HEADLINES
When he learned of Missouri Southern’s healthcare administration program, Alex Gomez knew that was his future. “Growing up in Joplin, I had always heard about MSSU but wasn't sure where I was going to be able to attend,” he said. “It wasn't until my advisor Melinda Brown came and discussed the healthcare administration program that I realized I wanted to pursue that field.”
The criminal justice field will gain another dedicated professional when Trinity Alley walks across the stage on May 10th. Originally from Pea Ridge, Arkansas, Alley chose Missouri Southern for its size and affordability.
The world will gain another problem solver when Kylee Sill graduates from Missouri Southern this Saturday. She had always heard good things about the university while growing up in Diamond.
On Brian Smith’s ’10, living room wall, next to a July 21, 1969, issue of “New York Daily News” hangs a personalized portrait signed by all four crew members of Artemis II, the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft around the Moon, set to launch in April 2026. Reid Wiseman, mission commander for the flight, gave Smith and his EaglePicher Technologies team members this gift last May.
Missourian Nextgen Under 30 is awarded to nominees described as young, ambitious, and creative individuals pushing boundaries in their field. This honor is awarded to around 35 people in the state of Missouri. Studdard was also placed on Joplin Globe’s 20 Under 40, which honors individuals making an impact on the area’s business and entrepreneurial sector.
Due to inclement weather, Missouri Southern State University will be closed on February 20, 2025. The university will shift to an online learning and work model for the day.
From serving as the former president of MSSU’s Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), to engaging in work-based learning projects at La-Z-Boy and the City of Joplin, alumna Allison Tillman, ‘24, has an impressive history of participating in projects bigger than herself, so when Ramin Zarrabi—plant manager of Ruskin in Parsons, Kansas—offered Tillman an internship, she was thrilled.
Due to inclement weather, Missouri Southern State University will be closed on February 19, 2025. The university will shift to an online learning and work model for the day. Faculty and staff who are able to work remotely are encouraged to do so. If you have any questions, please reach out to your supervisor. Stay safe!
Due to the forecast of significant snow, Missouri Southern State University will be closed on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
In 2014, Kelsey Akee found herself in a Spanish class. The Bella Vista, Arkansas native wanted to attend school outside of her hometown but still nearby, and with its affordable tuition, Missouri Southern is where she ended up.
Relationships of any sort is being a part of a team, and that’s what brought Christian Bundy and Brooke Stauffer together. The now-engaged couple came to Missouri Southern because it was close to home and because of basketball.
Missouri Southern State University will be closed on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, due to inclement weather and hazardous road conditions. The university will transition to an online learning and work model.
Although “You can’t hurry love,” often rings true, it does have its own pace, which is what the Mitchells experienced in 1995. Katherine and Chris came to Missouri Southern to study education. While they were both in the same department, the couple didn’t share any classes. But she had noticed him in February, after the final meeting of their professional semester.
What science brings together, no one can separate, and one of those things is the Eppersons. Webb City natives Lacy and Jarrett came to Missouri Southern for the affordable education. The university allowed them to live at home and form new connections.
Stephanee Schiding, master instructor and lifetime wellness coordinator in Missouri Southern’s kinesiology department, was awarded MOSHAPE’s Dr. Robert M. Taylor Professional Service Honor Award.
KGCS-TV and the Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) Department of Communication hosted the highly anticipated Cardinals Caravan event at the Taylor Performing Arts Center on Saturday, January 18, 2025. The event, which was free to the public, brought baseball fans together to meet some of the St. Louis Cardinals’ top players and alumni.
Due to road conditions and extreme low temperatures, the Missouri Southern campus will be closed on Monday, January 6th. MSSU will pivot to an online learning and telework model. Faculty and Staff, if you have the capabilities to work from home we would appreciate if you would do so. Check in with your supervisor regarding any questions you might have.
Missouri Southern State University would like to thank the volunteers who helped bring the holiday spirit into the Ralph L. Gray Alumni Center—better known as “The Mansion”—by decorating the historic home for Christmas.
The world needs more creators, and Joplin native Brenna Jones is one of them. Jones is a quadruple threat, graduating as an Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation major with an illustration certificate.
Another changemaker will be out in the world when Brian Cowles, Sr. graduates with his degree in international and political affairs this Saturday. Although a St. Louis native, his heart and home reside in Joplin.
Another leader is out in the world as Allison Tillman graduated today. Although a distance education student, Tillman still found a way to make an impact on her hometown of Joplin from her current home in Johnson City, Tenn.
Missouri Southern Police Department is hosting Compassion in Action, a gift drive for Lafayette House, from now until Dec. 9. Lafayette House is a non-profit organization offering support for those experiencing domestic violence and addiction, aiming to provide a haven for men, women, and children.
On South Neosho Boulevard stands Mitchell’s Drug Store where pharmacist Lacy Epperson works as director of pharmacy clinical services. One day she can be found giving vaccinations and dispensing medications; the next, setting up for a community outreach vaccination clinic, or maybe she'll be teaching the store’s diabetes education program classes for people to learn how to self-manage their diabetes alongside other conditions—a program she established; or even overseeing the on-site pharmacogenomics testing. Her day-to-day responsibilities are always different and fulfilling.
The Messicks have established an endowment for the program, providing a current gift and including MSSU in their estate plans. The endowment will offer ongoing financial support, ensuring students have access to modern equipment and resources.
n recognition of the profound impact Missouri Southern had on his life, Russ, along with his wife Suzy, has made a generous six-figure commitment to fund several Russ & Suzy Alcorn Scholarships. Alcorn’s gifts are a combination of current and estate gift commitments.
