Alumni Spotlight – Vanessa Alexander (’16)

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Vanessa Alexander

Vanessa Alexander (’16), director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, received the 2025 Distinguished Community Service Award for the Kirksville area from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Celebration Commission. Alexander studied Sociology and Anthropology during her time at Truman, also serving as a Multicultural Affairs student intern and a participant in the Minority Ambassadors Program.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Celebration Commission holds a statewide celebration annually to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy through community service projects. Alexander worked with local partners to coordinate several events for the Kirksville, ATSU and Truman community in celebration of Dr. King: a showing of the movie Till, a day of community service, a speaker honoring King’s legacy, and an art and essay contest for K-12 students. The festivities concluded with a community dinner that included discussion, a keynote interactive speech from Alexander, a musical performance of A Change Is Gonna Come by two Truman students, and an awards presentation for the winners of the art and essay contests.

Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series Features Exonerated Death Row Inmate

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The Sun Does Shine

Anthony Ray Hinton will be speaking on campus on March 26 at 6 p.m. about his experiences being held on death row for 28 years for a crime he did not commit. Part of the Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series, Hinton will be on campus on March 26 at 6 p.m. In conjunction with his visit, a variety of true-crime related activities are happening on campus throughout the day. A forensic science activity, a talk on serial killers by Sal Costa and a “Tru Crime” escape room will be featured. Most experiences are geared toward prospective students, but community members, current students and alumni are all invited. Prior to Hinton’s visit, there will also be a book club held to dig into his book, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. An Oprah’s Book Club Selection, The Sun Does Shine is available in print, e-reader and audiobook formats. Alumni are welcome to participate in this book club, with virtual and in-person discussion options available. There will be more information about groups and meeting times available soon.

Donations Support Student Research and Travel

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One thing that sets a Truman education apart is the opportunity for undergraduate research that creates high-impact experiences, significantly broadening students’ horizons. Alumna Calaneet Balas (’97) valued experiences like this during her time at Truman, emphasizing that attending and presenting at research conferences had a significant impact on her academic development. She established the Health and Exercise Sciences (HES) Experiential Fund to ensure that today’s students also have access to similar experiences in the hopes that it will positively shape their futures and better prepare them to make a difference in the world around them.

HES Experiential Fund Trip
Students travel to Washington DC thanks to donor provided funds

In October of 2024, the HES Experiential Fund was used to support a trip of Health Science and Public Health Education students to Washington D.C. led by Drs. Carol Cox and Rolena Stephenson (’01) to attend the Society for Public Health Education Advocacy Summit. The Summit provided a learning environment for all levels of knowledge and experience, and students learned advocacy skills from national experts to enhance their confidence. In addition to educational session participation, students presented their research projects and advocated on Capitol Hill, covering topics such as youth advocacy and the use of social media as a tool for health advocacy. Balas also hosted the group at a dinner where she shared her legislative advocacy experiences over her career.

Alumni Spotlight – Kirsten Bernthal Booth (’97)

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Kirsten_Bernthal-BoothKirsten Bernthal Booth has been head coach of Creighton University women’s volleyball team since 2002. She is a three-time National Coach of the Year and is responsible for turning Creighton’s program into one of the best volleyball teams in the United States. Bernthal Booth has an impressive 500 career wins at Creighton.

A 1997 communication graduate, Bernthal Booth had an impactful time at Truman. She was the 1993 MIAA Freshman of the Year, as well as the 1996 MIAA Most Valuable Player. She was also the first Truman player to earn all-conference honors in all four seasons. In addition to her achievements in Volleyball, earning her a spot in the Truman State University Hall of Fame in 2011, Bernthal Booth was also a part of the Student Senate, as well as being a Student Ambassador.

Bernthal Booth took Creighton University Volleyball to the 2024 NCAA tournament once again, making it to the Elite Eight. The team at Creighton has now been to 13 of the last 14 NCAA tournaments under Bernthal Booth’s leadership. The 2024 season was the most successful in Creighton Volleyball history with a 25-match win streak.

Alumni Spotlight – Mark Taggart (’95)

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Mark TaggartMark Taggart (’95) graduated from Truman State University with his degree in Business Administration. During his time here, Taggart was a member of Blue Key, Alpha Phi Sigma, Big Brother/Big Sisters and served as a Residence Life advisor. He is now the chief financial officer for Toyota Material Handling North America, president of Raymond Leasing, chairman of Toyota Industries Commercial Finance U.S., chairman of Toyota Industries Commercial Finance Canada and chairman of Toyota Industries Lease Mexico.

Taggart served as Truman’s next Bentele/Mallinckrodt Executive-in-Residence November 20-21. Made possible by a gift from Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, the endowment enables the Truman’s School of Business and Professional Studies to select one outstanding individual from business and industry each semester to spend two to three days on campus. The time they spend on campus includes a special emphasis on how the executive handles unique challenges in a “real world” setting. Taggart’s time on campus included discussions with students, both in and out of the classroom.

Kohlenberg Lyceum Series Features Vienna Boys’ Choir

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Vienna Boys' ChoirThe world-famous Vienna Boys’ Choir will take the stage at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 in Baldwin Auditorium for the next installment of the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series.

Based in Austria, the Vienna Boys’ Choir is composed of sopranos and altos between the ages of nine and 14. They perform for nearly 500,000 people each year. The ensemble is a modern-day descendant of the boys’ choirs of the Viennese Court dating back to the late Middle Ages. This performance will include Austrian folk songs, classical masterpieces, Christmas hymns and holiday carols. For six centuries, these young singers have been adored the world over for their lively style and beautiful tone.

The Lyceum Series is fully funded through the University Foundation and tickets for the 2024-25 Kohlenberg Lyceum Series are provided free of charge thanks to the generous support of local sponsors, the Friends of the Lyceum. Gifts to the Lyceum Series Fund support one of the University’s oldest traditions and continue to bring extraordinary performances to Truman’s campus each year.

For more information about the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series, visit lyceum.truman.edu or contact the Advancement Office at 660.785.4133 or LyceumSeries@truman.edu.

Alumni Spotlight – Jules Price (’14)

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Jules PriceJules Price is a 2014 graduate of Truman State University, with her BS in Linguistics and Psychology. During her time at Truman, she worked as a Student Advisor, a Community Coordinator, as well as being a part of the Residence Hall Association, National Residence Hall Honorary, and the dance group TSODA.

As of July 2024, Jules has served as the St. Louis Chapter Representative on the Alumni Board, and prior to that the St. Louis Alumni Chapter Vice President. Currently, Jules works as Assistant Manager at The Resale Shop, NCJWSTL.

Jules also has a love for photography, travel, reading, yoga, and hiking, as well as being a member of the Missouri Botanical Garden and a season ticket holder at the Muny.

Jules shares the advice that it is important to ask for help when you need it. As a transfer student, she had a rough time out of state prior to coming to Truman. It is a journey learning to ask for help, and Jules emphasizes wanting to normalize seeking assistance in everything, including mental health and skill building.

Local Lowdown – FLATS Half Marathon

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FLATS Half Marathon

The fourteenth annual Forest Lake Area Trail System (FLATS) annual half-marathon is coming up on October 5, 2024. The 13.1 mile course features gorgeous views, trekking from the Thousand Hills State Park Marina along the shores of Forest Lake. The course finishes at beautiful Jackson Stables, the site for a post-race celebration. The race is a fundraiser for the Forest Lake Area Trail System. With the help of volunteers, FLATS is responsible for much of the maintenance of the trails in Thousand Hills State Park, preventing overgrowth and keeping them clear for public use.

Established in 2016, FLATS is a non-profit organization with the mission of developing a multi-use trail between the city of Kirksville and Thousand Hills. Formed by a volunteer group of citizens, FLATS is working closely with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Thousand Hills State Park, The National Park Service, the City of Kirksville, Adair County, area service organizations and the Kirksville community to develop plans for this trail. The long-term goal is to show the community that Thousand Hills is closer than you think.

Beyond raising funds to continue trail projects, the FLATS half-marathon serves as an opportunity to have fun outdoors, learn about yourself and get physical activity. Trails also have an important role in a community by drawing people into the community from out of town.

The FLATS half-marathon is a fantastic opportunity for alumni to return to Kirksville and join the community for a good cause. You can still sign up for the race and find more information about it at http://www.kvflats.org/events/

Alumni Spotlight – Dawn Tartaglione (’90)

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Dawn TartaglioneThe 2024 Alumna of the Year to be honored as a part of the Homecoming Celebration is 1990 graduate Dawn (Wellington)  Tartaglione.

Dawn grew up in Maryville, MO, the oldest of four children with loving parents Ron and Peggy Wellington. She was grateful to be a Pershing Scholar and loved being the piano accompanist for NEMO Singers. She enjoyed Gamma Phi Delta, a local NMSU sorority, and was one of the founding members of the Theta Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi. She worked in periodicals in the library and in Dr. Cornell’s lab doing brain and liver surgery on rats and mice. These opportunities prepared her well for medical school, and she graduated from Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1995. She then went on to become the first female osteopathic physician to become a neurosurgeon, completing her residency in Detroit, MI in 2001 through Michigan State University.

While in Kirksville, she met her husband of 32 years, Andrew Tartaglione. On many occasions through the years, they have worked together in operating rooms with Andrew providing anesthesia for her neurosurgery patients. Those have always been her favorite cases.

She practiced neurosurgery in Michigan and Oklahoma for 9 years each and is now in Dover, DE since late 2018 at Bayhealth. As the Medical Director of Neurosurgery and Department of Surgery Chair, she enjoys mentoring young surgeons and having a great neurosurgery team with eight clinicians.

The opportunity to serve on the Truman State University Foundation Board, including in leadership, has been one of the most fulfilling activities of her life. Spending time with University leadership, Truman alumni on the Board and with the Advancement Office leaders and staff was truly amazing.

She has enjoyed serving as President of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and the American Osteopathic Foundation as well. She was honored in 2014 with the national Ursa Major award from Alpha Phi for achievements in her field.

MOLSAMP continues to provide resources for students in STEM at Truman

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Dr. Barbara Kramer, Professor of Chemistry and Director of STEM Talent Expansion Programs, was recently awarded nearly $500,000 in National Science Foundation grant money for the continuation of the Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (MOLSAMP) at Truman. MOLSAMP is specifically designed to diversify the nation’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce by increasing the number of graduates that are historically underrepresented in these disciplines. The partnership, which began in 2015, includes a coalition of public and private universities statewide: Harris-Stowe State University, University of Missouri-Columbia, Lincoln University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Washington University, Missouri State University, University of Central Missouri, St. Louis Community College Center for Plant and Life Sciences, and Truman. The end goal is to double the number of undergraduate minorities graduating in STEM in the state.

Each campus uses the grant money in a unique way, playing to their needs and strengths. Major research institutions like the University of Missouri and Washington University focus on undergraduate research and offer summer opportunities to students in the program. Truman’s focus has been on intentional academic advising and retention, and since its inception, sixty Truman students have had some active participation, and the University has seen an increase in the number of minority students in STEM degrees. The new grant will help fund more collaboration with partner institutions and provide stipends for students between $1,000 and $2,000 so that they can attend more in-person activities as well as utilize online resources.

Dr. Kramer believes the community aspect is the most valuable. Students attend workshops, conferences (on the state and national levels), and work together with other underrepresented students in STEM fields. There is also an annual Undergraduate Research Symposium sponsored by MOLSAMP where scholars from all the partner schools present their research in poster sessions. Kramer said, “Having the community that MOLSAMP builds for them is making a difference, not just at Truman but as they enter graduate school or industry.”