Breadcrumb
December 2025 News at UCM
By Nicole Lyons, January 9, 2026
Even during the busy holiday season, University of Central Missouri (UCM) students, faculty and staff were winning competitions and gaining accolades.
Check out the December news roundup to read about all the ways UCM employees and students
are redefining what’s possible every day.
The UCM News Bureau publishes the news roundup, a monthly collection of newsworthy
moments from UCM’s two campuses. UCM faculty and staff members can submit items for
consideration at ucmo.edu/news/news-roundup.
Associate Professor Starts Work on Occupational Safety and Health Grant
Tsvetan Popov, Ph.D., CIH, CSP, associate professor in the Department of Occupational Risk and Safety Sciences and program coordinator and advisor of the Industrial Hygiene graduate program, received a subaward from Seacoast Science Inc. to work on a National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) grant for Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) as a co-investigator.
The grant, titled “Auto-Calibrating, Air Quality Monitoring System,” is focused on
the development and validation of an autonomous, self-calibrating workplace air monitor,
using thermal desorption and gas chromatography.
As stated by the UCM Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity, “UCM is committed
to Dr. Popov’s research endeavors and collaborative engagement with Seacoast Science
Inc., as it aligns with the University’s strategic goals, Goal 2: Academic Excellence
and Goal 5: External Relations and Development. UCM looks forward to this collaboration
and is excited about the possibilities this research will yield in the field of Occupational
Safety and Industrial Hygiene.”
Missouri Safety Center Awarded for Impaired Driving Prevention Efforts
The Missouri Safety Center received the Heart of MADD award at the MADD Heartland Law Enforcement Recognition
Event in Kansas City on Dec. 3.
The award was presented to the Missouri Safety Center for its continued commitment
to supporting MADD's mission and standing alongside the law enforcement community.
The Missouri Safety Center supports more than 170 Drug Recognition Experts (DREs),
40 Law Enforcement Phlebotomists (LEPs) and numerous trained officers in the use of
breath instruments and standardized field sobriety testing.
Since 1967, the Missouri Safety Center has supported a number of impaired driving
prevention and enforcement activities through Missouri Department of Transportation
(MoDOT) grants for specialized officer training, enforcement campaigns, and occupant
protection activities including the Missouri DRE program, Breath Alcohol Instrument
Training (BAIT) program, Law Enforcement Phlebotomy Program (LEPP) and the Drive Sober
or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket campaigns.
Pictured are Tabitha Perkins of MADD, DRE/SFST Program Manager Robert Paul, Assistant
Director LaGena Spence, Senior Program Manager Matt Bond, Senior Director Joanne Kurt-Hilditch,
Lab Coordinator Ryan Schildknecht and retired Ignition Interlock Device Coordinator
Don DeBoard.
Costume Design for ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ Selected for Regional Recognition
Cassie Kay Hoppas, assistant professor of Theatre, recently had her costume design for the Division of Theatre and Dance's latest production,
“The Importance of Being Earnest,” selected for the Region V Kennedy Center American
College Theatre Festival Costume Parade.
Hoppas's design was selected through an adjudication process across a seven-state
region. The festival will take place Jan. 18-24 in Rochester, Minnesota.
For this production, Hoppas designed the costumes and was assisted by students in
constructing four bumpads, four petticoats, four skirts, two jackets, two bodices,
one blouse, two dickie blouses, three vests, one dress and one belt. UCM actors who
wore the costumes will present them during the Costume Parade at the festival's closing
ceremony.
Pictured during a performance of “The Importance of Being Earnest” are Grace'e Carr, left, a junior majoring in Speech Communication and Theatre, and Raegan Weber, a senior majoring in Theatre Performance.
Talking Mules Take Tournament Title at Forensics 500
The Talking Mules claimed the Debate Sweepstakes Tournament Championship at the Forensics 500 on Dec.
6-7 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Seven members of the team claimed awards at the two-day
tournament, including four who shared the team title in IPDA.
Caleb Dillon, a senior from Raytown, Missouri; Ashley Singh, a junior from Pittsburg,
Kansas; Sophie Katcher, a freshman from Moberly, Missouri; and Xander Corkins, a junior
from Blue Springs, Missouri, were IPDA Co-Champions. In addition, Dillon and Singh
were co-Top Speaker, Katcher was fourth and Corkins was sixth. Katcher was also Top
Novice Speaker. Paige Showen, a senior from Raytown, Missouri, also took third-place
speaker in IPDA.
Mayven Amarello, a junior from Overland Park, Kansas, was second in Poetry and top
novice in Poetry, and third in Programmed Oral Interpretation on Part 2 of the tournament
after finishing sixth in Poetry on Part 1.
Singh took third in Extemporaneous Speaking, Katcher was fourth in Impromptu Speaking,
Luke Fitzsimmons, a sophomore from Kansas City, Missouri, was fifth in Informative
Speaking, and Dillon was sixth in Impromptu.
The Talking Mules are scheduled to be back in action Jan. 9-10 at the Sunshine Series
Part 3, an online tournament for IPDA and Individual Events.
