University Highlights

Highlights for first four months of fiscal year 2011
(July 1-Nov. 1, 2010)

Missouri State System sets enrollment record, passes 23,000 mark

A record-setting 23,092 students are enrolled this fall in the Missouri State University System. The total headcount for the system exceeds last year's total of 22,938. System enrollment has increased for the fifth straight year. The official enrollment figure includes 20,949 students on the Springfield campus and 2,229 on the West Plains campus. Some 86 students are enrolled on both campuses; these students were only counted once in the system total. The individual enrollment numbers establish a new record for each campus.

Missouri State receives 'Best in the Midwest' designation

For the eighth consecutive year, Missouri State University was selected for inclusion in The Princeton Review's 2010 online list of "Best Colleges: Region by Region." Missouri State is one of 152 schools on the site receiving the "Best in the Midwest" designation and has been included on this list since its inception eight years ago. Selection is based on a qualitative evaluation of academic excellence and responses from student surveys.Information about each college are included in the "Best in the Midwest" list. The profile includes comments from students and general information about the school.

Missouri State-West Plains awarded three federal education grants

For the third time during the fall 2010 semester, officials at Missouri State University-West Plains were notified by the U.S.Department of Education that the University has been awarded federal dollars to aid students in their pursuit of an education. The most recent award is a $102,788 Child Care Access Means Parents In School grant, which supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services. Missouri State-West Plains will receive $25,697 each year for four years, beginning Oct.1, for its program. The federal monies will fund 59 percent of the total project costs, and the University will provide an additional 41 percent of funding needed, with $17,634 each year in indirect costs and operational monies. The second grant is a 5-year Title III Grant, which gives the University $400,000 each year for the next five years to improve student success through faculty development, instructional leadership and student engagement and success. The third grant is a $1.1 million award the next five years from the federal TRIO Program to provide comprehensive academic support services to low income, first generation and disabled college students in an effort to increase their postsecondary educational success.

World's first geotourism degree offered at Missouri State

Responding to tourism's escalating impact on the world's economy, culture, and environment and the demand for a progressive, "whole-systems" approach to maintaining the character of place, Missouri State University developed a new bachelor's degree program in geotourism. The new degree is the only one of its kind in the world, combining cultural and environmental geography with community planning, development and tourism.

Financial planning program becomes CFP Board-Registered

The finance and general business department in the College of Business Administration registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board). Students completing the financial planning program at Missouri State will be eligible to sit for the national CFP® Certification Examination administered by the CFP Board.CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, which it has awarded to more than 60,000 individuals who successfully completed initial and ongoing certification requirements.These requirements include education, examination, experience and ethics.

Meyer Library new home for The History Museum archives

The special collections and archives department in the Duane G. Meyer Library at Missouri State University will soon be the new home for the archives, manuscripts and photographs owned by The History Museum for Springfield-Greene County. A loan agreement between the two organizations allows Missouri State to house, preserve and provide access to the historically valuable documents held by the museum. According to Joan Hampton-Porter, museum curator, approximately 300 linear feet of material will be transferred over the course of several months.Archives, manuscripts and The History Museum's well-known photograph collection will be part of the loaned transfer. Founded in 1976, the museum will maintain ownership of the materials.

Missouri State-West Plains recognized as one of the great colleges to work for

Missouri State-West Plains is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by the academic publication The Chronicle of Higher Education. This is the second consecutive year Missouri State-West Plains has been recognized by the program. Missouri State-West Plains was one of only 20 two-year colleges receiving the recognition this year. Missouri State-West Plains received recognition in the supervisor or department-chair relationship.

Highlights from fiscal year 2010
(July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010)

Dr. James E. Cofer, Sr., named 10th president of Missouri State University

Dr. James E.Cofer, Sr., was introduced May 14 as the 10th president of Missouri State University. He also will be a tenured professor in the College of Business Administration. Cofer, who had been president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe since 2002, replaced Dr.Michael T.Nietzel, who was president since 2005. Nietzel announced on Nov.2, 2009, that he intended to step down as president in 2010.

Ground broken on new recreation center

By the fall of 2011, students at Missouri State University will have a new place to run, swim, lift weights, rock climb and enjoy an assortment of wellness and recreational activities. The Campus Recreation Center project has been a student-driven initiative, and once complete, this will truly be a facility planned and built by students for students. The majority of the project will be funded through a dedicated self-assessed student fee that has been collected for the past three years. The remainder of the funding will come from private donations, some auxiliary enterprise funds and a small amount of University funding.

Siceluff Hall renovations complete

Fifteen months after closing for renovation, the doors of Missouri State University's Siceluff Hall opened to students, faculty and staff last fall. Total cost of the project was $9,939,355, with funds coming from the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative, which was appropriated by the General Assembly and approved by the governor. The facility now contains 67 faculty offices, two open spaces, 19 general classrooms, five computer classrooms and one high-technology classroom and will house the modern and classical languages department and the English department.

IDEA Commons wins national award for community development

Missouri State University won the University Economic Development Association's 2009 Award of Excellence for its work on the IDEA (Innovation Design Entrepreneurship Art) Commons. Missouri State received this award in the category of Community Development. The IDEA Commons competed against 34 other submissions for the Award of Excellence. North Carolina State University and the University of Memphis were the other two finalists in the category of Community Development.

Wyman Scholars Endowment establishes scholarship

Wyman Center in St. Louis has established a new scholarship program at Missouri State University. The Wyman Scholars Endowment will assist graduates of Wyman programs who choose to attend Missouri State University. In the partnership, Missouri State covers all tuition costs for Wyman program graduates through the Missouri State Promise Scholarship, the Multicultural Leadership Scholarship, and other need-based financial aid.

University forms cooperative educational partnership

Missouri State University formed a cooperative partnership with the Phelps Center for Gifted Education of the Springfield R-12 Public Schools. This partnership includes a special relationship with the College of Education. The partnership between the two institutions seeks to support student learning and faculty efforts through sharing both knowledge and resources and includes classroom visits to Phelps, guest lecture opportunities for Phelps teachers in Missouri State classes, mentoring of Phelps students by Missouri State Honors College students and outdoor classroom assistance from students in agricultural education courses.

Missouri State selected to participate in study of eCitizenship

Missouri State University was selected to participate in the new initiative of the American Democracy Project, eCitizenship: New Tools, New Strategies, New Spaces. This is a three-year program led by the Center for the Study of Citizenship to develop an understanding of the capacity of technology, especially social networks, to engage and empower citizens.

New literary journal established

The West Plains campus unveiled a new literary journal, Elder Mountain: A Journal of Ozarks Studies in July. Elder Mountain seeks to explore the complex cultural substance of the Ozark region through fine literature (poetry, short fiction and creative fiction), the visual arts and multi-disciplinary scholarship.This peer-reviewed periodical will be published annually by the campus' department of English.

Academics

In supporting the University's mission of developing educated persons, the office of the provost administers the teaching, research and service functions of Missouri State by providing educational and service programs — undergraduate, graduate, outreach, credit and non-credit — to meet the needs and interests of students and citizens. Several significant accomplishments in academics were achieved last year.

Religious studies professor receives Fulbright award

Dr. Austra Reinis, associate professor in the religious studies department, was awarded a Fulbright Senior Research Award. This award will enable her to spend three months of her full-year sabbatical at the Institute for European History (Institut fur Europaische Geschichte) in Mainz, Germany. Reinis is writing a book on the preaching of Aegidius Hunnius (1550-1603), who was the court preacher to Landgrave Ludwig IV of Hessen-Marburg from 1576-1592.

Professor receives lifetime environmental education service award

Dr. Janice Greene, professor of biology, received the 2009 Outstanding Lifetime Environmental Education Service Award from the Missouri Environmental Education Association. The award is presented to an individual to recognize his or her long standing efforts to promote and provide environmental education leadership as a lifelong pursuit. The member must have a minimum of 20 years of experience in the field of environmental education.

CNAS associate dean receives national teaching recognition

Dr. Pawan Kahol, associate dean for the College of Natural and Applied Science and professor of physics, astronomy and materials science, received the 2009 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Missouri Professor of the Year. Kahol was one of 38 state winners selected from more than 300 top professors in the United States. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and Carnegie selected state winners from top entries resulting from the judging process.

Professor's artwork selected for Art in Embassies program

The Equality of People, two artworks of Missouri State Art Professor Cedomir Kostovic, have been acquired for the Art in Embassies Program of the U.S. Department of State and will be included in the art collection of the new U.S.Embassy building in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Established by the United States Department of State in 1964, the ART In Embassies Program is a global museum that exhibits original works of art by U.S.citizens in the public rooms of approximately 180 American diplomatic residences worldwide.

Professor receives the Women's Justice Legal Scholar Award

Dr. Carol Miller, distinguished professor of business law in the finance and general business department, was selected as the recipient of the Women's Justice Legal Scholar Award from Missouri Lawyers' Weekly/Media. The Legal Scholar Award is awarded to women faculty members or administrators who fulfill the women's justice ideals through their own work with the justice system, through their research or scholarship, or through teaching and inspiring others. The award recognizes women across Missouri who have demonstrated leadership, integrity, service, sacrifice and accomplishment in improving the quality of justice and furthering the highest ideals of the legal profession.

Outstanding academic advisors recognized

Two Missouri State University academic advisors have been selected for national recognition by the National Academic Advising Association. Tracy Dalton, senior instructor of English; and Ross Hawkins, transfer advisor in the Academic Advisement Center, were honored for their achievements at the annual National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) conference in Orlando, Fla. Dalton was selected as an outstanding advisor in the faculty category, and Hawkins was awarded a certificate of merit in the professional staff category.

Hoover honored with Hall of Fame selection

Jerry Hoover, director of bands, was inducted into the Missouri Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame. Hoover has taught band for more than 50 years, the past 25 of them at Missouri State. Hoover was also inducted into the Missouri Music Educator's Hall of Fame, was awarded a Citation of Excellence by the National Bandmasters Association, and was even sent a Letter of Commendation from President Ronald Reagan for his work with bands. Prior to his appointment at Missouri State, Hoover served as director of bands at Cabool High School, Lebanon High School, Jefferson City High School and New Mexico State University.

Faculty and staff

During the year, several faculty members received national recognition or participated in activities on a national/international level.

• Dr. John Prescott, professor of music theory and composition, received an award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in the concert music division. Recipients are selected based upon the unique value of each writer's catalog of original compositions, as well as recent performances.
• Dr. Michael Reed, associate professor of physics, astronomy and materials science, was awarded a grant to research the vibrations of stars using astroseismology.
• Katheryne Staeger-Wilson, director of the disability resource center; and Dr. Jamaine Abidogun, associate professor of history, were among the 25 selected nationwide to participate in the establishment of Project ShIFT (Shaping Inclusion through Foundational Transformation).Project ShIFT is a $340,402 project funded by the U.S.Department of Education designed to provide support for studying and enhancing disability practices and procedures at institutions of higher education.
• Paul Kincaid, APR, chief of staff and assistant to the president for university relations, was inducted into the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows; only about 2 percent of PRSA's 22,000 professional members have been selected for the College of Fellows.
• Dr. Kyoungtae Kim, assistant professor of biology, received a grant from the National Science Foundation that will fund the purchase of a state-of-the-art confocal microscopy system.
• Dr. Wenping Qiu, associate research professor of agriculture at Missouri State University-Mountain Grove, received a grant from the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN), a program of the U.S.Department of the Agriculture. This new funding will assist in establishing The Midwest Grapevine Tissue-Culture and Virus Testing Laboratory as it generates, certifies, maintains and delivers virus-tested grape varieties that are suitable for the Midwest grape and wine industry. Qiu also was selected as an adjunct professor by China Agricultural University.
• Dr. Robert Mayanovic, professor of physics and astronomy, received a grant from the U.S.Department of Energy via the Carnegie Institute of Washington D.C., to research more efficient and cleaner energy applications.
• Dr. Leslie Baynes, assistant professor of New Testament and Second Temple Judaism in the department of religious studies, traveled to Ethiopia to study the books of Enoch and Jubilees and their relation to the Ethiopian canon of scripture. The project, funded through grants from the British Museum, will help preserve the literary heritage of Ethiopia (both Christian and Muslim), which is at continual risk of sale, theft or decay, and makes it available to those who otherwise would have no access to it.

Students

• Seven Missouri State University students brought home awards from the Fashion Group International of Kansas City competition. During this annual event, students attended professional development workshops and competed in multiple categories for scholarship money. Fifteen apparel design students from Missouri State submitted their original designs and all were featured in the fashion show. There were a total of 80 original designs submitted from participating schools and the top 50 made the runway show.
• Students from the department of technology and construction management won first place in design and innovation at the Robotics Manipulator Competition in Louisville, Ky. In addition to their first place finish, the robotics team was also awarded second place in controls methodology. The national competition included 14 teams representing universities nationwide, such as Iowa State and Cal Poly. The Missouri State competition team was led by students Chad Pepemiller and Christopher Hughey.
• Five Missouri State University students implemented their "Fitness Improvement Training (F.I.T)" project during the Special Olympics Missouri fall games. The students developed the program during an eight-week summer internship in Washington, D.C., to offer individuals with intellectual disabilities the information and skill necessary to choose a healthy lifestyle. The project will target areas of need for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the southwest Missouri region, where few opportunities exist to address the need for continuing education and training in health and fitness.
• For the third year in a row, Missouri State University student affairs graduate students were awarded the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators IV-West Case Study Championship. Amy Carmack and Niki Mueller, first year graduate students in the student affairs administration master's program, were awarded this honor during the regional conference in Santa Fe, N.M. Richard Monroe and Shannon O'Hagan, two additional first year student affairs administration graduate students, were awarded honorable mentions.
• The Missouri State Board of Governors recognized five students who exemplify the concept of a citizen scholar.The 2009 recipients of the Citizen Scholar Award include: Rona Babb, a senior global studies and religious studies major from Green Forest, Ark.; Hannah Eubanks, a junior anthropology major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; Matthew Evans, a junior hospitality and restaurant administration major from West Plains; Andrew Keaster, a senior cell and molecular biology major from Mountain Home, Ark.; Kristen Sanocki, a senior political science major from Jefferson City; and Joshua Snowden, a senior political science major from Lee's Summit.
• During the 2009-10 academic year, Missouri State students engaged in academic service-learning or other forms of community service, with hours of service totaling more than 125,000. Some of the programs and notable achievements include: volunteer income tax assistance, Earth Team, Coalition for Healthy Communities, community research, Into the Streets, Hispanic Educational Access Initiative, tutoring at-risk boys, Mentoring for Success and Writing for Scholarships.
• The Missouri State University chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, the undergraduate pre-law fraternity, was recently recognized by the national office of Phi Alpha Delta as one of the top three undergraduate chapters in the nation. The chapter was also recognized by the national office for excellence in communication. Last year, the student organization won the Merit Award from the Missouri State office of student engagement.
• The Missouri State University debate team was one of only 16 two-person teams nationwide to earn a first round at-large bid to the 2010 National Debate Tournament. Other teams receiving bids include Harvard University, Emory University, Northwestern University, Michigan State University and the University of Kansas. They were the third team in the history of the University to receive a first round, at-large bid. Previous teams earning bids were in 2006 and 2008.
• Media, journalism and film students at Missouri State University won four awards from the national Broadcast Educators Association that were presented during the Festival of Media Arts. The annual festival, which took place in Las Vegas, is an international mediated exhibition of faculty creative activities and student work.

Special activities

• Missouri State University granted its 11th and 12th honorary doctorates to Calvin Allen and Gordon McCann. Allen and McCann received the Doctor of Public Affairs (A.P.D.) and Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.), respectively, during the spring commencement ceremonies.
• In recognition of their long-standing involvement with and support of Missouri State University, T. Edward Pinegar, Jr. and Carol Pinegar of Springfield were selected to receive the Bronze Bear Award. Outgoing president Michael Nietzel was also recognized with the Bronze Bear Award during a public reception in June.
• Missouri State University, along with presenting sponsor The Springfield News-Leader, hosted the sixth annual Public Affairs Conference, themed "The New Economy: Peril and Promise." The event, which is free and open to the public, brought a variety of speakers with global perspectives to Springfield.
• The Greater Ozarks Leadership Development program of Missouri State University hosted a two-day conference entitled "Shaping our Water Future." The conference focused on water issues facing the southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas regions. By sharing information and developing a regional planning mechanism, the conference aimed to ensure the provision of adequate, quality water for future generations.
• The department of political science hosted "Taiwan and the Chinese Mainland: Cross-Strait Relations in a Time of Transition," an international workshop and symposium. The conference focused on recent developments including transportation and tourism pacts, along with trade and investment deals between China and Taiwan that have helped to improve cross-strait relations.
• Missouri State was one of five Missouri universities that a group of Iraqi educators toured in order to learn more about higher education in the United States. This visit is an opportunity for these educators to see what higher education looks like in the U.S.as Iraq goes through the process of education reform. The Academy for Educational Development (AED) has established the Iraq Education Initiative Scholarship Program, and Missouri State is in the American University Consortium, which hopes to enroll more Iraqi students through this cooperative arrangement. Through this initiative, the Iraqi government is planning to send abroad 10,000 students per year for five years to study at institutions in the consortium.
• The department of nursing and Center for Homeland Security co-sponsored Psychological First Aid. Dr. Jo Sornborger of the Terrorism and Disaster Program, National Center for Child Traumatic Stress at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Duke University, were the guest speakers. Psychological first aid is an evidence-based approach to care for survivors in the immediate aftermath of disaster or terrorism. Psychological first aid is designed to reduce the levels of distress in survivors and to promote both short-term and long-term adaptive functioning and coping following a traumatic event.
• Environmental business leader and advocate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke in JQH Arena during the annual Public Affairs Conference. Missouri State, Leadership Springfield and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board collaborated to make Kennedy's appearance at the conference possible. Kennedy was named one of TIME magazine's "Heroes for the Planet" for his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 160 Waterkeeper organizations.
• The IDEA Commons of Missouri State University hosted the IDEA Exposition. The series of events, sponsored by Urban Districts Alliance, Missouri State University and St. John's Hospital, were presented at various locations in Springfield. Bringing together innovation, design, entrepreneurship and arts in an urban research park setting is the vision behind IDEA Commons. Jordan Valley Innovation Center (JVIC) and Brick City are two of the University's facilities dedicated to promoting the community's livability and economic success, and many partner companies perform innovative research in these facilities.
• The Alumni Association hosted a series of monthly "3rd Thursday" events in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas to bring alumni together within their own communities. The purpose of these gatherings is to connect alumni with their alma mater and to provide networking opportunities for alumni to connect with one another in areas with strong Missouri State ties.The 12th Ozarks Celebration Festival took place with traditional craftspeople and commercial artists, three stages of music (which included traditional, bluegrass and gospel music), Ozarks storytelling, traditional dance (which will include square, jig, contra and clogging), films, historical characters, exhibits and much more.
• During the summer, Missouri State hosted the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, the Public Affairs Academy and the Missouri Innovation Academy.
• The Missouri State University School of Accountancy again partnered with representatives from a dozen federal, state, local, private and not-for-profit agencies throughout the region to offer free tax preparation, e-filing and tax controversy assistance as part of the Across the Life Span (ATLS) and Volunteer Individual Tax Assistance (VITA) programs. The walk-in clinics were offered free to those with low incomes, older adults and citizens who speak English as a second language.
• The Colleges of Humanities and Public Affairs, Health and Human Services and Natural and Applied Sciences held a series of public forums featuring presentations by faculty members from different departments to the community.
• Missouri State celebrated five special months: National Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, African American Heritage Month, Asian-Pacific Islander Month and Women's History Month.
• Five former Missouri State faculty and staff members were honored during the University's annual Wall of Fame ceremony. The 2009 Wall of Fame class included: Linda Dollar, Wensey Marsh, John Schatz, Dr. Genevieve Cramer, Dr. Ralph Williams and Dr. Milton Rafferty.
• Dr. Nancy Keith, professor of marketing; and David White, assistant professor of business at Missouri State-West Plains, were named as recipients of the 2010 Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
• The College Access Challenge Grant for Missouri State-West Plains "Project Threshold" program, designed to help students, prospective students and their families learn about, prepare for and finance a postsecondary education, was approved for one more year. Project Threshold embraces the premise that postsecondary education is the "threshold" to opportunities in the lives and careers of south-central Missouri citizens. The project incorporates multiple activities designed to effectively increase the postsecondary education participation of under-served populations in the University's official service region – Howell, Oregon, Shannon, Texas, Wright, Douglas and Ozark Counties.
• Project REWARD, the Single Parent Resource Center of Missouri State-West Plains, opened in the spring semester. It provides supportive assistance for single parents currently enrolled at Missouri State-West Plains and those who may be interested in attending by serving as a "clearinghouse" of University and community information and resources designed to specifically meet their needs. The center also offers places to study and an online computer lab.
• Students at Missouri State-West Plains approved a $25 student recreation center fee in a campus wide vote during the spring semester to help fund a Multipurpose Student Recreation Center/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emergency shelter on the campus. The new student fee will be used to pay back the 25-year bond.Any additional income generated from the fee above the bond payment will be used for student employees, custodial staff, utilities, operating expenses, equipment and other needs of the facility.The center/shelter will be at the corner of Garfield Avenue and West Trish Knight Street, just west of the basketball court near the Grizzly House residence hall.Preliminary plans call for completion of the facility in August 2012.

Intercollegiate Athletics

The Missouri State athletics program continued its tradition of excellence in 2009-10:

• The Bears secured a pair of conference titles, reached the postseason in three sports, and earned two conference coaches of the year. For the 17th time in 19 years, Missouri State finished in the top four in the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Trophy competition. In all, 109 student-athletes were recognized by the MVC and Missouri Valley Football Conference for academic excellence through the year-end Honor Roll program.
• Topping the list of team achievements, Jon Leamy's men's soccer program captured the MVC regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. Leamy was named regional coach of the year, while junior goalkeeper Alex Riggs was named MVC Defensive Player of the Year. The Bears ended a 12-5-2 campaign with a 2-1 loss to Saint Louis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, despite outshooting the Billikens by a 22-5 margin.
• The women's swimming and diving squad, coached by Jack Steck, also continued its league dominance with the team's seventh MVC championship in eight years. Steck was named Coach of the Year in the league, and 19 squad members earned all-conference honors.
  The men's basketball team notched the fifth-best turnaround in Division I, finishing with a 24-12 overall record and a championship in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The team's success came on the heels of an 11-20 finish in Cuonzo Martin's first year with the program in 2008-09. The Bears led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring and tied Kansas for the national lead in home victories with 19.
  Six players earned MVC postseason honors, including Newcomer of the Year Adam Leonard, All-MVC second-team selection Kyle Weems, and fellow All-Newcomer Team pick Jermaine Mallett. Will Creekmore and Ryan Jehle were named to the All-Academic Team, while Nafis Ricks found a spot on All-Bench Team. Creekmore also earned MVP honors in the CIT, which marked the program's first postseason national tournament title since 1953.
• Likewise, the women's basketball finished with a 22-11 ledger in Nyla Milleson's third season as head coach. The Lady Bears advanced to the third round of the WNIT postseason bracket after tying for third place in the Valley and finished with the seventh-best turnaround in Division I after going 10-20 the previous season.
• Sophomore Casey Garrison earned MVC Player of the Year honors as well as WBCA All-Region distinction, while Christiana Shorter claimed MVC Freshman of the Year laurels.
• The Missouri State football squad tied for fifth in the MVFC with a 6-5 overall record and 4-4 mark in the conference. In all, 18 different players earned postseason awards, including All-America tight end Clay Harbor who earned all-conference first-team honors for the third time and was later selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Harbor broke the program's career reception record (150) and also played in the East-West Shrine Game and Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Game before earning an invitation to the NFL Combine.
  The volleyball Bears (21-10) notched their 11th straight 20-win season and landed four players on the all-MVC squad. All-league honoree Calli Norman earned all-region honors, while Cara Hackmann, the MVC Defensive Player of the Year, was named national libero of the year by CVU.com.
• On the diamond, the baseball Bears finished among the nation's top 15 in pitching strikeouts and earned three all-conference awards. Kevin Medrano was a first-team all-conference second baseman for MSU which finished 21-34 overall. The softball Bears finished third in the MVC Tournament with a sensational postseason run. Three all-conference players highlighted Holly Hesse's squad this spring, while Natalie Rose led the MVC in saves.
• At Missouri State University-West Plains, the Lady Grizzlies defeated Jefferson College to win the NJCAA Region 16 championship for the 11th consecutive year. The Lady Grizzlies (27-9) placed second in the NJCAA National Volleyball Championship Tournament in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Sponsored research programs

For the fourth consecutive year, Missouri State University received an excess of $20 million in grants, according to the office of sponsored research and programs. During Fiscal Year 2010, which ended June 30, 184 grants were awarded, totaling $20,108,260 in additional resources for the University.

Externally sponsored grants and contracts assist university departments, faculty and staff in achieving their goals of education, research and service projects. The economic downturn greatly reduced the amount of funding available from many of the federal, international, nonprofit and local sources, but according to Marina Zordell-Reed, sponsored research and programs coordinator, state agencies and businesses were able to provide more funding, which helped to compensate for the decline in other areas.

A sampling of research, education and service projects funded by external sources during Fiscal Year 2010 include:

• Dr. Lifeng Dong, assistant professor of physics, astronomy and materials science, received the Cottrell College Science Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. The award is for the research project "DNA-Templated Synthesis of Platinum Nanoparticles on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Structural Characterizations." The award will provide $35,000 to support Dong and his students' work, including travel to the National Center for Electron Microscopy at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to conduct experiments.
• Missouri's Department of Higher Education awarded Dr.Lynda Plymate, professor of mathematics, a $175, 558 grant for her project entitled "Building and Connecting Mathematical Concepts Through In-Depth and Technology-Rich Explorations."
• Diane May, assistant professor of planning, was awarded a $24,950 grant for her project, "Missouri Small Wastewater Facilities Need Assessment." The funding was provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources via the Boonslick Regional Planning Commission.
• Dr. Janice Greene, professor of biology; and Celeste Prussia, Bull Shoals Field Station manager, received a grant of $11,350 from the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society to fund the "Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems (GLADE)." GLADE is a week-long residential academy at the Missouri State University Bull Shoals Field Station.Sixteen area teens with the desire to impact their communities in the areas of environmental sciences and conservation leadership, were chosen to participate.
• Dorothy Wittorff-Sandgren, community development coordinator for the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, received an $18,252 grant from the City of Buffalo, Mo., for her project, "City of Buffalo Multi-Purpose Mallory Elementary School Tornado Safe Room." The Southwest Missouri Council of Governments (SMCOG) is a voluntary association of local governments in the 10-county area of southwest Missouri.
• Dalen Duitsman, director of the Ozarks Public Health Institute, received a $20,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health via the University of Missouri-Columbia to complete the project, "MU Case and Smokebusters-Phase II Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative."
• Missouri State University received a $148,937 grant from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for the "Universal Newborn Hearing Screening – Reducing Lost to Follow-Up" project. This project will provide hearing screening services, follow-up services and education for families of newborns who do not pass a hearing screening at birth or that are diagnosed with hearing loss shortly after birth.
• The Southwest Regional Professional Development Center (SRPDC) at Missouri State University, directed by Suzy Cutbirth, received a grant totaling $1,517,538 from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This is a renewal of a multi-year contract for the SRPDC. The funds will further programming and maintain services.

Federal funding

Federal agencies continued to provide the greatest amount of funding for Fiscal Year 2010 (July 1, 2009–June 30, 2010), with an approximate total of $11.23 million. State agencies supplied $4.96 million (compared to $3.7 million in Fiscal Year 2009), county and city agencies provided $106,697, businesses provided $2.45 million (an increase of 50 percent from Fiscal Year 2009), nonprofit agencies provided $1.34 million and international agencies funded approximately $10,000 in projects.

Southwest Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt announced a three-year grant with first-year funding of $264,747 from the National Science Foundation for new research at Missouri State University. The Research for Undergraduate Institutions grant will be directed to condensed matter physics in a project titled "N-Type Ferromagnetism in Oxide Based Dilute Magnet Semiconductors." "Missouri State continues to open new doors in research," Congressman Blunt said."It's exciting to see the dramatic growth in scientific inquiry and research happening right here in the Ozarks at Missouri State University and other institutions of higher learning.They are creating new opportunities for our students seeking good-paying careers in science research."

Private fundraising

The Missouri State University Foundation set a new record for fundraising in Fiscal Year 2010, which ended June 30. The $15,512,371 raised during Fiscal Year 2010 topped the Foundation's previous record, set only a year ago, of $15,044,534. The gifts will help to fund programs, scholarships, equipment and other needs across campus. With gifts from 23,688 donors, the Foundation was able to raise approximately $1.3 million per month. This support helps to achieve the University's overall goals of increasing student access to higher education and recruiting and maintaining quality faculty members. Over the last three years, the Foundation has raised an average of more than $1 million per month.

The number of alumni donors also contributed to the success of FY10. The Missouri State University Foundation recorded 7,895 alumni donors for the year, which was an increase from Fiscal Year 2009.

Highlights of gifts given to the University over the past year include:

• Greenwood Laboratory School announced a $2.5 million campaign to build two new science labs with state-of-the-art science equipment. The campaign has received $1.2 million in gifts from alumni and friends, including a lead gift from the McQueary family.
• The second largest single private gift in the 104-year history of Missouri State University – in excess of $7 million – will provide almost unlimited opportunities to expand and transform the University's William H.Darr School of Agriculture. Local businessperson Leo Journagan and his family have committed to donate the family's Douglas County ranch acreage and assets to the Missouri State Foundation. When completed, the gift will include more than 3,300 acres, as many as 1,000 head of cattle, equipment and other ranch facilities. The total value of the gift is estimated to be more than $7 million.
• Two years ago, the Willow Brook facility in downtown Springfield was empty. Today, it has a new name, there is a plan and funding to renovate it and it soon will be a major part of Missouri State University's IDEA Commons.Thanks to a seven-figure gift from the Robert W. Plaster Foundation, the facility will now be known as the Robert W. Plaster Center for Free Enterprise and Business Development. When renovated, the center will house a business incubator managed by Springfield Innovation, Inc., the Small Business and Technology Development Center, the technology and construction management program and other University- and community-based business support services.