University Highlights

Highlights for Fiscal Year 2008 (July 1 – November 1, 2007)

Missouri State University System enrollment exceeds 21,000 for first time

Students officially enrolled in the Missouri State System this fall total 21,407, an increase from last year’s total of 20,962. The total sets a new system enrollment record for the University. The enrollment figure includes 19,705 students on the Springfield Campus and 1,771 on the West Plains Campus. Some 69 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. The average ACT of entering freshmen was 24, a new high mark at Springfield. In addition, the number of international students is up 247 (40.6 percent), which includes 97 students on the China campus. The number of minority students increased by 88 (7.3 percent), with the number of continuing students up by 199 (1.6 percent) and out-of-state students up 124 (10.9 percent). One of the more significant increases among student groups is with new graduate degree-seeking students, which increased by 86 (15.9 percent). Since 1995, total enrollment on the Springfield Campus has increased from 16,470 to 19,705 (19.6 percent).

Missouri State to implement first of task force recommendations

Missouri State University will invest about $300,000 during 2007-08 to begin implementing the recommendations of the Emergency Response Task Force. Over the next 3-5 years, the university expects to invest additional amounts to improve campus security. The first year implementation includes the following: mass notification system, telephone system generator, Cheek Hall generator (for computer system), interface with the Greene County communications system, radio back-up controller cards, survey of classroom and laboratory door lock needs, emergency phones, back-up generator for the safety office, and education and training for university students, faculty and staff.
The recommendations being implemented are among those of the President’s Emergency Response Task Force, which was appointed in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy and included faculty, staff, students and members of the Springfield Police Department.

Missouri State receives $3.5 million for various priorities

New gifts totaling $3.5 million were recently committed to Missouri State University – about $1.3 million for academic purposes and about $2.2 million for athletic purposes. Of the $2.2 million for athletics, more than $1.2 million is for JQH Arena. BancorpSouth has made a $2 million four-part commitment to the university. BancorpSouth will 1) fund a new video scoreboard in Plaster Sports Complex, which is expected to be designed and installed in time for the 2008 season; 2) establish an endowed professorship in an area designated by the university president; 3) become the lead corporate sponsor for the Missouri State Promise Scholarship; and 4) sponsor the North Concourse at JQH Arena, which will be named for BancorpSouth. For the new Missouri State Promise Scholarship, BancorpSouth joins John and Cathy Youngblood, who are the lead individual sponsors. The Missouri State Promise Scholarship, which is being implemented in fall 2007, is for students who are at or below the national poverty level. The scholarship will cover the difference between the cost of tuition and any grants and scholarships the student has. The scholarship is available for four years to incoming freshmen and for two years to transfer students.

Missouri State receives $2.9 million for viticulture education

Southwest Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt announced $2.927 million in National Science Foundation funding for Missouri State University’s Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA). The grant to Missouri State will be used to provide education to community colleges in 12 states through online training courses about the grape and wine industry. The funding is one of the largest single grants ever received by the university.

Missouri State to partner with Unidym, Foster-Miller

Missouri State University’s Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center added two companies – California-based Unidym and Massachusetts-based Foster-Miller, Inc. – to its prestigious team of senior corporate affiliates. Both companies plan to lease space at JVIC, which is located in downtown Springfield. The additions of Unidym and Foster-Miller give the students, faculty and staff at Missouri State more opportunities to work side-by-side with corporate partners on large-scale, groundbreaking scientific projects.

Missouri State introduces degree in IT service management

Missouri State University and IBM announced that the University will offer the first Bachelor of Science in IT service management in the United States. The new degree program, created in collaboration with IBM’s IT Service Curriculum, will be conferred by the computer information systems department in the College of Business Administration. The new curriculum addresses the expansion of the services sector, which now represents over 75 percent of the United States economy and is continuing to grow. Graduates of Missouri State’s ITSM program will be marketable for jobs across a range of industries such as financial services, healthcare and retail, as consultants, architects, IT managers, project managers, IT specialists and marketing/sales leads. Through the new curriculum, students will learn to use technology for service delivery and support to better manage people, processes and assets.

Marketing professor to study obesity in children

Dr. Diana Haytko, associate professor of marketing at Missouri State University, is part of a team of researchers who received a $262,000 grant from the French government to study marketing geared toward children and its link to childhood obesity. The three-year project will utilize both qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys of children around the world.

New academic programs approved

Several new academic programs were approved by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, three at the master’s level in addition to three undergraduate programs. The new graduate programs starting in fall 2007 are the master of science in criminology, the master of science in project management, and the master of science in student affairs. Undergraduate programs include the bachelor of science in emerging technologies, the bachelor of science in entrepreneurship and the bachelor of science in global studies.

Gordon McCann pledges collection to Missouri State

Springfield native Gordon McCann announced that he “can find no better place” for his collection of “music and folklife material” than the special collections and archives department of the Duane G. Meyer Library on the campus of Missouri State University. McCann’s collection includes more than 2,000 recorded fiddle tunes (well over 65,000 including variations) and more than 3,000 hours of fiddle music McCann has recorded at jam sessions, music parties, concerts and dances. In addition, McCann has more than 200 notebooks full of tunes, transcriptions and biographical info on the musicians. The transcriptions include the musicians’ conversations about where and from whom they learned the tunes.

Brent Dunn named vice president for university advancement

Twenty-two year fund-raising veteran Brent Dunn was named the vice president for university advancement at Missouri State University and executive director of the Missouri State Foundation. During his 22 years at Missouri State, Dunn has led fund-raising efforts for academic units, special programs and facilities. Dunn, a Springfield native, joined the Missouri State development staff in 1985 as director of annual giving, a role he held until 1989. As director of annual giving, he managed direct mail programs, managed and directed the volunteer telemarketing campaigns, and developed annual giving programs for academics and athletics. University advancement includes the fund-raising functions in the office of development, the activities of the office of alumni relations, and staffing responsibilities for the Missouri State University Foundation.

Missouri State receives “Best in the Midwest” designation

Missouri State University was selected for inclusion in The Princeton Review’s 2008 online list of “Best Colleges: Region by Region.” Missouri State is one of 161 schools on the site receiving the Best in the Midwest designation and has been included on this list since its inception five years ago. Missouri State also is included in the Princeton Review lists “America’s Best Value Colleges” and “Colleges with a Conscience.”

Greenwood to “Celebrate a Century” during 2007-08

Missouri State University’s Greenwood Laboratory School will commemorate 100 years of providing outstanding educational experiences with a year-long celebration. The only kindergarten through 12th grade Laboratory School in the State of Missouri, Greenwood was established as a “training school” in 1907. It was first located at Pickwick School, serving grades one through 12. A product of John Dewey’s “Progressive Education,” Greenwood was named in honor of Dr. J.M. Greenwood, superintendent of schools in Kansas City in 1910.

Student tutor receives national outstanding tutor award

Missouri State-West Plains student tutor Rogers Taylor has been nationally recognized with the Tom Pasternack Outstanding Tutor Award for 2007 from the College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA). The award honors an outstanding undergraduate tutor who is certified at the maximum level through a CRLA-International Tutor Program Certification (ITPC) program. Missouri State-West Plains’ tutor training program was certified in 2003 by the CRLA, and Taylor was one of the first participants to receive tutor certification in 2004.

Peace officer training program expanded

The peace officer basic training program offered by the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association Training Academy at Missouri State-West Plains has expanded to include five new sites this fall. The new sites added are Bolivar, Camdenton, Mexico, Poplar Bluff and Waynesville. The Sheriffs’ Academy classes were offered for the first time at the West Plains Campus in fall 2006.

Highlights from Fiscal Year 2007 (July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007)

Construction on JQH Arena officially begins with groundbreaking

Construction on Missouri State University’s new $67 million JQH Arena officially began in December 2006 with a groundbreaking ceremony. The new 11,000 seat arena, located just east of Hammons Student Center, is scheduled to open in November 2008 in time for the 2008-09 basketball season. Plans for the new arena were announced in February 2006, following a gift commitment of $30 million by world-renowned hotel developer John Q. Hammons. The new arena is named in his honor. Over the years, support from Hammons has made possible several facilities on the Missouri State campus, including Hammons Student Center, the Hammons Fountains, Hammons House, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

University honors Congressman Blunt during JVIC grand opening

U.S. Congressman Roy Blunt and Missouri’s Director of Economic Development Greg Steinhoff were the featured speakers at the May 30 naming ceremony and grand opening for Missouri State University’s new Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center. JVIC, which occupies the former Missouri Farmers Association milling facility in downtown Springfield, now houses the university’s Center for Applied Science and Engineering; the Center for Biological and Life Sciences; Springfield Innovation, the nonprofit arm of the center; and offices and research space for four JVIC senior corporate affiliates. The university and its corporate partners will focus on applied research in biomaterials, nanotechnologies, advanced technologies, genomics/proteomics, biosystems software engineering and biomedical instrument development. Blunt was instrumental in helping the City of Springfield acquire the mill as a Brownfield project. Since then, the Congressman’s support was key to securing more than $14 million in federal funds for Phase I and Phase II renovations of the building. In fiscal years 2005 and 2006, Blunt also helped secure more than $14 million for defense-related research projects for CASE.

University recognized for Katrina relief efforts

Missouri State University was named to the first President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll “With Distinction for Hurricane Relief Service.” The recognition was for “distinguished community service in recognition of extraordinary volunteer efforts by the school and its students to serve area neighborhoods and Gulf Coast communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina.” Of 500 schools named to the President’s Honor Roll at the Campus Compact 20th Anniversary meeting, only 141 were recognized in this way.

Missouri State employees stand tall during January ice storm

Governor Matt Blunt assessed the January ice storm that struck southwest Missouri as “the largest mass (emergency) care natural disaster” in Missouri’s history. The ice storm affected nearly every Missouri State employee in some way, with most losing power for some or all of a full week and many suffering damage to their houses, trees, shrubs and other property. On Saturday morning following the ice storm, the University received a request from the City of Springfield and Greene County to host a community shelter. Vice President for Administrative and Information Services Greg Burris “commandeered” McDonald Arena on the Missouri State campus and, working with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, turned it into a shelter for people with special needs. At one point, more than 130 individuals, many of them with very serious physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, and/or psychological disabilities were housed, fed, and cared for in McDonald Arena. Several of the “residents” were in McDonald for nearly a week and felt so well attended that they did not want to leave. The McDonald Arena operation was credited with literally saving the lives of a number of critically ill people.

UMR, Missouri State and the University of Missouri sign agreement

Plans to offer two engineering degrees from the University of Missouri-Rolla on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield advanced with the signing of an agreement that outlines how the two universities will work together to deliver the programs. Leaders from UMR, Missouri State and the University of Missouri signed an agreement that would allow UMR to offer bachelor’s degrees in civil and electrical engineering at Missouri State. The plan calls for UMR and MSU to collaborate on developing the programs.

University hosts inaugural Missouri Innovation Academy

The first Missouri Innovation Academy was held during the summer on the Missouri State campus. The Missouri Innovation Academy takes a new approach to business and science by merging the two fields to give students a taste of “real world” science. Activities last summer included allowing students to design a robot of market-importance from a given set of parts and supplies with the aid of university faculty, scientist, and industry experts. The students not only designed an innovative robot but build a business model around their robot, acting as if they were a real high technology business. The two weeks of work culminated on the last day of the program where the students presented their robot and business plans to the university and to their families.

Enrollment opens for 2006-07 community leadership programs

Two new leadership development programs were sponsored by Missouri State University’s Community and Social Issues Institute. GOLD (Greater Ozarks Leadership Development) and GO LEAD (Greater Ozarks Leadership Education and Development) were developed to strengthen the leadership infrastructure for communities in Southwest Missouri by providing education programs designed to enhance civic and nonprofit leadership skills.

University establishes full-time operation in St. Louis

With more than 3,400 of its students and about 13,000 alumni from the St. Louis area, Missouri State University established a full-time student affairs office in the state’s largest city. The full-time presence is intended to better serve alumni and prospective students in the St. Louis area.

Long Range Plan

A new long-range plan, titled Imagining and Making Missouri’s Future, and covering the years 2006-11, was launched. The plan, the result of an extensive 24-month review and revision of the previous plan, Countdown to the SMSU Centennial: A Long-Range Vision and Six-Year Plan (2000-2006), was delayed from its original timeline because of the historic events of 2005-06: the Centennial Celebration; the name change from “Southwest Missouri State University” to “Missouri State University”; a reconstituted Board of Governors; and the search for and selection of a new president. This new strategic plan was coordinated with the University’s documentation and self-study that was prepared for the institution’s successful 10-year Higher Learning Commission (HLC) re-accreditation. On May 11, 2006, the HLC notified the University that it was fully accredited through 2016. The plan provides a public statement of the University’s mission, core values, and goals. It also identifies the primary strategies the University will pursue to attain its priorities. This plan will focus Missouri State’s collective energy, guide programmatic decisions, and direct the allocation of resources.

Drew Bennett named new Chancellor at Missouri State-West Plains

Dr. Drew Bennett was named the new chancellor for the West Plains Campus of Missouri State University. Bennett’s last position was Commandant of the Marine Corps Chair, National War College, National Defense University at Ft. McNair in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the National War College, he spent 30 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring this year as a colonel. During his military career, which included a tour as chief of staff of the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan, he also spent 12½ years in the higher education field, serving as a full-time faculty member for 3½ years at Texas A & M and two years at the National War College and as an adjunct professor at both the community and four-year college level. Those schools included Blinn College, Central Texas College, George Washington University and Norwich University.

Educational programs established with local universities

Missouri State, Evangel University and Drury University agreed to collaborate for the purposes of making the Missouri State accelerated master’s options available to students. Through the advising process, Evangel University will inform its students of this collaborative opportunity for enrollment at Missouri State University, which will then accept applications to specific accelerated master’s programs from qualified Evangel undergraduate junior and/or senior students. Drury and Missouri State universities also agreed to collaborate for the purposes of making certain master’s degree programs and study abroad opportunities available to students of both universities. Drury undergraduates can participate in Missouri State University’s accelerated master’s programs in biology, cell and molecular biology, chemistry, geospatial sciences, materials science, mathematics, religious studies and public administration. Likewise, Missouri State University students will now be able to be admitted into the Drury Master of arts in integrated marketing communication program. Furthermore, short-term study abroad programs at the universities will be available to students of both institutions. The two universities have agreed to develop an exchange program for Missouri State students interested in spending a semester at the Drury campus in Volos, Greece; and Drury students seeking to study at Missouri State’s campus in Dalian, China.

University partners with St. John’s to advance biomedical research

During its first-ever meeting in St. Louis, the Missouri State University Board of Governors approved an agreement between the university and Springfield-based St. John’s Health System that will enhance biomedical research in the state and improve the lives of injured veterans. St. John’s agreed to become a senior corporate affiliate with the university’s Center for Applied Science and Engineering, a primary component of Missouri State’s state-of-the-art Jordan Valley Innovation Center.

Princeton Review lists Missouri State as one of 282 Best Business Schools

Missouri State University is an outstanding business school, according to The Princeton Review. The New York-based education services company features the university in the just-published 2007 edition of its “Best 282 Business Schools.”

New scholarship covers all tuition for neediest students

“A student from a family with a high income is seven times more likely to complete a baccalaureate degree or higher than a student from a low-income family,” says Missouri State University President Michael T. Nietzel. “If we are going to improve access and increase affordability – if we are going to democratize society and make higher education the opportunity equalizer it should be – then we must take steps to change this statistic.” The Missouri State Promise Scholarship, implemented in fall 2007, is for students who are at or below the national poverty level. The scholarship will cover the difference between the cost of tuition, required fees and $800 in books, in addition to any grants and scholarships the student has received from other sources. The scholarship is available for four years to incoming freshmen and for two years to transfer students.

AmeriCorps*VISTA program hosted by Missouri State

Missouri Campus Compact received approval from the Corporation for National and Community Service to implement an AmeriCorps*VISTA program at Missouri State University and other campuses across the state. A VISTA member will be placed at each participating campus to assess community needs and to help faculty members build civic engagement through service-learning. The program will link relevant courses at participating campuses with community agencies that intend to eradicate poverty and assist single, head-of-household females with children under the age of 18 living in the home. The project will span three years on each campus.

Missouri Archaeological Society moves headquarters to Missouri State

The Board of Directors of the Missouri Archaeological Society approved the move of its headquarters to Missouri State University from the University of Missouri, where it was established in 1931. The move is expected to substantially increase the visibility of Missouri State with respect to archaeology at the state and national levels.

Academics

Missouri State University-Springfield witnessed many changes in the academic arena over the past year. Among the changes were: The revision of the Faculty Handbook, the decentralization of the university budget to the colleges, the new compensation plan, the new long-range plan, benchmarking, and the use of accountability.

Academic programs earn accreditation

Several programs at Missouri State received accreditation during the past year. Missouri State University’s master of public administration (MPA) program was granted re-accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The MPA program provides graduate-level training for leadership in public and nonprofit agencies and offers specializations in public management, local government planning and public policy. The Missouri State University-affiliated Southwest Missouri School of Anesthesia received continued accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The program was granted the maximum accreditation of 10 years with no progress report required. Five-year accreditation was granted to programs in Missouri State University’s industrial management department at the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) annual convention. The accreditation was received for the B.S. in construction management and B.S. in industrial management with options in computer aided drafting, distribution, food processing, production, and quality control. This is the initial accreditation of the construction management degree in the five new option areas. The Associate of Applied Science in respiratory therapy program at Missouri State-West Plains received initial accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The program provides students with the skills to become Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRT) and prepares them for the board exams from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

Missouri State hosts international conference

Missouri State University hosted an international conference on “East-Central Europe at the Crossroads: Russian, American and European Union Interests and Policies.” Many high-ranking government officials and academic leaders from Australia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Macedonia debated several diverse global topics during the two day conference.

College of Business Administration partners with IBM

Missouri State University and IBM officials announced that the university has joined IBM’s Academic Initiative to better prepare students to be future leaders in technology and business. The partnership will provide students with free access to a wide range of IBM software, hardware and services resources, valued at approximately $5 million. IBM Academic Initiative is a program that offers university faculty and students a host of educational benefits to encourage the use of open standards technologies.

President Michael T. Nietzel elected to lead presidents’ group

Missouri State University President Michael T. Nietzel was elected by his colleagues to a two-year term as president of the Council on Public Higher Education (COPHE). COPHE discusses issues and policies related to higher education; provides input to the CBHE, Governor and Missouri General Assembly; and responds to inquiries about public higher education.

Teachers recognized for classroom excellence

Dr. Elizabeth Rozell, management professor at Missouri State University; and Barbara A. Caton, assistant professor of nursing at Missouri State University-West Plains, were honored by Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. The awards, which are not monetary, are based on effective teaching, innovative course design and delivery, effective advising, service to the university community, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement.

Students provide valuable community service

Students in Missouri State University’s Citizenship and Service Learning program contributed a total of 32,358 hours of academic service learning to the community last year. Using the Independent Sector value of volunteer time for the state of Missouri, that amounts to $521,610 worth of service.

Health-related master’s programs prepare professionals

Students in Missouri State’s health-related master’s programs had 100 percent pass rates this past year for communication sciences and disorders, doctorate in audiology, physician assistant studies, family nurse practitioner and physical therapy licensure exams. Since the inception of the graduate programs in physician assistant studies and family nurse practitioner, the licensure pass rate for all students graduating has been 96 and 98 percent, respectively.

Board of Governors approves AA in teaching degree

A new two-year degree at Missouri State-West Plains will help area residents complete all the preparatory classes needed to pursue a bachelor’s degree in education. The new degree is essentially a reorganization of existing teacher preparation programs at Missouri’s two-year colleges and was developed in response to a formal recommendation of the CBHE Committee on Transfer and Articulation to alleviate problems in transferring two-year college credits into four-year teaching programs due to differences in preparatory requirements at the four-year schools. The proposal will go to the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education for final approval.

Missouri Sheriffs’ Academy classes offered at Missouri State-West Plains

The local Peace Officer basic training program offered by the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association Training Academy has found a new home. Beginning fall 2006, the Sheriffs’ Academy classes were offered at Missouri State-West Plains under a new cooperative agreement with the association. The Peace Officer training program articulates into the Associate of Applied Science in Law Enforcement degree offered by Missouri State-West Plains.

Corps of Opportunity Program Approved by Board

The Missouri State University Board of Governors approved a new scholarship/work-to-learn program that will help even more students at Missouri State-West Plains afford college. The Corps of Opportunity Program combines scholarships and work opportunities on campus for qualified students who need financial help to pay for their college education. Although federal and state financial aid programs provide assistance to students who have the greatest financial need, the Corps of Opportunity Program targets students who have unmet financial need, whether or not they received benefits from one of these governmental programs.

Faculty and Staff

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

Dr. Kevin Mickus, professor of geography, geology and planning, is taking part in a long-term multi-year study exploring the four-dimensional structure of the North American continent. The study is part of the EarthScope Project sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Dr. John L. Kent, associate professor of marketing, received a grant from Iowa State University for his investigation of fuel surcharge methodologies used in the Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) segment of the motor carrier industry; Dr. Carlo Smith, assistant professor of marketing, received an award from Iowa State University for his investigation of technologies and policies that would support improved fleet fuel performance; Dr. Susan Hinck, associate professor of nursing at Missouri State, was selected as a scholar in the 2006 Geriatrics Nursing Research Scholars Program at the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University, one of only 14 nurses chosen for the summer program; Dr. Dennis Hickey, professor of political science and director of Missouri State University’s graduate program in international affairs, was appointed to serve as a research associate at San Francisco State University’s newly-established Center for U.S.-China Policy Studies; Dr. Holly Jones, research assistant at the Center for Archaeological Research, was awarded a $29,981 task agreement from the National Park Service via the Upper and Middle Mississippi Valley Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit for “Missouri Trail of Tears Research and Exhibit Development.” Dr. Mary Beth Mann, associate professor of child development; and Dr. Susan Sims-Giddens, assistant professor of nursing, received a $105,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for The Missouri Preschool Project; Dr. Mani K. Manivannan, associate professor of physics, astronomy and materials science, began work as a co-principal investigator for the three-year project “Academy for Teachers – Inquiry and Modeling Experiences for Physics First (A TIME for Physics First),” which was awarded a $3.14 million grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; Dr. Robert Pavlowsky, associate professor of geography, geology and planning, received a $69,910 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency via the James River Basin Partnership for the Finley River Stormwater Project, intended to help understand and prevent runoff-based pollution from urban residential and commercial areas in the region; Dr. Eric Nelson, assistant professor of history, was selected as a Cameron Fellow at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, one of the most prestigious fellowships in Reformation research in the world; Kimberly Roam, child care trainer for the early childhood and family development department, received a grant from the Project Construct National Training Center for the Learning Connection, an in-service program operating within the College of Education that provides training and technical assistance to childcare providers in southwest Missouri; Dr. Anson Elliott, agriculture department head at Missouri State University, was named Agriculture Leader of the Year at the 40th annual Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture. The title was awarded by Agricultural Leadership of Tomorrow (ALOT), a leadership program representing full-time farmers, agribusiness and other agriculturally-oriented professionals in rural and urban areas. Dr. James Miller, a geologist and professor in Missouri State University’s department of geography, geology and planning, had a new fossil named in his honor. The trilobite fossil – Notchpeakia milleri – was discovered in the same area where Miller and many of his students have conducted years of research. Dr. Dennis Schmitt, professor of agriculture at Missouri State University, was named the recipient of the new Alumni Professorship in Reproductive Biology – the first endowed professorship in the university’s College of Natural and Applied Sciences. The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), a non-partisan policy institute headquartered in Washington, D.C., named Dr. Bernard McCarthy a 2007 Academic Fellow. McCarthy, director of the Community and Social Issues Institute and visiting professor of criminology at Missouri State University, traveled to Israel for an intensive course in terrorism studies, focusing particularly on how democracies can defeat the worldwide terrorist threat. Dr. Dennis Hickey, professor of political science, was named a Fulbright scholar and will teach at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing during the spring 2008 semester. He will also deliver guest lectures on U.S.-China-Taiwan relations at other universities. Dr. Rebecca Woodard, associate professor of health, physical education and recreation, received the Rich Walker Award of the Southwest Chapter of the Missouri Rehabilitation Association. The award is the highest honor of the chapter and was created to recognize a distinguished member of the professional rehabilitation community. Dr. Kris Sutliff, professor of English, received the Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). NACADA was chartered as a non-profit organization in 1979 to promote quality academic advising and ensure the educational development of students. Again in 2006-07, two faculty members and two staff members were presented with Excellence in Community Service awards. The two faculty members honored were Bradley Fisher, psychology; and Richard Johnson, computer information systems. The two staff members were Kathleen Morrissey, coordinator of theatre and events for university and community programs at the West Plains Campus; and Paula Vinson, executive assistant in internal audit.

Students

About 1,500 students, faculty, staff and friends of the University participated in the 2007 Relay for Life, the signature fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. The Missouri State event raised approximately $130,000 to help fund cancer research, education, advocacy and patient services. More than 140 student organizations sponsored teams during the April event.
Missouri State University’s electronic arts and media, journalism and film students recently brought home seven awards from the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts and 15 awards from the Missouri Broadcast Education Association competition. Two Missouri State presentations received first-place honors, three presentations received second-place honors and one entry received third place at the Broadcast Education Association Festival. In addition to the BEA and MBEA, four Missouri State works were screened at the Show-Me Missouri International Film Festival.
Students from Missouri State University’s industrial management department won the 2006 Robotic Manipulator Contest in Cleveland, Ohio. The national competition, hosted by the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT), included 15 schools from around the country such as Iowa State and Cal Poly. The objective of the competition was to navigate a course made of a conductive material and retrieve an object without human intervention.
Construction management students from Missouri State University took top honors at the 14th annual Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Student Construction Management Competition in Nebraska City, Neb. Missouri State competed against 30 teams from 16 schools in the ASC Region IV, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Three graduate and four undergraduate Missouri State University political science students gained first-hand experience understanding Middle East peoples and cultures when they traveled to Kuwait for 10 days. The trip was sponsored by the Kuwait Information Office (KIO) in Washington, D.C., and the Ministry of Information for the State of Kuwait.
Wrapping up eight months of fund-raising activities, Missouri State University students celebrated a successful first year with Up ’til Dawn, a program committed to raising money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Missouri State students raised more than $108,000 for St. Jude — double the average amount for a school in its first year of the program.
Approximately 50 students traveled to Bogalusa, La., to help build houses for the victims of hurricane Katrina as part of Katrina Relief 2007. The relief program is in its second year at Missouri State. While in Bogalusa, the team helped paint, drywall and perform other light construction duties.
Springfield community service organizations and Missouri State University came together to take part in “Into the Streets,” a national volunteer program. The program, coordinated by the Campus Volunteer Center, the office of student activities and the Centennial Leaders, matched Missouri State students and organizations with several community agencies, including Habitat for Humanity, the Kitchen, Ozark Greenways, Ozark Food Harvest, University Child Care Center and the American Heart Association.
Nine students at Missouri State University were initiated as charter members of Delta Alpha Pi, an international honor society for students with disabilities. Missouri State’s group, sponsored by the office of disability services, is the seventh chapter established worldwide and the only chapter in Missouri.
The Missouri State University debate team finished the year in 15th place, according to the CEDA (Cross Examination Debate Association) rankings. The year ended with a trip to the CEDA National Tournament in Norman, Okla., where four Missouri State teams competed in a pool of 200 two-person debate teams. Three of those four teams cleared to the first elimination round. The team also competed in the National Debate Tournament.
Ben Anders, a graduate student in the biology department at Missouri State University, received the Linnaeus Fund Award for a research proposal he submitted to the Chelonian Research Foundation. The grant will be used to fund Anders in his research of the reproduction biology of three endangered Asian turtle species. Anders will be collaborating on this project with Dr. Don Moll, biology professor at Missouri State. Anders and Moll also received the 2007 Turtle Survival Alliance Partner Grant which was awarded at the IUCN TSA / Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group Annual Conference. They were the sole recipient of this award.
Two students at Missouri State-West Plains were selected for the 2007 All-Missouri Two-Year College Academic Team. Keriann Collins, Alton, was named to the first team; and Joe Driscoll, Brandsville, was named to the third team.

Special Activities

Missouri State University granted its fifth and sixth honorary doctorates to Annie Busch and Jim Craig. Busch and Craig received the Doctorate in Humane Letters and the Doctor of Public Affairs, respectively, during spring commencement ceremonies.
Missouri State University alumnus and nationally-known attorney Thomas G. Strong was selected to receive the Bronze Bear Award. Strong, founder and managing partner of The Strong Law Firm, is the seventh recipient of the award, which is presented to those who have exhibited “extraordinary achievement and/or outstanding support” for Missouri State.
Missouri State University held the fourth annual student-led Public Affairs Week (PAW) with activities designed to demonstrate service, community involvement and citizenship as a part of the university’s public affairs mission. Events included a canned food drive and raffle, and a service fair, featuring many volunteer and service organizations available on campus and throughout the community.
For the 13th year, Missouri State University and Drury University hosted the Expanding Your Horizons conference. The conference, part of a project supported by the National Science Foundation, encourages and fosters collaborations between various types of programs and organizations in Missouri, Kansas and northeast Oklahoma that will help girls pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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 third annual Public Affairs Conference, hosted by Missouri State University along with presenting sponsor the Springfield News-Leader, took place in April on the Springfield campus. Themed “One World, Many Voices,” the four-day event featured several engaging panel discussions and keynote speakers, including Egyptian physician and writer Nawal El Saadawi, MTV and VH1 co-founder Les Garland, and teacher/activist/author Jonathan Kozol, along with Missouri State University President Emeritus John Keiser, who delivered his address on the West Plains campus.
Missouri State University 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.
A combined 198 years of dedicated service were honored with plaques featuring six former Missouri State University faculty and staff members are enshrined on the Wall of Fame during a ceremony in the Plaster Student Union. The 2006 Wall of Fame Class included: Dr. Kenneth Brown, Ralph K. Manley, Grace B. Palmer, Dr. J.N. Smith, Dr. Robert Trewatha and Max A. Wood.
For the second year, Missouri State University hosted a conference to discuss relations between America, the Middle East and the Islamic world. Scholars, diplomats, government officials, religious leaders and others from the United States, Israel, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan and other countries discussed a number of important issues pertaining to America’s foreign policy toward the Middle East.
The theatre and dance department at Missouri State University hosted the annual Performing Arts Institute in June. The Performing Arts Institute, a program for high school students interested in the performing arts, is an intensive workshop, with students attending classes in acting, voice and diction, auditioning, dance, musical theatre and technical theatre.
During the year, a wide variety of speakers visited campus including Former United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen; Frank McCourt, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of “Angela’s Ashes”; Jessica Hartman, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health who led a discussion about infectious disease and the public’s perception of it; and Nobel Laureate Dr. John B. Fenn, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his work on the development of methods for identification and structure analyses of biological macromolecules, such as proteins.

Intercollegiate Athletics

Missouri State had just one team entry into NCAA postseason play in 2006-07 and one invitational spot. The volleyball Bears of coach Melissa Stokes tied for third in the Missouri Valley Conference regular season race, upset defending champ Wichita State in the conference tourney semifinals, and gained an at large bid to the NCAA meet. Playing in their third NCAA tourney in four years, the Bears clipped host Arkansas in the opening round for Missouri State’s first-ever NCAA match win in volleyball. The Bears lost in the second round to nationally-ranked Oklahoma to cap a season which included the 1,000th all-time volleyball match win in school history. Only UCLA has more.
The other team postseason appearance came as the basketball Bears of Barry Hinson went 22-11 and were picked for the National Invitation Tournament for the third year in a row. The Bears were 5-5 midway through the league schedule but won seven of their last eight to finish 12-6 in the MVC and tie for third. The Bears’ season included a win over a Wisconsin team ranked #7 at the time -- Wisconsin later reached the top spot in the national polls. Missouri State senior guard Blake Ahearn closed out a brilliant career in which he finished seventh on the Bears’ all-time scoring list with 1,677 points and wound up as the all-time career leader in free throw percentage in Division I history with a .946 figure as he connected on 435 of 460 from the foul line over four seasons.
The football Bears finished 2-9 in their first year under new head coach Terry Allen, and both the men’s swimming team and the women’s swimming team failed in their bids to repeat their respective league titles from 2006. Jenna Williams was named the Athlete of the Meet for the MSU track team in the MVC meet while Leander Earnest represented MSU in the NCAA Division I Outdoor championship in the 800-meter run. Sally Hinton of Missouri State was named MVC Women’s Golfer of the Year and was also named Missouri State’s Outstanding Female Athlete for 2006-07, while footballer Mike Radon won the Virgil Cheek Award as the top male athlete.
The year saw Missouri State soccer teams move their home competition to Plaster Field for the first time, and construction was started on JQH Arena, a new 11,000-seat facility that’ll be used by Bears’ and Lady Bears’ basketball beginning in 2008-09.

Despite an injury-plagued season resulting in only seven healthy players throughout most of the season, the Missouri State-West Plains Lady Grizzlies won their eighth consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 16 Championship and earned the right to go on to the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Tournament. The Missouri State-West Plains Lady Grizzlies finished their 2006 season with a third place finish in the tournament and a record of 41-6. The Grizzlies compiled a 20-12 season record while playing one of the toughest schedules in junior college basketball. Their season ended when the Grizzlies lost in the semifinal game of the Region 16 Championship tournament.
Golfers from area high schools now have the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level locally after they graduate, thanks to a new student organization at Missouri State-West Plains. The Missouri State-West Plains Club Golf Team was formed to give competitive golfers from area high schools a chance to compete on the collegiate level, according to volunteer coach Phil Wade. Club team members will compete in tournaments against competitive teams from all collegiate levels and divisions.
Luiza Jarocka and Patricia Gandolfo were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Two-Year College Women’s Volleyball All-American first team and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American first team. Missouri State-West Plains Lady Grizzly sophomore setter Luiza Jarocka was named a Distinguished Academic All-American by the collegiate sports association for maintaining a 3.84 grade point average during the past academic year. Missouri State-West Plains Grizzly Basketball standout Johnnie McLawhorn was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Region 16 All-Region Team. The 6-4, 185-pound sophomore wing from Greenville, N.C., was the leading scorer in Region 16.

Federal funding

The bulk of Missouri State’s external funding came from federal sources, which showed a 2 percent increase from last year for a total of $13.1 million. Research and economic development received the most funding with approximately $10.6 million, much of which was awarded for the new Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center.

Missouri State University was notified that the U.S. Department of Education funded its Upward Bound program for 2007. Missouri State University will receive $250,000 to help 50 Upward Bound students from Hillcrest, Central and Parkview High Schools in Springfield.

Dr. Kevin Evans, assistant professor of geology; and Dr. James Miller, professor of geology, were awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to research a likely meteor impact near Weaubleau in southern St. Clair County. Evans discovered the 12 mile crater while studying digital elevation data. The crater is one of the 50 largest known on Earth.

Private Fund-Raising

The Missouri State Foundation completed 2006-07 as the second best fund-raising year in history with $10.9 million in gifts received; the $11.8 million in 2005-06 set the record. In 2006-07, the Foundation received more than 34,000 gifts. The improved stock market, coupled with new gifts, caused the endowment to top the $56 million mark, which is a 45 percent increase over the past two years.

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

Five endowed funds totaling more than $500,000 were established through the Missouri State University Foundation. One of the new endowments supports a professorship; three other endowments establish new student scholarships; and the fifth endowment supports girls’ soccer at Greenwood Laboratory School.
Retired bank executive Noel Boyd has joined three other donors supporting the Grand Entrance to JQH Arena. Other contributors include Bill and Virginia Darr, H.E. “Spook” and Liz Whitener and the Whitener Family, and Tom Strong and Family. Although there will be multiple exits to JQH Arena, the Grand Entrance will be the only public entry into the facility.
John and Cathy Youngblood became the lead individual sponsor of the Missouri State Promise Scholarship. The Missouri State Promise Scholarship, which will be implemented in fall 2007, covers the difference between the cost of tuition and any grants and scholarships the student has. The scholarship is available for four years to incoming freshmen and for two years to transfer students. John and Cathy Youngblood also have made a commitment to endow a scholarship for the Lady Bears basketball team. The Youngbloods own and operate Youngblood Motors.
Retired bank executive Noel Boyd funded an endowed professorship that can be used at the discretion of the president in one of three areas: business, the humanities areas of the College of Arts and Letters, or sports-related fields.
The Bill Berry Endowed Scholarship is designated for graduates from Strafford High School who attend Missouri State. The Dr. Robert W. Martin Research Fellowship was established by Dr. Dorothy (Martin) Simon in memory of her father. The fellowship is for junior or senior chemistry majors who plan to pursue graduate studies at Missouri State. The Larry D. and Glenna C. Frazier Endowed Scholarship was established to assist students from three high schools: Branson, Ozark and West Plains.
The James F. Morris Family established an endowed professorship at Missouri State University. The designation of the program receiving the professorship will be at the discretion of the Provost Belinda McCarthy and Missouri State President Michael T. Nietzel.
Graduates of Parkview High School in Springfield will benefit from a new endowed scholarship fund established at Missouri State University by Michael and Barbara Ingram. The Ingram Endowed Scholarship will be available to at least six students annually, beginning with the fall semester 2007.
The 873 students in the Honors College at Missouri State University will benefit as the result of a recent gift commitment from Rich and Doris Young. The gift will provide annual funding for the appointment of three faculty members as Honors College Professors for terms of three years, with one of the three professorships being assigned to the director.

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