Archives for August 2022

MCHHS leadership transitions

August 29, 2022 by Jonah Rosen

This summer, we added two new members to Missouri State University’s McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS) leadership team.

Dr. Michael Bird is the new department head for the kinesiology department and Dr. Joshua Smith is the interim department head for the biomedical sciences department.

“Change in leadership is always bittersweet, said Dr. Mark Smith, MCHSS dean. “However, with change comes an opportunity to examine, review and refine processes and procedures.”

About the new department heads

Bird joined the kinesiology department in August after 27 years of service at Truman State University.

He received his PhD in exercise and sport science — biomechanics from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. He describes himself as a servant leader.

Smith was appointed department head of biomedical science in July 2022, after 14 years of service as a faculty member in the unit.

He received his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Minnesota-Medical School. Smith describes himself as a thoughtful leader, committed to open communication.

“I am extremely confident in all the new leaders who have chosen to tackle the big responsibilities which come with running a department.

“Additionally, I am excited to see what new ideas and innovative solutions each one of them bring to the table.”

The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) presented Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Jacqueline Bates, DNAP, with the Clinical Instructor of the Year Award during its 2022 Annual Congress, Aug. 12-16, in Chicago.

Established in 1991, the Clinical Instructor of the Year Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the teaching of student registered nurse anesthetists in the clinical area.

The award recognizes the individual’s commitment to the profession of nurse anesthesia and to the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesiology and result in high-quality patient care.

About Bates

For more than 15 years Bates has been an adjunct professor and clinical educator of Gonzaga University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She also is a staff CRNA at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where she instructs medical students, nurse anesthesia students and nurses in the characteristics and methods of administration of anesthetics, signs and symptoms of reactions and complications, and emergency measures to employ when necessary.

In addition, she is on staff at Pullman Regional Hospital, as well as an independent practitioner, delivering anesthesia care in digestive disease and eye disease centers.

Bates received her doctorate in nurse anesthesiology practice from Missouri State University. She earned a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, and bachelor’s degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, as well as a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Washington State University in Pullman.

“This award is an honor and a privilege,” Bates said. “I approach students and patients by reminding myself every day about the Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz: Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take things personally – others’ comments about you are a reflection of themselves. Don’t make assumptions – no matter what you observe you never know the whole story and; always do your best.”

Learn More about the School of Anesthesia

Get to know microaggressions to better combat them

August 23, 2022 by Strategic Communication

A couple of years ago, Dr. Adena Young-Jones, psychology professor at Missouri State University, conducted a study of bullying victims. The study revealed these now college-aged students showed significantly lower academic motivation, lower levels of autonomy and reduced academic competence.

This inspired her to change her focus to how microaggressions affected college students.

Young-Jones points out that microaggressions are “commonplace indignities that communicate insults through a stereotype or a negative attitude, or even well-meaning intentions.”

How microaggressions intertwine with Critical Race Theory
How do we perceive microaggressions

“Microaggressions are extremely subtle. A common response to microaggressions is that ‘they’re just like innocent acts,’ and the person who experiences them needs to just let go of the incident and not make a big deal out of it,” Young-Jones said.

Young-Jones uses an analogy like ‘the straw that broke the camels’ back to describe how these microaggressions have an accumulative affect.

“It definitely adds up over time and can be difficult for someone outside of the marginalized group to completely understand,” she said. “The fact that people experience identity in unequal ways indicates that we can easily dismiss microaggressions if you are not part of that marginalized group. It’s definitely a privilege of the majority group to not see or to not recognize that microaggressions occur, or to not recognize the detrimental impact of it happening over and over and over and over again.”

Young-Jones noted to gain awareness on the levels and the types of oppression, you must listen to people who are willing to share their experiences.

Diving into the study

Young-Jones focused her research project on how perceptive people are to everyday microaggressions.

Participants responded to 12 statements and scenarios, rating their opinions of:

Level of offensiveness.
Likelihood of a similar situation happening.
Accuracy of the stereotypes portrayed.
Awareness of the microaggressions impacting their group and other marginalized groups.

“Men from the suburban or rural locations were less aware of these types of microaggressions than women from the same locations,” she said. “But men and women from the urban settings were equally aware of those.

“Our findings may be due to the fact that in rural and suburban areas, women may be exposed more often to subtle slights.”

In regards to awareness, Young-Jones found that if you’re a member of a group that is commonly targeted, you were more likely to identify microaggressions aimed at your group. However, those who were marginalized based on sexual orientation were more adept at identifying microaggressions across the board.

Read transcript on Critical Race Theory and microaggressions

Read transcript on study and findings

Using science to understand human behavior

August 16, 2022 by Strategic Communication

Science has helped us understand our world better and improve our quality of life. It can also be used for understanding human behavior and trying to influence it to benefit society.

That’s the goal of the Humans Understanding Behavior (HUB) Research Lab at Missouri State University.

Dr. Jordan Belisle, associate professor of psychology at Missouri State, oversees the lab. He discusses the lab’s work and impact.

Get to know the HUB Research Lab

Read the full transcript