School of Humanities and Social Sciences Archives - Page 3 of 25

Military history class builds professional and personal skills

March 24, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Many students might agree that taking a class at 8 a.m. had better be worth the effort to even get out of bed.

Apparently, Dr. Jeremy Neely’s Military History (HST 315) is.

Neely, associate professor and undergraduate director in the Department of History, has been teaching HST 315 for nearly 10 years. He assumed responsibility for the class upon the retirement of Emeritus Professor William Piston.

Now, he teaches the class every semester, almost always at that dreaded early morning timeslot. Even so, the course regularly fills to capacity. Each semester, roughly 30 students decide that this 8 a.m. class is worth the effort.

American history with a global context

Chronologically, HST 315’s topics start with America’s colonial period and usually ends in the early 21st century, according to Neely.

“The course covers as much as I can squeeze into 15 weeks,” he said. “We cover a lot of ground, which unfortunately means that we don’t linger on any particular period for very long. Some events are more consequential than others, of course, so we do spend a bit more time on watershed events like the American Revolution and the Civil War.”

Even with the focus on American military history, the class still places that history within a global framework. American leaders have always been aware of the country’s position on the world stage, even during periods of isolationism, Neely noted. As an example, the Philippine-American conflict (1899-1902) was the topic during one class session.

“One of the recent turns in historiography is an effort to frame the American past within a wider global context,” Neely explained. “I’ve tried to help students see that you can’t understand the history of the United States without a sense of where it fits within the world around it.”

French cultural ensemble celebrates Francophone music

March 11, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

French Honor Society students and Alain Gbenouga, a graduate student in French, have collaborated with Dr. Antoinette Barffour to create the first ever French Cultural Ensemble.

The ensemble is open to all interested students, regardless of their ability to speak French. Participants can expect to enjoy Francophone music and culture while building community through song, Barffour said.

“The French Cultural Ensemble is designed to bring students together through the joy of singing French and Francophone music,” she continued. “This is the first ongoing French music ensemble open to the broader university community. It offers a creative space where students from all backgrounds—whether or not they speak French—can participate.”

Barffour is an associate professor of French in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions (LCR).

The ensemble meets on Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Plaster Student Union 317A. Contact Barffour to confirm dates.

History department welcomes guest lecturer Dr. Rory Huang

March 6, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Department of History recently welcomed Dr. Rory Huang as a guest lecturer Feb. 23, 2026.

Huang is an assistant professor of history at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California-Los Angeles in 2023.

In her lecture, “Between Solidarity and Empire: Tahara Haruji’s Transpacific Vision,” Huang discussed the transpacific influences informing Tahara Haruji’s political vision. Haruji was a Buraku activist associated with the Suiheisha movement, Japan’s first nationwide human rights movement.

Huang spoke to students in Dr. Linshan Jiang’s Modern East Asia (HST 381) course. Several faculty, staff and students from other classes also attended the lecture.

Jiang, an assistant professor specializing in East Asian history and culture, coordinated the event. She estimated 40-45 people attended.

Social movements, diaspora and Buraku activism

Woman standing outside next to observatory — Dr. Rory Huang. Photo courtesy of Rory Huang.

Huang’s work focuses on Buraku minority rights, social movements and diaspora in the Japanese Empire.

According to her, the Burakumin were a historically marginalized group in Japan. Their social exclusion persisted even after legal discrimination was abolished.

Huang’s research highlights the Burakumin experience by examining Haruji’s time in the United States during the 1920s. While in the U.S., Haruji witnessed African American freedom movements and racial exclusion. These encounters influenced Buraku critiques of inequality and Japan’s own imperial contradictions.

Research a labor of love

Initially, Huang became interested in the Buraku as a research project while still an undergraduate student.

“During my stay in Nagasaki as an exchange student, a close friend revealed to me his Buraku identity and spoke extensively about his family stories,” she said. “Over the past decade, I went back to Japan frequently to learn more about those communities and their activism.”

The project continues to be a labor of love for Huang. She has worked on the topic since 2015. It was also the focus of her doctoral dissertation research.

Missouri State students’ artwork on display at Schweitzer Brentwood Library

March 4, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Throughout February, students in Dr. Weirong Yan-Schaefer’s Chinese language courses had their artwork displayed at the Schweitzer Brentwood branch of the Springfield-Greene County library in Springfield, Missouri.

Faith Sheridan, Audrey Roney, Lauren Bleau, Ella Hemingway and Ally Vestal had their works on view in the exhibit. They are enrolled in Schaefer’s Chinese Reading and Composition (CHI 312) and Intermediate Chinese (CHI 202) courses.

Schaefer is a senior instructor of Chinese and Japanese languages in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions (LCR).

Four young women holding their Chinese artwork — Students from Dr. Weirong Schaefer’s Chinese language courses proudly display their artwork. L-R: Lauren Bleau, Faith Sheridan, Ally Vestal and Audrey Roney.

Project blends language and art

Blending language learning with personal creativity, the students designed artwork incorporating Chinese language and Chinese New Year elements. The artwork ranged from Chinese characters to lotus flowers and New Year’s zodiac signs.

Junior modern languages major Lauren Bleau is in Schaefer’s CHI 312 class. Her project, “The Year of the Horse with Chinese characters,” helped her learn more about the Chinese New Year.

“I loved getting to use art as a way to learn. It made me more interested in learning,” she said.

Chinese artwork of Year of the Rabbit — Audrey Roney’s “Moon Jade Rabbit” on display at the Schweitzer Brentwood library.

Students must learn a significant number of Chinese characters in these classes, Schaefer said. They also gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture through immersive assignments like the Chinese New Year art project.

Schaefer got the idea for the project from her Fun with Kanji (JPN 311) course. In that class, students created artwork entirely from kanji characters.

“Their creativity was impressive,” she said. “Some created kanji maps, some designed flowers made of characters, and some formed complex images using only kanji.”

This inspired her to try the same approach in her Chinese language classes.

Dr. Steve McKnight named American Society for Public Administration Fellow

February 17, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Dr. Steve McKnight, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy, has been named a Founders Fellow of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).

The Founders Fellows program provides a support network for early-career public administrators and public administration scholars, McKnight said.

McKnight is a member of the 2026 Founders Fellows cohort. He will present his research at ASPA’s annual meeting March 20-24, 2026, in Hollywood, California.

“At the conference, fellows present their research, attend professional development workshops, and get paired with an experienced member of ASPA that connects with the fellow’s career interests,” he said.

As part of the fellowship, ASPA provides financial and logistical assistance to attend the conference.

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