May 1, 2023–含羞草社区 presented nine faculty and staff members with awards and recognized 17 retirees at the 2022-2023 Faculty and Staff Awards and Retirement Reception on April 28.

Award winners include:

Outstanding Academic Advisor: Dr. Lane DesAutels, associate professor of philosophy. “He is willing to go above and beyond to make sure the students understand their future academic path.”

Missouri Western Award for Staff Service to the University: Jessica Frogge, administrative coordinator in the Department of Chemistry and the Griffon Office of Applied Learning. “Jessica’s institutional knowledge, technical skills, and commitment to MWSU are definite strengths and keys to her success.”

Missouri Western Award for Staff Service to Students: Dane Eckert, senior manager in Technology Services. “Dane has been consistently involved, responsive, competent, and reliable in addressing a broad range of technical challenges.”

Missouri Western Award for Staff Service to Colleagues: Amber Halstead, math coordinator in the Center for Academic Support and Staff Association president. “Amber is a team player in every sense of the word and 鈥� sees herself as a steward for the University and its employees.”

Missouri Western Award for Teaching Excellence:

• Dr. Aracely Newton, assistant professor of biology. “She cares deeply about the success of her students and provides multiple opportunities for them to get feedback and learn the materials.”
• Dr. Elizabeth Thorne Wallington, assistant professor of education. “Dr. Thorne Wallington forms deep connections with her students, both as a faculty member and an advisor.”

Missouri Western Foundation Dr. James V. Mehl Award for Outstanding Faculty Scholarship: Dr. James Okapal, professor of philosophy. “Marrying science fiction and fantasy literature with the philosophers’ study of ethics, Dr. Okapal published six peer-reviewed articles, offered three scholarly presentations, and delivered two invited lectures last year.”

Missouri Western Foundation Dr. James J. Scanlon Award for Staff Service to Community: Jeremy Acton, grounds supervisor for Physical Plant. “Jeremy has through his example and leadership made a positive contribution to the University.”

Missouri Western Foundation Dr. James J. Scanlon Award for Faculty Service to the Community: Dr. Jennifer Jackson, associate professor of communication. “Jennifer has used applied learning in her classes to serve our community…helping teach her students while giving back to community clients.”

The reception also honored 17 employees who have or will soon retire with a combined 269 years of service to Missouri Western. Honored retirees include:

• Roger Adams, Physical Plant
• Dr. Susan Bashinski, Graduate Studies
• Shelle Browning, Physical Plant
• Greg Dillon, Athletics
• Janice Dillon, Business Office
• Dr. Crystal Harris, College of Science and Health
• Karma Hartong, School of Nursing and Health Professions
• Robin Kelly, Department of Education
• Dr. Steve Klassen, Department of Computer Science, Math & Physics
• Greg Kriewitz, Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science
• Dr. David McIntire, School of Fine Arts
• Peggy Payne, Admissions
• Deb Singleton, Department of Communication
• Cindy Spotts-Conrad, Financial Aid
• Dan Stevens, Academic Advising
• Buzz Verduzco, Athletics
• Deana Wennihan, Financial Aid

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

March 20, 2023–Students in 含羞草社区鈥檚 Griffon Production House have released their latest 鈥淕riffon University鈥� video, spotlighting the research of a Missouri Western faculty member.

鈥淕riffon University鈥檚 mission is to highlight student and faculty research and provide engaging content to a wider audience, letting them see what we do at Missouri Western,鈥� said Thomas Brecheisen, assistant professor of cinema and director of Griffon Production House.

Last fall, Dr. James Okapal, professor of philosophy, published 鈥淔antastic Beasts and How to Categorize Them鈥� on The Prindle Post, a digital publication of the Prindle Institute for Ethics at Depauw University in Indiana.

In the article, Dr. Okapal explores and critiques the moral framework behind the distinction between 鈥渂easts鈥� and 鈥渂eings鈥� in the J.K. Rowling book, 鈥淔antastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.鈥� The video features Dr. Okapal talking about his article and graphics created by digital animation students.

The short film was created by:

• Content director: Rebecca Evans, junior performing and cinema arts major from St. Joseph
• Script supervisor: Blake Elder, sophomore performing and cinema arts major from Lathrop, Missouri
• Editor: Brecheisen
• Graphics: Digital animation majors Dana Vinson, sophomore of Roland, Iowa; Andrew Holcomb, senior of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; RJ Cousins, sophomore of St. Louis, Missouri; and Lexi DeLapp, junior of Blue Springs, Missouri

The film is available on YouTube at .

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

Dr. James Okapal, chair of the Department of Philosophy & Religion and the Department of History & Geography, was recently interviewed on the philosophy and pop culture podcast “I Think Therefore I Fan.”

On the Sept. 18 episode, ,” Dr. Okapal talks with hosts Dr. Rachel Robison-Greene and Dr. Richard Greene about Aristotle, friendship, science fiction, and fantasy. He elaborates on some of the ideas he developed in his essay 鈥溾�橧n Search of 鈥︹�� Friendship: What We Can Learn from Androids and Vulcans鈥� (in The Ultimate Star Trek and Philosophy: The Search for Socrates聽edited by Kevin S. Decker and Jason T. Eberl).

It was Dr. Okapal’s second appearance on the podcast. On the May 21 episode, he was one of four “prominent scholars of philosophy and pop culture” interviewed at the annual meeting of the Popular Culture Association.

Dr. Okapal’s research has focused on the intersection of ethics and literature, especially science fiction and fantasy. He has been at Missouri Western since 2005. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the Ohio State University, a master’s degree at Bowling Green State University and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

A scholar will talk about the French Revolution for the Mary Boder History Speaker Series at 含羞草社区 on Friday, April 20. Dr. Howard G. Brown of Binghamton University will present 鈥淭he Thermidorians鈥� Terror: Atrocities, Tragedies, Trauma鈥� at 3:30 p.m. in Blum Student Union, room 218 as part of the annual History, Geography, Philosophy and Religion Scholars鈥� Day. All activities are free and open to the public.

Dr. Brown鈥檚 talk will consider how revelations about atrocities and personal tragedies during the French Revolution鈥檚 鈥淩eign of Terror鈥� helped to forge a collective trauma for France.

Prior to Dr. Brown鈥檚 keynote address, students will present their research papers, starting at 1 p.m. At about 2:50, department honor awards will be presented, followed by induction ceremonies of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international honor society in geography, and Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history.

The Mary Boder Speaker Series is sponsored by the Mary Boder Trust in association with the Student Affairs Blum Union program, and hosted by the Department of History and Geography and the Department of Philosophy and Religion.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Dr. Raymond Taras, Tulane University

The Departments of History and Geography and Philosophy and Religion at 含羞草社区 will hold their first HGPR Scholars鈥� Day beginning at 1 p.m. Friday, March 31 in the Hoff Conference Rooms, Blum Student Union rooms 218-219. The mini-conference is free and open to the public.

The event will feature scholarly presentations by students Evan Banks of Leavenworth, Kansas; Paula Hayward of Cameron, Missouri; Cody Bahall and Caleb Hazelwood, both of St. Joseph, Missouri. Honors and awards will also be presented.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Raymond Taras, professor of political science at Tulane University. His speech titled 鈥淭he Geopolitics of Emotions, Xenophobia, and the Backlash against Mainstream Parties in Europe鈥� will begin at 3 p.m. Dr. Taras鈥� speech is the spring installment in the Mary Boder History Speaker Series.

Light refreshments will be served. The event is sponsored by the Mary Boder Trust in association with the Division of Student Affairs Blum Union Program Fund.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

鈥淢anipulated: The Science and Politics of Genetically Modified Organisms鈥� will feature presentation from Missouri Western faculty and questions-and-answers with the audience. Presenters include Dr. Taylor Quedensley, assistant professor of biology; Dr. Hillary Mellema, instructor of marketing; and Dr. James Okapal, associate professor of philosophy and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .