One thing that makes Missouri State University stand out is our public affairs mission.
It isn’t something that lives only in a mission statement. We see it in our classrooms, in the partnerships we build and in the ways our faculty, staff and students engage with the community.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll have several opportunities to see that mission in action.
Connecting people through public affairs
Our 23rd annual Public Affairs Conference is Sept. 29-Oct. 1, and this year’s theme, “The We Factor: Building Connections That Matter,” feels especially timely.
At Missouri State, our public affairs mission is rooted in ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement. Our new strategic plan, “Igniting Opportunity,” builds on those values and challenges us to strengthen the connections that help our students, university and communities thrive.
That’s exactly what the Public Affairs Conference is designed to do.
This year’s conference will bring together voices from around the world to explore how connection, collaboration and leadership shape our workplaces, communities and daily lives. From business and education to health, agriculture, science and the arts, the conversations are broad because public affairs touches nearly everything we do.
Throughout the conference, there will be many opportunities to hear new perspectives, ask questions and take part in meaningful conversations. You can find the full lineup and schedule on the conference website.
I hope faculty, staff and students will take advantage of those opportunities. Employees may use up to two hours of work time, with supervisor approval, to participate in conference sessions. I encourage supervisors to work with your teams to enable employees to take advantage of this opportunity.
I also want to thank Dr. Kevin Evans, our 2026-27 public affairs fellow and conference chair, Mary Ann Wood and Stacey Trewatha-Bach from the office of public affairs support, and the 27-member conference committee of faculty, staff and community members. Their work makes this signature Missouri State event possible each year.
Investing in places that connect us
We’re also celebrating connections in a very visible way through two major facility projects.
Last week, we celebrated the completion of Phase II renovations to Ann Kampeter Health Sciences Hall and the opening of the new Mercy Athletic Training Lab.
The Kampeter project transformed an important academic building into a modern learning environment for students preparing for healthcare careers. New and renovated classrooms, laboratories, clinical spaces and technology give our students opportunities to learn in settings that more closely reflect the workplaces they will enter after graduation.
The Mercy Athletic Training Lab is a great example of what can happen when Missouri State and our community partners work together. Mercy’s investment will directly benefit students while helping prepare health professionals who will serve our region for years to come.
Thank you to Mercy, the Kampeter family and everyone whose support and hard work made this transformation possible.
Just a few blocks away, another transformational project is taking shape.
The Judith Enyeart Reynolds Performing Arts Complex is nearing completion, and we’ll soon be able to occupy this wonderful new addition to the Mo State campus.
The project began with an extraordinary eight-figure gift from the C.W. Titus Foundation, the largest one-time, single gift in Missouri State’s history. Additionally, the state of Missouri invested $17.5 million in the project.
The project also included the demolition of the former Art Annex to make way for the new facility.
The result is much more than a new building.
The complex creates a new front door for Missouri State along Grand Street, providing a welcoming connection between campus and the community. It also strengthens Missouri State’s growing arts presence in the area, complementing destinations such as Brick City, Ellis Hall, the John Goodman Amphitheatre and the Grand Street underpass.
Most importantly, it creates new opportunities for our students and faculty to learn, create, perform and collaborate. It provides state-of-the-art facilities that will give students hands-on and real-life experience to prepare them for their careers.
Next semester, classes will begin in the new studios and the new Studio Theatre will host three shows.
We’re deeply grateful to the C.W. Titus Foundation for honoring Judith Enyeart Reynolds in a way that will influence generations of Bears. I also want to thank our state leaders, donors, faculty, staff, architects, contractors and everyone else who helped turn this vision into reality.
The “we” factor at work
These may seem like very different celebrations. One is a conference built around conversations and ideas. The others are buildings made of brick, glass and steel.
But they share something important.
Each is about bringing people together.
That’s what our public affairs mission calls us to do. It is also what “Igniting Opportunity” asks of us as we strengthen community partnerships, create transformative experiences for students and invite more people to be part of Missouri State.
Great universities don’t accomplish those things alone. They happen because people believe in a shared purpose and choose to contribute to it.
That’s the “we” factor.
And it’s a great example of what makes Missouri State special.
It’s a great day to be a Bear!
Biff