifies several key areas in which all-girls schools are better preparing their students for success in university and beyond. Based on the reported data, the researchers concluded that when compared to their female peers at coed schools, girls’ school graduates:
Have stronger academic skills
Are more academically engaged
Demonstrate higher science self-confidence
Display higher levels of cultural competency
Express stronger community involvement
Exhibit increased political engagement
Specifically, the research report identifies more than 80 statistically significant differences that favor graduates of all-girls schools when compared to female graduates of coed schools, such as:
Girls’ school alumnae are 5 percentage points more likely than their coeducated peers to say they frequently seek alternative solutions to a problem and more frequently explore topics on their own, even when not required. More than two-thirds of girls’ school graduates report frequently supporting their arguments with logic, whereas coed school female graduates are 7 percentage points less likely to report this academic skill.
Graduates of girls’ school are 7 percentage points more likely to frequently tutor other students and 6 percentage points more likely to frequently study with others.
Girls’ school graduates, compared to students from coed schools, are 4 percentage points more likely to report they are “very confident” or “absolutely confident” in their understanding of scientific concepts and ability to explain the results of a study and use technical science skills such as tools, instruments and techniques.
When asked about their ability to work and live in a diverse society, alumnae from all-girls schools are nearly 10 percentage points more likely to have the goal of helping promote racial understanding, and 75 percent of respondents from all-girls schools desire to improve their understanding of other countries and cultures, compared to 70 percent of their coeducated peers. Half of girls’ school graduates, compared to 45 percent of female students from coed schools, count their tolerance of others with different beliefs as a strength. Girls’ school alumnae are 6 percentage points more likely to note their ability to work cooperatively with diverse people as a strength.
Girls’ school graduates are 8 percentage points more likely to have a goal of participating in community action programs and are 5 percentage points more likely to think it is “very important” or “essential” to become involved in environmentally minded programs. Alumnae of all-girls schools more frequently participate in volunteer work compared to their coeducated peers—52 versus 47 percent.
Women who attended all-girls schools are 5 percentage points more likely than coeducated graduates to plan to vote in elections and to publicly communicate their opinion about a cause. Considering their political engagement, graduates from all-girls schools are 7 percentage points more likely to think it is “very important” to have the goal of keeping up-to-date with political affairs.
Girls’ school graduates rate themselves as more successful and engaged in areas where men have historically seen greater representation: science and politics. Reflecting on the totality of the findings, the researchers noted, “these statistically significant results demonstrate differences in areas of critical importance in the twenty-first century for women as they enter university and beyond, thus emphasizing the contribution of all-girls schooling for women’s success.”
Dec 13, 2018
Hall honors Kansas City’s greatest women, past and present
A new group of extraordinary women, past and present, who have made their mark on the greater Kansas City community have been named to the Starr Women's Hall of Fame.The Hall of Fame was created to honor women who have made Kansas City a better place to live, work and serve, said Carol Hallquist, co-chair of the Hall of Fame planning committee.“These women make up the third class of honorees since the Hall of Fame was formed. They are remarkable women whose stories and examples will inspire women to reach ever higher for generations to come,” Hallquist said.The 10 outstanding women in the 2019 class of honorees will be honored at a gala event at 11:30 a.m. March 22, 2019, in Swinney Recreation Center on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus. Former First Lady Laura Bush will be the featured speaker at the event and her daughter, Barbara Pierce Bush, will be interviewing her at the event; tickets are available at www.umkc.edu/starrhalloffame.The new inductees are:· Lois Ellen (Bunni) Copaken, founding board member of the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, founding member of the Women’s Foundation and past president of the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri.· Mary Tiera Farrow (deceased), founder of the first organization to welcome women in the legal field in Kansas City, first female judge in the City of Kansas City, first woman in the U.S. to defend a woman on trial for murder and first woman to argue before the Kansas Supreme Court.· Laura Rollins Hockaday (deceased), longtime society editor for The Kansas City Star. She transformed race relations by redefining “society” and by expanding the newspaper’s previously racially restrictive society page to be inclusive of all people in the community.· Mamie Currie Hughes, advocate for scores of projects aimed at cutting through racial and gender biases and discrimination, charter member of the Jackson County Legislature, former Chair for the Mid-America Regional Council and founding member of the Central Exchange.· Patricia McIlrath (deceased), longtime chair of the Department of Theatre at UMKC, founder of the Missouri Repertory Theatre (now KC Rep) and progenitor of Kansas City’s status as one of the top five professional theatre cities in the U.S.· Janet Murguia, president and CEO of Unidos U.S. (formerly National Council of La Raza); longtime national civil rights advocate, especially for Hispanics; and former Deputy Assistant to President Clinton.· Mona Lea Perry, tireless advocate for Native Americans, one of Kansas City’s Wisdom Keepers and recipient of four certificates of service as a member of the Missouri Advisory Committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.· Nell Quinlan (Donnelly) Reed (deceased), dress designer and manufacturer of the Nelly Don brand. Her Donnelly Garment Co. was the largest dress manufacturing company in the world during much of the 20th century. She was a pioneer in employees’ rights and implemented many improvements in employee work conditions and compensation.· Beth K. Smith (deceased), co-founder of the Central Exchange and Women’s Employment Network, chair of the Mayor’s Commission on Human Relations for Kansas City, Missouri and member of numerous national and local nonprofit boards.· Linda Hood Talbott, founder of the Center for Philanthropic Leadership and founding member of the Greater Kansas City Foundation, Women’s Employment Network, Central Exchange and Women’s Foundation. She was recognized by three U.S. presidents for her leadership in helping the elderly, youth and women of America.
“These women make up the third class of honorees since the Hall of Fame was formed. They are remarkable women whose stories and examples will inspire women to reach ever higher for generations to come."-Carol Hallquist, co-chair of the Hall of Fame planning committee
The Starr Women’s Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing extraordinary Kansas City women and preserving the history of their accomplishments. These women are social reformers, volunteers, philanthropists, civic leaders, activists and educators. They are neighborhood leaders and grassroots organizers, from yesterday and today, both famous and unsung. They are movers and shakers whose tireless commitment to community has made Kansas City a better place to live. The Hall of Fame is a repository for their legacies. By sharing their stories, the Hall of Fame encourages and inspires women everywhere. Biographies of all of the previous honorees are available at https://www.umkc.edu/starrhalloffame/hall.cfm.The 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. The Hall of Fame 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.A permanent display honoring Hall of Fame members is now open to the public on the third floor of the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The library is at 800 E. 51 St., Kansas City, Missouri.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, 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, Women Leaders in College Sports, 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, WIN for KC, win|win, Women’s Foundation, Women’s Public Service Network, Zonta International District 7 and Zonta Club of KC II.
Dec 04, 2018
Martin to leverage past experience and Roos' achievements
Brandon Martin officially begins his tenure Dec. 3 as director of athletics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. That’s “officially” because he’s been hard at work since his appointment was announced Nov. 14.
He’s committed to solving a puzzle that has eluded predecessors for decades: while the Roos have produced conference champions in competition and excelled in the classroom, the teams’ fan base is fervent but small. They have not yet broken through to ignite a sizable fan base across campus or in the community.
His best asset right now is his track record.
Martin has athletic leadership experience at two of the nation’s leading Power Five conference programs, Southern California and Oklahoma. At Cal State-Northridge, he took over a Division I athletic program that was largely ignored by campus and community, and raised donations by 450 percent and student attendance for men‘s basketball by 71 percent. During his last full year there, his programs had three All-Americans, nine individual Big West Champions, three Big West Coaches of the Year and eight Big West Players of the Year.
Oh, and by the way, that’s Doctor Brandon E. Martin, Ph.D.
When introduced as the new leader of UMKC Athletics last month, Martin said he won’t be accomplishing anything on his own.
“I’m not a savior. We’re going to do this all together,” Martin said. As a senior associate athletics director at Oklahoma, he made annual trips to Kansas City for the Big 12 basketball tournament. “Kansas City is a great sports town, so we just have to get people engaged.
“There’s really no ceiling on how great we can become.”
Martin’s goals for UMKC’s program are straightforward. Become a Top 100 Division I program. Winning Western Athletic Conference championships and earning NCAA tournament berths. Providing a first-rate campus life experience for student athletes, while producing graduates who not only earn degrees, but develop as leaders for campus and community.
Martin put to rest any lingering questions about the status of UMKC athletics. “We are playing at the Division I level. Period.”
Martin is taking over a UMKC program that has a reputation for academic achievement, a reputation he has a real passion to not just continue, but build on.
“There’s really no ceiling on how great we can become.”-Brandon E. Martin, Ph.D
“I always had a passion for education. I always knew that I would become a teacher, I just didn’t know at what level.” So when he was recruited to play basketball at USC, he enrolled in the university’s Rossier School of Education. After graduation, he stayed at USC to begin his career in athletic administration, but also enrolled in graduate school.
“I wanted to work in college athletics, but I wanted to be connected to the true fabric and true mission of a university,” Martin said. “I knew that I needed a terminal degree.”
At USC, Martin served as an assistant professor of clinical education at Rossier. His dissertation entitled “A Phenomenological Study of Academically Driven African American Male Student-Athletes at Highly Selective Division I Universities” won the 2005 Rossier School of Education Dissertation of the Year Award. In 2005, he also earned the National Association of Academic Advisors award for Student-Athlete Excellence in Research. He has presented more than 40 papers, symposia and workshops at national higher education conferences. In 2014, Martin was appointed to the NCAA Committee on Academics.
Before serving as athletics director at Cal State-Northridge, Martin served as a senior associate athletics director for administration at the University of Oklahoma. He handled day-to-day administration for Men’s Basketball, Men’s/Women’s Track and Field, Cross Country, Women’s Soccer and Rowing. His duties also included oversight of departmental strategic planning, marketing and promotions, human resources, strength and conditioning, Big 12 and NCAA legislation, risk management, NCAA certification and all diversity and inclusion programming for the department. While at the University of Oklahoma, Martin also served on the President’s Graduation and Retention Task Force.
In addition to student-athlete development and winning championships, Martin said integrity and engagement also will be hallmarks of Roo athletics under his leadership.
“It’s important to win, but you have to do it the right way,” he said. He, along with coaches and student-athletes, will engage with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and fans. “It’s engagement that will be meaningful. We’re giving the whole Kansas City community an invitation to come and see how we are building up our program.”
“My words and actions have to connect,” Martin added. “I have to paint a picture of who we can be. My vision is for the Roos to become a Top 100 program, but I have to explain to people how we’re going to get there.”
His road map starts with providing the best campus experience possible for student-athletes. That will require additional resources, so jump-starting fundraising will be critical. It continues with meaningful engagement to generate excitement about the program’s possibilities.
Then, the program has to close the deal.
“We have to win. Winning championships is paramount.”
Dec 03, 2018