With the new academic year approaching, we are excited about some new programs and initiatives that highlight UMKC’s mission to lead in life and health sciences. Two endeavors that we would like to point-out are:

• The KC STEM Alliance housed in the School of Computing and Engineering – the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is donating a grant of $3.2 million for the next five years to promote science, technology, engineer, and math.  Read more about the KC STEM in the Kansas City Business Journal. 

 

• The new Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHS) program housed in the School of Nursing – this major will begin taking new students staring in August.  The program will serve to train students who could potentially be in positions as Hospital Administrators, Nutritionists, Wellness Coordinators, Pharmaceutical Sales, Social Service Case Managers, and Medical and Health Service Managers and can prepare students who wish to apply to enter a graduate health profession program, such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Nursing, Speech-Language Pathology, Chiropractic and Anesthesiology Assistants. Read more from the UMKC Office of Public Relations.

We are proud of those at UMKC that have put forth the effort and hard work to take these programs to fruition.   

Get ready to ring in the academic year! Convocation will commence on Sunday, an event that is sponsored by the Provost’s Office and various academic units. The purpose of Convocation is to welcome our new undergraduate and transfer students to UMKC, introduce them to our campus, and help them engage with the faculty to support their transition to UMKC.

Convocation will be held August 19th at 1:00pm in the Swinney Recreation Center. UMKC Director of Latina/Latino Studies Dr. Miguel Carranza will be the featured speaker, and University of Missouri System President Timothy Wolfe will be speaking, as well. All faculty members are welcome to join in this tradition in Swinney and you can contact your Dean for the academic unit-specific portion of the program. Following the formal event, students will be escorted to academic unit-specific events, ending with UnionFest in the UMKC Student Union around 2:30 p.m.

As part of UMKC’s vision to place student success at the center of our attention, Convocation provides an opportunity for faculty to provide a “high impact” educational experience associated with student engagement and retention. One of the most important foundations for success is forming professional relationships between students and faculty. New Student Convocation gives students the perfect opportunity to engage with their peers and faculty prior to the start of classes and begin their experience at UMKC with the best chance of success.

If you would like to learn more about Convocation and the other planned Welcome Week activities, please visit the Welcome Week website.

-Eric Grospitch, Ed.D., Assistant Dean of Students

Each year, the UMKC community celebrates the accomplishments of our outstanding faculty and staff.  These awards recognize excellence in the areas of teaching, service and engagement, research and creative activity, mentoring, and commitment to excellence in work.  Awards are presented at the annual spring faculty and staff recognition ceremony. The nomination deadline is quickly approaching - for most UMKC Awards the annual deadline is November 1, 2012.

If interested in nominating staff or faculty, you will need to assemble a nomination packet containing all required nomination materials (including letters of support/reference). The complete nomination packet must be submitted all together in one PDF via email to awards@umkc.edu prior to the nomination deadline; incomplete nomination packets will not be considered.  Please note that Staff Council Award nomination forms are to be sent to UMKC Staff Council per the instructions on their website.

Here is a complete list of UMKC Award opportunities.

If you have questions regarding the UMKC Awards process, please contact Beci Edmundson, (816) 235-2721 or e-mail awards@umkc.edu.

This year was outstanding in the areas of scholarships and fellowships for UMKC students and faculty! Students and faculty secured awards from seven different highly competitive national and international scholarship programs.

Student Awards:

• DAAD (The German Academic Exchance Service) Study Scholarship:
  • Christopher Beaudoin (Arts & Sciences, Chemistry and Biology)
• DAAD: RISE (Research Internship in Science and Engineering) Professional Internship:
  • Elliott Goff, declined in favor of the Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program
• Fulbright U.S. Student Program:
  • Annie Fischer, 2012 alum, MFA in Creative Writing
• Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship:
  • Summer 2014:
    • Benjamin Bachwirtz (Argentina, $3,500)
    • Victoria Clark (Argentina, $3,000)
    • Christenio Collins (Argentina, $3,500)
    • Maritza Gordillo (Argentina, $2,500)
    • Araba Kuofie (Argentina, $3,000)
    • Taylor Smith (Costa Rica, $4,000)
    • Coleen Solomon (Argentina, $3,000)
    • Alia Wheeler (alternate, France)
  • Fall 2014
    • Christopher Blair (Costa Rica, $4000)
  • Academic Year 2014-2015
    • Terrance Hughes (Malta, $5000)
• Jack Kent Cook Graduate Arts Award:
  • Zoe Melcher (Conservatory of Music and Dance, up to $50,000 for a maximum 3 years of study)
• Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship:
  • Amy Grace Johnson (School of Biological Sciences, $5,000)
• Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program:
  • Elliott Goff (School of Computing and Engineering, $10,000 plus substantial benefits)

Faculty Awards:

• Fulbright Scholar Award:
  • Aidan Soder, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Vocal Studies
• National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholar:
  • Virginia Blanton, Ph.D., Professor of English

Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to the 2015 UM System Leadership Development (LDP) Program Members!

Those selected to participate in the LDP will join a network of faculty dedicated to quality leadership and advancing academic excellence.  To be considered for participation in the LDP, faculty members obtained endorsement from their leadership sponsor and submitted an application to the Office of Talent Management.  For more information about the Leadership Development Program, please visit: http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/hr/ldp

UMKC LDP Cohort Members include:

Ronalda Cole-Manney, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Kristi Holsinger, Professor and Interim Head, Criminal Justice & Criminology, College of Arts & Sciences

Lorie Holt, Associate Professor and Director of Degree Completion Studies, Division of Dental Hygiene, School of Dentistry

Wei Ji, Professor, Geosciences, College of Arts & Sciences

John Kevern, Associate Professor, Civil and Mechanical Engineering, School of Computing & Engineering

Nancy Levit, Curators’ and Edward D Ellison Professor of Law, School of Law

Darla McCarthy, Associate Teaching Professor, Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine

J David Van Horn, Associate Professor, Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Xiao-Qiang (Sean) Yu, Professor and Interim Head, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences

Ahmed M. Hassan, Ph.D. (School of Computing and Engineering)

Dr. Hassan is an Assistant Professor and the leader of the Multiscale Multidisciplinary Electromagnetics Lab (MMEL) in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. Prior to his current position, Dr. Hassan served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland. His research interests include nanoelectromagnetics, bioelectromagnetics, nondestructive evaluation, experimental microwave imaging, and terahertz imaging.

Joah Williams, Ph.D. (College of Arts and Science)
Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and also serves as the Director of the Stress and Trauma Evaluation and Prevention Science (STEPS) Lab. Dr. William’s research focuses on the psychological and health consequences of trauma exposure across the lifespan. More specifically, his interest lies in the development and evaluation of traumatic stress prevention and early intervention programs. Dr. Williams completed a postdoctoral fellowship in child and adult trauma research and treatment at the Medical University of South Carolina’s National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, where he received the 2015 Robert Magwood, Jr., Outstanding Service to Crime Victims Award. His most recent publication “Restorative Retelling for violent death: An investigation of treatment effectiveness, influencing factors, and durability,” was featured in the January 2015 edition of the Journal of Loss and Trauma. Dr. Williams received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Memphis in 2013.

Steven Melling, Ph.D. (College of Arts and Sciences)

Dr. Steven Melling is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor in Communication Studies. He was previously a full-time lecturer at UMKC, from 2011-2015. He earned his Ph. D. from the University of Kansas in 2012, with a dissertation that focused on the role of rhetoric in the development of Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. Dr. Melling’s research focuses on Rhetoric and Public Culture. He has recently presented research on economic rhetoric at regional and national conferences. He currently teaches Rhetorical Theory and Criticism, Persuasion, and Introduction to the Study of Human Communication. Before coming to UMKC, he taught at the University of Kansas, William Jewell College, and Metropolitan Community College.

Mary Cristina Ruales Ortega, Ph.D. (School of Computing and Engineering)

Dr. Mary Cristina Ruales Ortega joined the University of Missouri-Kansas City in August of 2015.  She is currently an Associate Teaching Professor in the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department where she is teaching undergraduate as well as graduate courses. Prior to joining UMKC, Dr. Ruales Ortega worked as an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Universidad del Turabo in Puerto Rico. She taught undergraduate engineering courses including statics, dynamics, kinematics of mechanisms and engineering materials among others.  Her research in the area of ceramic materials includes: Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC), Thick Film Processes, and Gas Sensors (design, fabrication, assembly, characterization and integration into devices). Her work also includes characterization and analysis of metal alloys and polymers for medical applications.  Dr. Ruales Ortega is passionate about the teaching-learning process in engineering and she has several collaborations in projects sponsored by educational grants.  Her professional experience also include roles in administrative and engineering positions in industry. Dr. Ruales Ortega received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad del Valle in Colombia, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, and a Ph.D. from Florida International University.

Faisal Khan, Ph.D. (School of Computing and Engineering)

Dr. Khan joined UMKC in the Fall of 2015 as an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department.  Dr. Khan’s research focuses on power converter reliability and failure analysis using reflectometry. Before joining UMKC, Dr. Khan served as an Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Utah.  Dr. Khan is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) and an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions of Power Electronics.  Dr. Khan is the recipient of two IEEE prize paper awards and multiple National Science Foundation and Department of Energy grants. Audio engineering is Dr. Khan’s major hobby, and he designs/builds vacuum tube audio amplifiers and restores audio equipment. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University.

Michelle Eaton, PA-C (School of Medicine)

Mrs. Eaton is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Masters of Medical Science Physician Assistant program and currently teaches courses regarding the science and practice of medicine and clinical assessment.  Mrs. Eaton has over twenty years of clinical experience as a physician assistant and has worked in areas including Rural Medicine, Family Practice, Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and Gastroenterology.  Prior to her current position, Mrs. Eaton practiced Internal Medicine with a physician group in Olathe, Kansas.  She received her B.S. in Physician Assistant Studies from Wichita State University and B.A. in Biology from the University of Kansas. Mrs. Eaton is married to Randy, who is also a physician assistant employed by Olathe Medical Services, Inc. They have three children together and spend most of their free time attending their children’s athletic events and activities. Mrs. Eaton is incredibly excited and enthusiastic about being a part of UMKC.

Robert (Scott) Stackhouse, M.F.A. (College of Arts and Sciences)

Mr. Stackhouse joined UMKC in the Fall of 2012 as an Assistant Teaching Professor of Theatre in Voice and Acting, and then in the Fall of 2015 he was appointed as the Assistant Professor of Voice for the Graduate Actor Training Program. He currently teaches graduate courses in voice, dialect and also stage combat.  Mr. Stackhouse earned his M.F.A from the University of California-Los Angeles in 1999 and has since worked regionally and nationally as an actor, director, vocal coach, and fight choreographer.

He spends his summers at Seaside Repertory Theatre in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida where he most recently directed The 39 Steps and Shipwrecked!. Other representative directing credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (last year with UMKC’s undergraduate actors), Macbeth, The Shape of Things, Scapino!, A Comedy of Errors, a children’s adaptation of The Tempest, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and the Midwest premiere of Scott Sieffert’s comedy, The Atomic View Motel. Mr. Stackhouse has also starred as a principal actor as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Trigorin in The Seagull, Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire, Adrian in Private Eye, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Charlie Fox in Speed the Plow and his one-man show, Conan the Banana Man.

Zhu Li, Ph.D. (School of Computing and Engineering)

Dr. Li joined UMKC in the Fall of 2015 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.  He currently serves as the Director of the Multimedia Computing and Communication (MC^2) Lab and teaches courses on Image Analysis, Machine Learning and Video Coding/Communication.  Prior to coming to UMKC, Dr. Li was a Senior Staff Researcher/Senior Manager with Samsung Research America’s Multimedia Standards Research Lab in Richardson, Texas. Dr. Li currently serves as an associate editor for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Transactions on Multimedia, IEEE Transactions on Circuits & System for Video Technology, and the Journal of Signal Processing Systems (Springer).  Dr. Li’s research expertise includes audio-visual analytics, computer vision and object re-identification, video adaptation, source-channel coding, and distributed optimization issues of wireless video networks.  He received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Northwestern University in 2004.

Dr. Li is a marathon enthusiast and has finished a dozen half marathon events. He completed his most recent event in 2015 at Overland Park, with a personal time of 1:51:18.

Preetham Goli, PhD (School of Computing and Engineering)

Dr. Goli is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.  He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston.  His research interests include smart charging facilities for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV’s), distribution system analysis, and control strategies for grid-connected microgrids.  Prior to his current position, Dr. Goli was an adjunct instructor in the Engineering Technology Department at the University of Houston. He served as an advisor for undergraduate studies on smart grid and plug-in electric vehicle technologies funded by CenterPoint Energy, Houston. His most recent article on “Laboratory Setup to Meet the Educational Needs of the Future Smart Grid Workforce” will be presented in the IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition.

Jamie Koerner, PharmD, BCPS (School of Pharmacy)

Dr. Koerner is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the UMKC School of Pharmacy at MU. Her current practice site is located at MU South Providence Family Medicine Clinic where she functions as a clinical pharmacy specialist in ambulatory care. Dr. Koerner earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the UMKC School of Pharmacy in 2013. After graduation, she completed a PGY-1 residency focused in primary care at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She then completed a PGY-2 residency through the St. Louis College of Pharmacy with an emphasis in ambulatory care and academia. Dr. Koerner is a member of the Clinical Policies Committee in Family and Community Medicine at MU and the Admissions Committee at the UMKC School of Pharmacy. She also serves as a co-advisor for the Student College of Clinical Pharmacy (SCCP) and the Public Health Organization at UMKC. Her research interests include implementation of novel practice models and geriatric medicine.

Mostafizur Rahman, Ph.D. (School of Computing and Engineering)

Dr. Rahman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and leads the Nanoscale Integrated Circuits (NANO-IC) group at UMKC. His research interests include nanoscale 3-D integrated circuits, manufacturing and thermal aware circuit design, proof-of-concept nanoscale experimental prototyping, and neuromorphic computing to mimic mammalian brain’s capabilities. Dr. Rahman’s research has received several awards, including best paper at the International Symposium on Nanoscale Architectures in 2013 and 2014 and second prize at the 2011 University of Massachusetts Innovation Challenge. He is currently serving as Guest Editor for a special issue on 3-D Integrated Circuits in IEEE Transactions on Multi-Scale Systems and is a regular reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology (TNANO), the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Computing Systems (JETC), and Nanoscale Architectures (NANOARCH), among others. Dr. Rahman is actively involved in community education and outreach activities and is currently serving as a volunteer judge for KCSTEM Alliance’s high school science competition. Dr. Rahman received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Elizabeth Englin, Pharm D., BCPS (School of Pharmacy)

Dr. Englin is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the UMKC School of Pharmacy at Missouri State University (MSU).  She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri where she also competed as a thrower for the Missouri women’s track and field team before receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 2008. She then completed the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the UMKC School of Pharmacy at MU and graduated in 2013.

Before returning to UMKC in 2015, she completed two years of post-graduate training at the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and a PGY2 Internal Medicine Residency. Dr. Englin also received her Board Certification in Pharmacotherapy in 2014. She currently practices as an internal medicine clinical pharmacy specialist at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, Missouri with an emphasis on transitions of care. She serves as co-faculty advisor for the Rho Chi Honor Society, Student Societies of Health-System Pharmacy (SSHP) and Student College of Clinical Pharmacy (SCCP). Her research interests are: Pharmacists role and impact on transitions of care, expansion of clinical pharmacy services and exploring innovative yet effective student learning techniques.

Dr. Englin has enjoyed moving back to Missouri and exploring life in Springfield. In her spare time, her and her husband, Nate, enjoy doing outdoor activities, working on house projects and spending time with their larger than life Newfoundland dog.