Breadcrumb
August 2026 News at 91导航
By Nicole Lyons, September 4, 2026
Students and faculty at the 91导航 (UCM) didn鈥檛 waste a single second this summer, even as the new academic year was quickly approaching. Whether it was training criminal justice professionals or premiering a new play, summer was a time for professional growth.
Check out the August news roundup to read about all the ways UCM employees and students
are redefining what鈥檚 possible every day.
The UCM News Bureau publishes the news roundup, a monthly collection of newsworthy
moments from UCM鈥檚 two campuses. UCM faculty and staff members can submit items for
consideration at ucmo.edu/news/news-roundup.
Professor, Students Present at International Gang Specialist Training
Gregg Etter, Ed.D., professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, and three graduate students presented at the 29th International Gang Specialist Training Program on Aug. 3-5 in Chicago, Illinois.
The National Gang Crime Research Center (NGCRC), which trains police and military
forces from multiple nations on gangs and organized crime, hosted the annual event,
featuring more than 100 specialized training classes.
Etter and graduate students Juiliana Sloan and Jazymn Shockley presented a class on
Transnational Crime. In addition, Etter and graduate student Avery Penn presented
a class on Human Trafficking. Penn and Etter also presented a class on 鈥淭he Role of
Cultism and Religion in Organized Crime: A Three Country Study of Nigeria, South Africa,
and Singapore.鈥�
NGCRC awarded each graduate student a $750 scholarship to cover conference entry fees.
They also earned 24 hours of P.O.S.T. credit for attending the training program and
a Gang Specialist training certificate from the NGCRC.
St. Louis Theatre Premieres Play Written by Associate Professor
First Run Theatre premiered and produced 鈥淭enn,鈥� a play by Aaron Scully, Ph.D., associate professor of Theatre. The show ran July 31, Aug. 1-2 and 7-9 at the Kranzberg Black Box Theatre in St. Louis.
The play focuses on American playwright Tennessee Williams in 1945. According to the
show鈥檚 synopsis, 鈥淲illiams reflects on the moments that led to the opening of 鈥楾he
Glass Menagerie鈥� on Broadway 鈥� the night that changed his life, and the lives of those
that worked with him, forever. The play is a celebration of artistic collaboration
and what can happen when a group of people truly believe in a piece of art.鈥�
Scully, second from left, is pictured with the director and cast members of 鈥淭enn鈥�
on Aug. 8 at the Kranzberg Black Box.
Recent UCM Rankings
UCM is where students find exceptional value, achieve real success and make a tangible impact. Publications consistently recognize UCM among the Midwest's top public universities for academic quality, affordability, social mobility and online innovation. UCM also earns specialized recognitions that showcase distinctive strengths within individual programs and services.
Here are just a few examples of recognition the 91导航 has earned recently:
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: Online MBA Programs Ranked by Affordability (2027)
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: 2027 Best Nursing Degree Programs Ranking in Missouri
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: 2027 Best Computer Science Degree Programs Ranking in Missouri
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: 2027 Best Criminal Justice Degree Programs Ranking in Missouri
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: 2027 Best Engineering Degree Programs Ranking in Missouri
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: 2027 Best Speech Pathology Degree Programs Ranking in Missouri