Spring semester brings many new faces to campus as K–12 students have opportunities to participate in competitions, fairs and other adjudicated events across a wide range of disciplines. These events are hosted by a variety of academic departments and colleges, and it takes a lot of work to pull them off.
While it would be impossible to count every moment that goes into planning and executing events like these, the back-of-the-napkin estimate puts that number at anywhere from 25 hours to more than 100 hours, depending on the event. These hours are often service commitments, meaning that they aren’t part of a teaching or research agenda. Colleges and departments host these events as outreach to the community and as a chance to give students a glimpse of life at Missouri State.
It’s all worth it, says Provost Dr. John Jasinski. “There’s no more meaningful way for young people to understand the college experience — and the impact it will have on their lives — than to come to this campus, spend time in this environment and engage with our remarkable faculty and staff,” he says. “When we invest time and resources in the intellectual development of K–12 students, we invest in our own community’s future.”
Investing in the Future
The following events are a selection of the warm and welcoming work of faculty and staff throughout campus, who help give students a taste of the Missouri State experience.
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) Competitions
Bite-sized description: Since the FBLA and DECA district competitions have a lot in common (they even take place the same week!), they’re often thought of as a unit. Earlier this month, these competitions brought more than 1,000 students to Missouri State to engage in events that are designed to sharpen their business and decision-making skills while refining principles in critical areas like marketing, entrepreneurship and finance. Each April, COB also sponsors the largest FBLA State Leadership Conference in the nation, held at Great Southern Bank Arena, University Plaza and the Springfield Expo Center.
Top takeaway: My favorite part about hosting these competitions here is the energy the students bring,” says Sean Beasley, director of marketing, communications and external relations for the College of Business (COB). “They’re very excited for their futures in business. Being able to see that on their faces makes me realize why I work here. We serve the students — that’s our purpose. Getting to see that in real time, interacting with students who are so motivated and eager to attend college, that’s my big ‘why.'”
Regional Science Olympiad
Bite-sized description: Middle- and high-school students come to campus and test their knowledge, skills and abilities in science-based events. Topics include biological and life sciences, chemistry, physics and astronomy, and engineering. The events vary from year to year, which means that even students who’ve participated before will get to take on fresh challenges. This year’s event takes place on February 24. Later in the spring, Missouri State also hosts the State Science Olympiad, which brings together regional winners from all over Missouri.
Top takeaway: “The thing I value most is seeing — not just how excited the students are to learn and compete — but the fact that we have so many people on campus and in our community who are passionate about the sciences,” says Dylan Welker of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS), who coordinates this event with his colleague Allison Allen. “So many people volunteer their time to make sure that this event will continue from year to year.”
National History Day
Bite-sized description: Students in grades 6–12 engage in year-long curriculum as they create their own inquiry-based projects. These might be museum-style exhibits, performances, documentary films, websites or historical papers. It all culminates in the History Day contest, where students present their projects and discuss their research with expert judges. This year’s event takes place on March 1.
Top takeaway: “I’ve served as regional coordinator for the past seven years, and the thing I most look forward to is seeing the many excited participants gather on the third floor of the PSU as they prepare for their judging interviews,” says Sara Zandi, academic advisor in the history department. “They’ve worked diligently for months, becoming experts on their topics, and it’s always interesting to see the creative and dynamic ways they choose to interpret and engage with the past.”
Missouri Junior Academy of Science Regional Competition
Bite-sized description: Middle- and high-school students present their original research in a setting that’s designed to simulate a professional conference or seminar presentation. This year’s event takes place on March 22.
Top takeaway: CNAS’s Welker, who also coordinates this event with Allen, says that he loves “seeing just how invested these students are in their projects and the fact that it really proves that students — some as young as sixth grade — have aspirations to help try and solve some problems that we face in our day-to-day lives. It also demonstrates that their schools are committed enough to have programs in place that facilitate these projects, along with teachers who support and challenge their students.”
Groundbreaking Student Competition
Bite-sized description: In partnership with ACE Mentor Program of the Ozarks, the department of technology and construction management (TCM) sponsors year-long curriculum that includes monthly, immersive educational and professional experiences that highlight building-related careers. It culminates in the Groundbreaking Competition, where student teams use their knowledge of architecture, construction and engineering to design a project that’s then evaluated by faculty and industry experts.
Top takeaway: “This year-long program provides high school students with exposure to career and educational opportunities in architecture, construction and engineering,” says Dr. Richard Gebken, TCM department head. “It’s a unique partnership between industry, academia and school districts, and it allows students to test their knowledge through the planning and design of a comprehensive project.”
Ozarks Science and Engineering Fair (OSEF)
Bite-sized description: A regional competition that brings together student scientists and engineers from a 19-county region to share outstanding research projects. Through this platform, students get to work with local scientists and professionals. This year’s event takes place April 2–4.
Top takeaway: Michelle Norgren, who’s directed this event for 31 years, has observed a treasure trove of wonderful moments. “I enjoyed watching the home-school student excel at work he completed at home to devise a robotic system that utilized Bluetooth communication,” she says. “And the private school student who used sound and light to develop a program that visualized, via the optical spectrum, the symphonic production of their own original music, as performed by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra — it allowed hearing impaired individuals to experience the sensation of sound, visually! And the wonder and inquisitiveness of a third-grader who wanted to know if dogs experienced right- or left-handedness (or pawness!).”
State Science Olympiad
Bite-sized description: Winners of the various Missouri Regional Science Olympiad competitions all arrive in Springfield to compete in 32 science events, specially designed to test their knowledge and skills. Participants have a chance to bring home individual awards — Gold, Silver and Bronze — for each individual event, and the top team from all of Missouri earns an invitation to the national competition. This year’s event takes place on April 6.
Top takeaway: “This event gives an opportunity to middle and high school students to compete in something that helps them understand new concepts and underscores the importance of science education,” says Dr. Tamera Jahnke, CNAS dean. “It helps them develop critical thinking skills, while also giving them the opportunity to work as a team.”
Pummill Relays
Bite-sized description: An ongoing, 50-year tradition that provides mathematics competitions for high school students from across southwest Missouri. As many as 1,000 young mathematicians come to campus for this one-day event. This year’s competitions take place on April 10.
Top takeaway: “While it’s a challenge to organize and pull off this event successfully, it gives us the chance to interact with teachers in our region and offer service and professional development,” says Dr. William Bray, mathematics department head. “It is always a joy to see all the students who are enthusiastic about and challenged by our exams.”
FBLA State Leadership Conference
Bite-sized description: Five thousand students from across Missouri come to campus for the largest FBLA state conference in the United States. They’re immersed in Missouri State’s culture, with a particular focus on business-related opportunities in COB and in our community. This year’s event takes place April 14–16.
Top takeaway: “We love giving these students tours of Glass Hall and sharing our excitement about our business programs,” says COB’s Beasley. “But as [COB Dean] Dr. David Meinert reminds us, we believe that Missouri State offers a good fit for every student, whether or not they end up pursuing business. This kind of immersive event gives students the chance to really understand what their lives can be like on campus, regardless of their major.”
Around Campus…
Happy faces were spotted throughout campus when 62 faculty members received news of their tenure and/or promotion. Provost Dr. John Jasinski, college deans and academic unit leaders collaborated to make sure the good news got delivered in person.
“Our faculty’s exceptional dedication and inspiring accomplishments were fully displayed in the portfolio materials I reviewed,” Jasinski says. “I have enormous gratitude for the work of the faculty who just received tenure and promotion news — as well as for the service of everyone who gave their time to the review process.”