Get ready for the sound of brass, percussion and wind. The sight of students forming shapes, one step at a time. Maybe the buttery taste of stadium popcorn and the touch of a crisp, October breeze whispering across your cheek.
But months before, in the muggy heat of a summer day in southwest Missouri, the first thing Dr. Brad Snow notices at Wehr Band Hall is the smell – staunch evidence of his students putting in the work to create a great show.
“When I walked in here this morning, this place already smelled like band camp,” said Snow, associate professor and director of athletic bands. “You know, it’s like a mixture of sweat and sunscreen. They’re not soft, man. They work hard.”
In order to have a synchronized, flawless performance, the Pride Band practices tirelessly.
The question that drives Snow: How will marching band students be better musically, physically and emotionally at the end of a season?
“I think that’s just what drives them,” Snow said. “They don’t do it because it’s easy. They do it because they like to work hard, and they know all the work is going to pay off.”
An educator for 30 years, Snow performed in the Quantico Marine Band. He’s also presented twice at a national symposium for college band directors, adjudicated more than 40 marching band competitions and conducted four times at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference.
“As we continue to transition the culture of this program forward, the things Brad’s done with athletic bands have just been transformative.” – Dr. John Zastoupil
Members of the Pride Band now get updated coordinates delivered directly to their phone.
It’s hard to fill the shoes of a local legend, as Snow did when he succeeded Dr. Jerry Hoover as director of athletic bands in 2016. But since that time, Snow has thrived in helping the 300+ members of the Pride Band advance, while maintaining the group’s strong sense of tradition.
For example: The days of printing thousands of pages of drill sheets and music are no more.
“We have to keep up with what the students are into, make sure we’re kind of speaking their language and doing things in a way that they are used to responding to.”
In 2020, the Pride began using mobile apps to show them where to stand and what notes to play. With Ultimate Drill Book, students can interact with live field coordinates, access optimal pathways to their next spot and link sheet music to their drill, all from their phones.
“We’re able to learn more quickly now,” Snow said. “I’d say it’s allowed our drill to become a little bit more involved.
“We can make edits on drill, the students hit refresh on their app, and they automatically have the new coordinates. So it’s given us more flexibility to make changes and help students prepare for rehearsals ahead of time.”
Moments before a performance, Dr. Brad Snow and members of the Pride rehearse the music in their minds.
As one of the few that performed shows in fall 2020, Missouri State is on the front end of this paperless revolution for bands. For students, it’s made the process easier and allowed them to access familiar technology.
“They don’t have to worry about organizing 50 pieces of music and deal with gigantic flip folders, you know? I select a song, and boom. The music for 300 people changes simultaneously.”
Snow’s experience playing in the Marine Corps Band and participating in conferences and symposiums has informed his teaching and performance style.
Snow and his team run the Pride Band with principles from the Marine Corps. That includes maintaining a strong chain of command and empowering students with skills to, one day, become the teacher.
In 2013, Snow’s national symposium presentation in Norman, Oklahoma, focused on his approach to leading students.
“The Marines use a manual called ‘Principles of Marine Corps Leadership,’” Snow said. “I went through it, found every mention of ‘Marine’ and replaced it with ‘band.’”
Musicians can access the latest changes to performances on their phones.
To paraphrase one section from the manual: ‘Your appearance, attitude, physical fitness and personal example are all on display daily for the band members in your unit. Remember, your band members reflect your image!’
The amount Snow cares about his students’ development is evident, said Dr. John Zastoupil, associate professor and director of concert bands.
“We talk about this a lot. I think the most special thing about the band program is that we treat it like a family,” Zastoupil said. “When Brad and I are recruiting, we love to tell people about the culture. It’s a network of thousands of band alumni. Our purpose is that we’re here to build people.”
That’s the important big picture for Snow, who counts longevity as his greatest career achievement. His secret? Celebrating a shared love.
“We do this because it’s fun,” Snow said. “And along the way, we learned about working hard as a team and what synergy is all about, even if we didn’t learn these five pages of drill today and we’ll have to really get after it next time.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s just what we love.”
It may erupt suddenly and violently terrorizing the town nearby, setting forth panic and destruction.
It might slowly ooze. And another volcano might lay dormant for several more years – centuries even. It’s nearly impossible to predict.
That is one of the goals of Dr. Gary Michelfelder’s research.
For the last 15 years, Michelfelder, associate professor of geology at Missouri State University, has studied the Rio Grande Rift and the Andes Mountains in Chile. He studies magma, volcanoes and the Earth’s crust to learn more about how and why volcanoes erupt to improve forecasting.
He’s also fascinated by the landscape and what ripple effects these eruptions cause.
Student Oluchi Nweke examines a rock with a hand lens during a field trip to the St. Francois mountains in southeastern Missouri.
While you may never see lava firsthand, it changes the atmosphere and our world.
As lava cools, it becomes igneous rock, which preserves the history of the eruptions.
“I mainly look at volcanic systems as snapshots in time to record the continental crust,” Michelfelder said.
These magmatic systems – each unique in physical stature and behavior – damage and disrupt more than the terrain.
“I was lucky enough to get to go to a conference in Japan that just happened to coincide with the volcano erupting.“
According to Michelfelder, the gases emitted can change climates or reduce agricultural yields.
“These studies give us insight into understanding our planet,” he said. “We can see why life is here compared to maybe life on another planet, or maybe lack of life in another climate.”
Being outdoors is the best way to learn about the phenomena Dr. Gary Michelfelder studies. Here, student Carl York consults Michelfelder about a finding.
From a kid who participated in geography quiz bowls, to a young Army soldier stationed in New Mexico, Michelfelder has always wondered why.
“Why are we sitting in this big flat, open area? How is there a 10,000-foot mountain just a mile away?” he said. “It pushed me to understand the landscape around me.”
As his career in the National Guard and in academia grew, so did his ability to satisfy his curiosity. He has produced more than 20 publications in the last decade.
His current quest is to unveil the mysteries of magma. The National Science Foundation awarded more than $230,000 in funding for this latest research endeavor.
In April 2022, Dr. Gary Michelfelder took student geologists to the St. Francois Mountains to study the formations.
For scope, the Central Andes has at least 15 volcanoes the size of Yellowstone National Park. He is looking at an arc of volcanoes that reside atop a regional magma body. It is a reservoir roughly the size of Missouri.
Michelfelder and his research team, which includes graduate students and collaborators across the globe, are trying to understand if this magma body feeds all the volcanoes. They also want to know:
“We want to understand the volcanoes in the Andes today versus one million, two million or three million years ago,” he said. “We’re recording the temperature, the pressure and composition of the magma. Then we ask, ‘is it staying the same for each volcano? Is it changing within a stage of a volcano?’”
Dr. Frank Ramos, Johnson Chair of Geochemistry at New Mexico State University, mentored Michelfelder when he was pursuing his degrees. He’s been impressed with Michelfedler’s ability to involve students throughout the research process.
“Gary does a great job integrating master student research projects into excellent publications that have significant scientific contributions to our field,” Ramos said.
Each research excursion is ripe for new learning opportunities.
To find the answers they seek, Michelfelder employs many methods. One of them is analyzing the rocks.
He says you can learn a lot by bringing rock samples back to the lab. The team crushes the rock, dissolves it and analyzes the chemical composition.
“Even though the volcano may not look like a volcano anymore, and it may not be erupting currently, it is an active and dangerous environment. Every volcano is its own animal, so to speak, and it behaves differently every time it erupts.”
These rocks also are enriching teaching tools in his classes, Michelfelder noted.
Using a mass spectrometer, his team tests individual mineral grains. This technique uses a laser to discern the chemistry.
They work with Dr. Lawrence Horkely, a professor at the University of Iowa, to date the rock samples using highly sensitive equipment, which allows for precision in dating eruptions. It also can help identify how long the rock was in the magma chamber prior to erupting.
“It’s powerful to put together a detailed history of what a mineral experienced from the time that it was formed as magma, to the time it erupted at the surface,” he added.
Prior to COVID-19, Michelfelder started incorporating new technology into the project. He took student researchers to Chile to fly drones into the crater of the volcanoes to map the plans for the project.
Due to COVID-19- related travel restrictions, this became impossible. Instead, Michelfelder partnered with Dr. Felipe Aguilera, the director of the Central Andes Volcano Observatory, to gain data from his drone work.
“He takes gas measurements to help us with the volcanic hazards component of our projects,” Michelfelder said. “Our team will be able to explain what triggers the eruptions. His drone data will help us to understand the actual eruption.”
Surrounded by the beauty of the outdoors, student Sarah Peterson takes notes on the geology of the mountains.
By investigating all these factors, Michelfelder and his team hope to better forecast the level of devastation to expect out of future eruptions.
At the site in the Andes, the team’s findings reveal the magma isn’t staying in any of the stages long before moving.
“We thought it might be residing for a hundred thousand years or more. Instead, the initial conclusion from evaluating the first two volcanoes is that it’s an ever-changing system,” he said.
What’s the downside of this early finding?
“We don’t have the long history of what’s going on there to be able to forecast what might happen in the future. Every eruption’s been different. It makes it difficult to say, ‘this is what this volcano will behave like in the future.’”
Difficult, yes. Worthy of continued research? According to Michelfelder, “absolutely.”
Soils can be enriched with nutrients to grow strong, healthy grass for livestock to consume. Many of the nutrients transfer to your plate when you eat meat, or the fruits, vegetables and grains harvested.
Dr. Melissa Bledsoe, associate professor in the Darr College of Agriculture at Missouri State University, has conducted many research projects focused on the chemistry and nutrition in soil.
“I’ve always loved plants. My father worked for John Deere, so agriculture was part of our family.”
In recent years, the agriculture community has emphasized the importance of testing soil composition then improving the chemistry. Farmers may do this by adding nutrients to the soil or to the solution that waters the field.
“Not only can you grow more food, but it’ll be healthier. And in turn, you might not have to add supplements to your cattle’s food,” Bledsoe, a plant physiologist, said. “By investing a little bit more in your soil, you can get a better benefit.”
Horticulture student Gwenyth McClain works under Dr. Melissa Bledsoe, learning to test soils and plant tissue.
In Karls Hall at MSU, Bledsoe teaches her students to test soils and plant tissue. These tests can show how soils need to be adapted to meet the goals for the crop.
Bledsoe integrates research into her teaching, and she values building projects around her students’ interests and questions.
She relates this back to her own experience as a graduate student studying under Provost Dr. Frank Einhellig. He inspired her to dig deeper into research and ultimately pursue her doctoral degree.
Grass tetany, a fatal disorder in cattle, is related to low magnesium in a cow’s diet.
In previous work, Bledsoe and colleagues found soil must have adequate phosphorus levels for magnesium to reach the leaves of tall fescue.
“The Ozarks has acidic soils, which means our phosphorus levels are low,” she explained. “Grass tetany is more of an issue in our tall fescue pastures than in many other places.”
This led to another study, and another publication in 2019. This time, the team focused on other common crops, such as winter wheat, oats and cereal rye.
Students are an integral part of Dr. Melissa Bledsoe’s lab.
Starting small, her students set up the experiment in hydroponics. This allowed them “to manipulate the mineral nutrition very specifically to see how the plant responds.”
Then, they expanded the study to the field, hoping to zero in on how adding phosphorus to the soil affected the magnesium in the winter plants.
“Our abilities are flexible. So when a student says, ‘I’m really interested in growing vegetables,’ we think about a way we can solve a question about that.”
While winter wheat was responsive to the addition, the other winter annuals were not.
Though the study didn’t indicate that there were benefits for the other winter annuals, Bledsoe spins it positively.
“Even finding that some plants don’t respond is still an answer,” she said, noting that it’s a learning opportunity for students. “It gives them a reason to continue testing the techniques with other variables, too.”
Students Mary Books, Sarah Overbeck and Gwenyth McClain work to gain greater understanding of how to improve crop production.
At Journagan Ranch, a Missouri State property in Mountain Grove, Missouri, Bledsoe has worked alongside Drs. Michael Goerndt, William McClain and Toby Dogwiler on a major U.S. Department of Agriculture grant project since 2018.
Here they have established a silvopasture to study.
In simpler terms, a silvopasture means you’re optimizing land to grow trees and grass together in a way that benefits both to get higher yields.
“We want to grow forages for grazing cattle in this area. If we can grow forages under trees, we can get a second crop with trees,” Bledsoe said. “Meanwhile, we’re providing shade and cooler temperatures for the cattle.”
It takes a long time to establish these plots before they are producing at full capacity, Bledsoe stressed. All along the way, the team monitors and measures tree health, soil nutrition and forage growth for baseline data.
“We can map the area but also monitor how those trees are growing, how the grasses are growing and see what stresses they’re under. Ultimately, over time, we can also monitor production and growth with drone flights, and we’ll have on the ground measurements to compare that to.”
In Dr. Melissa Bledsoe’s lab, she uses growth chambers to ensure stability of variables.
As the roots deepen and the trees thrust upward, the team will continue to track at periodic tipping points throughout the year:
Learn more about the silvopasture project
“We want to prove how a silvopasture system can benefit a producer and how these systems might help the trees and forages be healthier,” she said.
In her role, Bledsoe mentors students in agronomy and horticulture. Her interest in soil health and nutrition serves as a springboard for a broad range of students to jump into research, she noted.
“We have students that range from horticulture to agronomy and we want to have all those students be interested in research.”
Her projects dig in many different directions – garlic, microgreens, and fescue to name a few. At the root of each, she sees a commonality.
“We’re trying to help local producers have healthier soils and healthier forage production, so they can have fewer issues with their cattle,” Bledsoe said. “For me, I love working on real world problems that can alleviate the pressure on these producers.”
However, this animal struggles to survive through harsh winters.
Tracking the population size and location of this mouse can serve as a “bellwether for climate change,” said Dr. Sean Maher, associate biology professor at Missouri State University.
“My graduate advisor shared his research on the animal, and got me hooked on small mammals,” Maher said.
Dr. Sean Maher checks traps at Linden Prairie as part of a population study.
Maher studies scurrying mammals, primarily mice and rats, by catching and releasing them. His work is a snapshot in time of where these animals call home and gives an estimate of how abundant they are.
“One of the issues with wildlife biology is that just because you fail to find it doesn’t mean it’s not there.”
The information can be compared to previous or future research of a species or region to provide evidence of change or forecast trends.
“These small mammal communities can give us a baseline,” he said. “Twenty or 30 years from now, someone can survey the same prairie or glade and compare data. Then, you may see a different story – perhaps a species disappeared or a new species is present.”
Graduate students Sofia Orlando, left, and Emilyn Gilmore, right, flank Dr. Sean Maher during a population study.
Maher’s work focuses on wildlife biology using statistical modeling and geographic information systems. The computer scripts he develops can answer questions about species dispersal 20,000 years ago or current species occurrences in a local glade system.
Emily Beasley, a 2018 MSU alumna and now a PhD student at University of Vermont, surveyed four glade systems for her thesis:
In each of those areas, she set traps in three to four glades of varying sizes to examine what species lived there.
Beasley co-authored an article with Maher on this research and published it in the Journal of Mammalogy. Based on this work, she was the recipient of the Annie M. Alexander Award from the American Society of Mammalogists, and it provided strong evidence of island biogeography theory.
“The most rewarding thing is seeing the students getting where they want to go. And I’m gratified when they can use me as the stepping stone to their career.”
At its root, this theory states larger islands have more species; smaller islands have fewer. An island, in this sense, simply means an isolated area.
Mice like these are at the center of Dr. Sean Maher’s studies.
“If it’s a really good year, you’re going to see more species. That’s what happened with Emily the first year; she was picking up extra species,” Maher explained. “If it’s a bad year, you’re going to get fewer species.”
Maher and Beasley’s work showed the counts could suffer or swell based on environmental disruptions. A good year for small mammals usually comes with more rainfall, causing trees to produce more of the mammals’ favorite meal: seeds.
In planning out the project, Maher advised Beasley to use a statistical model that accounted for detection of rare species.
“Her work was novel because it simultaneously accounted for whether you’re going to find a species and whether or not it’s there. You have to account for both of those things to get a good idea of presence,” Maher said. “If you’re catching a bunch of rare species, there are probably even more rare species that aren’t being sighted.”
Student Sofia Orlando documents her findings as she examines the prairie lands.
Maher’s former student, Casey Adkins, is pursuing her PhD at the University of Nevada – Reno. She appreciated his insight, advice and guidance during the application to doctoral programs. Moreover, she appreciates what he brings to the scientific community.
“Sean’s work is unique because he not only studies communities and their interactions, but how these interactions may change throughout time and geographic space,” she said.
In the last decade, Maher published more than 15 articles detailing the lives of animals and parasites we often overlook.
He’s interested in parasites like ticks “because when you talk about small mammals, they are linked to ectoparasites,” Maher said.
Prairies like this are ideal habitats for the animals Dr. Sean Maher studies.
Virginia possums, for instance, feed on ticks. When a region has a healthy population of one, there will likely be fewer of the other.
Maher is quick to say, though, the linkages between mammals and ticks are still being formed. This is the focus of another current study.
Data collection on many regional species and habitats has been lacking. In many cases, the baselines were established within the latter part of the 20th century.
“Collecting data is important,” Maher said. “Just like in the case of the white-footed mouse, data tell us a story about the health of a forest or glade, as well as the climate.”