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Student Highlights and Events

Student Highlights

Shelby Norman - Honors Student 

Northwest Missouri State University student Shelby Norman is the 2023 recipient of the O.R. Grawe Award from the Association of Missouri Geologists, making her the ninth Northwest student to receive the honor since 2004.

Shelby Norman

Read Shelby's story


Martina Pascuzzo - Honors Student

With an internationally benchmarked student employment program to supplement the myriad profession-based experiences Northwest Missouri State University offers its students, Martina Pascuzzo has taken advantage of those opportunities to prepare for her career.

Martina Pascuzzo (Photos by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)

Read Martina's story

Fall 2023 Honors Events & Programming.

Popcorn with a Prof Jill Baker

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 9th of November to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Jill Baker, Senior Educator, ELEMENTARY EDUCATION COORDINATOR

Experienced Senior Instructor and Elementary Education Coordinator with a strong academic background in MS. Ed. Elementary and Middle School Administration and BS. Ed. Elementary and Special Education. Proficient in teaching a variety of courses, such as Ecology and Developmental Foundations of Education, Professional Learning Community 1, Content Practicum, and Literacy Practicum. Specializes in social justice education, innovative student engagement techniques, academic success for at-risk college students, and mental health support. Recognized by the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education for intervention work and actively engaged in research on improving engagement techniques in general education courses. Brings a wealth of professional experience, including roles as an Elementary Teacher (Grades K-8), Middle School Science Teacher (Grades 5-8), Elementary School Principal, and statewide staff developer

 

Tuesday, November 14th, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm in Valk 129

Paint your pumpkin

Paint your Pumpkin

As the air turns crisp and the leaves paint the town in vibrant hues, it's time to get into the Halloween and fall spirit. Prepare to immerse yourself in the Halloween and autumn atmosphere as we gather for a pumpkin-painting extravaganza! Join the Honors Program on Monday, October 23rd, and let your artistic talents shine.

🎃 Where? Valk 129
📅 When? Monday, October 23rd
🕕 Time? From 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

But that's not all! Your creativity will also earn points for your Optional Social Engagement Badge, making this event fun and rewarding.

Don't miss this opportunity to express your inner artist.

See you there, and let's give those pumpkins a colorful makeover!

Popcorn with a Prof Luke

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 9th of November to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Luke B Campbell, Associate Professor (Humanities & Social Sciences)

Currently, an Associate Professor of Political Science. Dr. Luke B. Campbell is an accomplished academic with a rich educational background. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, an M.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a B.A. from William Jewell College. As an educator, he imparts knowledge in diverse courses such as "Introduction to American Government and Politics," "Introduction to Political Theory," and "Social Justice." His academic pursuits encompass intriguing subjects including Just War Theory, International Ethics, and American Political Ideologies.

Campbell's scholarly contributions are noteworthy, with his published works covering a broad spectrum. Notable publications include the co-authored paper "(Inter) National Ethics and the Politics of Memory," featured in the Handbook on the Politics of Memory.

 

Tuesday, October 17th, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm in Valk 129

Donuts with Director

Donuts with the Director

Get ready to be excited because next week marks the start of the semester's very first "Donuts with the Director" event! Yay!!

Here's why you should be thrilled to attend:

  • Do you have questions about your classes, HCAs, or experiences this semester? We're here with the answers!
  • Get your detective skills ready because you might just solve a thrilling murder mystery while you're here.
  • Enjoy FREE donuts because who can resist those sweet treats?

Event Details:

Date: Monday, September 18th
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Valk 129 

You'll also have the chance to meet our Director, Dr. Ford, and Sahithi, the graduate assistant for the program. So, don't miss out—swing by and say hello!

This event promises an exciting opportunity to dive into the world of the Honors program, get your questions answered, and have a blast with free donuts !!!

Work towards your (optional) social engagement badge!

Shatnel Farnan

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 14th of November, 2022 to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Shantel Farnan, Assistant Professor (Education)

Shantel Farnan is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri and serves as the Program Coordinator for all Special Education Programs. Dr. Farnan has 26 years of experience as a special education teacher, special education director, regional special education cooperative director, and as a university professor. Dr. Farnan has held offices in state and national organizations with a focus on special education, including SIG/Caucus Liaison for Teacher Education Division, Past Chair, Chair, and Communications Editor of Small Special Education Programs Caucus, and board positions on Missouri Council for Administrators of Special Education, and Missouri Council for Exceptional Children.  Dr. Farnan’s academic and research interests are in special education leadership, collaboration, engagement, diverse field experiences, dyslexia, feedback, virtual teaching and learning, and K-12 partnerships

Monday, November 14 | 4-5 p.m. | Valk 128

Elyssa Ford

Game Night with the Director 

Join the Honors Program Director Dr. Elyssa Ford and G.A. Bre Crawford!

  • Learn more about the program
  • Ask any questions you have
  • Play a few board games with members 
  • Eat some FREE donuts!

November 9, 2022 | 7pm | Valk 128 

Work towards your (optional) social engagement badge!

Rod Barr

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 14th of September, 2022 to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Rodd Barr, Senior Instructor (Agricultural Sciences)

Rod Barr is a Senior Instructor for the Department of Agricultural Sciences and was previously the Program Coordinator for the department. Dr. Barr is currently the Director of Agricultural Sciences. He became the director in 2013. Dr. Barr received his M.S.Ed. in Secondary Education teaching Agriculture from Northwest Missouri State University along with his Ed. S. in Educational Leadership, Superintendent, and Secondary Principal. He completed his Ed. D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis through the University of Missouri. His academic and research interests include experimental learning, student retention, and agricultural advocacy. At the state-level, Dr. Barr is apart of the Missouri Joint Staff on Agricultural Education, Missouri Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association,

and the Missouri Association of Career and Technical Education.

Monday, October 12 | 4-5 p.m. | Valk 128

Elyssa Ford

Donuts with the Director

Join the Honors Program Director Dr. Elyssa Ford and G.A. Bre Crawford!

  • Learn more about the program
  • Ask any questions you have
  • Eat some FREE donuts!

October 3, 2022 | 5pm | Valk 90

Work towards your (optional) social engagement badge!

Rick Toomey

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 14th of September, 2022 to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Rick Toomey, Associate Professor (Natural Sciences)

Rick Toomey is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri and serves as the advisor for the Gamma Sigma Epsilon National Chemistry Honor Society. He graduated from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with a B.S. in Chemistry and M.S. in Chemistry along with attaining a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Brandeis University. Dr. Toomey has 31 years of experience in the chemistry department and teaches several courses on and off campus. His academic and research interests include chemistry education, application of mathematics in science education, and laboratory revision. He is also a member of the American Chemical Society and the National Science Teachers Association.

Wednesday, September 14th | 4-5 p.m. | Valk 128

Elyssa Ford

Donuts with the Director

Join the Honors Program Director Dr. Elyssa Ford and G.A. Bre Crawford!

  • Learn more about the program
  • Ask any questions you have
  • Eat some FREE donuts!

August 29, 2022 | 5pm | Valk 90

Work towards your (optional) social engagement badge!

Popcorn with a Prof_Dr Tu

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 13th of April, 2022 to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Cindy Zhiling Tu, Program Coordinator (MS-IS)

Dr. Cindy Zhiling Tu is an Associate Professor of Information Systems in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Northwest Missouri State University. She received her Ph.D. degree in Information Systems from DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada. She also has an MSc in Management Science, an M.B.A. in E-Business and Information Systems, an M.Eng in Computer Science, and a B.S. in Computer Science.

She has published research papers in peer-reviewed conference proceedings and journals such as Information & Management, Information & Computer Security, the International Journal of Mobile Communications, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Information Systems Education Journal, and Journal of the Midwest Association for Information Systems. Her research interests are in the areas of information systems security and privacy, mobile commerce, technology acceptance and usage, and information systems.

She teaches IS courses such as Information Systems Analysis and Design, Business Intelligence and Analytics, Cybersecurity and IS Security Management, Project Management in Business & Technology, Enterprise Networking, MIS Capstone Project, Practical Data Evaluation, etc.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 | 4-5 p.m. | Valk 128

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 2nd of March, 2022 to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Vincent P. Hustad, Instructor

Dr. Vince Hustad, Instructor of Biology at Northwest Missouri State University, holds an ASA from Olney Central College, a BS emphasis in Botany with honors and an MS in Biological Sciences from Eastern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He currently teaches General Biology lecture and lab, Principles of Biology lab, Zoology lab, Senior Seminar, and, when the mycelium gods smile upon him, Mycology. Dr. Hustad has several peer-reviewed publications in national and international mycological journals, primarily focusing on the systematics of the earth tongue fungi class Geoglossomycetes.

Dr. Hustad's research has taken him all over the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Dr. Hustad has named and described several species and genera of fungi new to science. Dr. Hustad's research interests include diversity of fungi and lichens, fungal evolution and systematics (focusing on earth tongues and Leotiomyctes sensu lato), and fungal symbioses.

Wednesday, March 2nd | 4-5 p.m. | Valk 128

Donuts with the Director

Join the Honors Program Director Dr. Elyssa Ford and G.A. Robinson Oturugbum!

  • Learn more about the program
  • Ask any questions you have
  • Eat some FREE donuts!

     When: Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 5 p.m.
    Where: Valk 90

Work towards your (optional) social engagement badge!

 Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 3rd of February to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? Hod did they get started in that field?

Dr. Casey Abington, an Associate Professor of Economics

Dr. Casey Abington, an Associate Professor of Economics at Northwest Missouri State University, holds an M.B.A. from the University of Central Missouri and a Ph.D. in Economics from Kansas State University. She currently teaches Survey of Economics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Labor Economics, and Managerial Economics. She is the recipient of the Governor's Award for Excellence in Education and Faculty Excellence Awards for Teaching and Research. Dr. Abington has peer-reviewed publications, and her research interests are labor economics, economic growth, human capital, and the economics of education. 

Dr. Abington is passionate about making a difference by providing students with tools that will help make them more knowledgeable and productive citizens.

Thursday, February 3 | 4-5 p.m. | Valk 128

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 25th of October to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? Hod did they get started in that field?

Dr. Ethan Bottone, a historical Geographer

Dr. Ethan Bottone is an Assistant Professor of Geography at Northwest. He is a historical geographer by training, with interests in tourism, mobility, and race .His dissertation research explored landscapes and mobility networks of the Green Book, a Jim Crow-era travel guide developed and used by black travelers. He is particularly interested in "tourist homes," private homes and apartments rented to travelers, that were listed within the Green Book, as these spaces represented a very personal form of resistant hospitality to the pervasive injustices of institutional white supremacy.

Also, Dr. Bottone is interested in other forms of "Just" tourism, including accessible tourism and indigenous heritage. He has published peer-reviewed journal articles such as beyond accessibility, Jim Crow Journey Stories, National Discourses Materialized. In 2021, he has had at least 12 citations in his research work and a total of 30 citations for his research activities.

Monday, October 25 | 4-5 p.m. | Valk 129

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 6th of October to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? Hod did they get started in that field?

Dr. Chase O'Gwin, Theoretical Psychologist

Dr. Chase O'Gwin is an assistant professor and also the coordinator of the General Psychology program at Northwest. He has been studying the psychology of horror for the last 10 years, writing his Master's thesis on the relationship between personality variables and horror genre engagement and his dissertation on the qualitative experience of the horror fan as viewed through the psychoanalytic framework of Jacques Lacan. Dr. O'Gwin has published work on the nature of weird fiction and the ineffable, his expertise in horror has been featured in Bustle Magazine, has presented his work on horror to more than a dozen national and international psychological conferences and is currently co-authoring a book with Palgrave Press on the role of race in horror. He has also published work in parapsychology, exploring apparition experiences created in a laboratory and recently co-authored a book with Routledge, exploring the implications of recent social justice movements and their implications for subjectivity as viewed from the lens of theoretical and philosophical psychology

Wednesday, October 6 | 4-5 p.m. | Valk 129

Honors Program Presents
Board Games

  • Come out and play the games you know and love!
  • Learn new games!
  • Meet new people and high-ability students!

Entry Fee: Fully Paid (Honors Program)
Where: Maryville Board Games Cafe (324 N Main St., MO)
When: 5:00-6:00 p.m. | Sept. 10, 2021

   

Donuts with the Director

Join the Honors Program Director - Dr. Elyssa Ford - on the 1st Friday of the month.

  • Learn more about the program
  • Ask any questions you have
  • Eat some FREE donuts!

     When: 1st Friday of the Monday, 1-2 p.m.
    Where: Honors Lounge, Valk 119
Fall Dates: Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6

Christmas Ugly Sweater ALC Honors Event

Make Your Own Ugly Christmas Sweater

When: Sunday, November 22 at 7 p.m.
Where: South Complex Rec. Room

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 9th of November to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? Hod did they get started in that field?

Dr. Emily Frazier, Humanities and Social Sciences

Dr. Emily Frazier is an assistant professor of Geography in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is a critical human geographer and migration scholar, with particular interests in forced displacement, refugee resettlement, and humanitarian responses. In the context of rising global displacement and growing unease around immigration, her dissertation examined refugee resettlement in the southeastern U.S. This work analyzed third-sector resettlement volunteers to understand how integration works for resettled refugees. She seeks to understand the ways that people navigate forced migration, negotiate a sense of home and belonging, and work towards future goals after displacement.

Monday, November 9th, 4-5 p.m. at Valk 129
Online Session zoom link: http://zoom.us/j/7421498143

Northwest Honors Program Invites You To
Bring Your Own Pumpkin Carving Event

We will provide carving tools and Halloween candy. You can come without a pumpkin just to hand out and watch a Halloween movie too!

Wednesday, October 28th @ 4:00 p.m.
Valk 129

Plan Your Career the Right Way.

Let the experts from Career Services guide you through the overwhelming process of constructing resumes and cover letters, and finding internships.

 

Finding Internships
Thursday, February 27 | 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
South Complex Conference Room

 

Resume and Cover Letter
Wednesday, March 25 | 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
South Complex Conference Room

 

Invitations have been sent via email. Please RSVP if you are able to attend the event. You are encouraged to carry your resumes. Snacks will be provided.

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 1st Monday of the month to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Trevor Meyer, Rhetorician

Dr. Trevor C. Meyer is an assistant professor in the Department of Language, Literature and Writing. He also serves as Internship Coordinator for the department, as well as faculty advisor for Scribblers, bathe undergraduate writing club, Magic the Gathering Club, and serves as junior advisor for Alpha Chi. He is currently working to expand professional writing opportunities at Northwest. His scholarship focuses broadly on rhetorical theory and history, with special interest in the ancient and comparative rhetorics, and the fundamental questions of conflict, violence, and death throughout many discourses. His current projects are thinking through racial justice in writing pedagogy through kobudo, their martial art created by Okinawan farmers to defend themselves from bandits and rogue samurai, and also using professional wrestling as a theoretical lens to engage the works/"works" of Plato.

Monday, March 2nd | 4-5 p.m.
in the Honors Lounge (Valk 119)

Honors ALC
Finals De-stress & Study Session

Join your RA Amy Nelson and fellow Honors ALC students for a round of ping-pong or some fun craft making to relieve stress before your finals.

Sunday, December 8th | 9pm to 10pm
South Complex Rec Room

You are welcome to stay and study together until midnight. Snacks and drinks will be provided by the Honors Program.

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 1st Monday of the month to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Rebecca Dunnell, Flautist

Dr. Rebecca Dunnell, Professor of Music, teaches flute, music history, World Music, and other courses for the music program. She has led three Study Abroad programs to London in May 2015, 2017 and 2019, which were inspired by her residency in London as part of the Missouri-London Program, teaching at Imperial College. Her research interests are varied, and her "Popcorn with a Prof" talk will be about the twists and turns of her dissertation topic (and beyond) focusing on Mozart's work in Paris during the 1770s as reflecting the socio-musical issues of the decade. Her articles and talks relating to this topic have been presented/published by National College Wind and Percussion Instructors, National Flute Association, British Flute Society, British Isles Chamber music Symposium, Flute Talk, and more. She is grateful to Northwest for a Faculty Research grant supporting a stay in Paris in order to pursue research at the Archives nationales de France.

Monday, December 2nd | 4-5 p.m.
in the Honors Lounge (Valk 119)

The Honors Program
Board Game Night

Wrap up the semester with some fun.

Friday November 15, 2019 | 7pm - 8pm
The Board Game Cafe

The Honors Program will pay for your admission and you can stay as long as you want.

The Honors ALC
Will You Escape?

Join us at Encryption and find out.

Friday, November 8, 2019 | 7pm - 8pm
Encryption: Escape Room
422 N Main St

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 1st Monday of the month to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Karen Britt, Art Historian

Dr. Karen Britt is assistant professor of art history in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. As an art historian engaged in archaeology, her research focuses on the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. She has worked on archaeological projects across both regions and is currently the mosaics specialist for the Huqoq Excavation Project in Israel. In her scholarship, Dr. Britt explores how architectural decoration, in particular mosaics, can illuminate culture and society in the late Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic worlds. She has received extensive research funding, including from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the U.S. State Department's division of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Her current book project is titled An Uneasy Silence: Empress Eudokia and Non-elite Women in Byzantine Palestine and Arabia.

Monday, November 4th | 4-5 p.m.
in the Honors Lounge (Valk 119)

Honors Field Trip
Day of the Dead

Celebrate the culture of Mexico at the annual Día de los Muertos Festival.

Sunday, November 3, 2019
Nelson Atkins Museum, KC

We will leave Maryville at 11am and return by 6pm. The Honors Program will cover all costs besides food and drinks.

Peace Corps Info Session

The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019 | 1pm - 2pm
Honors Lounge (Valk 119)
*Session will be moved to Valk 117 based on attendance numbers*

Popcorn with a Prof

Join the Honors Program on the 1st Monday of the month to learn more about Northwest's faculty members & their research. What is their current project? What is their research process? How did they get started in that field?

Dr. Tyler Tapps, CPRP

Dr. Tapps is a proud Northwest alum and has been a faculty member in the School of Health Science and Wellness since 2014. He earned his Ph.D. in health, leisure, and human performance at Oklahoma State University and previously worked as the executive director of a contract research nonprofit and served as the editor for the state health science peer-reviewed journal. He publishes often and has authored five books and more than 30 peer reviewed works. Dr. Tapps is working on his 6th book, which focuses on dimensions of recreation pursuits over the lifespan. He was selected as the "Young Professional Award" winner in 2014 by the National Recreation and Parks Association and that same year was honored as the first research fellow by the Oklahoma Health Association for his multiple projects to enhance the health of the residents of Oklahoma.

Monday, October 7th | 4-5 p.m.
in the Honors Lounge (Valk 119)

Honors Advising & Registration

Join us for chips and dip at the Honors advising and registration night, where you can:

  • Learn how to register for classes in the Spring
  • Pick up Honors add/drop forms from Honors classes
  • Ask any questions you have

Tuesday, October 8 | 6pm - 7pm
Valk Room 111


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