Education Abroad Archives - Reynolds College Blog

RCASH faculty named inaugural Education Abroad Faculty Fellows

March 11, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University has announced its inaugural cohort of the Education Abroad Faculty Fellows program.

This year’s cohort consists of eight faculty members from a diverse range of disciplines. Among the eight are three members of the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) faculty.

Those individuals are Jeff Loughary from the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions, Nikki Ferry from the Department of Theatre and Dance and Dr. William Harwood from the Department of Political Science and Philosophy.

Other selected Fellows are Dr. Benjamin Beranek from the College of Business, Clara Dickinson from the Darr College of Agriculture, Dr. Asif Ishtiaque from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, and Kelly Dudley and Stephanie Urich from the McQueary College of Health and Human Services.

In addition, four RCASH faculty members served as content experts during the Fellows session in January. They were Joshua Albers from the Department of Art and Design, Dr. William Sandel from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Dr. Leslie Seawright and Dr. Alan Tinkler from the Department of English.

“I was excited to work with the inaugural Education Abroad faculty cohort, sharing ways to weave general education goals and course learning objectives into their education abroad itineraries,” Seawright said. “It was a great conversation.”

“Study abroad is an incredible opportunity for both our faculty and students,” Sandel said. “I was happy to share some of my experiences regarding flexibility when planning and conducting a study abroad program.”

RCASH sees record participation in Education Abroad programs for 2023-24

September 27, 2024 by Lynn M. Lansdown

During the 2023-24 academic year, the Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) witnessed a record number of student participation in Missouri State University’s Education Abroad program.

According to a report issued by Elizabeth Strong, Director of Education Abroad, out of a total of 428 MSU students enrolled in an education abroad program, 181 came from RCASH. The vast majority of those trips were faculty directed.

Strong noted that this number represented a “significant increase” from 107 the previous year, the combined participation of the former colleges of Arts and Letters (COAL) and Humanities and Public Affairs (CHPA) that now make up RCASH.

In addition, of all RCASH undergraduate students graduating in 2023-24, 28% participated in an education abroad program, representing nearly one third of all RCASH undergraduates for the academic year.

MSU students experience Ecuador through Education Abroad

September 17, 2024 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Five Missouri State University students, including three from the Reynolds College, traveled to Ecuador July 3-6 as part of an Education Abroad program.

The students were graduate student Kinli Miller and undergraduate students Bailey Meesey, Kai Schiller, Ryan Ziegler and Brynn Kayhill.

They were accompanied by Jason Shepard, senior instructor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology.

Multi-faceted curriculum emphasized experiential learning

During the three-hour credit course, “Andes to the Amazon,” the students learned about Ecuador’s cultures and societies through experiential learning, according to Shepard. The curriculum included community tourism development, traditional medicine and agriculture.

Six individuals sitting outside in front of Andes mountains — Enjoying the beautiful outdoors near the lake town of San Pablo de la Laguna. L-R: Ryan Ziegler, Brynn Kayhill, Kinli Miller, Jason Shepard, Kai Schiller and Bailey Meesey. Photo credit: Juan Miguel Espinoza.

As part of the course, students conducted interviews, participated in field trips and kept daily field journals. They will use these field notes, Shepard said, along with lectures, interviews and additional research to construct presentations and posters. The students will then present their findings at an approved conference or public forum.