Faculty Accomplishments Archives - Reynolds College Blog

CAR’s Kevin Cupka Head honored with Lincoln School Light Award

July 11, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Kevin Cupka Head, director of the Bernice S. Warren Center for Archeological Research (CAR) has been honored by the Lincoln School Project of West Plains, Missouri, with its Lincoln School Light Award.

The Lincoln School Project recognized Cupka Head, along with Dr. Bolaji Ogunwo from the University of Lagos, during a dedication ceremony held May 17, 2025, at the Lincoln School. Both individuals received the honor for their preservation efforts and service to the community.

According to the project’s website, the organization does not give out the Light Award annually nor do they accept nominations. Instead, the organization reserves the award for individuals who deserve special recognition because they “reflect a steady light, guiding, uplifting, and inspiring others in meaningful and lasting ways.” These individuals “are living examples of illumination” who bring “dignity to the past and hope to the future.”

Cupka Head said he felt “extremely humbled” to receive the award.

“To have my contributions highlighted through this award is inspiring,” he noted. The award “reaffirms my personal commitment to public history, archaeology and the stewardship of our precious cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.”

Dr. Philippa Koch featured in Mind’s Eye

June 26, 2025 by Strategic Communication

Congratulations to Dr. Philippa Koch, assistant professor of religion, on her feature story in the 2025 issue of Mind’s Eye magazine.

Her research focuses on the intersections of religion, health, gender and society in early America.

Research feature story now online

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

Excerpt:

In a world teeming with religious narratives and expectations, what happens when lived experiences do not align?

Dr. Philippa Koch, Missouri State University associate professor of religion, explored this question through her research on how Christians in colonial America held onto the doctrine of providence. This is the belief that God oversees everything and sometimes intervenes in the world.

This research led to the publication of her book, “The Course of God’s Providence: Religion, Health and the Body in Early America,” in 2021.

In it, Koch explores how Christians maintained this belief, even as medical advancements made it possible to treat illnesses.

Read the full story

Steve Willis named Fellow of International Society for Education through Art

June 23, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Dr. Steve Willis of the Department of Art and Design has been named the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) first ever InSEA Fellow.

“To receive an international award that specifically addresses the quality and durability of research, teaching and service is immensely important,” Willis said. He said he felt honored to be both a recipient and the first awardee.

The award recognizes individuals who have made “significant lifetime contributions to arts education.”

The honor will be announced during the 38th InSEA World Congress July 21-25 at the Palacký University Arts Center in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Willis will attend the event virtually.

Recognizing lifetime commitment to art education

Willis has been an art educator for over 50 years, producing hundreds of presentations, journal articles, chapters and books. In particular, he has worked with Dr. Mousumi De, associate professor at the University of Redlands, who nominated him. The two have co-presented nationally and internationally. They have also worked together on some of Willis’ books.

Department head Vonda Yarberry described Willis’ career as an art educator as “impactful.”

“He teaches students how to teach the subject he loves,” she said. “These students then continue to spread that love to K-12 classrooms throughout the region and beyond.”

His long-time fight for equity, justice, fairness and inclusion in education keeps him motivated, Willis said. He remains committed to modeling and teaching these values to future art teachers.

“I want to stay in the classroom, as there’s much work to do,” he said.

Dr. William Meadows publishes new book on Native handgame tradition

June 11, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Dr. William Meadows has published a new book exploring the culture and history of the Native handgame tradition.

Book cover — Click book cover image to learn more.

Meadows is a professor of anthropology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology.

“The Handgame of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache: Spirited Competition on the Southern Plains,” is an ethnic study that documents a previously unexplored topic, Meadows explained. “I’ve played this game off and on for a little over 30 years, but always with the goal in mind of doing an ethnography on it. It is a subject that no one has taken the time to deal with.”

The subject interested him theoretically because handgame is not just a “game of chance.” It requires “keen observation” of human behavior, psychology, mathematics and spiritual belief, he argues,

“The handgame constitutes its own arena of social activity in tribal communities,” Meadows writes in his book. “It is just as important and traditional as other Native cultural institutions such as the powwow or sweat lodge ceremonies.”

From observer to player

As part of his broader research on Indigenous cultures, Meadows conducted field work from 1993-2023. He interviewed individuals from the Kiowa, Comanche, Plains Apache, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, Ponca, Wichita, Delaware and Fort Sill Apache communities.

During this period, Meadows interviewed Bill Koomsa, Jr., who introduced him to the game.

“They were hosting the Crows, and he invited me to one of the games to look on, enjoy it and everything,” Meadows said. “Once you see it, it’s such a lively, peppy game, it’s really addictive.”

After that, Meadows continued to play so frequently, one family invited him to join their team.

Missouri State University professors deliver second conference on poverty

May 21, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University and the Center for Ozarks Poverty Research (COPR) hosted the second annual Community Conference on Poverty April 11, 2025, on the Springfield campus.

Anthropology professor Dr. Marnie Watson and sociology instructor Christina Ryder founded COPR. They currently serve as co-directors for the organization. They also teach in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology (SAG), part of the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) at Missouri State.

Journalist and anthropologist Dr. Brian Goldstone was the conference’s keynote speaker. In addition to discussing his latest book, “There is No Place For Us: Homeless and Working in America,” Goldstone participated in a panel discussion and signed copies of his new book afterward.

Watson and Ryder saw an opportunity to build the second conference around the theme of housing and employment with the release of Goldstone’s book. Conference topics and themes differ each year, they said.

“Each year we choose a different angle to look at poverty from,” Watson said. “The first year we focused on housing and homelessness. This second year the focus was on housing and employment, specifically individuals who are unhoused and working.”