College of Arts, Sciences and Education

Dear friends and alumni,

February was as dynamic and productive as any month in our academic year. Across the college, faculty advanced their core commitments to teaching, research, and service, while our students remained deeply engaged in their coursework and scholarly pursuits. At the same time, critical work continued behind the scenes—facilities upgrades, space planning, faculty and staff searches, onboarding of new colleagues, visits from external reviewers, and the many operational efforts that ensure our college functions effectively and continues to grow.

In these pages, we highlight the visible accomplishments of our CASE community. However, those achievements are sustained by the dedication of many individuals whose contributions are less public but equally essential. I want to express my sincere appreciation to everyone whose behind-the-scenes efforts keep our college moving forward each day.

Sincerely,

Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Ph.D.
Vice Provost and Dean

Fifteen college and high school students participated in the Quantum Materials Winter School hosted by the physics department Jan. 14-15. Organized by Dr. Halyna Hodovanets and Dr. Hyunsoo Kim, the two-day program integrated foundational lectures with hands-on laboratory experiences.

Participants gained practical insight into the full research workflow in quantum materials science — from planning and conducting crystal growth experiments to characterizing materials and performing computational modeling of their physical properties. By combining theory with applied experimentation, the program provided students with an immersive introduction to contemporary research methods in condensed matter physics.

The organizers extend their appreciation to the physics department faculty and graduate students whose mentorship and support were instrumental in making the Winter School a success.

Missouri S&T has been preparing classroom teachers since 2010, laying a strong foundation well before the formal establishment of the education department in 2018. Today, 97 S&T graduates are teaching in Missouri public schools across the state — from Webster Groves to Nixa to Park Hill — demonstrating the program’s statewide impact. Read more about the department.

Miners in the Making, a STEM-focused afterschool program, is now in year two of its five-year MOCAL grant. Operated by the Kummer Center for STEM Education, the program provides safe, high-quality afterschool care for up to 100 Phelps County K–12 students each weekday 3-6 p.m. during the academic year. Learn more about the program.

Space is limited, and only a few openings remain. Families interested in enrolling are encouraged to complete the interest form. For more information, visit stemcenter.mst.edu or call 573-341-6264.

Dr. Brett Young, assistant teaching professor of English and technical communication, earned her bachelor’s degree in English at Truman State University. She then completed her master’s degree in literature at Missouri State University and was awarded graduate teaching assistant of the year award. She went on to complete her Ph.D. in literature at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she focused on young adult and nineteenth-century British literature.

Young’s research focuses on the influence of the 19th century on modern young adult literature. She has contributed chapters to Adaptation in Young Adult Novels: Critically Engaging Past and Present and The Victorian Era in Twenty-First Century Children’s and Adolescent Literature and Culture. Her chapters consider the significance of reimagining canonical texts for younger audiences, and the influence of the crisis of faith in young adult steampunk and gaslamp fantasies, respectively.

Young teaches first-year writing and various literature survey courses. Her writing courses develop strong foundational skills in writing by breaking down assignments into manageable sections designed to focus on the process of writing. She is also currently teaching Ancient World Literature and hopes to teach courses on children’s and young adult literature in the future.

Dr. Amy Belfi, associate professor of psychological science, was interviewed for a piece on musical anhedonia in The New Yorker.

Dr. Mehrzad Boroujerdi, CASE dean, published an article examining Iran’s Supreme Leader, delivered an online lecture hosted by the University of Munich, and participated in a dialogue in Austria between Iranian and Israeli intellectuals organized by the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue. He also provided expert commentary to NPR’s Weekend Edition and BBC News on the prospects for military conflict between Iran and the United States.

Dr. victoria braegger, assistant professor of English and technical communication, co-authored the article “The Truth(iness) is a Lie: Historical Re-visions of the Cold War through Call of Duty Paratexts,” published in Digital Culture & Society. Using the trailers for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024) as a case study, she and her co-author examine how game paratexts rhetorically reframe historical events.

On Jan. 1, Dr. Michael Bruening, professor of history, became president of the national Society for Reformation Research, a scholarly organization with a record of promoting research, writing, and dialogue on all aspects related to the Protestant and Catholic Reformations and other aspects of religious life in the early modern era.

Dr. Margret Grebowicz, Weiner Distinguished Professor of the Humanities and professor of philosophy, published a guest column in the Washington Post titled “Do dogs offer more satisfying relationships than people?” The essay was also published in The Conversation as “Americans Are Asking Too Much of Their Dogs.” Her book on this subject, Rescue Me: On Dogs and Their Humans, was recently translated into Polish.

Dr. Sarah Hercula, associate professor of English and technical communication, presented a poster, "Analyzing wildland fire dispatchers' linguistic features for indicators of cognitive decrements" at the January 2026 meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, sharing results of the interdisciplinary work conducted with Drs. Matt Thimgan, Robin Verble, V. A. Samaranayake, Jesse Rhoades (University of North Dakota), and Daniel Hier.

Dr. Beth Kania-Gosche, chair and professor of education department, received a $5,000 grant from Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for a project titled “Missouri Teacher Recruitment Scholarships.”

Dr. Simeon Mistakidis, assistant professor of physics, published an article titled "Generation of wave turbulence in dipolar gases driven across their phase transitions” in the Communications Physics Nature Portfolio journal with his postdoctoral researcher Dr. George Bougas. This work establishes supersolids as a versatile platform for probing unconventional quantum turbulence and universal behavior in anisotropic long-range interacting quantum fluids.

Dr. Kathryn Northcut, professor of English and technical communications, has published a new scholarly article titled “Pretty Persuasion: Visual Rhetoric of an American Corporate Campus” in the International Journal of Semiotics and Visual Rhetoric.

Dr. Gina Yosten, Kummer Endowed Chair and professor of biological sciences, was interviewed by KY3 News for her expertise on diabetes.

The support of our donors is instrumental in advancing our College (CASE). Your contributions play a vital role in meeting our diverse needs. Whether it's assisting students facing challenges or investing in faculty development initiatives, your generosity significantly enriches the educational experience we provide. If you are interested in supporting CASE, contact the Senior Development Officer for CASE, Michelle Shults, at shultsm@mst.edu or call 573-341-4380.

Disclaimer: CASE does not endorse the arguments presented in any of the essays listed in this section of the newsletter. We share them solely as "food for thought" and encourage our enlightened audience to form their own opinions on the subjects discussed.

College of Arts, Sciences and Education

Missouri University of Science and Technology

118 Fulton Hall

301 W. 14th St., Rolla, MO 65409

573-341-4687

case@mst.edu