Engaged Faculty
Missouri State has more than 700 full-time faculty members, many of whom have been nationally and internationally recognized in their academic areas. In addition, nearly 90 percent of them have the highest degrees in their fields. This wealth of knowledge and experience ensures that you receive a quality education from experts. Instructors also get to know students and care about their progress.
Examples of faculty research projects
Missouri State graduate students have the opportunity to work alongside proven scholars, leaders and scientists. Many faculty members are involved in original research and are renowned in their fields of study. A sampling of research, education and service projects funded by external sources during Fiscal Year 2010:
- Dr. Lifeng Dong, assistant professor of physics, astronomy and materials science, received the Cottrell College Science Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. The award is for the research project "DNA-Templated Synthesis of Platinum Nanoparticles on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Structural Characterizations". The award will provide $35,000 to support the work of Dong and his students, including travel to the National Center for Electron Microscopy at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California to conduct experiments.
- Dr. Lynda Plymate, professor of mathematics, was awarded a $175,558 grant from the Missouri Department of Higher Education for her project "Building and Connecting Mathematical Concepts Through In-Depth and Technology-Rich Explorations".
- Diane May, assistant professor of planning, was awarded a $24,950 grant grant for the project "Missouri Small Wastewater Facilities Need Assessment". The funding was provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
- Dr. Janice Greene, professor of biology, and Celeste Prussia, Bull Shoals Field Station manager, received a grant of $11,350 from the Greater Ozarks Audobon Society to fund a week-long residential academy for teenagers. The Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems was held at Bull Shoals Field Station; 16 area teens participated.
- Dalen Duitsman, director of the Ozarks Public Health Institute, received a $20,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health via the University of Missouri-Columbia to complete the project "MU Case and Smokebusters – Phase II Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiative".
- Missouri State University received a $148,937 grant from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for the project "Universal Newborn Hearing Screening – Reducing Lost to Follow-Up". This project will provide hearing-screening services, follow-up services and education for families of newborns who do not pass a hearing screening at birth or who are diagnosed with hearing loss shortly after birth.
