Reynolds College Blog -

Missouri State faculty present interdisciplinary panel on history of Route 66

May 5, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Four Missouri State University faculty members presented a research panel on Route 66 and its history April 22, 2026, in Strong Hall on the Springfield campus.

The panel event coincided with the roadway’s 100th anniversary.

“African American Lived Experiences: Unheard Stories of Route 66,” was a collaborative effort by the panelists to highlight how African American travelers experienced the famed scenic route.

Associate Professor Lyle Q. Foster of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology organized the event. Joining him were Assistant Professor Leonard Horton III of the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film; Associate Professor Judith Martinez of the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions; and Associate Professor Ximena Uribe-Zarain of the School of Special Education, Leadership and Professional Studies.

The researchers have been working on the project since September 2025.

Interdisciplinary approach highlights multiple views

As an interdisciplinary group, the panelists found that their varied academic backgrounds blended nicely, Foster noted. “Since the team brings together perspectives from sociology, communication, languages and cultures, and education, that mix of viewpoints really shaped how we interpreted what we found,” he said.

Each panelist drew heavily from oral history interviews conducted in 2014 and 2015 as part of the Greater Springfield Route 66 Oral History Project at Missouri State.

“These interviews are publicly available through the Missouri State University Libraries YouTube channel,” Foster said. “Anyone can go listen to them.”

Other resource material included the Negro Motorist Green Book, historical records and existing scholarship on race and mobility in America. During the session, the panelists also premiered a mini documentary, “Reflections on the Route.”

“The film highlights the stories of local Springfieldians who traveled Route 66 during the Jim Crow era and used the Green Book directory as a guide to find safe places to eat and spend the night,” Foster explained.

Dr. Erin Wehrman featured in Mind’s Eye

May 5, 2026 by Strategic Communication

Congratulations to Dr. Erin Wehrman, associate professor in the department of communication, media, journalism and film at Missouri State University, on her feature in Mind’s Eye magazine.

As an expert in family and interpersonal communication, Wehrman studies how communication can help people adjust to life after losing a spouse, focusing on the role it plays in shaping relationships and identity.

Research feature story now online

The Mind’s Eye story featuring Wehrman’s research is now published online.

Excerpt:

“I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

This sentiment is often expressed by people who are grieving the loss of a spouse.

“Identity is complex,” said Dr. Erin Wehrman, associate professor in the department of comunication, media, journalism and film at Missouri State University. “We don’t have just one singular identity.”

External factors, such as the people we interact with and the places we go, combine with internal factors, such as our personal experiences and our physiology, help to construct a self-identity.

Relationships play a big role in building and maintaining that identity.

Read the full story

History graduate students Elayna Eastin and Sarah Land present research at regional PAT conference

May 4, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Elayna Eastin and Sarah Land, two MA students from Missouri State University’s Department of History, recently presented their research at the regional Phi Alpha Theta (PAT) conference.

The conference was held March 14 at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Phi Alpha Theta is the national History Honor Society.

This year’s conference theme was “250 Years of US and the World.”

Papers highlight American role in world affairs

Eastin and Land selected topics that highlight America’s role in world affairs, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For both students, this was their first time to present at a professional history conference.

“As the faculty advisor for PAT, I was so proud of both students for the excellent presentations they delivered,” said Assistant Professor Chelsea Davis.

Eastin discussed her research on 19th-century Yokohama, Japan. In “Harbor Of Change: The Social And Cultural Whirlwind of 19th-Century Yokohama,” she shows how after 1859 the port city became an international trade center by developing a robust tourism industry.

Now in her first year of graduate studies at Missouri State, Eastin also works as an archivist at the State Historical Society of Missouri. Long term, she is also considering furthering her education at the doctorate level.

Meanwhile, Land presented a historiographical paper, “World War I and Wilson: America’s Place in Global History.” Her paper explored how scholarship on America’s influence during the post-World War I era has changed over the past 30 years.

Land, who will graduate this spring, hopes to one day pursue a doctorate in history.

Missouri State’s Josh Young and Haley Ciaramella to appear in Hudson Valley Shakespeare production of “Les Misérables”

April 30, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Musical Theatre Coordinator Josh Young, associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, has been selected to play Jean Valjean in the Hudson Valley Shakespeare production of “Les Misérables.”

Joining Young is freshman musical theatre major Haley Rose Ciaramella, who has been cast in the role of Éponine.

The production runs Aug. 12-Sept. 27, 2026. Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) is located in Garrison, New York.

The role of a lifetime

Josh Young 2026 headshot. Photo credit: Nicki Bhem.

The HVS opportunity is not the first time Young has appeared in a production of Les Mis. It is, however, his first time playing Jean Valjean, his favorite role since childhood.

“’Les Misérables’ has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Young recalled. “Growing up, it was the soundtrack of my childhood. My mother played it constantly.”

Young said the role feels aligned with his voice and his instincts as an actor.

“It sits in a place that plays to my strengths vocally and dramatically,” he explained. “When I look at the roles I’ve been drawn to throughout my career, they are all characters operating at the highest possible stakes, and Valjean is no exception.”

Now, as a father, Young said the role resonates even more.

“Valjean’s relationship with Cosette, his drive to protect her and the responsibility he carries in the midst of chaos all feel very personal,” Young noted. “That combination of scale and intimacy is what makes the role so meaningful to me.”

Men’s and women’s choruses attend regional conference of American Choral Directors Association

April 29, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Two choruses from Missouri State University’s Department of Music performed at the southwestern regional conference of the American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA) March 4-7 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Director of Choral Studies and Clif and Gail Smart Professor of Music Dr. Cameron LaBarr directed the Men’s Chorus. Associate Director of Choral Studies Dr. Erin Plisco directed the Women’s Chorus.

Artist-in-Residence Parker Payne accompanied both ensembles.