COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEWSLETTER

Missouri State University

VOLUME 6-2   Spring 2004

Dean's Corner: Dean Lorene Stone

Dear Friends of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs,

As you are probably aware, the University will be raising its student fees again next year. As the burden of funding a college education slowly shifts away from state appropriations and onto the backs of students (and their families), I can assure you that the faculty and staff of the CHPA remain dedicated to Missouri State's public affairs mission and to the primary goal of preparing educated persons through quality academic programs. Consistent with the values of a liberal education, our courses provide a foundation for lifelong learning among our students. Even with funding challenges, we recognize the importance of recruiting the best and the brightest students and faculty. This can be seen the faces of our Dean's List honorees, pictured below.

Fall 2003 Dean's List

As I travel and meet more and more graduates of our College, I consistently hear testimony to the great value of a Missouri State degree, and we are making a concerted effort to stay connected with our alumni and supporters. We have hit the mid-point of the University's first comprehensive capital campaign, and if you have not already contributed, I encourage you to consider being a part of Missouri State's future through a gift to The Campaign for Missouri State: Imagine the Possibilities. I hope that you find this issue of our Newsletter to be informative. Please don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or need additional information about our programs and activities. Happy Spring!

On February 27, 2004, the History Department honored one of its own alumni, Dr. Bert Parks,at the annual Phi Alpha Theta banquet.  He was introduced and presented a plaque by Dr. Jim Giglio.   A Springfield, MO neurosurgeon since 1982, Dr. Parks received an MA degree in History in 1987.   He combined his interests in medicine and history by authoring a volume on The Impact of Illness on World Leaders (U. of Pennsylvania Press, 1986) and membership on the editorial board of the Woodrow Wilson Papers (publishing three essays on President Wilson's medical illnesses while in office).   He has also published several books on medical practice and Christianity, and is currently engaged in medical missions abroad in Iraq, Russia, Vietnam, El Salvador, and China.  Dr. Parks gave an animated presentation entitled, "The Historiographic Process: Where Idols and Icons Have Led Me," before an audience of History faculty, graduate students, and alumni.

Recent Graduates

Erin Kuhns (2002 graduate with MA in Religious Studies) is now working on her Ph.D. degree in the Department of Religion at Duke University.   She is serving as the graduate assistant for internationally known archaeologists/biblical scholars, Eric and Carol Meyers.   One of her many projects is the publication of data from excavations at the First Century Jewish village of Nabratein in the upper Galilee region.  Erin is compiling information on female figurines as well as writing a chapter in the excavation report on bone and metal objects uncovered during the dig.  This summer Erin hopes to participate in an archaeological excavation at Tel Zayit in southern Israel.

Rusty Aton graduated in December 2003 with his master's degree in History.  The title of his thesis was, "It Comes and It Goes:  The History of Professional Baseball in Springfield, Missouri, 1887-1950."  Aton began researching local pro ball while earning his bachelor's degree in political science at Missouri State.  He combed microfilm copies of old newspapers and the archives of sports publications, and conducted interviews.  Mike O'Brien, a columnist for the Springfield News-Leader (February 24, 2004), describes Aton's work in tracing "professional baseball here back to the Springfield Indians of 1887 and follows the sport through the Springfield Cubs of 1950." Presently working as a substitute teacher, Aton hopes to eventually become a major league manager.

In the fall of 2000, a pilot program was established in Springfield to provide pre-literacy activities to young immigrant Latino children.  Upon arrival in the U.S., immigrants face numerous issues and problems, particularly if they lack a higher education and are of low income.  Improved literacy skills can help with many of these problems, including difficulty in dealing with health issues, alcohol and substance abuse, domestic problems, barriers to communication about services, and mental health problems.  When members of Grupo Latino Americano, a local organization in Springfield, were asked if they would be interested in having Missouri State students and faculty present story times for immigrant Latino children to foster pre-literacy skills, their answer was a resounding "Yes!"  The chosen venue for the program known as Club de Cuentos was Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where Latino children regularly gather each Sunday when their families attend the Spanish language religious service.  Coordinators are Education Librarian Cherri Jones and Dr. Suzanne Walker, an anthropologist in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.  Each session typically consists of 30 to 40 minutes with student volunteers and faculty working one-on-one or in small groups reading with the children who attend.  After a snack, the children participate in an arts and crafts project designed to enhance pre-literacy and literacy skills.  Another important aspect of the program is the cache of books (donated by faculty and volunteers) to give to the children for every three sessions they attend.  The children greatly enjoy choosing a book before leaving; for some, these may be the only books they have in the house.  Current goals are threefold. 1) To improve literacy in Latino immigrant children so they will be better prepared for reading and will improve their reading skills more rapidly in public school.  2) To enhance the educational experience of college volunteers by providing opportunities for intercultural interactions and community involvement. 3) To build bridges between cultures benefiting all those concerned, and paving the way for more open lines of communication among various segments of our community. 

Holiday Projects support Local Agencies

The College of Humanities and Public Affairs chose to sponsor two projects during the 2003 holiday season. Children's books were collected to give to the Latino literacy project described above, and for the second year mittens and other winter clothing were donated to the Family-Life Center.

The Dean's office was the collection site for the children's books and the Mitten Tree.  Each day there would be books, mittens, hats, gloves, and even a coat delivered and displayed either on or around the tree or on the book shelves.  The books were given to Dr. Suzanne Walker to distribute to the Club de Cuentos and the clothing given to Jeanette Haghayeghi to distribute to the Family Life Center.

Nationally Known Speakers Bring Views to Campus

On October 15^th,  Dr. Ken Rutherford (PLS) hosted Dr. Christopher C. Joyner of Georgetown University, a well known authority on international politics concerning Antarctica and ocean law, often an expert commentator for CNN, USIA, National Public Radio, and USA Today on issues concerning international maritime disputes, US foreign policy, the United Nations, the Middle East, human rights, and terrorism. Dr. Joyner spoke to an audience of nearly 100 people in the PSU Parlimentary Room on aspects of the United States' interaction with the United Nations in the light of  numerous changes in this relationship since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Many people – both from Missouri State and the broader Springfield communities – commented that Dr. Joyner's speech was very helpful in clarifying the U.S. and United Nations relations.

The Economics Club sponsored a presentation by Dr. Jay Lehr, one of the world's leading experts on groundwater hydrology.  He has published 12 books and over 400 journal and magazine articles, and is the science director and a senior fellow at the market-oriented Heartland Institute.  Dr. Lehr spoke to a crowd of about 100 on "Freedom versus the Environment: A False Choice." In his presentation to students and faculty, Lehr argues that the environmental movement of the 1960s and 70s was very successful and very important for educating Americans on environmental issues.  In fact, the movement was so successful, Dr. Lehr argues, that the environment is in much better shape than is popularly imagined.  Drawing on research from the journalist Gregg Easterbrook, Lehr cites a 67% decline in acid rain, a 33% decline in smog, and a doubling, to two-thirds of the number of rivers and lakes in America that are safe for fishing and swimming.  Dr. Lehr also praises the role of technological advance in increasing the availability of food, medicine, and energy around the world.

History Day Events Bring Hundreds to Strong Hall

Each year roughly 500,000 students from across the United States compete in National History Day. Participants are divided into a Junior Division (grades 6-8) and Senior Division (grades 9-12). There are seven categories in each division. Categories are grouped by presentation type. Students may create either individual or group (2 to 5 students per group) performances, documentaries, or exhibits, or they may submit an individual historical paper.  The Missouri State History Department hosted the annual Region 7 History Day contest in Strong Hall on March 13, 2004.  Every year between 200 and 400 students from 15 southwestern Missouri counties gather on the campus of Missouri State University to compete in the Region 7 contest. This year's theme was "Exploration, Encounter, and Exchange in History," and it drew over 200 entries from many of the surrounding Middle and High Schools. The top three winners in each category at the regional contest are invited to enter the state contest, which will be held at the University of Missouri in Columbia on April 17.  Dr. John Chuchiak and Dr. George Hummasti coordinated the event, with most of the History Department faculty and a few others serving as judges.  The display pictured here is the First Place entry in the Junior Division Group Exhibit, created by Jordan Butler & Randall Bonnell of Hollister, Missouri.

International Flavor to CHPA Activities

Faculty Exchange Program

The Missouri State political science department has initiated a faculty exchange program with the School of International Relations at St. Petersburg State University in Russia. The agreement between the two institutions is designed to promote friendship and mutual understanding between the people of the Russian Federation and the people of the United States of America, and to develop higher education in the Russian Federation and the State of Missouri of the United States of America. St. Petersburg State University was founded in 1724 by Peter the Great and has been the second most prestigious university in the former Soviet Union and Russia. The School of International Relations is celebrating its 10^th anniversary. 

A short-term pilot program was implemented in 2003, when Professor Natalia Zaslavskaya spent four weeks at Missouri State teaching a course on Russian foreign policy, and Dr.  Mehrdad Haghayeghi taught a course on terrorism at the School of International Relations. During the spring of 2004, a semester-long exchange is taking place, with Dr. Dmitry Katsy offering a course on Russian security politics at Missouri State and Dr.  Brian Ellison teaching a course on comparative public administration in St. Petersburg. During the spring break, Dr. Beat Kernen, head of the political science department, will visit St. Petersburg in order to participate at the 10^th anniversary celebrations and to negotiate a student exchange program for 2005.

Anti-Americanism and Terrorism Forum

During the month of April, Dr. Mehrdad Haghayeghi (PLS)organized a weekly series of presentations and forums to discuss the social, historical, and political context of the present war against terrorism and the conflict in Iraq (see the CHPA Calendar for these events).  The initial program in the series featured a former Missouri State student, Kamran Bokhari, and David Ballard,the Director - U.S. Department of State Office of Foreign Press. Bokhari is a geo-political analyst covering Middle East, South, and Central Asia with Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor.com). He is also a doctoral student in the Department of Political Science at Howard University, Washington D.C., and is  serving as the General Secretary of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), and as a Fellow with the Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy (CSID). Ballard manages the State Department's three Foreign Press Centers in Washington, DC, New York, and Los Angeles. Their joint presentation, attended by nearly 200 persons, was entitled "Root Causes of The Rising Tide of Anti-Americanism in the Muslim World."  Bokhari concentrated his remarks on perceptions within the Muslim world about the United States that have contributed to anti-American attitudes.  Ballard noted that the United States has become a "bigger target than ever" and he described the efforts of the State Department and other government agencies to lesson tensions and provide Arabic-language programming to get our message across to Arab and Muslim nations.

Capstone Course Development Takes Faculty to Italy

Two CHPA professors, Dr. Juris Zarins (SOC/ANT) and Dr. Tom Wyrick (ECO) have collaborated in creating a distance learning section of GEP 397, the General Education captstone course required of all students at Missouri State. Their section is entitled, "Money, Trade, and Society,"which focuses on economic anthropology.  Dr. Zarins stated that they wanted to format the course using economic/monetary policies from what they considered to be "leading and innovative" societies.  Assisted by the generosity of three friends in Italy, Dr. Maurizio Tosi, Dr. Vincenzo Francaviglia, and Dr. Geraldina Santini, they filmed segments of interest to them both covering Rome and the Italian Medieval city states as an integral part of the capstone course. Needless to say, it was a challenge and an experience for all.  With the help of Gary Ellis (Missouri State Director of Distance Learning), they set up shots they wanted to use in Italy with themselves as the focal point of conversation.  Zarins noted that "Our biggest challenge was to integrate these scenes with interviews of leading experts on Roman life."  They also shot field trip footage at Cahokia State Park in Illinois as well as the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis.  Zarins said, "We plan to finish interviewing with Mike Beckett, a Missouri State graduate, now working in Watkins Mill in Kearney, Missouri, as we wrap up the Industrial Age segment in Missouri." 

At the heart of their project was the maxim that societies confront scarcity and in their own way come to terms with it.  In doing so, individual and group decisions are made regarding everyday labor, commercial activity, long distance trade, money, and other financial arrangements.  The institutions that characterize a society not only shape the pattern of individual success and failure, but also influence the entire community's economic progress.  From a broader perspective, successful societies provide a model for other nations and societies. Lessons taken from the historical survey are then used to discuss issues facing the USA as it enters the 21st century.

Sabbatical Report from India

Dr. Jack Llewellyn (REL) is spending the 2003-2004 academic year in India on a Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Program grant.  He is doing research on the academic study of religion in Indian universities.  Llewellyn notes that, "In the popular imagination in America, India is often thought of as  the mystic east, a society in which religion is ubiquitous.  Yet departments of religious studies such as the one that I come from at Missouri State are rare."  It is this surprising absence which is the inspiration for his research. He has been studying some of the prominent departments in Indian universities in fields related to religious studies, and traveling around the country as much as possible.  He plans to write a book that is about not only the study of religion in Indian and American universities, but also about the very different roles of religion in the public life of those two countries. His base in India has been Delhi, the national capital.  Reflecting on the city, he says, "Delhi is a vibrant political, cultural, and intellectual center, but it is also a very large city, with a population of approximately nine million.  Life here is noisy and crowded sometimes, and adjusting to that has been a challenge for me and especially for my wife and two daughters.  Though it has been a rewarding year, it will also be good to get back home to Springfield."

Student Activities and Achievements

Brian Doak,  an MA student in Religious Studies, originally from the Milwaukee area, has been selected to receive one of the two Basil and Jo Ann Boritski Scholarships for 2003-2004. This is a unique award at Missouri State.  The Boritski Scholarship is currently the only academic scholarship awarded to graduate students competing across the disciplines.  The competition is quite prestigious and consisted of a pool of finalists nominated by the departments.  As part of his application process, Doak submitted a research paper, "Rape and Responsibility in Jeremiah 20.7-18," which he will present at the annual meeting of the Central States Society of Biblical Literature on March 28th in St. Louis.  The scholarship award, granted only to full-time graduate students, is $2500.

The Philosophy Department, in cooperation with Phi Sigma Tau, sponsored a trip for 12 Philosophy undergraduates to attend the 2004 Midsouth Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at the University of Memphis, February 20-21, 2004.  Professors Jon Moran and Jack Knight accompanied the group.  Two of the students had papers accepted.  Rachel L. McBride presented, "Reading the Flesh: An Examination of the Female Body as Culture Incarnate," and Claire Wirsig presented, "The Problem of Vagueness: from Zeno to Sibley."  Three of the Department's Professors also read papers at the Midsouth Philosophy Conference.  Pam Sailors, Philosophy Department Head, presented a paper on "Winning With an Asterisk: Performance-Enhanced Athletes."  Jack Knight presented his paper, "W.E.B. DuBois on Marx and the Color Line, 1935," and Joe Martire presented a paper entitled "Models, Metaphores and Scientific Methodology - Response to Pasarlu."

ROTC Cadets Participate in Leadership Training

The summer of 2003 was exceptional for the cadets of the Missouri State ROTC Battalion.  In addition to commissioning 19 new 2^nd Lieutenants, Bear Battalion cadets also trained rigorously at various locations around the world, successfully representing Missouri State University.

On May 16^th, 2003, 19 Missouri State ROTC cadets received their commissions as 2^nd Lieutenants in the United States Army, exceeding the Battalion mission for commissioning.  This is the first time since 1996 that the Bear Battalion has achieved its commission mission.  After receiving their commission, these new lieutenants entered a variety of different branches within the Army, including the Adjutant General Corps, Armor, Engineers, Field Artillery, Finance, Infantry, Medical Service Corps, Military Intelligence, and Ordinance. 

During the course of the summer, 18 Bear Battalion cadets attended the National Advanced Leadership Camp in Fort Lewis, Washington.  NALC is a challenging 32-day course for third-year cadets that emphasizes leadership development and evaluation, basic soldier skills, and confidence building.  Of the 23 schools which comprise the 10^th Brigade (ROTC), cadets from Missouri State had the fifth highest overall score on the Army Physical Fitness Test, and the top score in both Land Navigation and Rifle Marksmanship. 

Six Missouri State cadets also attended the Leadership Training Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky.  LTC is a five-week course which enables cadets who have not completed the ROTC Basic Course to gain access to the Advanced Course.  LTC, like NALC, also provides a challenging training environment, and Cadet Kevin Hanson distinguished himself by receiving an LTC leadership award.

Aside from these courses, the summer also offered several other training opportunities for Bear Battalion cadets.  Cadet Nathan Platz and Cadet Christopher Rhoades attended Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia, each earning a parachutist badge.  Cadet Justin Thorn traveled to London, England, to attend the three-week United Kingdom Officer Training Course, training with cadets from the British Army.  In addition, Cadet Katti Yeakey participated in the Olmsted Program, and worked for one month in the United States Embassy in Rome.

The summer of 2003 was an exceptional one for the Bear Battalion whose endeavors uphold the spirit and values of the United States Army.

Faculty Activities Highlight Achievements

Dr. Michael K. Carlie (SOC/ANT) received the faculty "Excellence in Advising" award at the Master Advisor Reception on March 16, 2004.  Dr. Carlie is being recognized for his outstanding advisee evaluations, his commitment to advisor development activities, and his creation of AdviseNet, a website that allows students to research many advising and career issues (http://courses.missouristate.edu/mkc096f/advisenet).  Dr. Karl Kunkel, department head of Sociology and Anthropology, nominated Dr. Carlie for the award: "I rely heavily on Dr. Carlie for his abilities as an advisor, his willingness to handle an extremely heavy advising load, and his ability to create effective, accessible advising tools."  In supporting Dr. Carlie's nomination, Dr. Juris Zarins said: "I think Mike is one of the best advisors for students I have ever seen.  He treats all of them as individuals and it is not uncommon for him to spend an hour with each advisee.  He developed a strong advising style, knew all the programs, and probably was a master advisor before there was such a thing.  I turn to him often for advice on student advising."

During the first week of March 2004, Dr. Dennis Hickey (PLS) attended the Fourth International Conference on Taiwan's Defense, which was organized by the Institute for Taiwan's Defense and Strategic Studies.  He presented a paper entitled, "China's Miitary Modernization and Taiwan's Defense Reforms: Programs, Problems and Prospects," which will be published both in a forthcoming book (Routledge Press) and in the journal, Taiwan Defense Affairs. During the visit, he had the opportunity to meet Taiwan's President, Chen Shui-bian.

For a third consecutive year Dr. Bill Piston, Department of History, served as program chair for the annual fund-raising and educational seminar sponsored by The Longstreet Society, an organization which studies conflict and reconciliation in relation to the American Civil War.  Held this year at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 9-12, the seminar featured battlefield tours and addresses by noted scholars.  It also marked the culmination of a successful fund-raising campaign to purchase and save the historic Piedmont Hotel in Gainesville, Georgia.  Owned by Confederate general James Longstreet and located in his hometown, the Piedmont will eventually house a museum dedicated to Longstreet's postwar career, when he broke with fellow former Confederates, championed civil rights for ex- slaves, and worked to bring African Americans into the body politic.

Dr. Yuhua Qiao (PLS) has been honored as the recipient of the MSAS award for online teaching excellence.  This award is connected to the Master of Science in Administrative Studies, which is an extensively interdisciplinary graduate program involving faculty from 5 of the 6 academic colleges and 11 different departments.  Most of the course work for this program is offered online and, of course, those same courses are also taught in traditional on-campus classes. Although her award is coming as part of the MSAS program, the online course for which Dr. Qiao was recognized for her excellence (PLS 656, Financial Management for State and Local Governments ) has served a number of students outside of the MSAS program, such as students in the MPA program.

Transitions

Dr. Stanley Burgess (REL) has been named Distinguished Professor of Christian History at Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA.  His new responsibilities, which begin in August, will be in the School of Divinity Ph.D. program.  Dr. Burgess completes 28 years of service to Missouri State, during which time he has served as Department Head for three years and has been the General Graduate Advisor of the Masters program since its inception.  He notes that he has thoroughly enjoyed his time working with the students in Religious Studies, and now looks forward to his new position because it will afford additional time for his writing and editing projects.

University engaged in comprehensive fundraising campaign

The Campaign for Missouri State, the comprehensive fundraising campaign underway at Missouri State University has passed the $31 million mark and is well on its way to a goal of $50 million.  As you may remember, the Campaign started on July 1, 2000 and will conclude in 2005.  The College of Humanities and Public Affairs has been very successful in its fundraising efforts raising just more than $2,963,000 as of January 31, 2004.  Following are a few highlights from the CHPA Development office. 

Tom and Wilma Strong and their family kick started the Campaign with a pledge of $3 million to endow faculty chairs in religious studies and public affairs.  A portion of the pledge will also be used to fund scholarships.  In honor of the largest single gift to the University, the Public Affairs Classroom Building was renamed Strong Hall.  

The Sarah Scaife Foundation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, continues their support of the Defense and Strategic Studies department with gifts of $361,000 during the Campaign to date.  These gifts will help fund student scholarships as well as academic enrichment programs for the department.  Scaife Foundation support, now in its 13^th consecutive year, has totaled more than $1.4 million. 

Political Science graduate continues support of scholarship

Political Science alumnus Greg Curl, and his wife Nancy, of Charlotte, North Carolina continue their annual support of the restricted Curl Scholarship.  Greg's gift pays tuition and fees for 12 hours of classes each semester, and supports a junior or senior level student majoring in political science.  Curl is now in his 16^th consecutive year of supporting the Scholarship.  

Women's History Month, one of the priorities identified by the College of Humanities and Public Affairs during the Campaign, was the beneficiary of a high five figure pledge to endow the fund by Sunrise Beach alumnus Wayne Bischler and his wife Janet. The fund will be used for presenting and promoting events surrounding Women's History Month.  Bischler, who serves on the Dean's Advisory Council, also continues to support the Olivia N. Bischler Scholarship in political science in memory of his mother.