October 2021

Dear CASB Community,

It was wonderful seeing so many alumni return for MinerFest 2021, our Fall Homecoming Festival. Some of the things I personally missed most during last year’s virtual celebrations were seeing the crowds visit department open houses and chatting with CASB alumni at the tailgate party before the football game. This year we were able to hold open houses and meet with friends as well as honor several CASB alumni and faculty for their outstanding achievements.

I want to thank our campus community, friends, and family for following campus pandemic-related guidance during the festivities. If you plan to visit us soon, be sure to review the most up-to-date resources and guidance at coronavirus.mst.edu.

We have had so much good news recently that I simply cannot list it all. The Career Fair set yet another record for number of employer booths eager to hire S&T students, new faculty joined us from all over the world, and biological sciences recently launched a new program for students interested in the field of medical laboratory science.

Economics, Business and Information Technology shift to Kummer College

University leadership recently announced that the economics department and the business and information technology (BIT) department will become two of the three foundational departments in the new Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development. The third is the engineering management and systems engineering department, which is currently housed in the College of Engineering and Computing.

We expect economics and BIT to become part of the Kummer College by fall 2022, and CASB is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for these departments into their new academic home. I predict that the establishment of the Kummer College will create new opportunities for everyone in the S&T community, and give S&T a chance to refresh, refocus, and elevate its reputation and visibility.

Student opportunities continue to grow

In September, students and community members mingled at S&T’s first Equinox Fest. The event celebrated the equinox at S&T’s Stonehenge and was held at celestial noon, approximately 1 p.m. in Rolla. Participants learned about the science and history behind Stonehenge and visited with space- and solar-related student organizations and design teams. I especially want to thank the faculty from psychological science; history and political science; physics; and arts, languages, and philosophy who staffed interactive booths at the festival, along with the English and technical communication faculty who recorded fantastic audio tours, and archivist Debra Griffith who provided volumes of historical information on the Rolla Stonehenge construction.

If you are looking for inspiration, look no further than our CASB students, who continue to amaze me with their energy and talents. Take for instance Sarah Locke, who recently earned a Ph.D. in mathematics and statistics. Sarah helped start the Graduate Women in Science student organization, which connects women students at S&T and hosts events to help younger girls get interested in STEM subjects.

Or Michael Gueterman, who returned to college to complete his degree after attending another institution in the 1980s. He graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in business and management systems and credits his advisor, Dr. Bih-Ru Lea, for really helping him think through his goals and review his options.

Faculty achieve additional recognition

CASB faculty have been busy, both inside and outside the classroom. Two of the three S&T faculty selected to serve as University of Missouri System Presidential Engagement Fellows during the 2021-22 academic year are from our college – congratulations to Dr. Devin Burns in psychological science and Dr. Beth Kania-Gosche in teacher education and certification. The two will serve as ambassadors in the region and speak at no cost to local organizations about their areas of expertise. Request them to speak at your event by visiting umurl.us/pef-speaking-request.

Dr. Rainer Glaser in chemistry and Dr. Nancy Stone in psychological science have both been named Fellows of their respective professional societies. We are proud that these colleagues have received such significant and well-deserved honors.

Another extremely proud moment for our college this summer was when Dr. Audra Merfeld-Langston in arts, languages, and philosophy was named a chevalier in the French Republic’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Order of the French Academic Palms). The French Academic Palms was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808 to honor educators and is the oldest non-military French decoration.

I hope to see you all on campus again soon, whether you drop by for a visit in the CASB office or I see you next spring at the St. Pat’s parade. In the meantime, I invite you to join us for some of our upcoming virtual events, such as the Founder’s Day Trivia Night in early November or the final S&T 150th anniversary event “Remembering Missouri's most famous generals” in December presented by military historian and Curators’ Distinguished Professor of history Dr. John McManus.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your fall, and please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time.

Kate Drowne, Ph.D.
Interim Vice Provost and Dean

College of Arts, Sciences, and Business

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