S&T grad appointed curator

Mon, July 11, 2016

S&T grad appointed curator

Gov. Jay Nixon recently appointed three new curators, including Missouri S&T graduate and supporter Tom Voss.

Thomas R. Voss

Tom earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from S&T in 1969 and is the former chief executive of Ameren Corp., a Fortune 500 company. At Ameren,Tom helped build a diverse and inclusive environment, earning the company a spot on DiversityInc’s Top 5 Regional Utilities in 2012.

Voss is now chair of Smart Wires, a global grid optimization company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He previously served as chair of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and led the chamber during its nine-month national search for a president and CEO.

At Missouri S&T, Voss has served on the Academy of Electrical and Computer Engineering and he and his wife, Carol, are members of the Order of the Golden Shillelagh. Upon accepting Nixon’s nomination to the Board of Curators, he resigned from his position on the Missouri S&T Board of Trustees.

We welcome Tom to this most prestigious post and appreciate the knowledge he brings about our university to the board as well as his business expertise.

Investing in our people

Even when budgets are tight, as they are this year, it's important that we continue to invest in our priorities as a campus. While other universities within our system are cutting budgets and eliminating positions, we are able to provide a 1 percent pool for merit-based pay increases in the coming year. At Missouri S&T, we've been prudent in our fiscal management, and despite declines in enrollment among graduate students from petroleum-producing nations and declines in research funding, we are able to continue to invest in our most important asset: our people. The success of the strategic plan depends on our ability to attract and keep our most valuable people — and we will make every effort to continue to provide merit increases. Read more about this investment in a recent communication to faculty and staff.

On the fast track to success …

Missouri S&T did very well in this year’s Fast Track grant funding process through the University of Missouri System. A total of 10 grants were awarded throughout the system, and S&T faculty received three of them. They are:

“Development and Commercialization of Multi-mode Micro-propulsion” — Joshua L. Rovey and Steven P. Berg, mechanical and aerospace engineering
“3-D Printing for Amorphous Metal Structures”— Hai-Lung Tsai, mechanical and aerospace engineering
“Millimeter Wave Imaging System Development for Diagnosis of Skin Cancers and Burns” — Reza Zoughi, electrical and computer engineering

These grants are designed to support cutting-edge translational research projects on all four UM System campuses. My congratulations to our faculty for their successful applications. Research like this helps to raise Missouri S&T’s profile while at the same time advancing important technology transfer for our state and nation.

Miners go for a hole-in-one

For the first time since 2003, we have a golf coach on campus. In fact, we have two golf coaches — because in 2017 we will have both men’s and women’s golf teams. This summer we announced the hiring of our two golf coaches: Chad Green, who will coach the men’s team, and Amy West, who will coach the women's team.

This addition is several years in the making and is driven by our strategic plan. Some may remember that we had a men’s golf team for several years but that the sport was cut after the 2003 season. We are resuming the competitive sport for several reasons. Not only is golf a lifelong activity that can be enjoyed long after the college years, it will allow us to attract students we might not otherwise. Interestingly, our student-athletes have higher GPAs and higher graduation rates than average. Additionally, our athletic teams help diversify the student body, all important goals in our strategic plan. Finally, many business relationships are strengthened on the golf course, so this is another opportunity for our students (athletes and others) to take part in an activity that will benefit them in their careers.

We have worked out an arrangement to use the Oak Meadow Country Club golf course for our home meets, tournaments and practices.

Did you know?

Leach Theatre is celebrating a major milestone this year — its 25th anniversary! Named after 1920 mining engineering graduate Thomas Leach and his wife, Frances, the 650-seat theater hosts dozens of performances throughout the year, including Broadway shows, orchestra concerts, comedy acts and film festivals. In addition, it provides a stage for university events, from dance performances by S&T students to keynote addresses by noted scholars. This fall, Leach Theatre will kick off its 25th anniversary season with an opening gala event featuring a performance by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday, Sept. 7. For a complete list of this special anniversary season, visit here.

Warmest regards,

Cheryl B. Schrader, Ph.D.
Chancellor

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