Roo Connection

two female students with masks on studying and sitting on a blanket in the shade outside Miller Nichols Library

What's Happening

Highlights From the First Week of Class

The beginning of the fall semester looked different this year, but Roo pride was still felt throughout UMKC. Masks were on, the weather was nice and we were happy to see one another! Here are a few photos from our return to campus.

See the photo reel

Academics

Environmental Science Student Gains Perspective with NASA

Most Missourians are familiar with the Mark Twain National Forest, and many have even seen it in person. But imagine getting to look at it from space! That is precisely what UMKC Environmental Science student Grant Verhulst did this summer in the NASA DEVELOP program which he found out about through a professor.

Read about Grant's experience

Staff stock the shelves at the Kangaroo Food Pantry

Wellness

New Changes for the Kangaroo Pantry

“We had a lot of issues with COVID,” a recent pantry visitor shared. “A lot of unexpected expenses came up as a result. The Kangaroo Pantry has helped me overcome that.”

So many people have a hard time getting the food they need, especially since COVID began. The Kangaroo Pantry, which is open to all students, faculty and staff, has new hours and offerings, including fresh produce as well as meat and dairy coming soon. Check out the link below to learn more about services, hours and how to donate.

Learn more about the Kangaroo Pantry

Proud to be a Roo

Roos Advocate for Community Change: Critical Conversations Series

This summer, UMKC leadership and the Division of Diversity and Inclusion started a town hall series focused on addressing systemic racism as part of the Roos Advocate for Community Change initiative.

Hundreds of people from UMKC and the Kansas City community have attended the free Zoom sessions which feature UMKC experts and civic leadership discussing relevant topics, such as the future of policing, racism in the workplace and a dialogue between women of color and white women in higher education.

Read recaps on the sessions so far and sign-up for upcoming discussions at the link below.

Learn more about Critical Conversations

close-up of ivy along Fine Arts Building

Connecting

Take a Campus History Tour

Who painted the murals in Haag Hall? Where are the telescopes on campus? Who is the anonymous donor who helped UMKC get its start?

If you want to know more about our campus history, watch these videos with Chris Wolff from the UMKC Bookstore, who has done a lot of research into the history of UMKC. During non-COVID times, Chris gives great campus history tours. We're glad he took some time to record these this summer!

See the video tour

Aryana Nemati-Baghestani conducting jazz at Bobby Watson's retirement tribute

"At first, I was inspired by music because of the way it sounded and how it made me feel. As I got older, I began to appreciate and understand why many styles of music came to be. Because jazz and reggae, two genres of music that are dear to me, came to fruition mostly because of oppression, music and its creation has a completely different meaning to me and motivates me in new ways."

– Aryana Nemati-Baghestani (B.M. '14), jazz instrumentalist

Read Aryana's Q & A

Resources and Opportunities:

Getting Involved: Looking for ways to meet new people and get connected on campus? Check out the Office of Student Involvement, Roo Groups, Campus Recreation, Multicultural Student Affairs and The Women’s Center to see what they have going on this semester.

Check out OSI

Hispanic Heritage Month: To celebrate, we've pulled together a list of resources and ways to connect through organizations for Hispanic and Latinx students.

Get the resources

Academic Support and Mentoring: Have a tough class? Learn more about tools and resources available to help you succeed, like Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring and the Writing Studio.

Learn more about these services

Office of Student Involvement | Academic Support and Mentoring | Student Health | Financial Aid

Stay connected!

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