Faculty Research Archives - Page 2 of 13

Art and Design’s Chris Rodgers named to Teaching Artist Cohort

November 17, 2025 by Reynolds College

Artist-in-Residence Chris Rodgers, ceramics instructor in the Department of Art and Design, has been named to the Center for Craft’s Teaching Artist Cohort.

The cohort is a six-month program that offers professional and financial support to artists who are both educators and practitioners. The honor includes a grant that provides unrestricted funding of $10,000.

Rodgers was one of only 30 artists selected for the cohort.

As a member of the cohort, Rodgers also participates in mentorship and peer-to-peer learning activities. These activities help sustain studio practices while strengthening community engagement.

Rodgers’ recognition by the Center for Craft highlights the department’s faculty who merge creative research with hands-on teaching, said Interim Department Head Dr. Mitzi Kirkland-Ives. His participation in the Teaching Artist Cohort grant program, she added, reflects the ongoing dialogue between making and mentoring that defines the department’s studio culture.

Various ceramic artwork items displayed on floor — One of the preliminary stages of Rodgers’ “Illuminated by the Moon” installation in Longquan, China. Rodgers created these 26 ceramic sculptures while in residency at Longquan Wangou.

Grant impact felt immediately

According to Rodgers, the grant’s impact began with space itself. “The first thing I did after receiving the grant was to design and build proper studio furniture,” he explained. “I now have three large tables and a shelving unit that are exactly what I need. This change has completely transformed how I work.”

The redesigned studio has made it possible for Rodgers to focus on a new series of ceramic paintings, a body of work that blurs the boundaries between sculpture and painting. He plans to continue expanding this process by using colored clay and hand-made grog. This process reveals color from within the material rather than applying it to the surface.

“The result is a tactile exchange between form and color that invites viewers to see ceramics and painting in a new way,” he said.

Busy upcoming exhibition schedule

Rodgers will present his evolving ceramic paintings in a solo exhibition in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the spring of 2026. Two larger solo shows will follow in 2027 at the Lux Center for the Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Missouri State’s Brick City Gallery. “These projects would not be possible without the generosity of the Center for Craft’s Teaching Artist Cohort ,” he said. “The experience has helped me build not only better tables but a stronger foundation for my future as an artist and educator.” [Read more…] about Art and Design’s Chris Rodgers named to Teaching Artist Cohort

Dr. Christopher Ford brings experience and scholarship to School of Defense and Strategic Studies

November 11, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

In his nearly two years as an instructor in Missouri State University’s School of Defense and Strategic Studies (DSS), Dr. Christopher Ford has already brought a wealth of experience and expertise to the program.

Ford is an expert in foreign relations and national security. He has worked as a senior government official with the U.S. State Department, the National Security Council, the U.S. Senate and as a Navy intelligence officer.

Most of Ford’s previous research focuses on China, but recently he has included Russia and Iran in his research. Currently, he examines how issues such as strategic culture, political ideology, domestic political legitimacy narratives and ideologically shaped interpretations of history all impact national policy and strategic competition. Past research projects include nuclear weapons policy, nonproliferation, arms control, nuclear disarmament and national security export controls.

“My fascination with the interplay of the ‘conceptual’ and the ‘concrete’ in driving policy and strategy goes back a long way,” he said. He traces that interest back to his days at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, where he worked on his doctorate. His dissertation explored the role of political ideology in shaping South African regional relations.

“I think I bring a lot to the table in those practical regards,” Ford observed. “But I’m also very ‘academic’ in my approach and extremely active in my scholarship. [I’m] writing and publishing constantly.”

CAR’s Daniel Pierce and Christopher Bodine named Explorers Club Fellows

November 6, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University archaeologists Dr. Daniel Pierce and Christopher Bodine have been named Fellows of The Explorers Club.

In addition, Bodine has been named a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), headquartered in London, England.

Pierce and Bodine work in the Bernice S. Warren Center for Archaeological Research Center (CAR). They are members of the St. Louis chapter of The Explorers Club.

Dr. Mabel Purkerson, Professor Emerita of Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine, and Ted Bakewell of the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis nominated Pierce. Robbie Hart, a director of the William L. Brown Center at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, and Dr. Michael Frachetti, Professor at Archaeology Washington University-St Louis, nominated Bodine.

Fellowship honors significant contributions to exploration

According to its website, The Explorers Club is a “multidisciplinary society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation.”

Bodine said Explorers Club fellowships are awarded to individuals who make “significant contributions” to the field. The club recognized him for his work in Israel, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Nominees must submit a list of all fieldwork, publications and honors received in the name of exploration and discovery, Pierce said. The club recognized his nearly two decades of research in Mexico and Guatemala.

Dr. James Anderson places second in prestigious Naval Institute essay contest

October 9, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

The School of Defense and Strategic Studies (DSS) is proud to announce Dr. James Anderson has won second prize in the United States Naval Institute’s 2024 General Essay contest.

Dr. James Anderson

His essay “The Next Taiwan Crisis Will (Almost) Certainly Involve Nuclear Threats,” argues that China growing nuclear capabilities may embolden Beijing to take more aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific, especially with respect to Taiwan.

As a result, the United States, especially its Navy, must be prepared for this threat.

“The military threat China poses to Taiwan is growing. China’s nuclear arsenal is also expanding dramatically,” Anderson said. “So, I wanted to investigate the relationship between these two trendlines.”

Anderson was pleased to be recognized for his work.

“The Naval Institute’s General Essay contest dates to 1878 and receives a great many entries every year,” Anderson said. “I was honored and humbled to receive this award.”

Anderson’s current research interests focus on China and Great Power Competition.

Department of English receives Show Me Multiliteracy grant renewal

October 2, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

The Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) and the Department of English are pleased to announce that the Show Me Multiliteracy project is being fully funded for its fifth year.

This year’s funding ($599,875) brings the total funding to nearly $3 million over the last five years.

Two little girls sitting on the floor reading — Photo credit: Meghan Cheely.

For the five-year grant, Dr. Andrea Hellman and her team partnered with school districts in Kansas City, North Kansas City, Springfield, Branson, Monett and Neosho.

“Leading the Show Me Multiliteracy project over the past four years has reinforced what instruction for multilingual learners requires,” said Hellman, professor of English at Missouri State and Show Me Multiliteracy project coordinator.

This comprehensive grant covers the full cost of participation, including tuition, fees and books for 52 graduate students. These students are all practicing teachers working to complete the Missouri K-12 ELL endorsement.

It funds an additional 100 community learning projects and professional development for 110 teachers.

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