Brandon Martin officially begins his tenure Dec. 3 as director of athletics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. That’s “officially” because he’s been hard at work since his appointment was announced Nov. 14.

He’s committed to solving a puzzle that has eluded predecessors for decades: while the Roos have produced conference champions in competition and excelled in the classroom, the teams’ fan base is fervent but small. They have not yet broken through to ignite a sizable fan base across campus or in the community.

His best asset right now is his track record.

Martin has athletic leadership experience at two of the nation’s leading Power Five conference programs, Southern California and Oklahoma. At Cal State-Northridge, he took over a Division I athletic program that was largely ignored by campus and community, and raised donations by 450 percent and student attendance for men‘s basketball by 71 percent. During his last full year there, his programs had three All-Americans, nine individual Big West Champions, three Big West Coaches of the Year and eight Big West Players of the Year.

Oh, and by the way, that’s Doctor Brandon E. Martin, Ph.D.

When Introduced as the new leader of UMKC Athletics last month, Martin said he won’t be accomplishing anything on his own.

“I’m not a savior. We’re going to do this all together,” Martin said. As a senior associate athletics director at Oklahoma, he made annual trips to Kansas City for the Big 12 basketball tournament. “Kansas City is a great sports town, so we just have to get people engaged.

“There’s really no ceiling on how great we can become.”

Martin’s goals for UMKC’s program are straightforward. Become a Top 100 Division I program. Winning Western Athletic Conference championships and earning NCAA tournament berths. Providing a first-rate campus life experience for student athletes, while producing graduates who not only earn degrees, but develop as leaders for campus and community.

Martin put to rest any lingering questions about the status of UMKC athletics. “We are playing at the Division I level. Period.”

Martin is taking over a UMKC program that has a reputation for academic achievement, a reputation he has a real passion to not just continue, but build on.

“I always had a passion for education. I always knew that I would become a teacher, I just didn’t know at what level.” So when he was recruited to play basketball at USC, he enrolled in the university’s Rossier School of Education. After graduation, he stayed at USC to begin his career in athletic administration, but also enrolled in graduate school.

“I wanted to work in college athletics, but I wanted to be connected to the true fabric and true mission of a university,” Martin said. “I knew that I needed a terminal degree.”

At USC, Martin served as an assistant professor of clinical education at Rossier. His dissertation entitled “A Phenomenological Study of Academically Driven African American Male Student-Athletes at Highly Selective Division I Universities” won the 2005 Rossier School of Education Dissertation of the Year Award. In 2005, he also earned the National Association of Academic Advisors award for Student-Athlete Excellence in Research. He has presented more than 40 papers, symposia and workshops at national higher education conferences. In 2014, Martin was appointed to the NCAA Committee on Academics.

Before serving as athletics director at Cal State-Northridge, Martin served as a senior associate athletics director for administration at the University of Oklahoma. He handled day-to-day administration for Men’s Basketball, Men’s/Women’s Track and Field, Cross Country, Women’s Soccer and Rowing. His duties also included oversight of departmental strategic planning, marketing and promotions, human resources, strength and conditioning, Big 12 and NCAA legislation, risk management, NCAA certification and all diversity and inclusion programming for the department. While at the University of Oklahoma, Martin also served on the President’s Graduation and Retention Task Force.

In addition to student-athlete development and winning championships, Martin said integrity and engagement also will be hallmarks of Roo athletics under his leadership.

“It’s important to win, but you have to do it the right way,” he said. He, along with coaches and student-athletes, will engage with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and fans. “It’s engagement that will be meaningful. We’re giving the whole Kansas City community an invitation to come and see how we are building up our program.”

“My words and actions have to connect,” Martin added. “I have to paint a picture of who we can be. My vision is for the Roos to become a Top 100 program, but I have to explain to people how we’re going to get there.”

His road map starts with providing the best campus experience possible for student-athletes. That will require additional resources, so jump-starting fundraising will be critical. It continues with meaningful engagement to generate excitement about the program’s possibilities.

Then, the program has to close the deal.

“We have to win. Winning championships is paramount.”

Photo by Brandon Parigo, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications

Inside any child care center, you might see small children sharing toys, toddling around their surroundings and making friends with other children. The staff of the UMKC Edgar L. and Rheta A. Berkley Child and Family Development Center see much more.

They understand these children are learning critical thinking skills and building the archetype of the brain. Play teaches children how objects work in the world; how people think, feel and act; and how to problem-solve. It is a crucial part of Berkley CFDC, which has served the UMKC campus and Great Kansas City Community for twenty-five years.

The Berkley Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) was established as part of the UMKC School of Education as a 12-month, full-day program serving as a learning laboratory for children from birth through age five. Berkley’s name is in honor of the major benefactor, Rheta Berkley and her husband, Edgar. Berkley was a leading figure and advocate of education and the arts in Kansas City for nearly three-quarters of a century.

Berkley CFDC is dedicated to reflecting state-of-the-art practices in early childhood education and working with children and families.

“Berkley was built on the vision to provide a progressive, creative approach to early childhood education, a devotion to developing the whole family in that education and a commitment to supporting its employees and the community,” says Polly Prendergast, Director of Berkley CFDC since 2003.

Berkley CFDC seeks to raise the quality of early learning in the Kansas City area. The cornerstone of their philosophy is building equal relationships among the family, child and teacher. Berkley CFDC is firmly embedded in constructivism: the theoretical view that learners construct knowledge through interactions with the physical and social environments. Berkley CFDC helps set the stage for these children with the understanding that 85% of intellect, personality and skills are cultivated by age five.

Berkley CFDC is inspired by the Schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy and actively studies their approach to education. It is also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Nationally, only 7 percent of early childhood programs have received this accreditation.

Parents are drawn to the program because of Berkley CFDC’s method of incorporating research-based methods into its teaching practices. Both of Rheta Berkley’s great nieces, Sara and Sophie Sosland, enrolled their children at Berkley CFDC.

“The fact that Berkley has a clear vision for its approach to education and backs that up by continuing to explore new and better ways to refine and implement that vision is what makes it so great,” says Sara Sosland.

She also appreciates how inclusive the program is as well.

“I appreciate the value that Berkley places on professional development and continuing education for their own educators, and I think it’s wonderful that they provide those opportunities in-house,” Sara says. “They host opportunities for parents to learn more about infant and child development, and collaborate with other schools across the world.”

Berkley CFDC serves 100 students on a daily basis with 20 full-time and 18 part-time staff members. The programs have also grown over the years.

“Berkley expanded its infant-toddler program in 2000,” says Pendergast, “and since 2003 preschool enrollment has increased by 20%.”

To the parents, the extraordinary care that Berkley CFDC offers makes the center stand out when searching for the right place for their children.

“The staff at Berkley is wonderful,” Sophie Sosland says.  “They’re warm, attentive, playful, and knowledgeable.  We feel very comfortable knowing our son is under their care.  And we are extremely pleased with the progress he has made in the last year.”

The School of Education also directly impacts the program through teacher preparation.

“Students from the School of Education’s early childhood program complete practicum teaching placements with us. Students complete observations and link those observations to their course work,” says Pendergast. “Practicum students, student teachers, interns, and other students from the School of Education are placed and or given assignments to complete here throughout the year.”

In addition, this year, Berkley CFDC initiated a community collaboration focused on professional development with St. Mark Center, an urban not-for-profit preschool located near 12^th Street and Garfield Avenue.

Just like the children they care for, Berkley CFDC will never stop changing, which leaves only more room for growth. They continue to cultivate their programs based off current research and developmentally appropriate practice.

“Berkley challenges us to create a revolution in child care,” Prendergast said.

Article by Alyssa Baker, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications

Photo by Brandon Parigo, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications

School of Computing and Engineering breaks ground on new $32 million research center

Students flew drones above and demonstrated robotics around steel bridges and racing buggies outside of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Student Union Theater. These prize-winning innovations gave guests just a glimpse of the talent that comes out of the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering as they filed into the theater to celebrate the long-awaited groundbreaking Sept. 20 of the school’s new research and laboratory building.

The name of the new $32 million building was revealed at the event: The Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise and Research Center.

The 57,800-square-foot building will provide leading-edge, high-tech research and development capabilities for both the campus and the Kansas City community at large. As home to the campus’ Free Enterprise Center, a maker space with industry grade equipment available for anyone to use, this building will serve a much broader audience than just the UMKC community when it opens in 2020.

“The efforts of our faculty and staff – under the leadership of Dean Kevin Truman – have led to a rapid increase in student enrollment over the past 10 years at the School of Computing and Engineering. The new education and research center will increase both classroom space and faculty research capabilities for the school, both of which play a key role in maintaining and enhancing Kansas City and Missouri’s ability to compete in a high-tech 21st century global economy.”

-UMKC Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal

Photos by Brandon Parigo, Strategic Marketing & Communications

Switching up from the traditional dirt-and-shovel groundbreaking events, and directly in line with UMKC’s leadership in drone technology, Agrawal and School of Computing and Engineering Dean Kevin Z. Truman led the audience through a virtual groundbreaking experience and multimedia visual of the building.

“This building gives us the ability to perform world-class research in fields such as nanomaterials, unpiloted aircraft, renewable energy and Big Data. Our students will be thrilled to continue their in-depth participation in scholarly research, now taking place in a new, modern, enhanced facility.”

-Kevin Z. Truman, dean of the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering

High-tech capabilities in the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise and Research Center will include:

• $3 million worth of new virtual reality and augmented reality equipment
• A clean room and scanning electron microscope, which can allow for the development of nanotechnology, robotics, biomedical applications, mechatronics and other technologies
• Research-grade 3-D printing equipment
• A high-bay structural lab that will power research and development for, and prepare the workforce for, Kansas City’s large and growing civil engineering and construction sector
• “Big data” analytics labs that will replicate major data centers, preparing students for jobs at local tech firms such as Cerner and Garmin as well as major national and international employers such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook
• An energy learning and research facility that will address topics ranging from renewable energy and traditional high-voltage transmission to the creation of batteries small enough to power tiny monitors being used in medical research and healthcare.

Though only a freshman, Ruby Rios’ relationship with the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering extends back to her middle school days when she first became involved with the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering-founded KC STEM Alliance. Rios said it was her involvement with KC STEM Alliance that sparked her interest in connecting more with the Kansas City tech community. Attending UMKC was a natural fit for her as she’d already spent time on campus, and Flarsheim Hall – the current home of the School of Computing and Engineering –  through various summer programs and tech camps for girls.

“Today, I feel very fortunate that I’m able to return to Flarsheim Hall as a Computer Science freshman. I think the new building represents how seriously UMKC is taking its role as a leader in STEM education in our region. I’m excited to see that the School of Computing and Engineering is growing right alongside the rest of our tech community.”

-Ruby Rios, freshman at the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering

Though many of the attendees there to celebrate the groundbreaking each came with a unique perspective, the shared excitement among them was that the future of STEM research and education is as bright as ever.

“As one of the first corporate supporters of this project, I couldn’t be prouder. And as one of the first personal supporters of this project, I’m even happier. What you will do here will move your students forward, it will move Kansas City forward.”

-Greg Graves, retired CEO of Burns & McDonnell

Construction of the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise and Research Center will begin immediately. The technical consultant team on the project is PGAV Architects, Odimo, Branch Pattern, KH Engineering Group and SK Design. The design-build team is Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, HOK, Ross & Baruzzini, Antella Engineering Consultants, Alper Audi Inc., Taliaferro and Browne Inc. and Colin Gordon Associates.

The UMKC School of Computing and Engineering recognized major donors to the building project:

• The Sunderland Foundation
• The Robert W. Plaster Foundation
• The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
• The Hall Family Foundation
• The Illig Family Foundation
• SS&C – formerly DST Systems
• The Economic Development Administration
• The Jack and Glenna Wiley Foundation
• The National Science Foundation
• KCP&L
• Black & Veatch
• Burns & McDonnell
• Paul DeBruce

The building is named for Robert W. Plaster of the Robert W. Plaster Foundation. Plaster was a successful Missouri businessman as well as a co-founder and active supporter of Enactus, at that time known as Students in Free Enterprise, and was a member of its executive board until the time of his death in 2008.

| Article by Kelsey Haynes, Strategic Marketing and Communications

New Bloch opportunity gives students the keys to success

Through its unique expertise and deep connections, UMKC offers its students valuable opportunities.

Victoria Chestnut’s dream is to own a restaurant. She has the concept nailed down and even a name F.U.N. Foods — the initials stand for fresh, unprocessed, natural.

“A lot of people are busy and work 50-plus hours a week, and those people want to eat healthy,” said Chestnut, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and is now pursuing an MBA. “I plan to serve vegetable pastas and protein bowls.”

But even if the food is delicious and the branding is solid, there’s much more to the restaurant business — an industry where the closing rate is high and there are numerous, challenging variables. That’s why Chestnut is happy to be involved in a new for-credit internship at the University of Missouri-Kansas City: the Cornbread Buffet, a restaurant in the Landing shopping center at 63^rdStreet just east of Troost Avenue.

The idea for the restaurant internship program began a few years ago when Tony Mendes, managing director of the UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management’s Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; David Block, president of Block & Co. Realtors; and Ivan Marquez, a successful Kansas City area restauranteur, joined forces.

The Full Employment Council also helped fund the restaurant program, supplementing an hourly wage for students. In addition to providing important educational opportunities, the organization regards the Cornbread Buffet as a significant community development because it’s east of Troost Avenue — historically Kansas City’s racial dividing line.

The semester-long curriculum includes Marquez bringing in representatives from the community to teach the students how to negotiate and work with food and equipment providers, as well as give them experience in more than one type of restaurant.

“We want to prepare students for success from the start,” Mendes said.

Just a few weeks into the semester, Chestnut already feels successful. She’s learned enough to know that when she starts her restaurant, it will initially be a food truck since she’s a solo entrepreneur. The goal is to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant after she’s proven the concept.

At Cornbread Buffet, Chestnut runs the cash register in the front of the restaurant, manages inventory, hires and schedules employees and handles payroll. She also had a hand in creating the press release that initially promoted the restaurant.

Local news media covered the story of this unusual restaurant. When Cornbread Buffet opened, customers lined up outside the door for the comfort-food menu: fried chicken, okra, mashed potatoes, beans-and-ham and, of course, cornbread.

“I really like that I can learn every single part of the restaurant business here,” Chestnut said. “There’s something new each day.”

| Article by Stacy Downs, Strategic Marketing and Communications

UMKC hosted UM System Research Summit

More than 100 innovators and leaders came together to collaborate, engage and learn from each other at the University of Missouri System Research Summit, “Human in the Digital Age,” hosted by the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The topic is timely as there has been plenty of discussion lately about how digital technology is incorporated into everyday lives, said UMKC Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal.

“In addition to how we use digital technology in academia, it has become an integral part of how we connect and engage with the world around us,” Agrawal said. “Whether its healthcare, cybersecurity, or travel, much of what we do – if not all these days – involves some kind of connectivity.”

“The true impact of doing digital work is that it brings our work to a much broader audience,” said Jeff Rydberg-Cox, curators’ distinguished professor of English language and literature at UMKC.

In a TEDx-style format that included time for questions and answers, UM System faculty from the four universities that are part of the UM System covered diverse topics such as technology, social media, travel, design, computer science and more. They shared the groundbreaking discoveries they make on a daily basis.

“Technology impacts every person,” said Michelle Reynolds, associate director, Institute for Human Development at UMKC. “Technology improves our lives. But we need to also think about how technology can segregate us. Technology needs to be usable by all. Making things more inclusive is the right thing to do.”

Presentation topics and speakers are listed below. To view their presentation, click on the presentation title:

• Detecting cyber threats on Twitter – Praveen Rao, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, UMKC.
• Artificial intelligence and smart home automation to empower people with disabilities – Yugi Lee, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, UMKC.
• A biomechanical framework for characterization of clinician task performance – Gregory W. King, associate professor of mechanical engineering, UMKC.
• Picturing new possibilities in the fight against HIV via digital photography – Michelle Teti, associate professor, department of Health Sciences, MU.
• Humans, cyborgs and robots: testing the boundaries of personhood – Keith Miller, Orthwein endowed professor for lifelong learning in the sciences, College of Education, UMSL.
• Physically interactive robots for human assistance – Yun Seong Song, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Missouri S&T.
• Artificial intelligence in radiology – Tally Altes, professor of radiology, MU.

Panel One Discussion

• Driving in the digital age: A boon or bane? – Praveen Edara, professor of civil and environmental engineering, MU.
• Building a connected mobility management and analytics-centered smarter transportation system– XB (Xianbiao) Hu, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, Missouri S&T.
• What does it mean to digitize travel? – Carlos Sun, professor of civil and environmental engineering, MU.
• Ironies of self-quantification: Impacts of biosensor data on decision-making, identity and social control – Denise Baker, assistant professor of psychological sciences, Missouri S&T.
• Designing for impact and usability – Joi Moore, associate dean for engagement and outreach, professor of Information science and learning, MU.

Panel Two Discussion

• Human(ities) in the Digital Age – Andrew Kersten, dean, College of Arts and Sciences, UMSL.
• Manuscripts, networks and human heritage in the Digital Age – Jeff Rydberg-Cox, curators’ distinguished professor of English language and literature; Virginia Blanton, professor and chair, English language and literature and Nathan Oyler, associate professor, chemistry, UMKC.
• ᎠᎾᎦᎵᏍᎩ ᎪᏪᎵ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏣᎳᎩ – Lightning paper and Cherokee people – Joseph Erb, assistant professor of digital storytelling, MU.
• Digital technologies and scholarship: New horizons for the humanities – Twyla Gibson, assistant professor of information science and learning technologies, MU.
• Improving technology access and design for people with intellectual disabilities – George S. Gotto, IV, interim director, Institute for Human Development and Michelle Reynolds, associate director, Institute for Human Development, UMKC.
• The dark and bright sides of technology use – Fiona Nah, professor, business and information technology, Missouri S&T.
• The rule of law and protection of the commons in the “age of accelerations” – Anthony Luppino, Rubey M. Hulen professor of law and director of entrepreneurship programs, UMKC.

Panel Three Discussion

|Article by Bridget Koan, Strategic Marketing and Communications

Susan Wilson Honored at Power of Diversity Breakfast

University of Missouri-Kansas City Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion Susan Wilson was one of three leaders honored with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Ace Award at the annual Power of Diversity Breakfast July 25.

Wilson is a licensed clinical psychologist with a multifaceted career in education, healthcare administration, consulting, clinical and media work. In her role as chief diversity officer at UMKC, she leads a diversity organizational development strategy including diversity and inclusion assessment, planning and initiatives for students, faculty, staff and the community.

“I love my job because every day I get to work on something different that advances the role of diversity and inclusion,” said Wilson. “I also learn things about myself that make me a better person.”

Also honored at the breakfast were fellow Ace Award winners Vanessa Sims of UMB Financial Corporation and Carla Gibson of REACH Healthcare Foundation. Christine Kelly of Metropolitan Community College was honored as the 2018 Supplier Diversity Award winner and Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP received the 2018 Champion of Diversity Award.

Also during the event, keynote speaker Glenn Harris gave an interactive presentation on achieving equity and equality. Harris is president of the new Race Forward and publisher of Colorlines.

Wilson said her biracial background – Italian and African American – gave her a passion for understanding how to bridge gaps and how people navigate their differences.
She has more than twenty years of diversity-related experience. Prior to her role as Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion, she served as Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership for the UMKC School of Medicine. She has also provided training and diversity consultation to many businesses and government organizations, and served on the Mayor’s Human Rights Commission.

“Inclusion is really genuinely including people so that their voice counts and their presence counts,” said Wilson, adding that the decision making in teams and organizations is made better by having diverse voices and opinions.

Wilson has contributed her time and skills to numerous civic and community endeavors, including Jackson County COMBAT Commission, Missouri Department of Mental Health Cultural Competency Committee, and the Statewide African American Mental Health Taskforce. She is a former member of the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City and is Chair of the Prime Health Board.