Summer 2009

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Dr. Billie Follensbee, associate professor of Art History in the Art + Design Department, presented her paper, “Why It’s Essential Not to Essentialize: Analyzing the Varied Roles of Female Figures in Olmec and Olmec-Related Sculpture,” at the symposium “Iconography of the Gulf Coast” at the 53rd Annual International Congress of Americanists (ICA), which was held in Mexico City from July 19-24. Dr. Follensbee’s paper is based on her research on women’s roles and status in Mesoamerican societies.

The International Congress of Americanists was first held in Nancy, France in 1875, and subsequent Congresses have been held every three years since that date in a major international city. 1895 marked the first ICA held in Mexico.

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Photographs taken by Bruce West, Art + Design Professor, have been published in the Spring 2009 issue of Southern Cultures, a prestigious scholarly journal from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill that examines the history and culture of the South. Seventeen of Professor West’s photos are featured in the photo essay “Time to Appreciate,” and “Sonnyboy’s Grave, MS,” pictured at left, is the cover photo for the issue.

West’s work has also been featured recently in the book “For, From, About James. T Whitehead,” published by the University of Arkansas press and distributed for the Moon City Press. Two of West’s color photographs grace the front and back covers of the book, and 12 black-and-white landscapes are included in the text.

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Spring 2009

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Dr. Alicia Alexander, communication alum and assistant professor of speech communication at Southern Illinois University -- Edwardsville, was awarded an SIUE 2009 Teaching Distinction Award.

SIUE News reports:

“Alexander also has a passion for teaching that is made evident through plentiful interaction with and dedication to her students, according to the committee. ‘Her style of communication is clear, yet easygoing,’ the committee wrote in its recommendation. ‘She exhibits a modern teaching style that allows students to connect and actively engage in the lectures. Dr. Alexander utilizes short but effective interactive learning activities that stimulate interest. Her dossier reflects her commitment to life-long learning by fostering self-development and providing a nurturing environment.’”

Nice job and congratulations, Dr. Alexander!

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Students of the Missouri State University Media, Journalism and Film Department competed for Missouri Broadcast Educators Association awards in student media, bringing home several first- and second-place finishes.The “MoSt News” program, submitted by students in MED 383: Television Production (Renee Goodwin, Jason Braiser, Mark Danderand, Charlie Keegan, Ashley Ethridge, Ryan Farmer, Nathan McVay) won first place in the News category, Video division.

John Leach, Matt Morris, and Drew Douglas took second place in the Interview category, Video division, for “Victory Mission Trade School Interview.”

MED 583: Directing and Producing students (Lindsey Davis, Tyler Wasman, Kailey Hoffman, Chase Crawford, Phil Hertley, Alex Smith, Ashley Leyh, Ann Sturm, Dan Walters) took first and second places in the Episodic TV category for two episodes of their “Studio 150″ show.

Students of the MJF Department were also well-represented in the Short Film Over 7 Minutes category, taking first and second for “Apollo” (Bryan Manning, Blaine Morehead, Jeffrey Brown) and “The Death of Alfred Bailey” (Jonathan Stratman, Arica Westadt) respectively.  Bryan Manning also received first place honors in the Dramatic Script category for his script for “Apollo,” as well as second place in the Web site category for a web site for the film.

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Felicia Hall, a senior in the Theatre and Dance Department with an emphasis in Design, Technology and Management, has been hired by the Florida Studio Theatre company to be the lighting designer for the theatre’s 2009 production of Laughing Matters in the Goldstein Cabaret Theatre. The company, a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), is running the popular musical satire show from March 24 to June 6.

“This is a great testament to Felicia’s skill, and to the great training that all of our students are receiving,” says Mark Biggs, acting Theatre and Dance Department Head. “It’s wonderful to see them succeeding professionally all around the country, even before they leave our programs.”

The Florida Studio Theatre has operated in Sarasota, Florida, since 1973 and focuses on contemporary writers and the development of new plays. The company operates three theaters, including the 109-seat Goldstein Cabaret Theatre. Laughing Matters has been described as “a musical Saturday Night Live for Sarasota” and is one of the Goldstein Cabaret’s most popular shows.

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The Beartones, an a cappella group from Missouri State University, will compete in the Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) on Saturday, April 18 at the Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. The group earned a spot in the championship field of seven teams by placing first at the Midwest region’s semifinal at Northwestern University on March 14. They will compete against collegiate teams from four other U.S. regions as well as one team each from the United Kingdom and South Africa.

“This is a fantastic accomplishment!” says Dr. Dianne Strickland, Music Department Head. “Kudos to the Beartones.”

The Beartones are a not-for-profit musical group whose mission is to provide local entertainment by performing at local venues and in a cappella competitions. They maintain a web site on Myspace (www.myspace.com/beartones) that features member bios and samples of their music. Varsity Vocals is an umbrella organization dedicated to encouraging student a cappella at both the high school and collegiate levels. This is the 13^th season of the International Championship.

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Winter 2009

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Recent Electronic Arts graduate, Sid McGregor, directed the short (35 minute) documentary, One + One: A Human Network, which looks at micro-financing in Africa as a new model for sustainable humanitarian aid. This film screened at The Moxie and has been getting some buzz as it’s shown around the country.

Check out the referenced PDF link below for an interview between McGregor and Gregory Fish of Christian Video® Magazine issued January, 2009.

** UPDATE ** One+One: A Human Network wins 1st Place for Long Form Documentary at the 2009 Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts.

One + One: A Human Network — directed by Sid McGregor, produced by Gloria Cohen, cinematography by Alan Scherry, animation by Brian Mehrens, Amanda Hunsucker videography, Kalinka Georgieva multimedia/web developer.

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Two students from the Art & Design Department, Jane Colvin and Ashford Stamper, recently won the most prestigious competition in their field — The Society of Illustrators Scholarship Competition. Of the 5,600 entries submitted this year, only 146 were accepted for the 2009 Student Scholarship Exhibition. A brief excerpt from the award letter follows:

It is our pleasure to notify you of the selection of your students work for the 2009 Student Scholarship Exhibition. The enclosed title(s) will be a part of the Exhibit and Catalog.

Artist: Ashford Stamper
Title: Kharms Capuchin

Artist: Jane Colvin
Title: Wild Circus

We look forward to the presentation of your students work at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators. The Exhibition dates and Awards Ceremony are listed below.

Award Ceremony and Opening Reception
Friday, May 8, 2009

Exhibition Dates
May 6- June 6, 2009

Congratulations!
Tara Jacoby
Exhibition Coordinator
New York, NY

Society of Illustrators
Founded 1901

On February 1, 1901, a group of nine artists and one advising businessman founded the Society with this credo: “The object of the Society shall be to promote generally the art of illustration and to hold exhibitions from time to time.” The first monthly dinners were attended by such prominent illustrators as Howard Pyle, Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, Charles Dana Gibson, Frederic Remington, James Montgomery Flagg, Howard Chandler Christy and special guests like Mark Twain and Gloria Swanson.

The mission of the Society is to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, as well as its history and evolving nature, and to encourage high ideals through exhibitions, lectures, education, and by fostering a sense of community and open discussion.

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JJ Sturgeon, (BFA in Art, Animation emphasis, 2008), is currently working for Slappy Studios in Los Angeles where he has just finished work on visual effects for two soon-to-be-released films: Chicago Pulaski Jones, directed by and starring Cedric the Entertainer; and Dark Country, directed by Thomas Jane and starring Ron Perlman.

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Doran Schmidt, a  senior Musical Theatre major (scheduled to graduate this May), has been cast as Wendy in the Branson production of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby. We also have two recent graduates, Megan Marra-Ellis and Jessica Kohut (both graduated last spring) who have been cast as members of the Lost Boys. Megan Marra-Ellis is also serving as understudy to Ms. Rigby in the role of Tinkerbell.

The musical, which is a nation-wide tour of this classic children’s tale, will be performed this summer and through the holiday season at the Mansion Entertainment and Media Center, 189 Expressway Lane (highway 248 & Gretna) in Branson.

The show’s publicity reads as follows:

In her farewell performance as “Peter Pan”, Tony Award nominee Cathy Rigby takes flight in the 100th Anniversary of the immortal James M. Barrie tale -- “PETER PAN.” This timeless musical masterpiece complete with evil Captain Hook, a crafty crocodile and the enchantment of Neverland will touch, inspire, dazzle and charm every generation. Take off with the ever youthful Cathy Rigby and revel in the magic and whimsy of this beloved classic.

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The Standard Online, the web site of Missouri State University’s student newspaper, was recently honored in the national Best of Collegiate Design contest.

The Standard won fifth place for best main-page presentation for online newspapers in the national contest, which was conducted by College Media Advisers Inc. The awards were announced in The Best of Collegiate Design 16, a publication distributed in late 2008.

The home page was designed by Jess Rollins, a senior journalism major, and has been maintained by junior journalism major Geoff Pickle.

The contest was open to all publications advised by CMA members. Publications from 65 colleges and universities entered the competition.

Fall 2008

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Art History students Elizabeth Atchley, Heather Nelson, and Marie Swan joined Dr. Billie Follensbee in authoring OzarksWatch article “Exotica in the Ozarks: Collections of Native Art and Artifacts from Africa, Oceana, and the Americas” with additional contributions by Lynley Farris, Adam Hails, Alison Lovelace, and Robin Wagner.

Amelia (Ellison) Barker (1998) started a non-profit organization called “Amelia’s Wings,” inspired by her use of frequent-flier miles and hotel points to help her aunt receive specialized medical care not available in Springfield.

Adam Bowling, BFA animation student and member of the Missouri State University Advertising Team who recently won first place in national ad competition for its “Go Green. Go Public.” public ad campaign presented in Washington, D.C. to the American Public Transportation Association. Ads will broadcast throughout the U.S. in a $15 million national public service campaign.

English graduate student Justin Kingery has been selected by the Graduate Scholarship Committee of the Graduate Council to receive one of the two Basil and JoAnn Boritzki Endowment awards for this academic year. This scholarship award is valued at approximately $2,500.

Trent Koland (2003) accepted a copy editor/graphic designer/illustrator position for the Chicago Tribune’s popular daily tabloid RedEye. Check it out online at redeye.chicagotribune.com.

Blaine Morehead served as the digital effects artist on Electronic Arts student production, Apollo, which was featured for its special effects in the very prestigious, very competitive animation exhibition program at SIGGRAPH, an international conference for computer graphics.

Greg Schrick (1997) won a Mid-America Emmy Award for his animation work for the FOX station in St. Louis.

Nathan Shelton (2000-07) named one of twelve finalists in the London Independent Film Festival screenplay competition for his original screenplay Unspeakable. Follow Shelton’s film success on The Internet Movie Database at www.imdb.com/name/nm2933163/.

Katie Striley (2008) has been selected as the winner of the Missouri State University Distinguished Thesis Award. The title of Striley’s thesis is, “Don’t Be A Nerd in Front of a Gangsta: Exploring Social Coping Strategies, Identity Management, and Marginalization in Gifted Adolescents.” Dr. Char Berquist served as Striley’s thesis director. As the winner of the Distinguished Thesis Award, Striley will be representing Missouri State University in the competition for the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Thesis Award. Striley completed her MA Communication degree in May 2008. She currently is teaching at Eastern Illinois University.

Raymond Yee has won the Graduate Piano Division at the 2008 Missouri Music Teachers Association (MMTA) State Honors Auditions, held at Washington University in St. Louis. The MMTA state auditions feature many of the finest music students from across the state of Missouri. A student of Dr. Wei-Han Su, Yee is currently pursuing the Master of Music degree in Piano Performance.

The Standard student staff members Jess Rollins and Jeremy Wisecup of The Standard, Missouri State University’s campus newspaper, are finalists in the Associated Collegiate Press’s annual national newspaper competition. Rollins, a senior journalism major, is one of five finalists for best editorial or opinion piece. Wisecup, a junior design major, is one of five finalists for best in-house promotional advertisement. Visit www.thestandard.org for details.
UPDATE:
The Standard, Missouri State University’s student-produced newspaper, won fourth place in the Best of Show competition at the National College Media Convention in Kansas City on Nov. 2. Two Standard staff members also won individual national awards. The Best of Show contest, conducted by Associated Collegiate Press, was open to all schools attending the five-day conference. The Standard placed fourth in the division for once- and twice-weekly broadsheet papers at four-year schools. Jess Rollins, a senior journalism major from Fair Grove, Mo., won honorable mention for editorial/opinion writing in ACP’s individual awards contest, which was open to all ACP members regardless of whether they attended the conference. Jeremy Wisecup, a junior design major from Lake Ozark, Mo., won honorable mention for in-house ad design. In the Best of Show competition, The Standard was honored alongside papers from the University of Nevada-Reno, first place; Truman State University, second; Missouri Southern State University, third; and Baker University, fifth.

Media, Journalism and Film students Brianna McDonald and Amanda Hunsucker are semi-finalists in the International Scriptapalooza TV competition. McDonald’s script for Grey’s Anatomy, “40 Leagues Under Exhaustion” and Hunsucker’s script for Law and Order-SVU, “Lies and Stuff ” competed against several thousand entries. Winning scripts are chosen by established production companies.

Tina Biava — Professor, English
Awarded Fulbright Scholar grant to teach applied linguistics and language teacher training courses in the Department of Letters and Languages at National Pedagogical University, Tegucigalpa, Honduras This is Biava’s second Fulbright grant. In 1999, she taught as a Fulbright Scholar in Budapest, Hungary. Her research has explored several Italian- American writers and the Mimetic Theory of René Girard, particularly how it explicates various issues in linguistics.

“Fulbright is a great program to work for. It is prestigious as well as well-run,” Biava says. “I’m quite interested in the culture and language situations of Central America. I wanted to use my expertise in linguistics and language teacher training to help students in a developing situation, especially in the Western Hemisphere, and then return with that experience to share with my students at Missouri State.”

Sara Brummel — Associate Professor, Theatre & Dance
Performed in a site specific dance at the Cancer Memorial Sculpture Garden in Towson, Maryland.

Ed Carawan — Professor, Modern & Classical Languages
Published three articles — “Pericles the Younger and the Citizenship Law” in Classical Journal, “What the Mnemones Know” in Orality and Literacy, vol. 7, and “The Trial of the Arginusai Generals and the Dawn of ‘Judicial Review’” (on the origins of court control over legislation) in Dike

Jeremy Chesman — Assistant Professor, Music
Earned Choirmaster certificate from the American Guild of Organists and the Choirmaster Prize for highest score in the nation; Performed by invitation at the International Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America at the University of California-Berkley; Taught at the Pipe Organ Encounter, a national program sponsored by the American Guild of Organists that exposes young people to organ performance, literature, and organ building

Andrew Cline — Assistant Professor, Media, Journalism & Film
Published periodical articles “Bias” in 21st Century Communications, “Ethics and Ethos: Writing an Effective Newspaper Ombudsman Position” in Journal of Mass Media Ethics, and “Tell a Different Story: How the Press Ought to Cover the Pre-Primary Presidential Campaign” in Media Ethics

Mara Cohen-Ioannides — Instructor, English
Awarded a Kawaler travel grant from Southern Jewish Historical Society to continue the joint study of Ozark Jewish communities with Professor Rachel Gholson

Billie Follensbee — Associate Professor, Art & Design
Presented paper “Why It’s Essential Not to Essentialze: Analyzing the Varied Roles of Female figures in Olmec and Olmec-Related Sculpture,” at the 53rd International Congress of the Americanists in Mexico City; Published paper “Fiber Technology and Weaving in Formative-Period Gulf Coast Cultures” published in Ancient Mesoamerica, published by the Cambridge University Press; Received the Missouri State University Foundation Award in Teaching
CORRECTION: Dr. Follensbee’s University Foundation Award in Teaching was mistakenly listed under Dr. Catherine Jolivette’s accomplishments in the print version of the newsletter. Our apologies for the error.

Rachel Gholson — Associate Professor, English
Awarded a Kawaler travel grant from Southern Jewish Historical Society to continue the joint study of Ozark Jewish communities with Instructor Mara Cohen-Ioannides

David Hays — Associate Professor, Music
Performed by invitation at the International Clarinetfest in Kansas City with colleagues Allison Storochuk and Hye-Jung Hong; Published article “Bulgarian Pieces for the Studio” in journal American String Teacher

Daniel Hellman — Assistant Professor, Music
Published paper “Do Music Education Majors Intend to Teach Music? An Exploratory Survey” in Update: Applications of Research in Music Education

Catherine Jolivette — Assistant Professor, Art & Design
Published book Landscape, Art, and Identity in 1950’s Britain; Presented paper “The Enlargement of Vision: The Influence of Science on the New Landscapes,” at the 34th Association of Art Historians Conference at the Tate Gallery in London

Cedomir Kostovic — Professor, Art & Design
Awarded for poster entry in the Moscow International Graphic Design Biennial GOLDEN BEE 8

Etta Madden — Professor, English
Awarded Fulbright Scholar grant to serve as a senior lecturer in American literature in the Department of Modern Philology, Foreign Languages and Literature at the University of Catania in Italy Madden recently served for two years as interim director of Missouri State’s School of Social Work. In the fall of 2004, she served as faculty and academic director of the Missouri London Program. Her research interests include American literature and cultural studies.

“It’s been explained to me that Fulbright Scholars are ambassadors, and it’s exciting to see that as my role,” Madden says. “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to live in Italy for a significant period of time and to teach Italian students who are studying American literature.”

Pauline Nugent — Professor, Modern & Classical Languages
Received the Missouri State University Foundation Award in Teaching

Mary Jane Pardue — Associate Professor, Media, Journalism and Film
Publishing book Who Owns the Press? Investigating Public vs. Private Ownership of America’s Newspapers

James Parsons — Professor, Music
Directed meeting of the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) music history doctoral seminar on Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; Presented paper “Schiller’s ‘An die Freude’ Before Beethoven: When Lyric Innovation and Compositional Convention Collide” at the Midwest American Society for Eighteenth- Century Studies conference

Alessandra Pires — Assistant Professor, Modern & Classical Languages
Received travel award to Québec City to participate in seminar on the Québécois phenomena and its role in international globalization; Presented paper “Quelques aspects du réel psychanalytique dans le film Un 32 août sur terre par Denis Villeneuve” at the American Council of Québec Studies in Québec City; Published “The Voice of the Learner” in the book Portuguese for Spanish Speakers: Teaching and Acquisition and the article “Three or Four Ways of Dying in Portuguese Filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira” in the Annals of the National Library in Lisbon, as a result of a Fellowship awarded by the Luso-American Foundation and the National Library of Portugal

John Prescott — Professor, Music
Published article “The Traditional Music of China” in the International Journal of Music Education

Allison Storochuk — Associate Professor, Music
Performed by invitation at the International Society for Music Education World Conference in Bologna as part of a tour of Italy and France with The New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia

Steve Willis — Associate Professor, Art & Design
Led presentations at the 2008 International Research Conference on Service Learning and Community Engagement in New Orleans with program entitled “Perceptual Changes Found in Engaged Service Learning.”