Ethical Leadership Archives - Page 2 of 31

Abigail Hardwick appointed to Parent-Teacher Association national committee

October 7, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

Abigail Hardwick, who is in her second year in Missouri State University’s Master in International Affairs (MIA) program, has been appointed to the Resolutions Committee of the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).

Hardwick will serve a three-year term starting August 2026. The Resolutions Committee makes recommendations to the PTA Board of Directors regarding rescission, retention or amendment of current resolutions, she explained. “The committee also reviews new resolutions submitted by any PTA unit, region or state before recommending them to the PTA Board of Directors.”

The appointment is a volunteer position, Hardwick said. The committee meets monthly, but most of her work happens outside of the monthly meetings, she added.

Model UN experience creates opportunities

Hardwick stands proudly next to the Model UN display case in Strong Hall.

Not only is Hardwick working on her master’s in international affairs: she is also an active member of Missouri State’s Model United Nations team. In particular, her work with Model UN has given her both professional experience and the kinds of networking opportunities that led to the PTA national committee.

Hardwick was nominated for the committee by Missouri State alumnus Dr. William Datema. Currently, Datema serves as president of the national PTA. In addition to having graduated from Missouri State, Datema is also a fellow Model UN alumnus. Since he was a past member of the Missouri State team, Hardwick kept in touch with him.

“Datema knew my experience, and during networking, I guess I had made an impression,” she said.

With her Model UN experience, Hardwick feels well-prepared for her role as a PTA committee member. “My tenure has been a great way to fully understand resolution writing,” she said. “I am really excited to use that experience to go over these important documents and make the best outcomes for our students.”

Students connect with the past during Italy Education Abroad

September 28, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

Twelve Missouri State University students and religious studies professor Dr. Vadim Putzu traveled to Italy May 10-19 as part of the Education Abroad program, “A Booted History of Judaism.”

During their two-week visit, the group first stopped in Rome, then traveled to Apulia, Italy’s southern “heel” region. The last part of their itinerary included an overnight train ride to Venice.

Throughout their journey, the group visited archaeological parks, museums, burial sites, synagogues, churches and Jewish quarters. They met local scholars and community members. They also polished their Italian language skills whenever possible.

Participating students were Lisa Brackenridge, Evelyn Carter, Alexander Geringer, Beth Hallmark, Abigail Hardwick, Justice Jones, Hailie Mongillo, Mallory Morton, Mason Oliver, Ilene Smith, Emma Thomas and Isabella Wrisberg.

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.”

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.”

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