download the spring 2015 chpa newsletter

Mission Statement for CHPAThe faculty of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs helps students to understand the nuances of social and political structures, criminal justice, culturally-based ethical and interpersonal behavior, religious systems, and eco-nomic processes within a global, historical, and contemporary context. CHPA presents the concepts contained in the University’s Public Affairs mission and applies them to real-world problems and situations so that our students will be better prepared to become citizens and leaders.

Dean’s Corner: Dean Victor H. Matthews Focus onSpring 2015

College of Humanities and Public Affairs

Spring 2015 Newsletter * Volume 18, Issue 1

In this final issue of the CHPA Newsletter, I want to begin by thanking Jane Terry for the wonderful job she has done as compiler, designer, and editor. She has devoted many hours to each issue and transformed it into an effective and visually exciting vehicle for telling the college’s story each semester. In ad-dition to providing information on faculty, I am happy to say that we have been able to feature many stories about our current students and our alumni. As we transition to a college blog (http://blogs.missouristate.edu/chpa/), we will be able to tell these stories in a more timely manner and I would encourage you to check the blog often in order to keep up with the exciting things that happen through-out the year. In fact, you can assist us with this by submitting information on your own accomplishments. With the state now mandating that universities do a better job of tracking their graduates, the time you take to send us information on what you have been up to since graduation will help us accomplish that goal. You can simply send your updates to [email protected] and then watch the blog to learn more about your fellow graduates and the impact that are having on their communities, the nation, and the world.

As we come to the end of another academic year, we say goodbye to our graduating seniors and wish them well as they begin their professional lives or go on to graduate school. We also say goodbye to faculty, who have made the decision to retire and start a new phase of their lives. For example, Dr. Jim Moyer, who has been a member of the History and the Religious Studies faculty for 45 years is retiring at the end of the spring semester. I hope that those of you who had him in class or in some way were touched by his teaching or advice will write him with your best wishes. I also hope you will send me feedback on the stories in the newsletter or questions about college events, faculty, and students. Feel free to write me ([email protected]) or visit the campus and I will arrange a tour or a chance to bring you up to date. Now as we anticipate the prospects or another spring and summer, I wish you well and look forward to hearing from you.

College of Humanities and Public Affairs Fall 2014

Inside This Issue: Page:Dean’s Corner ........................................................................................................................... 1Letter from the Editor ............................................................................................................. 2College of Humanities and Public Affairs

- CHPA Students Follow Their Passion, Find Their Place ....................................... 3- CHPA Faculty Awards and Honors ........................................................................... 6- CHPA Recent Events ................................................................................................... 7

College NewsCriminology & Criminal Justice .................................................................................... 8 Defense & Strategic Studies .........................................................................................10Economics .......................................................................................................................11History .............................................................................................................................12Missouri Archaeological Society ..................................................................................13Military Science/ROTC ................................................................................................14Philosophy ......................................................................................................................15Political Science ..............................................................................................................15Religious Studies .............................................................................................................18Sociology & Anthropology ...........................................................................................22

CHPA Giving ..........................................................................................................................26

College of Humanities and Public Affairs Spring 2015 Page 2

This, our spring 2015 CHPA Newsletter, is the final edition to be edited and composed by me. We are pleased to announce our new format, the CHPA Blog: http://blogs.missouristate.edu/chpa/, edited by Ms. Laurie Wilson, Executive Assistant II to the Dean, CHPA. Many thanks to Dr. Victor Matthews for allowing me to serve the College and the University in this way for the past six years. It has truly been a pleasure to promote our College and to applaud you, our faculty, students, and staff, on your dedication and success. You all are awesome! From now on, please send your news items to Laurie Wilson, [email protected], for inclusion in the CHPA Blog, and continue our tradition of serving the University and Springfield communities through academic excellence and community engagement!

Letter from the Editor

~ Jane Terry (MSU Religious Studies)

CHPA StudentsFollow Their Passion,

Find Their Place!

College of Humanities and Public Affairs Spring 2015

Students and alumni of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs share their success stories with us.

Have a success story of your own? Send your story and photos to [email protected].

A breakfast was held on Friday, 12 December 2014, to congratulate the winners of the Board of Governors Citizen Scholar Award. 2014-2015 Recipients included two from the College of Humanities and Public Affairs: Jordan McGee, Eco-nomics, and Samantha Nichols, Religious Studies. Attending the award breakfast were the nominators

of the winners, including Dr. Mahua Mitra, Professor of Economics (Mr. McGee), and Dr. Stephen Berkwitz, Department Head, Religious Studies (Ms. Nichols); as well as MSU President Clif Smart, the Board of Governors, Citizen Scholars’ guests, and others. Mr. McGee is a senior from Ellisville, MO, majoring in Economics and Organizational Communication, and he plans to work in the financial industry, possibly with a financial advising group. Mr. McGee was accompa-nied by his parents, Michael and Kim McGee, his brother, Justin McGee, and Justin’s wife, Jen McGee. Ms. Nichols is a senior from Stillwell, Kansas, majoring in Religious Studies with a minor in Ozark Studies. She plans to attend seminary, pursue ordination, and blend her passions for ministry, interfaith activism, and non-profit work. Ms. Nichols’ guests were her parents, Joel and Jessica Nichols, and her friend, James Gilmore. The Citizen Scholar Award was initiated in 2007 as a special Board of Governors program to recognize outstanding citizen scholars at Missouri State University, recognized for their stellar achievements with academics, community engagement, and leadership. Citizen Scholar nominations may be made by Missouri State University faculty and staff members each fall. For more information on the award and how to nominate students for the next cohort, please see http://studentaffairs.missouristate.edu/citizenscholaraward.htm.

CHPA StudentsAwarded Citizen Scholar Honor


CHPA Students Follow Their Passion, Find Their Place!

Phil Heaver (at left), M.S. candidate in Defense and Strategic Studies (DSS), is cur-rently interning with Lockheed Martin in the Washington D.C. area. He has previously worked in other public policy related sectors, such as research institutions and in the legisla-tive branch, but found this unique opportunity within the defense contracting community. At Lockheed Martin, Mr. Heaver works within its Washington Operations sector, respon-sible for government and customer outreach, specifically in support of the company’s space and missile defense portfolio.

The position allows him to build upon the knowledge he attained from the exceptional coursework of the DSS program What makes this graduate program so special is that it provides students with a foundation to succeed in the national security arena via its highly qualified staff and practical style coursework. Mr. Heaver noted, “By pursuing my degree with MSU, I have been exposed to opportunities that I never knew existed.”

Daniel Bogle (at right), 2013 B.S. Political Science and 2014 Master of Public Administration, was promoted to the position of Director of Member Relations and Com-munications for the Missouri Grocers Association. Mr. Bogle has worked for the MGA as their Government Relations Coordinator for the past year and will now assume the responsibilities of managing the MGA’s electronic newsletter, print magazine, social media, and membership services while also coordinating a lobbying event at the state capitol in Jefferson City and the association’s annual trade show. Mr. Bogle wrote in an e-mail to PLS Department Head George Connor and CHPA Dean Victor Matthews, “Thank you for everything both of you have invested in me and other students, and I can say with confidence that it has placed me in a position to succeed through both the education that made our state director confident that I could hold the position and the personal connections that would not have been possible without programs such as the Legislative Internship.”

DSS Student Phil HeaverInterns at Lockheed Martin

Political Science Alumnus Promoted to Director

Senior Religious Studies major Nii Addo Abrahams (at left), was recently selected as one of four undergraduate scholars to present their own research at the University of Texas’ G. Howard Miller Undergraduate Panel in Religious Studies. Mr. Abraham sub-mitted a paper entitled “Religious Rhetoric: Case Studies in Franklin D. Roosevelt and George W. Bush.” The panel, which is to take place April 10-12, will be a part of a larger conference at the University of Texas at Austin called “Building Bad: The Construction of Evil in Religious Discourse.” The attending undergraduate scholars will have the opportu-nity to connect with current graduate students from around the country, faculty members from the University of Texas, and the conference’s three keynote speakers: Jo Ann Hack-ett (Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Religious Studies at the University of Texas

at Austin), Arlene M. Sánchez-Walsh (Associate Professor of Church History and Latino/a Church Studies), and Peter Machinist (Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages at Harvard University).

Religious Studies Major Selected for Conference


CHPA Students Follow Their Passion, Find Their Place!

Lt. Gen. Karen E. Dyson (at left, center), graduated Missouri State University 1980, made Army history in August when she became the first female finance officer to achieve the three-star rank. Lt. Gen. Dyson, who commissioned Regular Army, Finance Branch, from MSU’s Mili-tary Science/ROTC, is the military deputy for budget to the assistant secretary of the Army (financial management and comptroller). Lt. Gen. Dyson joins a small group of women who have earned the rank of lieutenant general: There are currently four other female three-stars serving in the Army. See the full article at the Missouri State magazine spring 2015 issue:

http://magazine.missouristate.edu/2015/01/26/alumna-one-of-five-women-in-army-with-three-star-rank/

Alumna One of Five Women in Army with Three-star Rank

Ashley Carter (at right), 2013 B.A. in History with a Religious Studies minor, has recently accepted a position as the new Assistant Director of the Museum of the Bible: Passages. The museum, a traveling exhibit that was in Springfield last year and is now opening in Cali-fornia, is home to the Green Collection, the largest private collection in the world of Biblical manuscripts and artifacts (over 40,000) that will eventually be housed in Washington, D.C. at the new National Bible Museum. Ms. Carter specifically credits History Assistant Professor, Dr. Butler, for her encour-agement and teaching.

History Alumna New Assistant Director of Passages

Sarah Klaassen (at left), 2006 B.A. Religious Studies, 2009 M.Div.Vanderbilt University, spoke to a full room of students, athletes, and community members on March 26 as part of the “Faith and Life Matters” speaker series hosted by the United Ministries in Higher Education. Ms. Klaassen, the Community Organizer of Central Missouri Community Action, Mennonite Pastor, and ordained Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) minister, spoke on “Leadership: Life as a Vo-cation Not a Job,” tying her basketball career (Lady Bears 2002-06), her education, and vocation together. For more information on the series, visit www.UMHE.org.

Leadership Talk by Religious Studies Alumna

Terri A. Smith, graduate student in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, was award-ed an internship with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia. Training programs offered at the center include intelligence methodology, analytical skills, and research techniques aimed at effective collection, analysis, and sharing of intelligence data. The internship session will last twelve weeks.

Student Lands Homeland Security Internship


Congratulations to Our CHPA Faculty!

Two faculty members in the College of Humanities and Public Affairs have been awarded the Faculty Excellence in Community Service Award: Lora Hobbs (at left, above), Senior Instructor in Religious Studies, and Paula Rector (at left, below), Senior Instructor in Criminology. The Excellence in Community Service Awards are presented annually to fac-ulty and staff to recognize excellence in volunteer work with charitable, nonprofit, church, or similar organizations within the community. The recipients will be formally recognized at the All-Faculty Recognition Reception on May 5, 2015, 3:00 p.m. in the Plaster Student Union Ballroom. The Missouri State University Foundation will fund up to four $1,000 cash awards, two designated for staff and two designated for faculty. All full time faculty and staff with at least three years of service at the University are eligible for the award. Congratulations to our excellent faculty!

Other CHPA faculty members and students are regularly recognized on the Public Affairs Spotlight. Among

the stories highlighted on the page include: Dr. David Johnson (at near right), Associate Professor in Political Science; Dr. Lorene Stone (at far right), Professor in Sociology; Allyssa Miget, Graduate Student, Master of Public Administration; and Scott Berndt, Economics major (Mr. Berndt’s story is on page 11) The University and our College are proud to note their achievements and contributions to our community! Check the Spotlight page for more information: http://publicaffairs.missouristate.edu/spotlight.htm

Excellence in Community Service Awards to CHPA Faculty

Christina Ryder (at right), Instructor of Sociology and Assistant Director for the Center for Social Science and Public Policy Research, was recently awarded the Certified Sociology Practitioner Credential (CSP) by the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociolo-gists (AACS). Certification is a designation awarded by the AACS to experienced professional sociological practitioners who demonstrate excellence in their practice of applied, clinical, or public sociology. Practicing sociologists with either a Master’s or Doctoral degree may ap-ply for certification by the Association of Applied and Clinical Sociology. The certification is based upon accomplishments in both research and service. Ms. Ryder’s application materials were approved in September of 2014 and consisted of research work and service in the areas of nonprofit development and nonprofit evaluation research. She presented her portfolio at the AACS in Pittsburgh, PA in October, 2014. Certification was approved also in October, 2014. More information on the CSP and the AACS may be found here: http://www.aacsnet.net/certification-2/

Sociology Instructor Earns CSP Credential


Congratulations to Our CHPA Faculty!

Ivy Yarkow-Brown (at left), a Senior Instructor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, has been awarded the Master Online Course Recognition Award for her CRM 397 course, “Seminar on Violence”. Ms. Yarkow-Brown was recognized for being “Best in all Categories” and is the third Criminology and Criminal Justice faculty to win this prestigious award with Dr. Brett Garland and Ms. Caryn Saxon winning the award in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

Criminology Instructor EarnsMaster Online Course Award

College of Humanities & Public Affairs News

Dr. Robert Hill (at right), Professor of History at University of California-Los Angeles and curator of the Marcus Garvey Papers at UCLA, gave a free, public talk in Meyer Library 101 on “Marcus Garvey and the Fallen Angel,” in February as part of the African American History Month events. In this lecture, Professor Hill took the familiar story of Marcus Garvey in a completely new and unfamiliar direction. By linking Garvey with the figure of the ‘Fallen Angel,’ the lecture described underlying linkage between Garvey and the cos-mology of Jamaican Revivalism, an indigenous, African-derived Christian religion, in which the ‘Fallen Angel’ figures as the avatar of power and resistance to the established order. This event was sponsored by the departments of Sociology and Anthropology, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, English, and the College of Humanities and Public Affairs.

Dr. Robert Hill (photo by Gregg Segal)

Marcus Garvey and the Fallen Angel: An African American History Month Event

A campus forum, sponsored by the College of Humanities and Public Affairs, was held on Thursday, February 12 in Carrington Auditorium, to examine the issues and responses posed by the race-related protests in Ferguson, MO and related events. Among the panelists were Dr. Alisa Warren, Executive Director of Missoui Commission on Human Rights; Wes Pratt, Missouri State University Compliance; Brian Simmons, student, Black Bear President; and Aminata Cairo, Professor of Anthropology at Southern Illinois University-Evansville. A variety of events on and off campus, celebrating many heritage months at Missouri State, tie into the aca-demic Area Studies Minors in the College of Humanities and Public Affairs. Visit the CHPA website for a list of and information about the Area Studies Minors: www.missouristate.edu/chpa.

Campus Forum: After Ferguson: What’s Next?


Criminology & Criminal Justice News7th Annual MSU Criminology

and Criminal JusticeConference April 8-9

Five faculty presented original re-search at the annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, which was held from March 4-7, in Orlando, Florida. Grad-uate students working with faculty members on research also had an opportunity to pres-ent during the panels. In attendance at the conference were: Drs. Ethan Amidon, Brett Garland, Aida Hass, Bernard McCarthy and Michael Suttmoeller. Graduate students who presented were: Christine Hannis, Logan Konopasek and Tamra Preston.

by Brett Garland On January 26, Springfield police officer Aaron Pearson (at right), was shot while in the line of duty, an incident result-ing in severe, career-ending injuries. He faces a long medical recovery which will pose significant financial demands on him and his family. Officer Pearson is a graduate student in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Our department is supporting Officer Pearson and his family by collecting donations in the department office, Strong Hall 231. Please con-sider donating in support of our fellow Missouri State citizen who has made such a tremendous sacrifice for our safety and wellbeing. Checks can be made payable to “Missouri FOP Foundation” with “Springfield Police, Pearson” written on the memo line and sent to the Criminology Depart-ment, Missouri State University, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897. A list of other fundraisers for Officer Pearson can be found through the following link: https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=2aamkpe7tqhpn6kuqsvljhnato%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Chicago

Supporting Officer Aaron

Pearson

Criminology Faculty Present at Annual Meeting

by Ivy Yarckow-Brown “Inside the Criminal Justice System: Characteristics, Challenges, and Opportunities: - The 7th Annual Missouri State University Criminology and Criminal Justice Conference” will take place on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 and Thursday, April 9, 2015 in Plaster Student Union. The conference this year will host Warden Linda Sanders of the U. S. Federal Medical Facil-ity for Prisoners and C. Riccardo Lucas, the author of S.O.S. Programmed for Murder, as two of the keynote speakers. Over 30 additional panel presentations will be provided by students, staff, faculty, and community professionals regarding the topics of law enforcement, courts, corrections, and additionally related criminal justice components. Two re-entry/recidivism work-shops are planned, over 25 agencies will be represented in the Career / Employment fair component, and a modest collection of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs will be on hand for a Q&A “Tell All” event on Wednesday evening. For further information, please see the FaceBook page at:https://www.facebook.com/msucrimconference or contact the conference coordinator, Ivy Yarckow-Brown at [email protected].


Criminology & Criminal Justice News

by Ivy Yarckow-Brown During the first week of March, the officers of Sigma Mu Sigma, the Mis-souri State University chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, traveled to and participated in the National Alpha Phi Sigma Conference and ACJS (Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences) Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. The officers who were able to attend were Molly Galen, Christine Hannis, Logan Konopasek, Mason Phillips, and Maggie McCoy. These officers attended numerous meetings and presenta-tions with other top criminal justice students from around the country. Additionally, they presented “Experi-ence: The 6th Sense” with their faculty advisor, Ivy Yarckow-Brown, at the ACJS confer-ence. The trip as a whole was an outstand-ing experi-ence for the students in help-ing them master networking skills, hone presentation talents, and gather new information from their fields of study. SOFAC and the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice generously supported this valuable adventure.

Sigma Mu Sigma Officers Travel toNational Conference in Florida


Defense and Strategic Studies NewsDSS Graduate Students

Take Part in anInternational Strategic

Crisis NegotiationExercise

by Dr. Keith Payne, Department Head, Defense and Strategic Studies A team of ten Missouri State’s Department of De-fense and Strategic Studies graduate students took part in an international strategic crisis negotiation exercise,

held in Washington, D.C., administered by the U.S. Army War College and hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on February 27 and 28, 2015. The students participated as a team of diplomats representing the United States in a fictional scenario designed around a sharp escalation of the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The team was tasked with finding a diplomatic solution to a crisis that had already seen shots fired and lives lost, no small task for the extra-regional United States in a situation involving six regional powers that included China and India. The United States delegation members were engaged as mediators to the short term dispute, whilst backing a regional led effort to framework a long term resolution to the territorial disputes. As part of the exercise the students had to continue promoting U.S. regional interests, defy Chinese subversion of the peace talks, and work to solidify a sometimes shaky coalition of the smaller regional powers. Department of Defense and Strategic Studies students competed in the exercise alongside teams from Georgetown, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Institute for World Peace, among others. The student team performed markedly well against their peers in the field and relished the chance to participate in an exercise designed to mimic real world crisis negotiations. We eagerly look forward to engaging in similar opportunities in the future!

A new book, Minimum Deterrence: Examining the Evidence, is the first of its kind. Dr. Keith Payne, Professor in the MSU Graduate Department of Defense and Strategic Stud-ies, and the late former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger worked with an unparalleled bipartisan group of senior civilian and military experts to examine eight basic assumptions of the Minimum Deterrence theory of deterrence. As political pressure builds to pursue this theory of deterrence as actual U.S. policy, Minimum Deterrence: Examining the Evidence stands as a seminal and timely study.

DSS Head Publishes New Book


Economics News

Missouri State University Economics major, Scott Berndt (below, left), is featured in the March 2015 Stu-dent Public Affairs Spotlight for the volunteer work he and his Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers are doing with the Community Partnership of the Ozarks (http://www.commpartnership.org/). Here is the spotlight story by Stacey Trewatha-Bach of the Office of Public Affairs: Scott thought he’d simply volunteer and go home, but instead that first experience with Community Partner-ship of the Ozarks (CPO) has led to a passion for serving and opportunities to cultivate key leadership skills. Making the most of his free time, Scott volunteers the hours he has to assist with CPO fundraising events by helping wherever is needed most. After he was the only student volunteer to return to CPO for four weeks to help fin-ish what was started during an MLK Day of Service, he recruited 25 of his Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers to help complete the construction of a miniature golf course, which is the centerpiece for CPO’s Golf Tournament. As this fundraiser

finances a major portion of CPO’s educational, drug prevention, and com-munity development projects, Scott’s dedication to seeing the job through to completion was a significant factor in the success of the fundraiser, says Will Carter, CPO Director of Communications. Scott and his fraternity brothers have continued their service commitment by providing much needed man-power for this year’s miniature Golf Tournament as well as volunteering with the HOPE Connection event where they assist with set-up and meal service to Springfield’s homeless. As a great example of living the public affairs mission through com-munity engagement and ethical leadership, we are proud to recognize Scott as the March 2015 Student Public Affairs Spotlight.

by Dr. Ken Brown, Department Head, Economics The Economics Club of Missouri State University recently released its first annual summary of the newly created Student Pricing Index for Missouri State students. The purpose of this project is to estimate the change in prices for a group of goods that a typical MSU student would buy, much like headline CPI does for a typical con-sumer nationally. The Economics Club gathered prices in October of 2013 and 2014 and prices were compared annually. Key consumption categories include: grocery and food items, tuition, off-campus hous-ing, entertainment, and gasoline costs. This is the first release of price change data for the Economics Club at MSU. Price indexes need more than one set of observations to be meaningful. Last year’s club decided consumption bundles and collected prices, while this year’s club collected prices and calculated the percentage changes. The Economics Club anticipates new releases to this index every fall. For information about the club please contact Mr. Per Norander, Senior Instructor in Economics ([email protected]). For information on the Student Pricing Index, please contact Dr. C. Patrick Scott, Assistant Professor in Economics ([email protected]).

Dr. C. Patrick Scott and three students from the Club – Renee Sanders, Connor Klein, and Kohl Juranas – were recently interviewed about the SPI by the Missouri State Journal produced by KSMU: http://ksmu.org/post/economics-club-releases-first-msu-student-pricing-index

Economics Major Featured in Public Affairs Spotlight

MSU Student Pricing Index


History News

Dr. Jeremy Neely (at right), Instructor in History, has partnered with Mis-souri State Outreach to develop a third Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for the University. A MOOC is an online, non-credit class that is free and open to the public. Neely’s course, Missouri’s Civil War, is Missouri State’s third MOOC, joining classes about Ozarks culture and Laura Ingalls Wilder by Dr. Brooks Blevins and Pamela Smith Hill, respectively, and will begin in Fall 2015. You can find more information at http://outreach.missouristate.edu/moocs.htm.

Congratulations to Dr. Bukola Oyeniyi (at left), Assistant Professor in History, on the publication of his most recent book, Africa in Focus: Nigeria, of the Nations in Focus series, ABC-CLIO Publishers. The publisher describes the book: Written by leading experts in African studies, this broad introduction to Nige-ria follows the history of the republic from the early period to the present day. As Africa’s most populated country and major world exporter of oil, Nigeria is a nation with considerable international importance—a role that is hampered by its economic underdevelopment and political instability. This book examines all major

aspects of Nigeria’s geography, politics, and culture, addressing the area’s current attempts at building a strong nation, developing a robust economy, and stabilizing its domestic affairs. Perfect for students of African history, geography, anthropology, and political science, this guidebook provides an overview and history of Nigeria from the early period to contem-porary times. Chapters focus on each region in the country; the government, economy and culture of Nigeria; the challenges and problems Nigerians face since the country’s indepen-dence; and topics affecting everyday life, including music, food, etiquette, gender roles, and marriage.

Dr. David W. Gutzke (at right), Professor of History, updated us on his recent activities and accomplishments:• Published my fifth book, Women Drinking Out in Britain since the Early Twentieth

Century (Manchester University Press, 2014).• Article, “W. Waters Butler and the Making of a Progressive Brewer,” was accepted

for publication by Historie Sociale/Social History.• Awarded Professor Salary Incentive Pay (PSIP)• Used faculty research grant to investigate the launching of Babycham, the first alcoholic bev-

erage aimed at women, spending five weeks in England.• Continued work on “Anglo-American Cultural Exchange: The Roadhouse Comes to Britian,”

for which I have a book contract with Northern Illinois University Press.• Taught new course, A History of Alcohol in Anglo-America, in the Honors College.

Dr. Jeremy Neely Develops MOOC for MSU

New Book byDr. Bukola Oyeniyi

Dr. David Gutzke Researches Women Drinking


Missouri Archaeological Society Newsby Dr. Neal H. Lopinot, Director and Research Professor and Secretary, MAS, Center for Archaeological Research

Annual Meeting The MAS welcomed over 130 attendees from Missouri and neighboring states to its 2014 Annual Meeting at the Resort at Port Arrowhead, Lake Ozark. The meeting featured presentations by professional and amateur archae-ologists as well as students from Lindenwood University and Southeast Missouri State University. The Koch Banquet Lecturer was Dr. Glen Doran, chair of the Department of Anthropology at Florida State University. The meeting also featured an array of exhibits, book sales, a silent auction that raised money for Society educational funds, Paleoindian and Project Archaeology workshops. award presentations, and a field trip to historic Willmore Lodge. Several students from Missouri State University also attended the meeting. The 2015 meeting is scheduled for April 10–12 and will again be in Lake Ozark. In addition to the usual activities, the meeting will also host a poster session featuring research and conservation by nine students and alumni from the ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts classes of Fall 2012 and Fall 2014 at Missouri State University. In this Citizenship and Service-Learning Integrated course, the students received training in basic preserva-tion, cleaning, stabilization, exhibition, and storage of art and artifacts, as well as limited training in repair and resto-

ration. The Koch Banquet Lecturer will be Dr. Michael Wiant, Director of the Dickson Mounds Museum in Illinois.

Archaeological Survey Training Program forMissouri In 2014, the MAS sponsored two more one-week sessions of the Archaeological Survey Training Program (Figure 1). The sessions were held at the historic Village of Arrow Rock in Saline County, supported by the Friends of Arrow Rock and the village itself. This free program, open to all participants, provides the opportunity for people to gain hands-on experience in archaeol-ogy, with an emphasis on preserving archaeological resources. Two students from MSU as well as five students from other Missouri schools participated in the 2014 sessions.

The 2015 sessions have been scheduled for July 13–17 and August 3–7 in Arrow Rock. Assistant Director Jack H. Ray of

the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at Missouri State will direct both sessions and will be accompanied by Dustin Thompson, CAR Project Supervisor, and at least one graduate student from Missouri State. The program is funded for 2014 and 2015 by a grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, State Historic Preservation

Office and the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Missouri Archaeology Month and Symposium Missouri Archaeology Month is a celebration held every September to pro-mote the protection, preservation, and documentation of Missouri’s archaeologi-cal resources. Archaeology Month 2014 was sponsored by the Missouri Archaeo-logical Society, the State Historic Preservation Office of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and Lindenwood University, Department of Anthropology. Events included exhibits, lectures, movies, and demonstrations held throughout Missouri. The 2014 poster theme was More than Shelter (Figure 2). The poster front features the Smallin Cave site (23CN6), located about a mile northeast of Ozark. Continued on next page...

Figure 1. MAS training program participantsanalyzing artifacts from Arrow Rock

Figure 2: Missouri Archaeology Month 2014 poster


Over 100 people (including Society members, members of the public, and college students) journeyed to Montgomery City, Missouri for the 2014 Fall Symposium on September 20. Attendees enjoyed presentations on the theme of Sheltered Sites in Missouri (presenters included Jack H. Ray and Neal H. Lopinot from the Center for Ar-chaeological Research). The presentations were followed by a catered lunch picnic at nearby Graham Cave State Park. After lunch, symposium attendees joined Graham Cave State Park in celebrating its 50th Anniversary with Archaeology Day at the Park. The 2015 poster theme is The Trail of Tears in Missouri. The poster will likely feature a photograph of a recent-ly discovered trail segment combined with illustrations of the journey. Plans are underway for the corresponding annual MAS Symposium to be held in conjunction with the National Trails Association conference at Trail of Tears State Park just north of Cape Girardeau.

Wrench Scholarship Interest proceeds from the Jesse Wrench Fund, set up in memory of the Society’s first president, has financed $1,000 annually ($500 per semester) for a deserving undergraduate student at any Missouri university or college. The recipient must work with a mentor at their institution to develop and implement an archaeological research project rela-tive to regional archaeology. The winner is required to write an article for the MAS Quarterly concerning the project. The 2014–2015 Wrench Scholarship was awarded to Emma Verstraete. Ms. Verstraete, who is an undergradu-ate at Lindenwood University, St. Louis, was selected for the award for her research project about early homesteads in Barry County, Missouri. Dr. Steve Dasovich, Chair of the Anthropology and Sociology Department at Lindenwood, will serve as the mentor for this project. The results of Ms. Verstraete’s research will be published in an issue of the MAS Quarterly in 2015. The MAS Board has recently voted to open the competition up to MA/MS-level students. As for undergradu-ates, the student must work with a mentor from his/her institution.

Missouri Archaeological Society News...MAS News, continued

MSU Student Travels toBulgaria to Teach English

Shelby Hulsey, Criminology major and Military Science minor at Missouri State, traveled to Bulgaria recently to teach English at a military academy in Shumen, Bulgaria. While there, Ms. Hulsey was able to visit historical sites and learn about Bulgar-ian culture through everyday activities. Ms. Hulsey applied for the Cultural Understanding Language Proficiency (CULP) mission through MSU’s ROTC and was selected to be on the team going to Bulgaria with other ROTC students from other universities. To read the story by Blake Miller, University Commu-nications public relations intern, that appeared in the Springfield News-Leader, see:http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/education/2015/03/01/msu-student-travels-bulgaria-teach-english/24231399/

Shelby Hulsey, left and Cadet Hannah Cole stop to take a picture in Bulgaria (photo sub-mitted to the News-Leader by Shelby Hulsey)

Military Science/ROTC News


Philosophy News

by Dr. Andrew Johnson, Associate Professor and Program Director, Philosophy

Fourteen Missouri State students, along with Prof. Andrew Johnson of the Phi-losophy Department, used the tail end of Missouri State’s spring break to travel to the annual Midsouth Philosophy Conference in Memphis, TN.

The conference took place at Rhodes College on March 13th and 14th, and featured dozens of speakers, from as close as Memphis and as far away as Germany. Prof. Johnson (at left, lower), presented his paper “Moral Blindness and Kant’s Universalizability Test” at the main conference, and Philosophy minor Alyssa Franklin (at left, above) gave a talk on “The Rationality of Agnosticism” to the undergraduate section of the conference.

Dr. Johnny Washington Joins MO Bar Advisory Task Force

Congratulations to Philosophy Professor, Dr. Johnny Washington! Dr. Washington (at right) has agreed to serve on the Missouri Bar Association’s Citizen Advisory Task Force. Dr. Washington, who teaches introductory Philosophy courses and African Ameri-can Studies courses, has published several books on the philosophy of Alain Locke and is working on the forthcoming book, Existence Is Evolution: Going Beyond the Darwinian Model.

Philosophy Students Attend Midsouth Philosophy Conference

Political Science News The Political Science Department wel-comed1993 PLS alumnus, John Zumbrunnen (at left), for a lecture entitled “Benjamin Franklin on Self-Edu-cation and Self-Government” on February 5th in the Meyer Library Auditorium. Dr. Zumbrunnen is Profes-sor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is the Director of the American Democ-racy Forum – https://adf.wisc.edu/. Departmental thanks to Assistant Professor, Sara Henary (at right), who received a grant from the Jack Miller Center (http://www.jackmillercenter.org/) to support this event.

PLS Alumnus Presentson Benjamin Franklin


Political Science News

Dr. Ashley Leinweber, Assistant Professor in Political Science, taught a graduate course on Model United Nations in the fall semester. She and her students traveled to the American Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference in Chicago in November, where they represented Mali. Throughout the semester prior to the conference, stu-dents researched their assigned country of Mali (in West Africa) and their committee topics, ranging from nuclear weapons testing to Millennium Development Goals and how to pre-vent gender-based violence and protect refugees. One student

represented MSU as a reporter with the International Press Delegation, while another served as a justice for the International Court of Justice. The Master of Global Studies students were among almost 1,500 students from across the country who participated in AMUN.

Congratulations to James Gilmore (at left), who earned an Outstanding Delegation Award for his work on the Economic Com-mission for Africa.

Above, Model UN students and Faculty Advi-sor, Dr. Ashley Leinweber, meet 2014 Keynote Speaker, Paul Rusesabagina, the manager of the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali Rwanda. MSU students represented Mali.

Dr. Ashley Leinweber and Students Travel to Model United Nations

Conferences

This semester Dr. Leinweber is teaching an undergraduate course on Model United Nations, PLS 333; twenty-one of the students in the course and seven students from the Missouri State University Model United Nations Club (of which Dr. Leinweber is the advisor), attended the Midwest Model United Nations Conference in St. Louis, repre-senting Rwanda, Libya, and Ethiopia. Several Missouri State University students earned distinction at the conference.

Peyton Andrews (representing Rwanda) won the Best Delegate award for Security Council North and Dylan Patillo (representing Rwanda) won Best Position Paper for Security Council South. Megan Manes (representing Libya) won Honor-able Mention for Best Delegation in the Interna-tional Fund for Agricultural Development.

Eric Weiler (representing Ethiopia) won the Best Position Paper Award for General As-sembly Second Committee and Courtney Withrow (representing Ethiopia) won Best Position Paper award for the Peacebuilding Commission.


Political Science NewsDr. Dennis Hickey Uses Grant to ResearchChina Sea Dispute

On October 2, Dr. Dennis Hickey (at right), Director of the Master’s Program in Global Studies, traveled to China to conduct research on the South China Sea dispute. While in Beijing he also met with Mr. James Buckles, a graduate student who is participating in the MGS exchange program with the contemporary China studies program in the School of In-ternational Studies at Renmin (People’s) University. Photo (at right, below), shows Dr. Hickey and his wife enjoying lunch with Mr. Buckles and visit-ing Renmin University. All travel was covered by a $7,500 grant from the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange.

Dr. David Johnson (at right, third photo from top), Associate Professor of Political Science, recently participated in a tabletop exercise at the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management, where he provided the model city, also known as River Bend or SimMO. The exercise was intended to explore how the Springfield-Greene County Health Department and the partnering agencies would address a large-scale public health emergency. Present along with the Health Department were Mercy Hospital, Cox Hospital, mental health agencies, the state health department, the Springfield-Greene County Of-fice of Emergency Management, and

Springfield-Greene County 9-1-1. According to Dr. Johnson, “It was a very positive test of our being able to field-deploy the model and we were able to ex-pand its visibility.” Dr. Johnson serves as a Community Emergency Response Team reserve, where he supports the staff in the event of a disaster

and takes part in several responses, drills, and exercises.

Model City Exercise Assists LocalEmergency Organizations

Missouri State Univer-sity students (at left), Bridget Schumer, David Carr, Juli

Baldridge, Jordan Scott, and Emily Snyder completed their Jefferson City Internship training and attended the opening of the 2015 General Assembly in January. Congratulations!

Jefferson City Interns Complete Training


Religious Studies NewsDrs. Stan and Ruth Burgess Honored with Festschrift

Drs. Stan and Ruth Burgess (seated), with, from left: Dr. Lois Olena of AGTS’ Dr. Eric Newberg; Dr. Byron Klaus (president of AGTS); Fr. John Leibrecht (fourth from left), formerly Bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese; Dr. Victor Matthews (fifth from left), Dean of MSU’s College of Humanities and Public Affairs and Professor of Religious Studies at MSU; Brad Burgess (son of Stan and Ruth); and Dr. Paul Lewis (AGTS)

Samantha Nichols, Religious Studies major and president of Linked, the MSU Student group committed to religious diversity, discussion, and service, announced one of Linked’s new projects this semester. “Huge thanks to our friends at Meyer Library, graphic designer Dylan Webb, and of course our members for making our interfaith literacy project happen! Every month you can expect to see posters in Meyer Library highlighting religious observances as well as shared values and interfaith he-roes. Stay tuned for the reveal of our March posters for an opportunity to learn about a number of holidays, the shared value of caring for the environment, and our interfaith hero of the month: A. Philip Randolph!” Ms. Nichols and Linked were also highlighted in a story in the Springfield News-Leader Monday, 30 March:http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/education/2015/03/29/msu-student-creates-organization-meet-community-needs/70640570/

Congratulations to Drs. Stan and Ruth Burgess on a recent Fest-schrift in their honor, co-edited by As-semblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS) professor, Lois E. Olena, and Oral Roberts University professor, Eric Newberg! A reception was held for the Burgesses on Friday, 13 February, at AGTS, attended by several of MSU’s Religious Studies faculty. Dr. Stan Burgess taught at Evangel University from 1959-1976, as well as at AGTS. He later taught at (now) MSU for 28 years and served as Department Head in Religious Studies. Dr. Ruth Burgess taught at both Evangel University as professor of Education and in Psychology at the School of Teacher Education at MSU.

Linked Promotes Religious Cultural

Literacy


Religious Studies NewsMSU Religious Studies

Hosts Religions in South Asia Conference

The Department of Religious Studies at Missouri State hosted a Religions in South Asia Conference on Friday, March 20, in the PSU. Six scholars of South Asian religions, two from MSU (Stephen Berkwitz and Jack Llewellyn) and four from regional universities (Cassie Adcock, Signe Cohen, Deonnie Moodie, and Hamsa Stainton), shared and discussed their individual research and their observations about the field as a whole. Students were thus given the oppor-tunity to listen to and participate in active research collaboration with area scholars.The presenters and their papers were:• Dr. Cassie Adcock, Associate Professor of

History, South Asian Studies, Religious Studies, Washington University in St. Louis; “Caste, Cows and Conversion? Finding Religion in Hinduism”

• Dr. Stephen Berkwitz, Professor and Department Head, Religious Studies, MSU; “The Vernacularization of Bud-dhist Texts and Culture in Sri Lanka”

• Dr. Signe Cohen, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Religious Studies, University of Missouri; “I, Yantra: Reflections on Robots and Self in Ancient Indian Literature”

• Dr. Jack Llewellyn, Professor, Religious Studies, MSU; “’Where Has This Damn Brahman Come From?’ Are Caste and Gender Hierarchies Mutually Reinforcing in Hindu Hagiography?”

• Dr. Deonnie Moodie, Assistant Professor, Religious Studies, University of Oklahoma; “Re-Presenting Hinduism in Urban India: Cleaning up Kālighāț Temple”

• Dr. Hamsa Stainton, Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Director, Religious Studies, University of Kansas; “Aesthetics and Religious Experience in the Non-dual Hymns of Kashmir”

Dr. Stephen Berkwitz (at left), Professor and Department Head, Re-ligious Studies, will be one of the two keynote speakers at the 2015 Spalding Symposium on Indian Religion to be held at the University of Edinburgh, UK, in April. Dr. Berkwitz’s paper, “So Near Yet So Far: Sri Lankan Strategies for Superseding Indian Cultural Forms,” forms part of the theme of this year’s sym-posium, dialogue between and within the religious traditions of South Asia. Professor Uma Chakravarti, National Fellow, Indian Council of Histori-cal Research, is the other keynote speaker for the symposium that is comprised of approximately fifty to sixty participants.

Dr. Stephen BerkwitzTo Be Keynote Speaker


Religious Studies News

Mark Boyer (at right), a Per-Course Instructor in the Religious Studies Department for 27 years, announced the publication of three books this spring. Human Wholeness: A Spirituality of Relationship, cowritten with a former Religious Studies minor, Matthew S. Ver Miller, was released by Wipf and Stock. Later this spring the same publisher will release A Simple Systematic Mariology. And Liturgical Press will release the third edition of The Liturgi-cal Environment: What the Documents Say. Human Wholeness: A Spirituality of Relationship explores how human relationships disclose and nurture the divine relationship. Mr. Boyer is responsible for the biblical work on the book, and Mr. Ver Miller, who holds a PsyD from Forest Institute of Professional Psy-chology, presents the psychological material. A Simple Systematic Mariology brings together the devotional, liturgical, and scriptural material concerning Mary, the mother of Jesus. Since the first edition was published in 1990, The Liturgical Environment: What the Documents Say has been used throughout the world by architects and liturgical designers as a sourcebook for what the Catholic Church pre-scribes for churches and their decoration.

Per-Course Instructor’s Three New Books

Dr. Jim Moyer (at left), Religious Studies Professor, former Religious Studies Department Head, Old Testament/Hebrew Bible scholar, and mentor to so many students and faculty – is retiring at the end of this semester! Our recep-tion for him will be Wednesday, 29 April, 4:00-5:30 p.m. in the PSU Union Club Room 400 on the Missouri State campus. Jim requested that former students, colleagues, and friends who wish to honor him do so by donating to the Moyer Family Religious Studies Scholarship Fund and – wait for it – Jim will match all donations (up to $5,000 total)! To donate, visit www.missouristatefoundation.org and select the Moyer Family Religious Studies Scholarship. Be sure to mark your donation, “Moyer Family Scholarship Match.” Thank you, and thanks to Jim for valuing our students for over 45 years! Flyer: http://www.missouristate.edu/assets/relst/Jim_Moyer_Retirement_Reception.pdf

While on sabbatical this year, Dr. Leslie Baynes (at right), Associate Professor in Religious Studies, led a study on C. S. Lewis’ book, The Screwtape Letters, at First and Calvary Church in Springfield for four weeks. In Lewis’ book, a senior devil named Screwtape writes letters to a junior tempter, Wormwood, teaching him the best ways to lead a soul to hell. The resulting correspondence showcases Lewis’s rich humor and insight, helping Christians face the onslaught of day-to-day temptations. College students who attended Dr. Baynes’ discus-sions were served free dinners by the church.

Jim Moyer to Retire

Dr. Leslie Baynes Discusses C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters


Chelsea Jones (at left and at right), Religious Studies major, was highlighted in the Missouri State Magazine this spring. Ac-cording to the Faces in the Crowd spotlight, Ms. Jones, a softball player from El Reno, OK, “returns for her senior season after an outstanding junior campaign in which she led the team in

doubles (twelve) and sacrifice flies (five) while fielding her position perfectly. A two-time Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Pitcher of the Week in 2014, she earned her second-consecutive MVC Scholar-Athlete honorable mention team selection. At UT Arlington on Feb. 14, 2014, Jones became the first MSU player since 2000 to hit three doubles in a game.” Ms. Jones was named a Mssouri Valley Conference (MVC) Scholar-Athlete of the Week in February, her second time for this honor (May 2013). Ms. Jones is also active in the #AllieStrong campaign to raise money to help MSU softball player Allie Alvstad, diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. To join Allie’s fight, visithttp://www.missouristatebears.com/ot/alliestrong.html

The Religious Studies Club and Dr. Micki Pulleyking, advisor to the club and Senior Instructor in Religious Studies, spent a weekend in Tulsa in late February to visit a variety of reli-gious congregations and museums, including a Muslim Mosque, Jewish Synagogue, Christian Church, the Gilcrease Museum, and the Philbrook Art Museum. The event enabled students to interact with people of different faiths and to understand the rituals and beliefs of the different religions. and to have a lot of

fun touring and eating in Tulsa!

Religious Studies NewsReligious Studies Major

Mixes Practice and Passion

Religious Studies Club Visits Tulsa Congregations, Museums


Sociology & Anthropology News

On November 9, 2014 Dr. William C. Meadows (at right and at left), Professor of Anthropology, spoke at a Veteran’s Recog-nition dinner at Acoma Community Center for the Pueblo of Aco-ma Pueblo, located one hour west of Albuquerque in New Mexico. A special part of the recognition was included for the late Sgt. Paul R. Histia who was in a radio net of Native American Code Talkers from several tribes in the Army Air Corps, V Bomb Command, during World War II. Sgt. Histia and other Native Americans used their native languages to conduct bomb raids throughout New Guinea and the Philippines. Part of Dr. Meadow’s research focuses on Native American Code Talkers from over 30 tribes that have used their native language in the United States Military during

World Wars I and II. As part of the Code talker Recognition Act of 2008, which Meadow’s research and testimony helped to pass, Sgt. Histia was recognized with a Congressio-nal Gold Medal in 2013.

Thanks to a Faculty Research Grant for fall 2014, Dr. Margaret Buck-ner spent the winter break (December 2014-January 2015) in Guinea Bissau (West Africa), where she investigated the role of HUMAID, a non-governmental organization (NGO), in the cam-paign to clear the country of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The landmines and UXO are left over from the war of independence (1960-1974), a civil war in 1998, and skirmishes along the border with Senegal in the 2000s, and still cause much loss of life, limb, and property. Dr. Buckner accompanied HUMAID staff to several sites across the country where they

have safely removed landmines and UXO, and documented areas where there are still such weapons await-ing removal. She also carried out interviews with mine victims and their families. Unfortunately, HUMAID had to cease operations in 2013 when US and international funding was halted after a coup d’état resulted in an illegitimate government. One of the purposes of this project was to document the activities of the organization and the need for funding for it to continue.

Dr. William Meadows Speaks at Veteran’s Recogntion Dinner

Grant Supports Research into

Landmine Ordinance

Continued on next page...



Four undergraduate Sociology students, Adam Bryson, Kristy Coffin, Ernest Crunkleton (also an Anthropology major), and Jaime Orlando, presented original research at the Midwest Sociological Society meet-ings in Kansas City, Missouri March 26th through 28th. All four students are also Sociological Research Assistants (SOC RAs). The Sociology Research Assistant program pairs Sociology undergraduates with faculty members conducting community based research. The program allows students to obtain direct research experience and present study findings to the local Ozarks community and, many times, the larger Sociology and Anthropology communities.

The Midwest Sociological Society, founded in 1936, is a professional organization of academic and applied so-ciologists as well as students of the discipline. Nearly 1200 scholars, students and practicing sociologists in universities, government and business belong to the organization. The MSS encompasses nine states - Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Kansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota. However, more than one-third of the members are from other parts of the nation and the world. Ms. Orlando presented a paper, “A Labor Of Love: The Doula Foundation’s Impact on High-risk, Expect-ing Mothers.” Ms. Coffin presented a paper, “Factors Associated with Obesity and Chronic Illnesses: Results from a Community Health Survey.” Mr. Bryson and Dr. Tim Knapp (Professor of Sociology) co-presented a paper, “Youth Homelessness: Connecting the Dots between Contributing Factors and Prevention Programs.” And Mr. Crunkleton and Dr. Katie Hoegeman (Assistant Professor of Sociol-ogy) presented on a current study in progress designed to measure the social service impact of religious congre-gations in the greater Springfield, Missouri metropolitan region. We applaud these students for a job well done and for contributing valuable and applicable research findings not only to issues of concern in our local community, but also contributing research of value to Social Scientists practicing throughout the region! More information about the SOC RA program can be found online at: http://soc-ant.missouristate.edu/cssppr/ or e-mail Christina Ryder at [email protected]. More information about the Midwest Sociological Society can be found online at: http://www.themss.org/.

Sociology Students Present at MSS

Meetings in March

An initial report was sent to a member of the US State Department illustrating HU-MAID’s effectiveness and importance. A more complete report is forthcoming, and will include video footage of a landmine-clearing exercise. Video-taped interviews with victims will also be used to raise funds to help victims and their families.

...Landmine, continued

Above, Jamie Orlando (second from right) and Kristy Coffin (right)

Above, Adam Bryson (left) and Ernest Crunkelton (right)

Right, Dr. Margaret Buckner



by F. Scott Worman, Assistant Professor of Anthropology In December and January, eight undergraduate and three graduate Missouri State University Anthropology students traveled to Bluefields, Jamaica with Professors Bill Wedenoja and Scott Worman to conduct archaeological excavations. Dr. Wedenoja has taken MSU students to work with the Bluefields Peoples’ Community Association (BPCA) on study away programs, archaeological field schools, and graduate research projects for 14 years. This was only the second trip to Jamaica for Dr. Worman and graduate student Andrea Gregory, who were excited to follow up on plans they had made while in Bluefields the previous year to conduct excavations at the site of a blacksmith’s shop. The goals of the excavation were twofold. First, the research was aimed at learning more about the rich history of Bluefields, previously the site of a large pre-contact Taino village and then of early Spanish settlements and, later, an important port for pirates and then British merchants. Sec-ond, the MSU team hopes to help lay the groundwork for the BPCA to build a museum, interpretive center, and other infrastructure to support community-controlled sustainable heritage tourism. While working toward these goals, MSU students learned how to conduct professional archaeological investigations and explored the various ways archaeology can be important for people alive today.

After meeting with the BPCA and exploring the community, the field school team helped clear 8-foot tall cane grass from the site and

immediately learned the importance of making good site maps – the crews had cleared the wrong area because of a lack of detail on previous maps! After exploratory excavations in the newly-cleared area and clearing the correct location, the crew set to work on block excavations of the blacksmith’s shop. They also used a Total Station, a surveying machine that uses lasers to take accurate measurements of distance and angle, to map the entire area including nearby buildings, roads, and other landmarks. In addition to doing the fieldwork in the warm (sometimes hot) Jamaican sun, groups of students worked in the lab under the su-pervision of Ms. Gregory and fellow graduate students Deseray Helton and Laura Bruns to clean and sort artifacts, conduct preliminary analyses, and prepare the collections and associated paperwork to be stored in such a way that they are accessible to researchers. Beyond learning about archaeology, the field school stu-dents got an excellent introduction to Jamaican culture. Stu-

dents spent a day off exploring the local area, including historical landmarks like the Bluefields Great House, built in the 1700s. Another afternoon, the group traveled to other 18th century great houses and saw, among other things, a cannon that may have been used by the Spanish and an old pimento plantation.

Archaeology in Bluefields, Jamaica

Student Amy Huff visiting the Bluefields Great House, constructed in the 18th century

Field school students excavating the Blacksmith Shop site

Continued on next page...

Sociology & Anthropology NewsCollege of Humanities and Public Affairs Spring 2015

On another day off, everyone traveled to Accompong to experience the Maroon community’s celebration of the 1739 treaty that recognized their freedom and ended a lengthy conflict between the escaped former slaves and the British. Dr. Wedenoja’s encyclopedic knowledge of Jamaica enhanced every-one’s experience, as did exploration of local culinary treats like jerked chicken, fried lionfish, and rice and peas. BPCA president Wolde Kristos made sure the group got a thorough introduction to current reggae music and even organized a party complete with a DJ

for the last night of the project. The long-term BPCA – MSU Anthro-pology partnership con-tinues to be productive: Dr. Wedenoja and history professor Jamaine Abidogun will lead another Study Away trip to Jamaica later this year, entitled Reggae Island: The His-tory and Culture of Jamaica, and plans are in the works for another archaeol-ogy field school next winter.

Dr. Worman and student Darin Harrison talk to com-munity members about the project while the rest of the team clears brush from the site

Right, MSU students relaxing after a hot day of excavations

...Bluefields, continued

Dr. F. Scott Worman

Sociology Faculty Highlighted in Area News Outlets

Two Missouri State University Sociology professors were highlighted recently in area news outlets. Dr. Catherine Hoegeman, Assistant Professor of Sociology, was on the front page of the January 11, 2015 Springfield News-Leader, in an article by Steve Pokin about her work helping the homeless and abuse victims, using surveys of area religious congregations and their outreach activities to the community. http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2015/01/10/congrega-tions-asked-help-community/21575359/ Dr. Michael Stout, Associate Professor of Sociology, also ad-dressed the issue of poverty in the Ozarks with his work as the Direc-tor of Missouri State’s Center for Community Engagement and as a member of Springfield’s Impacting Poverty Commission. The article, in the January 2015 issue of 417 Magazine by writer Ettie Bernek-ing and photographer Chuck Travers, may be found here: http://www.417mag.com/417-Magazine/January-2015/Dont-Turn-Away-Taking-a-long-hard-look-at-Springfields-Poverty-Problem/

Dr. Michael Stout, Associate Professor of Sociology

Would you like to contribute? Here’s how! The size of scholarships at both the graduate and undergradu-ate levels needs to be augmented, as does the outside speaker lec-turer (Warren) and Bartee funds. If you would like to send a donation to help the College of Hu-manities and Public Affairs aid its undergraduate and graduate stu-dents or in other ways enhance our educational mission, please print out this form and send it to:

Missouri State University Foundation901 South National Avenue

Springfield, MO 65897-0089

Please make your check payable to: Missouri State Foundation

Or go online: www.missouristatefoundation.org

For more information, please contact:Dr. Victor Matthews, Dean, College of Humanities and Public Affairs - 417.836.5529

[email protected]

Name: ________________________________________________________________________________

Address, City, Zip: _______________________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________ E-mail: _______________________________________________________

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CHPA Giving

Please specify where you would like your donation applied:

_____ Area of greatest need _____ CHPA General Fund

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mailto:[email protected]