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Missouri State’s dance program holds first research symposium

May 28, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s dance program, part of the Department of Theatre and Dance, held its first ever research symposium on the Springfield campus April 27-May 1.

Conceptualized and spearheaded by dance instructor Brittney Banaei, the event was developed to immerse dance students into a scholarly environment that reflects the professional dance world.

“Although dance is most often associated with performance, and our students are certainly excellent performers, there are a multitude of ways to engage with dance which are applicable in the ‘real world,’” Banaei explained.

For the symposium, Banaei said its organizers included “creative research, performance as research, embodied knowledge and inter/cross disciplinary research” in addition to traditional scholarly applications.

“Having the space to present cutting edge, research-integrated work is crucial for a dance program to stay responsive, relevant and connected to a rapidly evolving professional field,” Banaei said.

Several dance faculty and students participated in the event, which included presentations, roundtable discussions, creative and scholarly research projects and performances incorporating what students had learned. Several graduating BFA and BS in dance majors were featured as keynote speakers.

Approximately 30 students participated in the symposium, according to Banaei. Participation for the first symposium was limited to students enrolled in Dance Research Methods, Dance Composition II, Dance Fundamentals and West African Dance. In the future, however, Banaei hopes the conference can implement an open submission/application process.

Students dancing on an outdoor stage — Sophomore Jacob Nalley (second from left) performs with other West African Dance students as part of the research symposium.

Immersive scholarly experience

According to Banaei, the symposium gives Missouri State’s dance students hands-on experience in scholarly research by immersing them in a conference-like setting. This is essential to give students an advantage as they begin their careers, she noted.

The symposium mirrored several aspects of a typical scholarly conference. Students in the Dance Research Methods course submitted their final papers for review and acceptance to the conference. This process mimicked those of any conference or journal. These same students were also asked to create poster presentations of their work as well as a research statement, which they used to introduce themselves during the roundtable discussion.

“The entire process had the pedagogical goal of taking students through the lifecycle of a research project and developing the skills to submit to and present at conferences,” Banaei said.

Similarly, Dance Composition II students needed to think about their work as research, she added. They approached their choreography and performances by exploring a number of different methodologies.

“Research-integrated approaches to creative work are now standard and expected in a typical dance MFA program and a large portion of the dance performance landscape,” Banaei said. Learning this approach is essential to dance students who plan to pursue a graduate degree or a performance career outside of commercial dance, she explained.

Career prospects enhanced by dance studies

Jaden Brown, a senior BFA dance major, grew up dancing and taught at dance studios throughout high school and college. After graduation, she will start working for “Vitality in Motion,” an organization that brings dance to elderly care facilities.

“I’m very fortunate that my work throughout college and within college set me up for such a successful career path,” she said.

Ryan Sohrab, a junior musical theatre major, also sees his dance studies as essential to his career prospects.

“We’re in a generation of performance work that rides hand in hand with spectacle, especially performer spectacle,” he explained. “Having heightened dance capabilities will no doubt allow me to propel my career towards heights I doubt would be in reach if I had treated it as secondary to acting and singing.”

Freshman Abbey Racer, a BFA dance major, plans to be a professional choreographer. She also said her studies are vital to meeting that goal.

“Learning as much as possible in as many styles as possible is super important,” she said. “It will help me be the best and most informed choreographer I can be.”

“My experience in the MSU dance program has been one I wouldn’t trade for the world,” Brown added. “I have been given so many tools and guidance that have allowed me to feel comfortable going into the working field.”

Creative writing student Damilola Oyedeji one step closer to a long-cherished goal

May 1, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Damilola Oyedeji is a poet. But she wants to be even more. She plans to become a professor, researcher and writer.

Oyedeji came to Missouri State University in Fall 2023 to pursue a Master’s in the English-Creative Writing track in the Department of English. She graduates this May with that degree in hand.

And now, her goal is within sight. This fall she enters the doctoral program in English at Texas Tech University.

“I have always wanted to be a professor since a young age, and for me, this is a step closer to achieving that dream,” she said.

Gaining career and scholarly experience

While studying at Missouri State, Oyedeji gained valuable career experience working as a writer for the university. She split her time writing for the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) and the university’s Strategic Communication office.

Oyedeji described her work experience as a “huge privilege and useful opportunity.”

“I have had the opportunity to interview and work with professors, alumni and students doing great things,” she said. “It has also improved my writing and given me workplace experience for professional writing. I now have both creative writing and professional writing experiences.”

Scholarly conference “a groundbreaker”

Even more importantly, Oyedeji has built a strong scholarly foundation while at Missouri State.

Encouraged and guided by Dr. Shannon Wooden and Dr. Lanya Lamouria, she gained conference experience in March when she presented her research at the Pop Culture Association’s national conference in New Orleans. It was Oyedeji’s first time to present research at a conference.

According to Wooden, the paper was already nearing publishable quality and highlighted Oyedeji’s professionalism and work ethic. “She worked on it like a scholar more than a student,” Wooden said.

Oyedeji credited Wooden with getting her to the conference in the first place. “If I can present a paper today at a conference, it’s because of her.”

She said the presentation went better than expected.

“I received some great questions and had the chance to connect with professors from other universities who were genuinely interested in my research,” Oyedeji explained. “I think the most fulfilling part was being able to say, ‘Here’s what I’ve been working on.’ After spending the past year reading and writing on this topic, presenting it felt like a meaningful milestone.”

“For someone going to doctoral school, I know I will be attending a ton of conferences, even if not to present, to network,” she added. “This is a groundbreaker for me.”

Young woman sitting at study table with books — Damilola Oyedeji in the Siceluff Hall Student Lounge.

Alum Sarah Lynne Skrzypczak thrives in law school

April 14, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Contracts, Torts, Constitutional Law, Legal Writing and Analysis…these are just a few of the courses Missouri State University alumna Sarah Lynne Skrzypczak has taken during her first year of law school at the University of Wisconsin.

Skrzypczak graduated from Missouri State’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology in 2021 with a degree in sociology and a minor in law and society.

Now, as she wraps up her first year in law school, Skrzypczak reflects on her time at Missouri State and how she got to where she is today.

Taking things one step at a time

When Skrzypczak first enrolled at Missouri State, she was an undeclared major. She spent a year and a half taking different courses, learning as much as she could while waiting to see where her path would lead.

“I was in no way sure of who I truly was or what I really wanted to do moving forward with my life,” she said. “I just knew I liked to learn.”

By her sophomore year, however, Skrzypczak knew her future rested with sociology.

“Once I had gotten into the program, [there] was never a doubt that I was happy to be where I was in terms of academic progression and my own knowledge,” she explained. “Sociology for me was fun, complex and intriguing to learn about.”

“Learning of other cultures, studying the past, learning about people in general, I’ve always just been curious,” she said. “Sociology was a great way to get a better grasp on those things I found interesting. It was easy to learn about because I had always found it so fascinating in the first place.”

From sociology to law

Studying sociology led Skrzypczak to choose law as a career.

“Other studies such as criminology, pre-law and political science are all great to study before moving forward in law,” she said. But for her, sociology was the best choice because it included aspects of all those other disciplines.

“In a sense they all intertwine,” she said. “Sociology kind of seems like a bit of all of them plus more and just gives you a broader look on things.”

Still, Skrzypczak tailored her studies to include specific law-related courses with her minor in law and society. This gave her “a nice foundation of legal knowledge before moving into law school,” she said.

Young woman standing at law library shelves. — Sarah Skrzypczak hits the law books again.

“Collaboration” reveals hard work and big dreams of Missouri State dance students

April 10, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance wraps up the 2024-25 season with its annual Spring Dance Concert.

Titled “Collaboration,” the concert continues this year’s theme of “Connection.” It will feature a variety of both student and faculty choreographed performances.

This year’s concert is coordinated by Associate Professor of Dance Azaria Hogans.

Evening showtimes are 7:30 p.m. April 24-26. Matinee showtime is 2:30 p.m. April 27. All performances will be held in Coger Theatre in Craig Hall.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students/seniors. Special advance rates are available for students with an MSU ID.

Purchase tickets

Collaborating to connect

Using an interdisciplinary approach, the concert emphasizes connecting dance with different disciplines, Hogans said. “Every work that will be on the stage has some element of interdisciplinary exploration. This ranges from collaborations with animators to costume construction to STEM concepts and processes.”

Hogans is excited about how audiences will experience the performances.

“Even if an audience member does not know a lot about dance, they will be able to appreciate the interdisciplinary connections made in this concert,” she said. “[They] will be able to see concepts, ideas and maybe even themselves represented in the works.”

History alum Micaela Wiehe wins Fulbright-Hays fellowship

March 10, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Micaela Wiehe, a 2021 graduate of the Department of History at Missouri State University, has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship to study in Mexico and Spain.

She is now a fourth-year doctoral student of history at Penn State University.

Describing herself as a colonial Latin American historian, Wiehe explained that she specializes in the history of the Indigenous people group, the Nahuas, of the early colonial period in Mexico.

“My dissertation research explores patterns of Mesoamerican migrations rooted in political, social and environmental change during Mexico’s early colonial period,” she said. “I look at how environmental exploitation and the labor systems used to support it led to a variety of migration patterns with long-lasting effects.”

Wiehe’s doctoral work is an extension of her master’s thesis at Missouri State University. “My thesis examined the evolution of the Spanish colonial legal system from 1525 to 1820 by analyzing the way that the Nahua people influenced, maneuvered and commanded a powerful conversation with the Spanish king through interactions with and within the law.”

Research in Mexico and Spain

Young woman standing in archives — Wiehe conducts research in the Vasconcelos Library in Mexico City in 2023. Photo credit: Alejandro Leon.

As part of her Fulbright-Hays award, Wiehe will spend ten months researching in Mexico City, Mexico, and one month in Seville, Spain.

While in Mexico, she will work as a researcher in affiliation with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She will also volunteer with PSYDEH (Psicologia y Derechos Humanos), a Mexican non-profit organization for Indigenous women. Finally, Wiehe will participate in an intensive Nahuatl language course taught by Indigenous instructors in Zacatecas, Mexico.

While in Seville, Wiehe will work in the Archivo General de Indias in affiliation with Pablo de Olavide University Sevilla (UPO). Many of the colonial documents pertaining to her research are housed in that collection.

Her efforts, Wiehe explained, will allow her “to produce a well-informed research project on the history of migration in Mexico.”

“People have moved and migrated throughout the Americas for centuries, long before any Europeans arrived on this continent,” she added. “It’s important, though, to consider why, how, when and where the migration patterns we see today came from.”

Fulbright dream becomes reality

Wiehe originally planned to apply for a Fulbright fellowship while at Missouri State. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed those plans, however. She thus waited until she was a doctoral student at Penn State to apply.

It took Wiehe nearly eight months to complete the Fulbright-Hays application. “The application process for the Fulbright-Hays is extensive, including a ten-page grant proposal, two language evaluations, letters of recommendation, a personal statement and letters of support from professors in Mexico, Spain.”

All the hard work paid off when she heard from representatives of the Fulbright-Hays fellowship program.

“When I read the first line of the email offering me the grant, my hands started shaking and I had to sit down,” she said. “I felt a combination of shock, joy and overwhelming relief. It was a moment I had worked toward for nearly five years. I was so grateful to finally arrive.”

The news came as no surprise to members of Wiehe’s thesis committee at Missouri State.

“I was not surprised at all,” said Dr. John Chuchiak, Wiehe’s thesis director. “These grants are extremely competitive, and her work is of the highest caliber.”

“She embodies everything that Fulbright stands for,” agreed Dr. Heidi Backes, one of Wiehe’s thesis committee members.