Reynolds College Blog

MSU awarded $60,000 grant for faith-health education

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Missouri State University has received a $60,000 grant from Interfaith America to enhance religious literacy in health professions education. The grant recognizes MSU’s leadership in religious literacy and cultural competence in health care.

Out of 44 applicants, MSU was one of only 15 institutions awarded this competitive grant. The university’s longstanding efforts in integrating religion and health care education played a key role in securing the funding.

Plans for the grant include creating a new graduate certificate, adding health services courses and developing online resources to improve religious literacy in health care.

The grant runs from December 2024 to November 2026.

Grant builds on earlier initiative

Missouri State began teaching courses in religion and health about 10 years ago, according to Dr. Philippa Koch, associate professor in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions (LCR).

Koch is an Interfaith America Faith and Health Fellow. She will lead the grant initiative, along with Dr. Steve Berkwitz and Dr. John Schmalzbauer from LCR and Sarah Bowman, Dr. McCall Christian and Dr. Amber Abernathy from the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS).

A $30,000 Wabash Center grant that Berkwitz and Schmalzbauer received in 2015 helped launch MSU’s first courses in religion and health, Koch said. “These efforts laid the groundwork for our current initiative.”

Since then, MSU has continued to build its interdisciplinary program. This includes creating the Medical Humanities Undergraduate Certificate in 2019 and the Mental Health and Spirituality Undergraduate Certificate in 2022.

Now, the new grant positions the university to be a leader in the growing field of religion and health, according to Schmalzbauer.

“We’re deepening our work at the intersection of faith and health to prepare future health care practitioners to serve diverse communities with cultural sensitivity,” Koch noted.

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History professor Dr. Jeremy Neely publishes new book, “A Union Tested”

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Associate professor Dr. Jeremy Neely of Missouri State University’s Department of History has published a new book centered around the U.S. Civil War.

In “A Union Tested,” Neely examines the lives of Henry and Cimbaline Fike through hundreds of letters they exchanged between 1862 and 1865 while Henry was a quartermaster in the Union army.

“Dr. Neely is a foremost expert on the border war between Kansas and Missouri,” said Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, head of the history department. “This study represents an extension of his work into how the Civil War affected families and individuals as they negotiated the divisions of war.”

Historical serendipity leads to the Fikes

Book cover
Click book cover image to learn more.

Neely was researching another book project on Missouri during the Reconstruction era when he encountered Henry Fike’s diary. He described the diary as “massive,” as it dates from the 1850s until 1919.

“He was such a prolific writer that I wondered if he had any other papers, and it turned out that, yes, he did,” Neely said. While serving as a Union soldier, Fike exchanged nearly 400 letters with his wife, Cimbaline.

“Their exchanges pulled me in almost instantly,” Neely said.

“The war demanded tremendous sacrifices of men and women alike,” he said. “Many volunteers, including Henry, signed up for three-year enlistments, and those lengthy deployments placed enormous strains upon families. Navigating those challenges was a constant and often fraught process.”

Expansive research “fleshes out” personalities

Neely started researching the Fikes in 2020 and ended up spending roughly four years on the project.

The process could have grown cumbersome, as the Fikes’ papers are split between two libraries. Henry’s diaries are held at the State Historical Society of Missouri, while his and Cimbaline’s letters are located at the University of Kansas. In addition, several diaries and letters from Henry’s comrades are at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois.

Neely was able to continue and broaden his research through a summer fellowship. He used the opportunity to examine newspapers, military records and private manuscripts to “flesh out the Fikes’ world more clearly,” he said.

Cimbaline’s and Henry’s personalities immediately emerged from the letters.

“Cimabline was strong and fearless in speaking her mind, but she also struggled with loneliness and what we today would recognize as depression,” he explained. “Henry was confident, loyal and enthusiastic. Together, they were ardent supporters of the Union war effort and had no patience for neighbors who failed to match their devotion.”

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Center for Archaeological Research marks 50th anniversary with unique challenges and big dreams

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A small, unassuming building on Missouri State University’s main campus houses one of its busiest and most far-reaching programs — the Bernice S. Warren Center for Archaeological Research.

Nicknamed “CAR,” the Center does more than dig for old bones. In addition to its educational, research and public outreach activities, CAR has provided archaeological services to state and local communities since 1975.

CAR is also headquarters to the Missouri Archaeological Society (MAS).

In fact, CAR is the only public research center dedicated to the archaeology of Missouri and the Ozarks, according to its director, Kevin Cupka Head.

Celebrating 50 years

Man sitting at desk
CAR Director Kevin Cupka Head. Photo credit: Lynn Lansdown.

To mark the Center’s fiftieth anniversary, Cupka Head noted that several activities are in the works, including a CAR alumni reunion and a commemorative history to be published on the web and possibly in book form.

In addition, as part of Missouri’s Archaeology Month in September, CAR will hold a public artifact ID day.

“Members of the public can bring in artifacts or curiosities for identification by experts,” Cupka Head said.

Cupka Head hopes the anniversary activities will bring attention to the Center’s “impressive contributions to the archaeology and history of the Ozarks.”

“The MSU community can take pride in and ownership of our role as stewards of over 15,000 years of Missouri history,” Cupka Head said.

Services in demand

Among its services, CAR’s faculty and staff assist government agencies and the private sector in performing cultural resource assessments. Currently, the Center is working on just under 40 active projects and has proposals out for roughly 30 more, according to Cupka Head.

“It’s often a case where we’ll have one or two really big contracts and then a bunch of small to medium sized contracts,” he said.

Most of CAR’s projects are surveys to assess a potential development project. “New sidewalks. A bridge replacement. Larger than that sometimes, such as industrial developments,” Cupka Head explained.

CAR can conduct various geophysical investigations, such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry, Cupka Head said. “We can also conduct several specialized laboratory procedures, such as electrolytic rust removal, flotation and the recovery and preparation of C14 samples,” Cupka Head said. CAR evaluates and then makes recommendations as to whether further work is needed.

The Center’s current projects include the Jordan Creek renewal project in downtown Springfield, archaeological monitoring of Boeing’s St. Louis airport expansion project, and numerous transportation and infrastructure projects throughout the state.

Meanwhile, many of CAR’s smaller projects directly serve the Ozarks. “We’re willing to take on a lot of smaller jobs and specialized jobs that some of the larger firms just pass on,” Cupka Head said.

These include HUD projects, rural developments and city improvement projects such as water and sewer line installations.

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All School Exhibition finds temporary home at Missouri State’s Brick City Gallery

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Missouri State University’s Department of Art and Design will host the Springfield Art Museum’s annual All School Exhibition Feb. 28-April 6.

The exhibition is on view Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12-4 p.m. at the Brick City Gallery.

Showcases for middle and high school students are Friday, Feb. 28 from 5:30-7 p.m. The elementary school student showcase is Saturday, March 1 from 12-3 p.m.

Major renovation in the works

The Springfield Art Museum is using Brick City’s gallery space this year while it undergoes an expansive renovation ahead of its centennial anniversary in 2028.

Key improvements include a new west entry with an expanded lobby and visitors’ lounges, an east façade with high-ceiling gallery and the Family Learning Center with hands-on art-making activities. The renovation aims to enhance visitor experience and further showcase the museum’s role as a hub for creativity and education.

Celebrating a Springfield tradition

The All School Exhibition has been a Springfield tradition since 1932. By hosting the All School Exhibition, Missouri State supports that tradition through its commitment to fostering the arts and supporting community talent.

The exhibition celebrates the creativity of K-12 students and the hard work of talented area teachers. Families, friends and art enthusiasts are invited to view these exceptional works free of charge.

For more information on the All School Exhibition, contact the art and design department at 417-837-2330 or visit the Springfield Art Museum’s website.

Brick City Gallery, located at 215 W. Mill St, Springfield, MO 65806, is open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Colorful mixed media image of girl with in field
Emilia Leighton, Cowden Elementary, “All About Me,” mixed media collage; Kara Risner, teacher.

Artwork on display at the All School Exhibition

Photos provided by Vonda Yarberry.

News edited by the Reynolds College Communications Team.

Sam Barnette is a writer for the Department of Art and Design. She holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Missouri State’s Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film and is working toward an MS in Data Science and Analytic Storytelling at Truman State University.

MSU opera students shine in national competition

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Missouri State University’s Opera Theatre achieved an impressive milestone, qualifying for the 2025 Robert Hanson National Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition in January.

Three sophomore standouts represented the university during the competition. Jb Love (music performance), Ryan McIntosh (music education) and Veronika Yerina (double major vocal performance and biology) are all members of MSU’s “Opera Bears” club.

MSU Opera director Dr. Ann Marie Daehn and Dr. Chris Thompson, both professors in the Department of Music, oversaw the students’ performances.

“This is a huge accomplishment for our students and speaks to their talent, dedication and hard work,” Daehn said.

Sending three sophomores was a deliberate choice, Daehn added. Most schools tend to send more experienced seniors or returning finalists.

“We focus on giving opportunities to all performers, even younger students,” she said. “This is about providing every one of our students the chance to grow.”

The National Opera Association (NOA) hosted the event at its national conference in Savannah, Georgia. The competition aims to recognize and promote artistic excellence in opera performance in college and university programs.

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