Nikki Ferry Archives - Reynolds College Blog

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.”

Seeking “Connection”

As Ferry explains, “The Moors” reflects this year’s theme of “Connection” through the universal concept of desire.

“Overall, the play captures the complexity of interpersonal interactions by highlighting the fine line that must be drawn between loneliness and the need for connection in a harsh and unwelcoming environment,” she said.

“Every character in ‘The Moors’ has deep desires, whether they are related to power, fantasy, love or validation,” Ferry said. Two of those characters are animals — The Mastiff and The Moor-hen.

“It’s been a lot of joy to learn about these two very different animals who are experiencing very real human feelings and interactions,” Ferry said.