Reynolds College Blog

“In the Footsteps of Titans and Gods:” Missouri State students experience Greece

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The Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) produced several successful Education Abroad programs for the 2025-26 year. Two of those programs—Ecuador and Italy—have already been featured in RCASH News. We conclude our coverage of these programs by heading to Greece.

Thirteen students and two faculty from Missouri State University helped launch the inaugural Education Abroad experience in Greece May 11-22, 2026.

The students were Nadia Adamson, Teagan Allison, Alia Barker, Katherine Bracy, Cal Bussen, Michaela Dickey, Sylvie Edwards, Loren Halmick, Ava Hurley, Scout Hutchinson, Sav Jordan, Julie Kate Moylan and Gabrielle Stonehouse.

Faculty members Dr. William Harwood and Nikki Ferry led the interdisciplinary program, “In the Footsteps of Titans and Gods: An Immersive Exploration of Philosophy and Theatre in Greece.”

When they applied for the Education Abroad Faculty Fellows inaugural cohort, Harwood and Ferry each selected Greece as their destination. The happy coincidence created an opportunity for them to collaborate.

“[We] were very excited to explore how our two disciplines, philosophy and theatre, intersected while imparting our love of the country of Greece to our students,” Ferry said.

Harwood is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy. Ferry is an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance.

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Students connect with the past during Italy Education Abroad

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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.

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Ecuador Education Abroad evolves into successful field school experience

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“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.”

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Missouri State Chorale members describe tour to Australia and New Zealand

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The Missouri State Chorale once again proudly represented the university on an international stage when they traveled to Australia and New Zealand May 9-26, 2026. During their stay, the Chorale visited six cities and performed in seven concerts.

“This tour marks the sixth continent visited by the Chorale in the past decade,” said Dr. Cameron LaBarr, director of choral studies and Clif and Gail Smart Professor. “Tours like this one allow us to engage with the university’s public affairs mission every day—changing the lives of our students forever and putting the goodwill of Missouri State out into the world.”

Whirlwind tour from Sydney to Auckland

Upon first arriving in Australia, the group spent three days in Sydney. While there, they took a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House, visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park and performed their first concert at Verbrugghen Hall.

Chorale members spent the remainder of the trip visiting various parts of New Zealand. After a brief stay in Queenstown, they traveled to Christchurch, where they performed with the Christchurch Youth Choir. Next, in Wellington, they performed at the Cathedral of St. Paul. From there, the Chorale traveled to Murupara and performed at the local school.

By May 23, they were off to Auckland to finish the final leg of their tour. First, they performed with the Auckland Youth Choir. Then they gave their seventh and final concert in Auckland’s St. Matthew-in-the-City church. After one more day of sightseeing and farewells, the group headed home May 26.

LaBarr described the entire experience as thrilling. In addition to a two-day immersion in Maori culture, the group enjoyed “incredible outdoor experiences.” These included the Australian Blue Mountains and Milford Sound, as well as a breathtaking view of New Zealand’s Mt. Cook.

More importantly, the students connected with the Australian and New Zealand peoples and their cultures on an intimate level simply by sharing music, LaBarr noted. The Chorale collaborated with a local choir at each location, “[singing] music together from each others’ culture, something we will never forget.”

Members of a choir performing on stage
The Missouri State University Chorale performs in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo credit: Haydn Nicholson.

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RCASH sets new participation record in Education Abroad programs

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The Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) continues its impressive participation in Missouri State University’s Education Abroad program.

For the 2024-25 academic year, RCASH led in both the number of participants and percentage of graduates who engage in study abroad.

According to a report issued by Education Abroad Director Elizabeth Strong, 188 RCASH students participated in education abroad programs during the 2024-25 academic year. That number is up from 177 during the previous year.

“This growth is reflected in the percentage of RCASH education abroad participants compared to RCASH graduates in the same academic year, which is 28.5%,” Strong said.

A total of 434 Missouri State students participated in education abroad programs during 2024-25.

In addition, of the 316 faculty-directed activities, 140 were led by RCASH faculty.

Panzer and Geibler named 2026 Education Abroad Faculty Fellows

Two RCASH faculty members have been named to the 2026 Education Abroad Faculty Fellow cohort. They are Associate Professor Dr. Sarah Panzer, from the Department of History, and Assistant Professor Dr. Robert Geibler, from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Other Missouri State faculty named to the cohort are Alison Alaimo (McQueary College of Health and Human Services), Mandy Benedict-Chambers (College of Education), Leslie Echols (McQueary College of Health and Human Services), Asif Ishtiaque (College of Natural and Applied Sciences), Nancy Kageyama (Darr College of Agriculture) and Kristen Thornton (College of Business).

RCASH schedules robust Education Abroad activity for 2026

RCASH Dean Shawn Wahl said he continues to be impressed by faculty engagement with Education Abroad.

“Their collaboration across academic areas to deliver impactful learning experiences for our students is inspiring,” he said. “This collaboration is the essence of Missouri State as the Public Affairs University.”

Several RCASH faculty have already scheduled Education Abroad activities for 2026, Strong noted.

  • 2025 Education Abroad Faculty Fellows Nikki Ferry and William Harwood — Greece
  • 2025 Education Abroad Faculty Fellow Jeff Loughary (coordinated with Dr. Tonia Tinsley) — Morocco
  • Leslie Seawright — United Arab Emirates
  • Jonathan Newman and Rhonda Stanton — United Kingdom
  • Cameron LaBarr — Australia and New Zealand
  • Antoinette Barffour — Ghana
  • Vadim Putzu — Italy
  • Gwen Walstrand and Marcus Howell — Italy
  • Luis Lombilla — Mexico and Spain
  • Jason Shepard — Ecuador [“Eight Missouri State students enjoy studying in Ecuador“]
  • Vanessa Rodriguez de la Vega — Peru
  • Holly Holladay and Cristina Pippa — United Kingdom
  • Amy Muchnick — United Kingdom

Learn more about Education Abroad