Dr Barbara E. Truman

Dr. Barbara E. Truman, age 59, passed away peacefully at home on July 17th, 2021 with family by her side, due to Ovarian Cancer. Barbara Sisson was born May 2, 1962 in Park Ridge, IL and as a child lived in Princeton, Indiana until her family moved to central Florida in 1972. Barbara graduated from Lyman High School in 1980 and married Anthony Truman who enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1982. The couple lived on Guam and at Mountain Home AFB until Barbara returned to central Florida in 1990 to return to college. Barbara was a voracious reader and became a single parent scholar, skipping a year of study through CLEP and earning a HUD Section 8 Operation Bootstrap housing scholarship from Orange County to attend the University of Central Florida in 1992. She was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society in 1994. At UCF, Barbara became a pioneer of learning technologies who helped create student organizations and was a founding leader of UCF’s online learning enterprise where she helped architect instructional and information systems to help UCF grow with quality. In 2001, Barbara’s doctoral studies were thwarted when she was diagnosed with stage IV Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which limited her physical involvement. As a cancer survivor, her research passion for community development and transdisciplinary research led her to become a pioneer into social virtual worlds where she was able to collaborate across distance. In 2013, she completed a doctorate in Computer Science Emerging Media and in 2019 received the Thinkerer Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Consortium. Barbara was a graduate faculty member in UCF’s School of Modeling Simulation and Training and worked at the Institute for Simulation and Training on various projects involving innovative technologies for healthcare, cybersecurity, and the Navy’s transformative training initiative. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents Darwin Lee Sisson and Grace Katherine Collins Sisson of Casselberry, FL and sisters Sidna M. Bufkin Stewart of Lumberton, TX and Kathy R. Bufkin Paine of Carmi, IL. Barbara is survived by her children and grandchildren Jaclyn, Aaron, David, Sarah, Becca, Bethanie, Bella, and Gabrielle Truman of Orlando, FL. Sisters Diane Martini of Casselberry, FL, Patricia Patton of Deltona, FL and Darlene Funk of McKinney, TX. Celebration of Life services will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Barbara’s desire was for donations to be made to the UCF foundation towards scholarship funds. More information to come on how to give.

Dr Barbara E. Truman

May 2, 1962 - July 17, 2021