MU Diversity News
Emily Smith, MU News Bureau
Media outlets recently reported the results of two studies that highlighted the increasing problem of health disparities. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines health disparities as population-specific differences in the presence of disease, health outcomes or access to health care. Now, a University of Missouri professor explains in his new book that improving media coverage of health disparities will influence public awareness and promote efforts to reduce racial and ethnic differences in health care.
Bryan E. Jones, News Bureau
Studies reveal that in the dog-eat-dog, look-out-for-No. 1, highly competitive business world, only the aggressive, risk-taking alpha male can expect to succeed as an entrepreneur. That statement may sound sexist, but it represents a commonly held gender stereotype. A team led by a University of Missouri researcher found that these stereotypes influence whether or not men and women decide to pursue entrepreneurship as a viable career option.
Christian Basi, News Bureau
A group of 10 University of Missouri faculty, staff and students were honored recently with the 2008 Mizzou Inclusive Excellence Award, recognizing their contributions to campus diversity efforts. The award is given through the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative to individuals at MU who have made exemplary contributions to any area of diversity, including gender issues, racial-ethnic background, language, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, abilities and disabilities, national and geographical origin, economic strata, and political views.
Lisa Bruce, Web Communications
Nicolle and Marcus Adair talk like they work — in tandem. Both have been going to school and working on-and-off for the past 8 years. They may not have taken the traditional journey to college degrees, but both graduate May 17 from the College of Arts and Science: Marcus with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with honors, Nicolle with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in communication, black studies and social work.
Anna Koeppel, The Maneater
Student groups brought concerns about a variety of issues to administrators during Chancellor Brady Deaton’s semi-annual visit to Four Front, a coalition of campus minority groups. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Jim Spain also attended the meeting.
Sara Shahriariari, Columbia Missourian
Donato Ndongo can’t go home. He hasn’t seen his country since 1994, and no one knows if he will again. This political exile, historian, journalist and novelist will give up his post as visiting professor in MU’s Spanish department this summer and return to Spain — but that is not his home either.
C.J. Trent, Columbia Missourian
The Baptist Student Union at MU resonated with songs of praise on Friday night. With the theme of “unity in faith,” several MU Christian campus ministries came together to worship and pray as part of an event called “Glimpse of Eternity III.”
Joe Meyer, Columbia Tribune
Portions of the service last night at Congregation Beth Shalom resembled a typical Sabbath, but other portions resembled a birthday party. There were prayers and Psalms and plenty of music. The night even included a humble birthday cake in celebration of the state of Israel.
Allie Blood, The Maneater
Students, faculty and administrators gathered at the MizzouDiversity Summit Sunday and Monday to facilitate dialogue on increasing diversity on campus.
Christian Basi, News Bureau
Deputy Chancellor Mike Middleton has appointed Roger L. Worthington as Chief Diversity Officer for the University of Missouri. Worthington will coordinate the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative, support MU’s commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action, and serve as a consultant on matters of diversity initiatives being sponsored and funded by the university. Priorities of the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative include efforts to increase the diversity of faculty, staff and students and to promote a welcoming and inclusive campus climate.
Columbia Tribune
The University of Missouri has given the nod to Roger Worthington to assume the full-time position of chief diversity officer to coordinate the campus’s efforts in multi-cultural areas.
Michael Sewall, The Maneater
The Missouri Civil Rights Initiative, a ballot initiative that would ban most forms of affirmative action, did not receive enough petition signatures to reach the ballot for the Nov. 4 General Election this year. The deadline to turn in signatures was Sunday.
Jennifer Faddis, News Bureau
Women in their 20s and 30s will have big problems as they age if they don’t start thinking about bone health now, according to a University of Missouri nutritional scientist who studies osteoporosis. Bone mass in women peaks at age 30 and is stable until age 50 when a rapid loss begins to occur. Men stay relatively steady over time and do not experience a significant bone loss until age 70.
Bryan E. Jones, News Bureau
In the global economy, corporate collaboration is becoming a necessity, making trust critical to the success of joint business ventures. A University of Missouri study examined the effects of trust at three distinct organizational levels and found that business executives should strive to build and maintain trust to improve performance. Building that trust may include consideration of staffing, special compensation and adjusted management processes
Off Campus Diversity News
Paul David Lampe and Rose Raymond
Frances Hayashida lies on a mat in a quiet room as a soothing voice washes over her, guiding her toward a tranquil place. She listens as the yoga nidra instructor talks her through the emotional and spiritual process of becoming aware and letting go.
Joe Meyer, Columbia Tribune
Dacia Luck summed up why she decided to participate in yesterday’s graduation ceremony at Columbia College instead of skipping it the way some graduates do. "I put enough work into it, I might as well do it," Luck, 24, said. "I survived the one in high school, so I can survive this." Luck’s walk across the stage was notable: She is the first blind student to participate in a commencement at Columbia College, according to the school. The Rock Bridge High School graduate didn’t appear to be concerned about that feat. Instead, she shared a fear common to many graduates that she might trip or stumble while walking across the stage.
Robby Lewis, The Maneater
Days after the failure of the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative, which sought to end affirmative action in Missouri, Columbia residents met Wednesday to discuss the issue and diversity in the community.
Rachel Smeda, Columbia Missourian
How did Christians decide what belonged in the Bible? The Bible on most American shelves is made up of 66 individual books — such as Psalms, Romans and Revelation — written by more than 40 authors over the course of thousands of years. The books of the Bible are divinely inspired, Christians say, but the chosen 66 are not the only books with this claim. The Catholic Bible includes 14 additional books; the Jewish Bible, or Tanakh, contains only 24 books. Why is there controversy, and how did the Protestant Church decide which books belonged in its Bible?
Rachel Smelda
Michael Burris grew up watching professional wrestling. At just 4 years old, he would plead with his grandpa to take him every Friday night to the wrestling matches in St. Joseph, 12 miles from Clarksdale where he lived, to watch “Handsome” Harley Race, “The Stomper” and other big-time wrestlers compete in all-star shows. Burris would never have guessed that one April evening nearly 40 years later he’d be watching a wrestling match while seated beside Harley Race himself.
Annie Nelson, Columbia Tribune
Chuck Fagre believes Americans neglect an aspect of their mental and physical health because spirituality does not share an equal role with medicine in the Western practices of healing. "We don’t accept that in this culture because we are taught it’s not real," said Fagre, a psychic minister in Columbia.
