University Relations

Spectrum

Volume 31, Number 2, April 2004

University of Missouri System briefs

Distinguished teaching professors named

The University of Missouri Board of Curators approved the appointments of two distinguished teaching professors at UM-Columbia.

Ira Papick, professor of mathematics, and Meera Chandrasekhar, professor of physics and astronomy, were both designated distinguished teaching professors. The appointees will each receive a $10,000 annual stipend as long as they hold their respective positions. Both appointments are effective Sept. 1, 2004.

President establishes health disparities task force

UM System President Elson S. Floyd has established the UM System Task Force on Health Disparities. The task force will be guided by the Institute of Medicine’s definition of health disparities. The IOM defines health care disparities as “racial or ethnic differences in the quality of health care that are not due to access-related factors (i.e. patient’s insurance status or income) or clinical needs, preferences, and appropriateness of intervention.”

The task force is charged with establishing an inventory of initiatives to reduce health disparities within the University of Missouri and the state. The task force also is charged with establishing recommendations for strategies to increase minority student recruitment in the health care schools, changes in curricula to enhance students’ understanding in regard to health care disparities, and strategies to make UM a national leader in reducing health care disparities.

Other duties include recommending steps to eliminate any disparities in health care to UM patients, recommending strategies to increase UM research on health disparities, outlining proposals for UM to reduce health disparities in the state, and developing partnerships with the state and other universities to address such disparities.

Members from UM-Columbia are: Dr. Kris Hagglund, Dr. Lanis Hicks, Dr. Steve Zweig, Dr. Jacqueline Grant, and Gwen Ratermann. UM-Kansas City members are: Dr. John Ma, Dr. Reaner Shannon, Dr. Thad Wilson, and Dr. Cameron Lindsey. UM-St. Louis members are: Dr. Susan Feigenbaum, Dr. Jean Bachman, Dr. Timothy Wingert, and Dr. Alexander Harris. Other members include Peter Wilden, ex officio; Erin Elliott, legislative support; Lee Henson, disabilities liaison; and Phil Harrison, staff support.

Board of Curators approves facilities actions at UM-Columbia

The Board of Curators approved the retention of a firm to provide design services for the life sciences business incubator at UM-Columbia. The firm, Cannon St. Louis, Inc., was approved for a fee not to exceed $12,000 for programming and a fixed fee to be determined by administration for design services. The $241,894 funding is from HUD.

The board also approved naming the Sociology Building and Addition at UM-Columbia the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, contingent on securing executed gift agreements. The $31 million gift from the Reynolds Foundation to the School of Journalism includes $12.4 million for programs within the School of Journalism and $18.6 million for construction and renovation.

The construction project includes the complete renovation of the vacant Sociology Building, partial renovation of Walter Williams Hall and construction of a new addition between Sociology and Walter Williams Hall.

The late newspaper publisher Donald W. Reynolds previously donated approximately $9 million to construct the Donald W. Reynolds Alumni Center at UM-Columbia.

UM legislative academy seeks issues briefs

The UM Legislative Academy is soliciting issues briefs to inform state legislators about pending issues. Briefs should address an issue of interest or potential interest to legislators, should present objective analysis of the issues, and cannot advocate specific solutions.

Briefs will be published and distributed to new members of the General Assembly in 2005. The academy is supported by the University from funds set aside for legislative programs.

For additional information, contact Arlan Dekock, UM-Rolla; Linda G. Taylor, UM-Kansas City; Mark Tranel, UM-St. Louis; Mary Leuci, Extension; or David Valentine, UM-Columbia; or see www.truman.missouri.edu/ipp/legacad.

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