Former defense attorney Sam Ameranti and former investigating officer Joseph Kozenczak will speak about their experiences with serial killer John Wayne Gacy's case in a two-part series presented by Truman's Psychology Club.
On April 22 at 7 p.m. in the SUB Activities Room, Ameranti will speak about defending the notorious killer. On April 29 at 7 p.m. in the Activities Room, Kozenczak will discuss his experiences investigating and finally arresting Gacy.
Gacy's criminal activities were first recorded when he was arrested in 1968 for sexually assaulting a boy. The boy testified against Gacy, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but released three years later. He moved from Iowa to Harwood Heights, Ill., where he remarried, ran a construction business, was involved in politics and helped both financially and personally aiding those less fortunate. He dressed as a clown for children at social events. He was even a Jaycee-elected "Man of the Year." To the public, his life appeared to be perfect.
Things, however, were not as they appeared. In 1976, his second wife left because she said Gacy was mean and fought with her a lot. Then in 1978, the picture- perfect man was arrested and later convicted and sentenced to death for sexually abusing and murdering 33 boys from the age of nine to 27.
Gacy was Ameranti's first case in private practice after working four years at the Cook County public defender's office. Gacy first contacted Ameranti before he was even arrested to ask the lawyer to find out why the Des Plaines police were tailing him.
"The next thing I knew, I was in the middle of this big case," Ameranti told the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin in 1995.
Ameranti is currently an associate judge with the Circuit Court of Cook County in Illinois, where he presides over civil and criminal jury and non-jury trials.
Ameranti received his bachelor's degree in biology from Loyola University, and then entered the Marine Corps. After he was honorably discharged from the Corps, he attended Loyola University School of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 1974 - four years before he began working the Gacy case.
Kozenczak is currently the vice president of operations for Reid Investigative Services, Inc. in Chicago. He formerly served the city of Des Plaines, Ill., Police Department for 27 years.
His career culminated when he was appointed chief of police in 1985, a position he maintained for four years. Kozenczak was the chief of detectives in 1978 and was the department's chief investigator and arresting officer in the serial murder investigation.
A graduate of the FBI Academy, he has served as guest lecturer at the academy on death investigation, has addressed numerous police organizations throughout the United States and Europe and is certified in death investigation by the IACP and the Dade County, Miami, Fla., Medical Examiners Office. He has investigated, consulted in and reviewed more than 300 homicide, suicide and suspicious death cases.
Bob Jones, professor of art, has been named head of the Division of Fine Arts. Jones has served as interim head of the division for the last nine months; he will continue in that role until his new contract as division head takes effect July 1.
A six-member committee, chaired by Susan Shoaff-Ballanger, professor of art, guided the search for the head of the division.
"Bob Jones has served the University in exemplary fashion for 18 years and, most recently, has provided excellent leadership as associate and interim division head," said Garry Gordon, vice president for academic affairs, who announced the appointment.
Jones served as associate head of the division from 1994 to 1996. From 1984 to 1994 he was the convener for the Art Faculty Committee.
Jones holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from North Texas State University and his terminal degree in art, a Master of Fine Arts degree, from the University of Arkansas.
Truman will again participate in the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine Medical Scholars Program, a pre- matriculation program for rural students.
The Medical Scholars Program is designed to address the declining level of health care available in the small towns and rural areas of Missouri. Two advancing Truman freshmen, plus alternates, are selected for this program annually. Truman students currently in the program include sophomores Kinzie Boothe, Joy Wenger and Ryan McWilliams (alternate), junior Matt Freer and senior Sarah Garwood.
Students selected for this program are offered acceptance to the UMC School of Medicine conditional on their achieving certain academic standards. While undergraduates, students participate in periodic activities at the UMC School of Medicine.
The program coordinator may also arrange summer internships in the participants' hometowns. This may include opportunities to participate in office and/ or hospital practice and possible employment in area hospitals.
Acceptance in the Missouri Medical Scholars Program is based on high academic achievement commitment to a career in medicine, possession of personal characteristics expected for quality physicians, and a small town or rural background. Specific requirements are Missouri residency, and ACT composite score of 30 or higher, evidence of higher academic achievement during high school and the first year of college, and evidence of leadership and interest in a variety of extracurricular and service activities. Selection preference will be given to students who reside in communities of 18,000 people or less.
Scott Ellis, professor of biology, is Truman's contact for students interested in applying for the program this semester. Up to five students will be selected for interviews in the fall with a committee consisting of UMC Medical School faculty and alumni. Application forms for the Missouri Medical Scholars program can be obtained from Ellis in Science Hall 125. The deadline is May 1.
Professor Emeritus Henry Smits will present the 8th Annual Henry Smits Lecture Series April 17 at 4 p.m. in the SUB Governors' Room.
In his speech, "Anselm Revisited," he will weave reflections of his own intellectual journey into the works of Anselm, a medieval philosopher and theologian.
The speech is part of a lecture series established in the professor of philosophy's honor by the Division of Social Science in 1989 when he retired from the University after 22 years of teaching.
Smits also served as the adviser of the Philosophy and Religion Club and on the Social Sciences Curri-culum Committee. In the summer of 1977, he held a National Endow-ment of the Humanities Fellowship at Washington University.
This is the first time Smits has lectured for the series. Speakers have included Roger Gibson, chair of the department of philosophy at Washington University, and Dale S. Wright, professor of religious studies at Occidental College.
The St. Louis Advertising and Marketing Association is offering scholarship opportunities for college juniors from the midwest who are majoring in advertising/ marketing. Entrants must fill out the application provided, submit one letter of recommendation from a professor, secure the signature of the applicant's academic adviser, complete a 300-word essay and (optional) provide example (s) of his or her work. There will be two scholarships awarded, each for $2,000. Application deadline is May 9.
The Greater St. Louis Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers is announcing the Third Annual Engineering Scholarship Program. This year the chapter is offering two $1,500 scholarships. The scholarships are limited to students who are from the Greater St. Louis Area or plan to locate there when they graduate. Must have completed 60 credit hours prior to fall semester and be enrolled on a full- time basis at an accredited engineering curriculum. Submission deadline is April 30.
For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office, McClain Hall 103.
An interdisciplinary mediation workshop is being offered May 12-23 for three- credit hours in communication, history or psychology. Interested students should see Ann Ellsworth, Mondays, 1:30- 3:30 p.m., or Wednesdays, 930-11:30 a.m. for a yellow card.
Attention May graduates: If you received a Stafford Loan while attending Truman, plan to attend one of the Exit Loan Counseling Sessions. The sessions will be 3:30-4:15 p.m. or 4:30-5:15 p.m. April 14 in the SUB Alumni Room and 3:30-4:15 p.m. or 4:30-5:15 p.m. April 15 in the SUB Governors' Room.
Tutors are needed for one nine-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy with deficiencies in basic math and language skills. Positions start immediately and continue through summer. Interested individuals should contact Sherry Sizemore at 665-2076.
The Multicultural Affairs Center is seeking students to participate in Montage III, a multicultural Freshman Week program. Students interested in acting or technical support should pick up a survey form at the Center (Adair Building). The survey is due May 9.
The Faith United Methodist Church is hosting its annual spring revival the weekend of April 18-20. Child care will be provided up to kindergarten age. Transportation can be arranged. For more information, call 665- 9211.
The Society of Professional Journalists is hosting a silent bid celebrity auction from noon-5 p.m. April 14-16 outside Mainstreet Market. Items will include a Wayne Gretsky autographed hockey puck, a photo signed by Christian Slater, Chiefs paraphernalia and more.
SAB's Dog Days will be from noon to 4 p.m. April 19 at the corner of Franklin and LaHarpe streets. There will be novelty acts, booths, music showcasing campus talent Antle Walked By, St. Louis ska band Orange Tree and featuring JACKOPIERCE.
There will be a Language and Literature Graduate School Panel at 3:30 p.m. April 16 at the University Career Center. Panelists will include Adam Davis, English; Betty McLane-Illes, foreign language; and Neil Ralston, journalism.
Truman's Panhellenic Council will host a rush question-and-answer session at 7 p.m. April 16 in the SUB Alumni Room. Topics will include rush procedure and sorority and Greek life on campus.
The Pre-Law Club is hosting an open question-and-answer session about the legal profession at 7 p.m. April 15 in Baldwin Hall 251. Panelists will include Truman and University of Missouri-Columbia professors and a local lawyer. There will also be additional information available on other law schools.
Garden plots are available at the University Farm. If interested, contact Mark Campbell at 785-4280 or send a note with name, address and phone number to 162 Barnett Hall, Science Division. Participants should indicate whether they would prefer a 150- or 300-square foot plot, organic or non- organic. Participants will be notified of plot assignment when they are ready.
Beta Beta Beta biological honor society is having a plant sale April 15 and 16 at tables outside the north doors of Science Hall.
Sigma Tau Delta is having a faculty recital at 7 p.m. April 25 in the SUB Down Under.
EKKLESIA and the Filmore Street Church of Christ will host a session of Christian evidences at 7 p.m. April 21 in SUB 5. Charles Fry, of Bakersfield, Calif., will be the speaker. For more information, contact Barry Poyner at 785-4063.
Jonathan Blum, an Iowa Writer's Workshop Fellow, will premier his Playboy prize- winning story "The Kind of Luxuries We Felt We Deserved" when he reads short fiction at 7 p.m. April 18 at Used Books and Unicorns, 305 S. Franklin.
All day April 14 and 15 tables will be set up for "Speak Out for Stephanie," part of Crime Victims' Rights Awareness Week. The University community may pick up a ribbon, sign a petition in favor of victims' rights and make a donation to Stephanie Schmidt Foundation, a nationwide organization in support of victim's rights.
The 10th Annual Secretaries' Teleconference will begin at 11:15 a.m. April 23 in the SUB Activities Room. There will be a pasta buffet lunch with President Magruder speaking at 11:45 p.m. and the teleconference will run through 2 p.m. The teleconference is free; to RSVP, call 785-4545 by April 18.
The Society of Professional Journalists will host an ethics panel 1:30-3 p.m. April 18 in the SUB Down Under for communication faculty and students. "Teaching New Dogs Old Tricks: What Student Journalists Should Know About Ethics," includes speakers Gregory Freeman, columnist from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Sarah Deien, an anchor for KHQA-TV in Hannibal, Mo., and 1990 Truman graduate.
Russell Baughman, professor of chemistry, has had his manuscript "Crystal Structures of 1,1'-Di(2-propanone)2,2' biimidozole dihydrazone and 2,6-Diacetylpyridine Dihydrazone" accepted for publication in the Journal of Chemical Crystallography. Members of a graduate research group at the University of Missouri-Rolla are coauthors.
Marijke Breuning, assistant professor of political science, was elected president of the Foreign Policy Analysis Section of the International Studies Association in Toronto, Canada, in March. Breuning also presented a paper titled "Foreign Policy Making Under Constraints: Dutch and American Responses to the 8-December Murders in Suriname," at that conference.
R. Griffith Freeman, assistant professor of chemistry and senior chemistry majors Jordan A. Freie and Brian D. Reiss have submitted their paper "Preparation and Characterization of Alkanethiolate- Coated Ag Nanoparticles to the journal Langmuir for publication. Freeman also recently reviewed a paper for the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Jerrold Hirsch, associate professor of history, had his article, "Becoming History: The Interwar Regionalist Movement," published in American Quarterly, March 1997 issue. He also presented "The Modernist Moment in African American Poetry: Ma Rainey's Blues, Sterling Brown's Poetry, and the Missouri Bootheel," at the Missouri Historical Society's Library Auditorium in St. Louis.
Warren Gooch, associate professor of music, had his composition, Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano, performed at the 1997 Regional Society of Composers conference at Oklahoma Baptist, 1997 Great Plains College Music Society conference at Ottawa State University and at the 1997 North American Saxophone Alliance conference at Kansas State University. Performers were saxophonist Randall Smith, associate professor of music, pianist Eun-Joo Kwak, assistant professor of music and pianist Janet Bass Smith. Gooch also presented a paper titled "Performance-Based Analysis" at the College Music Society Conference. He will also have his article, "Tonal Axis in Ravel's Sonatine" published in Musical Insights: The Journal of Macro Analysis.
Janice Grow, professor of education, with Dae-Dong Hahn and Chul-An Joo both from Pusan National University, presented their 1996 research in a paper titled "Mathematics Instruction in Korea: An International Collaborative Study" at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicago on March 27. They conducted the research with the assistance of eight graduate students of PNU in 10 first- grade and 10 fifth-grade classrooms in Pusan during Grow's year as an exchange professor at PNU in Pusan, Korea. Grow with Chul-An Joo, assistant professor of education at Pusan, presented their paper titled "Ideal Goals for Schooling and Real Emphasis in Schools: Perspectives of Korean undergraduates compared to those of teacher candidates in the United States" based on survey research they conducted at PNU in 1996, at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicago on March 26.
Brenda Moore, instructor of biology, has been notified by the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York that she has been chosen as one of the 24 individuals selected to participate in the Human Genome Diversity - Student Allele Database Workshop to be at Washington University, May 9-11. The workshop is being funded by NSF.
Mustafa A. Sawani, associate professor of economics, presented a paper titled "Active Learning, New Approach to Teaching Economics" at the Midwest Economics Association annual conference in Kansas City on March 21.
Steven D. Reschly, assistant professor of history, presented "The Limits of Boundaries: Markers of Distinction in Amish and Mennonite Cultural History, at the Mennonites and Jews: Religious Minorities and the Search for Identity in America conference at the University of Maryland- College Park.
Dean Van Galen, associate professor of chemistry and chief advancement officer, his the article "Investigation of Lead and Cadmium Levels in Roadside Thododendron Leaves in Bergen, Norway, Utilizing Multivariate Analysis" published in Microchemical Journal. Coauthors of the paper include Truman graduates Andrew Gawron, Julie Hurst and Adam Yeager, Professor at University of Bergen in Norway Rolf Isrenn and P. J. Hol, student at University of Bergen. This publication is a result of the study abroad course organized by Van Galen.