School of Humanities and Social Sciences Archives

History and social work programs collaborate for Shiori Itō speaking event

May 20, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University faculty members Dr. Linshan Jiang and Stacy Johnson got an idea during a Writing Circle event sponsored by the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL).

Johnson was intrigued when Jiang mentioned she would be hosting an event featuring activist Shiori Itō. Jiang is an assistant professor in the Department of History. Johnson is a licensed clinical assistant professor in the Social Work program.

“We began discussing how meaningful the experience could be for social work students,” Johnson said. “From there, we collaboratively developed an outline designed to create a deeper and more meaningful learning experience for students.”

The result? The social work and history programs collaborated to bring Itō to Missouri State’s Springfield campus for a two-day speaking event April 20-21, 2026.

Itō is a Japanese journalist and filmmaker whose work focuses on gender equality and human rights issues. She published her memoir “Black Box” upon which the documentary is based, in 2017. Time magazine named her one of its “100 Most Influential People” in 2020.

Close up of young woman standing at the front of a classroom — Shiori Itō listens as a student shares their story.

Students take lead in coordinating event

Two young women giving a presentation in a classroom — Breauna Cater (L) and Hannah Byers co-facilitate Shiori Itō’s informal talk to Missouri State’s social work students.

First, Itō spoke to Jiang’s Modern East Asia students April 20. Over 60 people attended that event. During that session, Itō defined the Me Too movement and explored its history and repercussions in Japan and China. She also took questions from Jiang and the audience.

The next day, April 21, Itō met informally with Johnson’s social work students, fielding questions and listening to their observations. Seniors Hannah Byers and Breauna Cater co-facilitated the discussion. Both are majoring in social work, and Byers is president of the Social Work Club.

“Our facilitators, Hannah and Breauna, did an amazing job,” Johnson said. “We intentionally wanted the experience to be student-led in order to promote engagement, reflection and active participation.”

“It was a great honor meeting Shiori Itō,” Byers said. “Listening to her story of resilience and courage inspired me to be a better advocate and future social worker. I look forward to sharing her powerful story with others.”

Graduate students attend American Academy of Religion regional conference

May 14, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Four graduate students from the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions (LCR) presented their research at the American Academy of Religion (AAR) Midwest regional conference April 16-18.

Religious Studies MA students Hezekiah Harrison, Ashley Jones, Michael Perez, and Seth Weidman attended the 2026 conference at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Associate Professor Vadim Putzu accompanied the students to the conference. Putzu currently serves as chair of the Study of Judaism section of the Midwest AAR.

The AAR is the largest scholarly society for the academic study of religion, according to Putzu. The Midwest regional conference is especially vibrant, he noted, as it attracts hundreds of scholars at all career stages each year.

“It was a great opportunity not only for our students to share their ongoing research, receive relevant feedback, and keep up-to-date with current scholarship, but also for our faculty to network and to recruit,” Putzu said.

From 2021 to 2025, Missouri State University hosted the Midwest regional conference, Putzu added.

Missouri State faculty present interdisciplinary panel on history of Route 66

May 5, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

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.

History graduate students Elayna Eastin and Sarah Land present research at regional PAT conference

May 4, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Elayna Eastin and Sarah Land, two MA students from Missouri State University’s Department of History, recently presented their research at the regional Phi Alpha Theta (PAT) conference.

The conference was held March 14 at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Phi Alpha Theta is the national History Honor Society.

This year’s conference theme was “250 Years of US and the World.”

Papers highlight American role in world affairs

Eastin and Land selected topics that highlight America’s role in world affairs, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For both students, this was their first time to present at a professional history conference.

“As the faculty advisor for PAT, I was so proud of both students for the excellent presentations they delivered,” said Assistant Professor Chelsea Davis.

Eastin discussed her research on 19th-century Yokohama, Japan. In “Harbor Of Change: The Social And Cultural Whirlwind of 19th-Century Yokohama,” she shows how after 1859 the port city became an international trade center by developing a robust tourism industry.

Now in her first year of graduate studies at Missouri State, Eastin also works as an archivist at the State Historical Society of Missouri. Long term, she is also considering furthering her education at the doctorate level.

Meanwhile, Land presented a historiographical paper, “World War I and Wilson: America’s Place in Global History.” Her paper explored how scholarship on America’s influence during the post-World War I era has changed over the past 30 years.

Land, who will graduate this spring, hopes to one day pursue a doctorate in history.

Religion and Healing course emphasizes critical thinking

April 28, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Students who take Dr. Amy Artman’s Religion and Healing course (REL 378) can expect her to ask a lot of questions.

Artman even starts her course syllabus with questions.

“What does it mean to be healed? How do we cure?” she asks. “Can I be healed without being cured? Cured without being healed? What role does religion play in healing? Does religion have a place in healing?”

She concludes by stating, “These are only a very few of the many questions we will explore together this semester.”

Right away, students understand that Artman will journey with them as they explore the relationships between religion, health and healing. Specifically, students will look at the complex histories of biomedicine, faith and folk healing in twentieth century America up to the present.

Grant-funded course examines role of faith in medicine

Artman first taught REL 378 in 2020. Now a regular offering in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions (LCR) curriculum, the class was originally part of a suite of courses developed through a grant. That grant was funded by the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Artman said.

Coordinated by Dr. Stephen Berkwitz, Dr. John Schmalzbauer and Dr. Philippa Koch, the grant supported research and course development for the Medical Humanities certificate. Berkwitz, Schmalzbauer and Koch all teach in LCR, and Berkwitz also serves as department head.

Today, introducing students to the debate about whether biomedicine should include a spiritual component remains an important learning objective in the course.

“In recent years, the idea that medical healing should include a spiritual component had basically won,” she noted. “But post-Covid, and as I teach the course in 2026, this discussion is now a live one again, I believe, if in a different way.”

Her goal is not to revive the debate but rather to give students a historical overview of the question and how it has been examined over time.