Reynolds College Blog

Dr. Erin Wehrman featured in Mind’s Eye

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Congratulations to Dr. Erin Wehrman, associate professor in the department of communication, media, journalism and film at Missouri State University, on her feature in Mind’s Eye magazine.

As an expert in family and interpersonal communication, Wehrman studies how communication can help people adjust to life after losing a spouse, focusing on the role it plays in shaping relationships and identity. 

Research feature story now online

The Mind’s Eye story featuring Wehrman’s research is now published online.

Excerpt:

“I don’t even know who I am anymore.”  

This sentiment is often expressed by people who are grieving the loss of a spouse. 

“Identity is complex,” said Dr. Erin Wehrman, associate professor in the department of communication, media, journalism and film at Missouri State University. “We don’t have just one singular identity.”  

External factors, such as the people we interact with and the places we go, combine with internal factors, such as our personal experiences and our physiology, help to construct a self-identity.  

Relationships play a big role in building and maintaining that identity.  

Read the full story

Missouri State faculty present interdisciplinary panel on history of Route 66

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Four Missouri State University faculty members presented a research panel on Route 66 and its history April 22, 2026, in Strong Hall on the Springfield campus.

The panel event coincided with the roadway’s 100th anniversary.

“African American Lived Experiences: Unheard Stories of Route 66,” was a collaborative effort by the panelists to highlight how African American travelers experienced the famed scenic route.

Associate Professor Lyle Q. Foster of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology organized the event. Joining him were Assistant Professor Leonard Horton III of the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film; Associate Professor Judith Martinez of the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions; and Associate Professor Ximena Uribe-Zarain of the School of Special Education, Leadership and Professional Studies.

The researchers have been working on the project since September 2025.

Interdisciplinary approach highlights multiple views

As an interdisciplinary group, the panelists found that their varied academic backgrounds blended nicely, Foster noted. “Since the team brings together perspectives from sociology, communication, languages and cultures, and education, that mix of viewpoints really shaped how we interpreted what we found,” he said.

Each panelist drew heavily from oral history interviews conducted in 2014 and 2015 as part of the Greater Springfield Route 66 Oral History Project at Missouri State.

“These interviews are publicly available through the Missouri State University Libraries YouTube channel,” Foster said. “Anyone can go listen to them.”

Other resource material included the Negro Motorist Green Book, historical records and existing scholarship on race and mobility in America. During the session, the panelists also premiered a mini documentary, “Reflections on the Route.”

“The film highlights the stories of local Springfieldians who traveled Route 66 during the Jim Crow era and used the Green Book directory as a guide to find safe places to eat and spend the night,” Foster explained.

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Emma Habert’s “The Will of the Mare” wins NATAS College EMMY® award

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Missouri State University’s Emma Habert has won a college EMMY® award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS)-Mid-America chapter.

Movie poster of The Will of the Mare depicting a woman and a horse
Movie poster for “The Will of the Mare.”

Her film, “The Will of the Mare,” won the Student Production Award for best Fiction – Short Form.

In addition to Habert’s win, nine other Missouri State students received honorable mentions for their work.

“We’re so proud of Emma and our honorable mentions this year,” said Dr. Deborah Larson, head of the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film (CMJF).

“To win a crystal pillar ‘Student Production Award’ from NATAS is to be recognized for extremely high standards by industry and academic alike,” Larson added.

“The Will of the Mare” will be shown during the CMJF Showcase on May 5 at the Moxie Cinema in Springfield, Missouri. The event starts at 7 p.m.

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Digital humanities strategies enhance interdisciplinary research

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The online encyclopedia Britannica defines the humanities as “those branches of knowledge that concern themselves with human beings and their culture.”

In the 21st century, digital technology now dominates all fields and professions, including the humanities. As a result, the field of digital humanities (DH) has emerged as an innovative approach to blending the two.

“There’s a lot of scholarship on what digital humanities is and isn’t,” said Assistant Professor Leah Washburn. “Ultimately, I think it is an area that acknowledges technology as an asset to fields that are often associated with older scholastic traditions.”

One of the most attractive features of DH is its ability to foster interdisciplinary research and teaching, according to Washburn.

“At its core, digital humanities celebrates an interdisciplinary turn in the humanities,” she said. “It invites exploration and inquiry across multiple platforms, fields and subjects in a way that highlights connections between knowledge bases.” [Read more…] about Digital humanities strategies enhance interdisciplinary research

Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film dominates 2026 BEA festival scriptwriting awards

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Missouri State University’s Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film (CMJF) received several top honors from the 2026 Broadcasting Education Association (BEA) Festival of Media Arts awards.

Winners were selected from a pool of 2,250 entries, representing over 300 colleges and universities, according to a Feb. 17 BEA press release. Categories included audio, documentary, film and video, interactive multimedia, news, scriptwriting and sports.

Faculty member Nathan Patton wins second year in a row

CMJF Assistant Professor Nathan Patton won Best of Festival and Best of Competition for his original television series pilot, “All These Lonesome Graveyards.”

“I’m sincerely honored to have one of my screenplays named Best of Competition and Best of Festival for the second year in a row,” Patton said. “I deeply appreciate the BEA for the recognition and more broadly for being a place that media faculty and, even more importantly, students can share their work.”

In 2025, Patton’s “L.O.T.U.S.” won BEA’s Best of Festival for original television series pilot, while “Orientation” won Best of Competition for feature narrative.

Student screenwriter Cooper Johnson nabs top award

Cooper Johnson’s “Bandit” won “Best of Festival” in the student scripting competition. “Bandit” also placed first in the original television pilot series category. Missouri State went on to sweep the top awards in that same category. Arden Dickson placed second for “Go Figure,” and Evalee Lowrey placed third for “Freaks.”

According to its press release, BEA awarded 19 faculty and student works for its “Best of Festival” Award honor. Both Patton and Johnson are among that elite group, and they will be honored at BEA’s 24th annual ceremony in Las Vegas on April 19. They will have their works screened during the event and will receive a cash award of $1,000 from the Diana King Memorial Endowment.

Habert and Upp place in multiple categories

Meanwhile, Emma Habert placed in two different categories. “This is Gonna Tickle” won third place in scriptwriting, and “The Will of the Mare” earned an Award of Excellence in the film and video category.

In addition, Tristan Upp earned honors in three different categories. Upp placed third individually in the narrative feature category for “Over Our Heads.” Along with Kim DeBold, Upp tied for second place for sound engineering and production with “Dawg Pound.” Finally, in collaboration with Caelan Baker, Brooks Beattie and Matthew Mulac, Upp garnered an award of excellence in multimedia sound design for “The Dog Salesman.”

CMJF continues winning legacy

CMJF department head Dr. Deborah Larson praised the group for their achievements, noting that Missouri State will maintain its position as the most highly awarded screenwriting program in the country for the sixth year in a row.

“Congratulations on your accomplishments and the quality of work that you do,” she said. “Winning 12 screenwriting awards and four production awards makes a statement that maintains a visibility nationwide of excellence in our programs. CMJF and MO State are proud of you.”

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