College of Education News

Archives for February 2022

Dr. Kewman Lee featured in Mind’s Eye magazine

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Dr. Kewman Lee studies modern communication to understand language development. His most recent research into spontaneous language creation in global online spaces is featured in the 2022 issue of Mind’s Eye.   

The full story is available on the site now.  

Here is an excerpt:  

In his research, Lee observed a website called Asianfanfics.com. Here, Korean pop music (K-pop) fans write and share stories about K-pop icons and celebrities. 

“Contributors create their own social language spontaneously. There is intrinsic motivation to learn the language to become an insider of the group,” Lee said. “It is quite similar to the history of the development of language thousands of years ago.” 

The conditions for this modern, spontaneous social language creation are unique. 

“English speakers use the translanguaging of English and Korean or the K-pop social language. Some Spanish speakers or Japanese speakers also mix their language using Japanese and Spanish words,” Lee said. “They’ve created their own standard of reading and writing.” 

Read the full story 

Congratulations, Dr. Lee!  

Missouri State names new dean for College of Education

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Dr. Barri Tinkler will become the permanent dean of Missouri State University’s College of Education on March 1. Tinkler has been the interim dean since January 2021.

“Dr. Tinkler has a strong academic and administrative record,” said MSU Provost Frank Einhellig. “Over the past year, she has helped the College of Education envision the future of teacher education.”

Tinkler joined Missouri State as associate dean of the College of Education and professor of education in August 2019. She also served as the interim department head of counseling, leadership and special education from May-December 2020.

“I am excited for the opportunity to continue to work with the superb faculty, dedicated staff and amazing students in the College of Education,” Tinkler said.

“The College of Education has an important legacy within the university and across the state. That legacy continues today through the commitment of faculty to prepare professionals who make significant contributions to communities across our region.”

Tinkler’s academic background

Tinkler served in several administrative roles at the University of Vermont from 2009-19. She was:

  • The CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) coordinator.
  • Program coordinator for the doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies.
  • Department of education vice chair.
  • Secondary social studies coordinator.

Tinkler also worked at Shepherd University from 2005-2009 and Towson University from 2004-2005.

She was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Calgary in 2018.

Tinkler is an author of several dozen peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and books. She’s also presented dozens of times at national and international conferences.

Tinkler earned a bachelor’s degree in history education from Northeastern State University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Oklahoma State University, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Denver.

Responding to mental health trends

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According to the American Psychological Association, suicide rates rose at an alarming rate over the past two decades.  

This is a trend that Robin Farris, licensed counselor and director of Missouri State University’s Center City Counseling Clinic (CCCC), observed over the past decade. 

“We used to tell students ‘You might see suicidal issues in a semester,’” Farris said. “Now, we tell students ‘You WILL see clients with suicidal ideation every week.’”  This has increased so much that students now take a mandatory training in suicide prevention before they even start working with clients. 

The clinic is a community outreach of the department of counseling leadership and special education at MSU. 

Missouri State master’s level students obtain direct client contact experience by providing counseling sessions to adults, teens, children and couples at the clinic under the supervision of licensed instructors. 

“We are proud of our ability to assist between 80-90 people per week with their emotional struggles and mental health issues,” said Farris. “For many of our clients, it’s a service they just couldn’t afford if not for the clinic’s sliding scale policy. We won’t turn away anyone because of an inability to pay.”  

Learn more about the Center City Counseling Clinic 

Mental health concerns 

Mental health is a complex issue, specifically when considering the recent uptick in anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation 

“There is so much rapid change with technology and so much crisis with the whole world – environmentally, economically and politically,” Farris said. “So much of that stress is felt by people in their day to day without them being consciously aware of it.”  

While the recent pandemic has brought these issues to the forefront, the trend existed before quarantine and social distancing protocols.  

“People are so frantic for life, meaning and connection,” Farris said. “They don’t know which way to go, so they’re just crashing.” 

Negative stigmas around mental health care still exist, but attitudes are becoming more compassionate thanks to better education about mental health.  

“It’s not just about physical and spiritual health. There’s also mental and emotional health,” Farris said. “To be a healthy, well-rounded person, we need to be as balanced and healthy as we can across these categories.” 

Making a difference  

The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredits the counseling program. This gives students a leg up in their job search after graduation.  

In addition to receiving training through an accredited program, MSU students learn to navigate a variety of intense concerns that shape the role of counselors. 

Farris said the Center City Counseling Clinic is known for its warm, inclusive environment and receives positive feedback each semester in their anonymous surveys of clients. 

“I’m always proud to pass positive feedback on to students,” she said. “They may be in their early stages as counselors, but they are making a difference.” 

Access campus mental health resources 

Explore degrees in counseling