College of Arts, Sciences and Education

Dear friends and alumni,

April was a month of meaningful progress and recognition for our college, marked by academic innovation, faculty excellence, and strong community support.

Finally, I had the opportunity to join liberal arts deans and directors from seven STEM-focused universities at Georgia Institute of Technology to establish a new cross-institutional network supporting liberal arts units within technological universities. More information is available here.

Congratulations to all members of the CASE community whose achievements are featured in this month’s newsletter.

Sincerely,

Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Ph.D.
Vice Provost and Dean

Harshit Agarwal, a physics student, is first author of “AC magnetic measurements with a self-oscillating LC circuit and its application to university education,” published in the American Journal of Physics. Conducted in Dr. Hyunsoo Kim’s group, the project was led by undergraduates Harshit Agarwal, Oleksandra Uralska, and Jasmin Billingsley, with contributions from high school student Maxim Yamilov. Agarwal graduated in 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in physics. Undergraduate work was supported by FYRE and OURE, and the Summer Program Aspiring Research Community for high schoolers. Funding came from NSF Award No. DMR-2418630.

Julianna Bayless, a first-year Ph.D. student in Dr. Shun Saito’s group, was accorded an Honorable Mention in the 2026 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) for her project “Connecting Simulation and Observation: Tracing the Formation and Evolution of Ringed Galaxies.”

Chikadibia Genevieve Edward, a chemistry Ph.D. student in Dr. Risheng Wang’s group, received a 2026 Pathways Travel Award for her poster at the 2026 NextGen Pathways Symposium. Her presentation, “Engineering a DNA–Polymer Hybrid Nanocarrier for Sustained Delivery of 2-Mercaptopropionylglycine for Prevention of Cataracts,” was recognized for excellence.

Tuhin Kanti Das, a Ph.D. student in physics, defended his dissertation titled “Temperature-dependent Dielectric Function of Solids from Coupled-Oscillators with Radiation Reaction: Application to Atom–Surface Interactions” on April 13. His dissertation advisor was Dr. Ulrich Jentschura.

Emmanuel Djegou, a Ph.D. student in mathematics and statistics, defended his dissertation titled “Essays on Accelerated Failure Time Models for Recurrent Event Data” on April 7. His dissertation advisor was Dr. Akim Adekpedjou.

Raj Rani Gupta, a Ph.D. student in mathematics and statistics, defended her dissertation titled “The Discrete Generalized Proportional Fractional Derivative” on April 6. Her dissertation advisor was Dr. Martin Bohner.

Sargun Kaur, a Ph.D. student in chemistry, defended her dissertation titled “Analytical Methods for Seed Quality Chemical Markers and Water Treatment Technology Assessment” on April 15. Her dissertation advisor was Dr. Paul Nam.

Morgan Luebbering, a senior in early childhood education, earned the Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow Award from the Missouri Milken Educators in partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Luebbering was a student-teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School in Rolla, Missouri, in the fall 2025 semester.

Shruti Majumdar, a Ph.D. student in physics, defended her dissertation titled “Fully Differential Studies on Dissociative Capture in P + D2 Collisions and on Ionization in P + He Collisions” on April 6. Her dissertation advisor was Dr. Michael Schulz.

Yuwei Zhang, a Ph.D. student in chemistry, defended her dissertation titled “Nucleic Acids: From Biosensing to Future Electronics” on April 23. Her advisor was Dr. Risheng Wang.

Physics graduate students Jayashani Wickramasinghe and Anjana Rajapaksha delivered contributed talks, while graduate students Shruti Majumdar, Manisha Dhayal, Rashad Bakhshizada, and undergraduates Gabriel Duncan and Jeremiah Bender presented posters at the American Physical Society Global Summit in Denver, Colorado (March 15–20). The group is pictured above.

In March, Missouri S&T Air Force ROTC Detachment 442 cadets visited Scott and Tinker Air Force Bases and participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands, New Mexico. At Scott AFB, cadets observed global mobility and command operations, gaining insight into coordination and communication across mission-critical roles. At Tinker AFB, they explored aircraft maintenance and engineering, seeing how technical precision supports readiness. The 15.6-mile Bataan Memorial Death March honored WWII service members and tested cadets’ endurance and commitment. Together, these experiences connected classroom leadership to real-world operations, offered mentorship opportunities, and reinforced core values essential for future Air and Space Force officers.

S&T students presented undergraduate research in chemistry, physics, and engineering at the 2026 Missouri Academy of Science meeting. Rosalee Brown (chemical engineering) and Montara Owens (physics) shared poster presentations on NMR relaxometry, including applications to asphalt durability and challenges in hyperpolarized MRI. Catherine Skaggs (chemistry) delivered an oral presentation on non-invasive NMR methods for evaluating pavement performance. Owens and Skaggs were supported by FYRE and OURE, and all three students conduct research with Dr. Klaus Woelk, associate professor of chemistry. Travel was funded by CASE.

Six students traveled to St. Louis to participate in the Webster University Philosophy Student Conference. Derek Furniss, Quinten Milligan, and Di Guetersloh presented papers and Dr. Margret Grebowicz, professor of philosophy, accompanied the group.

Missouri S&T will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its bands this coming academic year 2026-27. Be sure to mark these key anniversary events on your calendar to help celebrate:

• Band Kickoff Concert -- Thursday, Oct. 1, in Leach Theatre – Celebrate 100 years to-the-day of the first band performance.
• Homecoming Game Performance -- Saturday, Oct. 17, Join us as the band heads back to where it all started.
• Alumni Band Open Performance -- Feb. 27-28, 2027, any alumni musicians are welcome to return and perform with the band, with a rehearsal day and then a performance the next day.
• Spring Concert and Scholarship Gala -- Sunday, April 25, Support the next 100 years through a new scholarship for band students, while hearing newly commissioned music.

S&T theatre students take “RACE’S END” outdoors: When the power went out across much of Rolla on Sunday afternoon, April 19, Missouri University of Science and Technology theatre students faced a choice: stop the show or adapt in real time. They chose to keep going. Read the full story on S&T News.

The psychological science department sent three students this April to the Midwest Psych Association conference. Celia Freed (under direction of Dr. Clair Kueny) presented her poster on "Interrupting Bias: Implementing Behavior-Based Rubrics to Improve Faculty Evaluations." Julien Hanson (under the direction of Dr. Amy Belfi) presented his poster on the "Timing of Music-Evoked Emotion and Memory Across the Lifespan." And Jason Archuleta presented his project from the undergraduate Research Methods class on the "Cognitive Costs of Empathy: Replication and Extension of Cameron et al. (2019)."

Dr. Andrea Scharf, assistant professor of biological sciences, co-organized a regional Caenorhabditis elegans meeting, contributing to its scientific program and coordination. Her lab presented multiple projects: undergraduate Luke Colbert (biomedical engineering), master’s student Galayna Baur, and Ph.D. student Logan Elliott each delivered posters on topics spanning e-cigarette exposure, population dynamics, and microbial effects on lab populations. Sonam Bhattarai-Lamey gave an oral presentation on using Caenorhabditis elegans to study neurological risks of e-cigarettes, earning second place for best presentation. These efforts highlight Scharf Lab’s growing impact and its commitment to student training in genetics, aging, and model organism research.

Dr. Mary Gillis, associate teaching professor of education, and Dr. Michelle Schwartze, associate teaching professor of education, led a resume- and interview-skills activity for approximately 150 eighth-grade students from St. James Middle School on April 9. The campus visit (pictured above) was an extension of the students’ Exploring Careers course and provided an opportunity for them to learn directly from education faculty.

The big news in English and technical communication is the expansion of its current master’s degree program to “Communication, Media, and Technology,” official in fall 2027. This program will be entirely asynchronous online, designed for working professionals looking to deepen and future-proof their skills. It is not associated with any particular position or career; rather, it is intended to meet the shifting demands of communication roles in industry by integrating technical communication, digital media, content strategy, and user experience into a comprehensive and forward-thinking graduate program. Read all the department's updates online. 

Dr. Jami Swindell is an early childhood educator with broad experience spanning preschool classrooms, community-based childcare, early intervention, and early childhood special education programs across Missouri. She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Policy, Organization, and Leadership, with a specialization in Early Childhood Special Education, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She also holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Missouri State University and a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Missouri. Raised on a farm in Iowa and having lived in both Kansas City and St. Louis, she considers herself deeply rooted in the Midwest.

At S&T, Swindell teaches courses in child development, instructional methods, pedagogy and educational leadership. She supervises student teaching field experiences and serves as the faculty liaison for the Missouri S&T Child Development Center. She particularly values the time she spends in classrooms working directly with children and collaborating with educators.

Her research centers on family-centered practices, early intervention, workforce development, and policy and advocacy efforts that support young children, their families, caregivers, and educators. She is actively involved in professional organizations at both the state and national levels, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Missouri Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, and the South Central Missouri Childhood Community Leaders.

Outside of her professional work, Swindell enjoys hiking, boating, gardening, and exploring local farmers markets and thrift stores.

Dr. Mehrzad Boroujerdi, CASE dean, took part in a panel discussion on the Iran war at the University of Delaware, was a guest of Campbell Conversations, and delivered a lecture on the war at S&T. He was also interviewed or quoted by BBC TV (United Kingdom), BBC World Service Radio, Business Times (Singapore), Canadian Broadcast Corporation, Deutsche Welle (Germany), El Mercurio (Chile), France 24, New Lines Magazine, and Turkiye Today (Turkey).

Dr. Jeffrey Chalfant, assistant teaching professor of education and Missouri 4-H State Specialist in STEM, received a $300,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to expand hands-on STEM learning for youth across Missouri, with a focus on increasing girls’ participation. In partnership with Missouri 4-H, the three-year project will develop five STEM camp curricula and introduce participants to women STEM professionals through activities and collectible role-model cards. The initiative emphasizes STEM identity development and will broaden access to high-quality informal learning, especially in rural communities, reaching an estimated 4,000 youth.

Dr. Gerald Cohen, professor of German, published an article titled “Reflections on Linear B (part 15): Sign 81 in Linear A and the Egyptian four-headed ram-god Banebdjedet” in Comments on Etymology, vol. 55, no. 6-7 (double issue), March/April 2026.

Dr. Shane Epting, associate professor of philosophy, published "Urban air mobility and the problem of moral prioritization" in the journal Discover Cities.

Dr. Shannon Fogg, professor and chair of history and political science, wrote a public scholarship piece on the lasting effects of the Holocaust on Jewish survivors in France that was published in The Conversation. The article was also translated into French and republished in The Conversation France.

Dr. Margret Grebowicz, the Maxwell C. Weiner Distinguished Professor of Humanities, published an essay titled “Shifting Border Wall Plans Threaten Big Bend Region” in Sierra. Grebowicz leads the campus Public Scholars Network.

Dr. Halyna Hodovanets, assistant professor of physics, delivered an invited talk, “Effects of Stoichiometry in Single Crystals of Strongly Correlated Systems,” at the APS Global Summit in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Ulrich Jentschura, professor of physics, co-authored a paper in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters that was selected as Editor's Choice. This article makes a contribution to the important problem of the proton charge radius.

Dr. Clair Kueny, chair and associate professor of psychological science, has been appointed as the Chair of the Teaching Committee for the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. This is a two-year term leading national initiatives related to advancing graduate education and graduate programming for SIOP.

Dr. Julia Medvedeva, professor of physics, received a $293,900 grant from Arizona State University for a project titled “Stability be Design: Leveraging Disorder and Ductility for Resilient Radioactive Power.”

Dr. Shelley Minteer, professor of chemistry and director of the Kummer Institute Center for Resource Sustainability, received a $100,000 grant from ARPA-H in collaboration with Columbia University for a project titled “TEARWISE: Tear-film Electronic ACTIVE Release and Wireless Immune-shielded Sensing Encapsulation.”

Dr. Simeon Mistakidis, assistant professor of physics, published “Signatures of Rigidity and Second Sound in Dipolar Supersolids” in Physical Review A Letters, with his postdoc and collaborators from Harvard University. The work identifies experimentally accessible ways to probe rigidity and coherence in supersolid phases, including controlled excitation of second sound. He was also named an Outstanding Reviewer by Reports on Progress in Physics (IOP Publishing) for the third consecutive year.

Dr. Kathryn Northcut, professor of English and technical communication, participated in a panel titled “Creating a TPC Community that Connects the Global South and North: A Roundtable on International Collaboration, Teaching, Research, and Service” at the Association of Teachers of Technical Writing annual conference (April 17–18, 2026, El Paso, Texas).

Dr. Ross C. Reed, lecturer of philosophy, published an essay titled “The good life requires two things, self‑knowledge and friends – you can’t have one without the other” in The Conversation. He also published another essay titled “The Overweening Pride of the Masters of the Universe” in Pittsburgh Review of Books. In the essay, Reed offers a Heideggerian analysis of current events through the lens of Kafka's The Trial.

Dr. Chariklia Sotiriou-Leventis, chair and professor of chemistry, delivered an invited talk, “Oxidative Aromatization in Pyrolytic Carbonization of Polybenzoxazine and Their All-Nitrogen Analogues, Polybenzodiazine Aerogels,” at the 6th International Symposium on Polybenzoxazines during the 271st American Chemical Society National Meeting (March 23, 2026, Atlanta, Georgia).

Dr. Yanyan Zheng, a postdoctoral researcher in physics, has been elected co-chair of the “Burst Sources” group—one of the largest teams in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. She will lead an international team searching for gravitational waves from supernovae, fast radio bursts, neutron stars, and other exotic sources using data from LIGO and its partners Virgo and KAGRA. A member of the collaboration at Missouri S&T since 2019, Zheng has contributed broadly to gravitational-wave research, including leading recent analyses of supernova signals. The collaboration includes more than 1,600 researchers worldwide, with S&T serving as the state’s only center dedicated to gravitational-wave detection.

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
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