Health and Human Services News

From reflection to action

May 14, 2026 by Strategic Communication

At the beginning of this academic year, I shared two letters with the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS) community where I reflected on who we are, the challenges we face and the kind of college we should aspire to become together. Those letters were rooted in reflection on courage, compassion, accountability, psychological safety and the importance of building a culture grounded in trust, openness and shared purpose.

As I reflect on the year, I am extremely proud of how our college collaboratively transformed reflection into action. Across MCHHS, faculty, staff, students and community partners all demonstrated what is possible when we move forward together with purpose, commitment and care.

Dr. Mark Smith

A few highlights

One of the most exciting milestones this year was the opening of the Collaborative Care Clinic. This initiative represents the very best of interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement. The clinic clearly reflects a commitment to preparing students for team-based care while also providing meaningful services to the communities we serve. Watching this vision become reality reminds me of what we can achieve when we work together with innovation and a shared mission.

FY 2026 also marked exciting progress at the Alliance for Healthcare Education and the continued growth of nursing education partnerships that are helping address workforce needs across our region. Welcoming the first two cohorts of nursing students represented a significant milestone. These students symbolize not only the future of healthcare in Missouri but also the power of collaboration between education and community healthcare systems. Their success reinforces our commitment to expanding access to healthcare education while preparing compassionate, highly skilled professionals who will serve communities throughout the state.

Additionally, this year brought tremendous success in accreditation efforts. Our programs in anesthesia, audiology, public health and speech-language pathology each completed highly successful accreditation reviews. These accomplishments reflect the dedication, professionalism and tireless work of faculty, staff, students and leadership teams across the college. Accreditation successes like these affirm the quality of our programs and our continued commitment to academic excellence and student success.

Throughout the year, the McQueary Minute highlighted the heart of our college through stories of student achievement, faculty scholarship, innovative teaching, clinical partnerships, outreach efforts and service to communities across Missouri and beyond. These stories consistently reminded me that our work extends far beyond classrooms and clinics. Every interaction, mentorship opportunity, research project and act of service contributes to transforming lives and strengthening communities.

Fostering open communication

In my letters, I also discussed the importance of transparency, dialogue and creating spaces where people feel heard and valued. This year, I have been encouraged by the ways our college community embraced opportunities for collaboration, conversation and relationship building. Whether through formal initiatives or everyday interactions, I have seen people come together with a shared commitment to strengthening our culture and supporting one another.

We saw this spirit reflected in the most attended MCHHS Awards Banquet in college history, where faculty, staff students, and partners gathered to celebrate excellence and community. We saw this when more than 80 MCHHS faculty members attended spring commencement in support of our students and their accomplishments. We saw this at the first ever all college staff retreats, which created meaningful opportunities for collaboration, dialogue and shared problem solving. We saw this as MCHHS faculty and staff collectively welcomed over 1,000 high school students to our spaces, during our monthly Friday high school visits and showcases. To me, it is during moments like these where we clearly demonstrate that our culture continues to grow stronger through shared experiences, recognition and collective pride in one another’s success.

As we prepare for the next academic year, I remain extremely optimistic about the future of MCHHS. The accomplishments we celebrate today are not endpoints … they are foundations for what comes next.

The completion of Phase 2 of Ann Kampeter Health Sciences Hall represents another transformational investment in the future of healthcare education and interdisciplinary collaboration. Next year, we will continue expanding services across our clinics while building upon important milestones, including the 10-year anniversary of the MSU Care Clinic and the 25-year celebration of the Ozarks Public Health Institute. These accomplishments reflect not only our growth as a college, but also our enduring commitment to serving communities, improving health outcomes and creating opportunities for students to learn through meaningful engagement and practice.

Most importantly, this year reaffirmed for me why we do what we do. Education is not only about knowledge. No, education is about people, purpose, compassion and hope grounded in integrity. I passionately believe that MCHHS is a place where we will continue to strive to model collaboration, care and courage in ways that positively impact our students and communities for generations to come.

Thank you for everything you have contributed this year. Because of you, MCHHS continues to demonstrate that education itself can be a living love letter to our students, communities, colleagues and ourselves.

Dr. Mark A. Smith, Dean

Guiding the first steps into college

May 12, 2026 by Sewly Khatun

Some experiences influence how students begin college. Others define how they remember it.

At Missouri State University, the Student Orientation, Advisement and Registration (SOAR) program does both. It helps new students navigate campus, connect with advisors, build class schedules and get a clear sense of college life.

What makes the SOAR program stand out is the students leading it.

“SOAR leaders play a key role in helping our new students transition throughout their entire SOAR session,” said Maggie McGowen, coordinator of new student orientation. “They support advising, answer questions and create an environment where students feel comfortable from the start.”

From experience to leadership

Junior biomedical sciences major Kaylee Williams draws on her own experience navigating SOAR for the first time in her role as a SOAR leader.

“I’m a first-generation college student, so coming through SOAR was a very intimidating experience for me,” Williams said.

Kaylee Williams

That moment shaped how she approaches leadership today. After serving as a McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS) SOAR leader last year, she returns this summer as part of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS) team, bringing both experience and perspective.

“I wanted to welcome students who might be feeling overwhelmed,” she said.

Her approach is simple and intentional, centered on connection.

“Students are more likely to open up when they feel like they’re talking to a friend,” she said.

That connection helps students ask questions, build confidence and begin their college journey with clarity.

Stronger support through collaboration

This summer, MCHHS and CNAS will be collaboratively delivering their academic SOAR programming, in an effort to enhance the student experience. Bringing these two colleges together will give the affiliated SOAR leaders an opportunity to learn more about two academic colleges, professionally connect with more staff and faculty and work with a more diverse group of majors.

The idea to collaborate grew from a SOAR practice piloted last summer that allowed undecided students exploring professional health-related pathways to be directed to academic colleges. The goal of the collaboration is to create an experience that helps students better understand the academic contributions each of the two participating colleges present while also encouraging exploration without pressure.

“All of the affiliated SOAR leaders between both colleges will focus upon creating positive experiences that emphasize openness to all the academic opportunities available to them,” said Hillary Mayes, director of MCHHS Student Success and Advisement Center.

SOAR students will participate in shared academic sessions across both colleges. They will hear from multiple advisors, learn about different academic options, and connect with a broader group of peers. This approach will create consistency in information while giving students more flexibility to explore their interests. It also strengthens the sense of community early in the students’ college experience.

2026 MCHHS SOAR leaders

This year’s MCHHS SOAR leaders are committed to supporting new Bears through the transition to Missouri State. They serve as guides, mentors and trusted voices.

Group 10
Adam Medlar and Faith Barkefelt

Group 11
Oliver Kempker and Sonora Haake

Group 12
Fabian Solano and Kenzie Jasnoch

Group 13
Hannah Helton and I’ron Bell

Group 14
Addison Pollard and Lauren Riddle

Explore SOAR

Springfield’s data becomes a compass

May 11, 2026 by Sewly Khatun

For more than 20 years, the Community Focus Report has given Springfield a reliable glance at tracking housing, education, public safety, arts and more.

Last spring, Missouri State University’s Ozarks Public Health Institute (OPHI) began taking that effort a step further. The report is moving from a biannual publication into a continuous, community-driven program people can use year-round.

The next report is expected to be released in fall 2026. Upcoming editions will include several new features to help communities understand progress, compare data and identify issues that affect multiple areas.

“Community Focus is designed to be the bridge between what the data shows and what the community decides to do about it,” said Traci Nash, OPHI community focus facilitator.

More than a report

This cycle covers 13 topic areas and adds food and faith for the first time. The report remains community-authored, meaning practitioners, local experts and people with lived experience help inform what gets measured and what the findings mean.

According to Nash, the report underwent some structural changes this cycle. These include measurable objectives, which make it easier to track real progress, not just problems. The report also includes a peer community framework to compare Springfield to similarly sized cities in meaningful ways.

“The most important change is the shift from a publication cycle to a continuous program,” Nash said. “Instead of waiting two years for new findings, community partners can now track live indicators anytime through the Community Focus dashboard.”

Tracking what matters

A grant of more than $500,000 from the Missouri Foundation for Health made this transition possible. The funding helped OPHI build the infrastructure needed for this next phase.

The first phase focused on stabilizing data systems, creating dashboards and building a strong analytical foundation. That work is now largely complete.

Now, the work is moving deeper into community engagement. The second phase focuses on analysis, interpretation and stronger collaboration with partners who use the data in real time.

Nash spends most of her time in community meetings, where she gets “a bird’s-eye view of data in action.”

Nash notes the funding allowed OPHI to bring in dedicated research expertise. In March, John Schupbach joined the team as community indicators research analyst.

“Having that analytical partnership is already changing what is possible,” Nash said. “Students are also a meaningful part of this work too. Graduate assistants have supported data infrastructure, student engagement tracking and research on complete neighborhoods.”

Turning evidence into action

She added, “Community Focus data is already making a difference across the Springfield region. The report appears in grant applications, strategic plans and board conversations, helping organizations align priorities around a shared source of evidence.”

When organizations point to the same trusted source of regional data, it becomes easier to align priorities and make a stronger case for resources.

On April 27, Nash moderated a panel called “Sustainability and the Community Focus Report” at the Research that Shows Up” event hosted by the efactory. It highlighted how research at Missouri State can support organizations making community decisions.

“Our job is to organize the evidence and make sure the findings are accessible, so people can act on what they already know,” she said.

“We’re a public institution with a mission to invest our resources into the community for positive changes. OPHI will continue building analytical capacity, deepening relationships with community collaboratives and making the data as accessible as possible.”

Explore the Ozarks Public Health Institute

From launch to milestone

May 8, 2026 by Ella Reuter

Launched in 2023, Missouri State University’s Postprofessional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD) program celebrates its first two graduates this May: Caitlan Schasteen and Ellie Murphy.

The duo also received their Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) from Missouri State.

According to PP-OTD director Dr. Sapna Chakraborty, the program was designed “with our alumni in mind, providing a pathway for practitioners with a master’s degree to return, advance their education and expand their career opportunities.”

She added that the program’s first two graduates represent “years of intentional planning, persistence and growth.”

Schasteen

From Paola, Kansas, Schasteen received her bachelor’s degree in child and family development and MOT in May 2017 and 2019, respectively. She can now add a doctorate to her list of credentials.

She pursued OT to help people “find what was meaningful to them and get back to that.”

Being part of the inaugural program was a valuable experience.

“I knew all my professors from my master’s, and they were all very open to learning and trying new things. They were willing to take our feedback and talk to us about changes in the future,” said Schasteen, who works as an occupational therapist at AdventHealth in Ottawa, Kansas.

One of the program’s highlights was the capstone project. Schasteen created four videos on topics educators wanted more information on, such as growth mindset, motivational interviewing, soft skills and generational differences. She did the project at AdventHealth, using coworkers to test the content.

Her favorite part about her time at Missouri State has been the people she has met. She is grateful for her capstone project mentor, Dr. Traci Garrison, a clinical associate professor in the School of Health Care Professions.

“Whether I go into academics or continue clinical work, those relationships will still be there for me,” Schasteen said.

Murphy

Originally from Pleasant Hope, Missouri, Murphy played softball and earned her bachelor’s degree in allied health from Evangel University. She decided to pursue the MOT at Missouri State in 2020.

“I’d heard great things from people who had completed their master’s here, so I decided to take the leap and pursue the program myself,” Murphy said.

After completing her master’s in 2022, she continued with the PP-OTD.

“I already knew the professors and trusted them and their professional judgement. I knew I’d get a good education here,” Murphy said.

She chose OT because it is a broad field.

“You can do a lot of things within OT. You also get to mix creativity and science and help a wide range of people in many different ways,” she said.

She credits the program for preparing her further for real-world practice.

“It gave me a great opportunity to integrate my previous professional knowledge and experiences into the new learning I gained in the program,” Murphy said.

For her capstone project, she completed a scoping review about pediatric telehealth, which is an area she currently works in. She studied its efficacy and outcomes, as well as parent, client and provider perceptions.

Murphy is honored to be one of the first two graduates of the PP-OTD program.

“I’m excited I got to be part of building the program from the ground up. I love the OT department at Missouri State,” she said.

What comes next

Schasteen plans to continue working at AdventHealth. She will also take on some clinical students on their fieldwork rotations this summer and fall to apply what she has learned.

She dreams of becoming a professor and teaching occupational therapy. Completing the PP-OTD degree will help her reach that goal.

As for Murphy, her short-term plan is to keep working in pediatric telehealth, PRN at Mercy Hospital, and at the Missouri State Occupational Therapy Clinic.

For the future, she wants to work in OT education and conduct research to expand the profession’s knowledge base.

Learn more about the PP-OTD program

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