Reynolds College Blog -

Ecuador Education Abroad evolves into successful field school experience

September 16, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

“From the Andes to the Amazon in Ecuador,” one of the many Education Abroad programs offered at Missouri State University, successfully completed its third run June 24-July 16, 2026.

This year, six students joined Jason Shepard, senior instructor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology. They were Kenyon Broten, Amanda Gott, Ryan Johnston, DeMarcus Powell-Long, Myles Ramey and Autumn Seely.

This is the third time Shepard has led the Ecuador program. Additionally, this was the second time Gott, Johnston and Broten traveled to Ecuador as part of the Education Abroad experience. They used the opportunity to expand their research, which they plan to present at the Society for Applied Anthropology conference in March 2027.

Beyond a “travel course”

When Shepard began the Ecuador program in 2023, he envisioned it as more than just a “travel course.”

“[It] was designed from the beginning as an anthropology field school,” he explained. “I think students are attracted to the program because they get to do anthropology rather than only study it in a classroom.”

Cultivating the field school approach

Shepard evaluates the program annually to see what is working and what isn’t. He doesn’t, however, change the program simply to offer students something different. Instead, he believes returning to the same communities and working with the same people gives the field school approach “considerable value.”

“Short-term education abroad can make sustained relationships difficult,” Shepard said. In contrast, repeated visits allow students to develop strong connections with the communities they are studying.

“After three years, these are no longer simply places on an itinerary,” he said. “I have relationships with families, educators, activists, community leaders, farmers, guides and others who help make the field school possible.”

“Back Story” opens theatre and dance 2026-27 season

September 14, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance opens its 2026-2027 production season with “Back Story” Sept. 24-28.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24-26 and Sept. 28 and 2 p.m. matinees Sept. 26-27. All performances will be held in the Balcony Theatre in Craig Hall.

Directed by Dr. Kurt Heinlein, the play explores the lives of two siblings and the “unshakable devotion and hardships” they share. Heinlein is a professor of theatre and coordinator of the BFA Acting for Stage and Screen program.

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Story stems from collaborative writing project

Heinlein described “Back Story” as an exploration of the lives of a brother and sister, Ethan and Ainsley Belcher. Those lives, he noted, are “riddled with sibling rivalry, sacrifice, misadventures, and dreams deferred.”

According to Heinlein, the play originated from a short story of the same name by Joan Ackerman. To build from that original story, Ackerman invited nearly 20 playwrights to collaborate on the play’s script by contributing monologues and scenes.

“Each one offers a unique author’s perspective while dramatizing different moments from within the original short story,” Heinlein explained.

Nancy Allen writing award winners announced

September 11, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Department of English has announced the winners and finalists of the second annual Nancy Allen Research Writing Awards competition.

A committee, comprised of Missouri State faculty and graduate students who teach Writing II, selects the award winners and finalists. The committee received nearly 30 entries this year, according to Lori Rogers, senior instructor and Writing II coordinator.

Entries are submitted anonymously by Writing II faculty, Rogers explained. In turn, each faculty member can submit one paper per class section per semester. This year’s Writing II entries included works from seated, online and dual credit sections of ENG 210, ENG 221 and ENG 310.

“Having high-quality entries from such a variety of classes and student experiences is always a bonus, but it does make the selection process more challenging,” Rogers said. “Even those students who don’t ‘win’ walk away knowing their instructors found their writing worthy of being submitted.”

Rodrigues presents research at American Sociological Association annual conference

August 31, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Dr. Herbert Rodrigues presented his latest research at the 121st American Sociological Association (ASA) annual conference Aug. 7-11, 2026, in New York City, New York.

Rodrigues is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology.

In “Between Consent and Coercion: An Analysis of Obedience Among Brazilian Adolescents,” Rodrigues explores how and why adolescents obey authority figures, especially parents, teachers and police officers. To help answer this question, he used data collected on 800 11-year-old students from public and private schools across São Paulo, Brazil. This information came from a previous study he coordinated at the University of São Paulo.

“The findings are both striking and nuanced,” Rodrigues said. “The vast majority of adolescents agreed they should obey authority figures: 98.3% in relation to parents, 96.1% for teachers, and 91.7% for police. But the reasons behind that agreement vary considerably.”

Michelle Harvey’s theatrical design recognized by United States Institute for Theatre Technology

August 24, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) has featured Michelle Harvey’s scenic design from “Così fan tutte” in its national trade publication, Theatre Design and Technology.

Harvey is an associate professor in the BFA in Design, Technology and Stage Management program, housed within the Department of Theatre and Dance. She has been with Missouri State since 2019.

Professionals from across the country submitted their work for consideration to USITT’s “Design Expo” March 18-21 in Long Beach, California. Held every two years, this juried exhibition showcases scenery, costume and lighting design in the performing arts, Harvey explained.

Start with a script and a concept

Directed by actress and opera soprano Renée Fleming, “Così fan tutte” was performed at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado in July 2025. Harvey’s role as designer was to help Fleming transform her vision to the stage.

“A design always starts with the script and a concept,” Harvey said. For “Così fan tutte,” Fleming placed the opera in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, a small New England town, during the 1980s. Most of the story takes place within a boxing gym.

Working from the concept, Harvey researched the time period and locations, creating scenes that told the story visually while staying within budget parameters. She also needed to keep in mind the Wheeler Opera House’s limited space.

The venue is a “historic space with little to no backstage space,” Harvey explained. “The set had to be able to transform from the gym to several other locations, including the beach/boardwalk on the coast.”