College of Humanities and Fine Arts
Shout-Out Newsletter
Elizabeth Behle, Doctor of Arts in English Pedagogy and Literature Program
On Saturday, September 26, Elizabeth presented at the Midwest Conference on British Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Here paper was titled "A Rhetorical, Historical, and Pedagogical Construction of the British Romantic Child." Elizabeth is in her second year of the DA Program.
Bravo to the Johnson Colloquium's Behind-the-Scenes Crew
The CHFA Dean's office would like to give the following Lovett Auditorium student workers and Music majors a huge shout-out for their incredibly hard work and professionalism in helping to produce the Johnson Colloquium event with S.G. Goodman on September 17: Declan Bingham, Shepard Brown, Logan Henson, Brady Johnson, John Myatt, and Sophia Newell. The band sounded amazing and the event went flawlessly, in great part because of these students' teamwork and expertise. Thank you!
History Students Dig Up the Past at Pogue Library
Students in HIS 400: Senior Research Seminar recently explore archival material held by the Pogue Library to develop their research projects. The focus for the course this semester is the History of Death, and students reviewed local cemetery records, artifacts from WWI, accounts of mine disasters, material about the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and regional ghost stories (including paranormal activities on campus!)
Nick Jackson, Department of History
Congratulations to History Alum Nick Jackson who passed the Kentucky Bar Exam and accepted a position to start practicing at the Law Offices of Steven K. Deig, LLC, in Evansville, Indiana.
Psychology Students Share Their Experiences at ABA Track Meet
Psychology students Nicolas Davis, Carson McReynolds, and Alex Staples shared their real-world experiences working as mental health practitioners in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at the September ABA "Track Meet." Track Meets offer students enrolled in or interested in the ABA specialization track an opportunity to hear from other ABA students, receive advising, and learn about career opportunites related to the course sequence. Thank you, NIcholas, Carson, and Alex!
Erin M. Shaughnessy, Department of Political Science and Sociology
Congratulations to alum Erin M. Shaughnessy, who was named to the 2027 Best Lawyers in America® list, the guide’s 33rd edition. Erin is a litigation associate at Fisher Phillips in Louisville, KY. She represents employers in workplace law disputes and advises companies on compliance with a wide range of federal and state employment law and agency regulations. While in law school, Erin served as Senior Articles Editor for the University of Louisville Law Review and was a member of the Robert F. Wagner Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Team. She completed externships with the Hon. Rebecca Grady Jennings of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, in the litigation department of a multi-state healthcare company, and in the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office.
Case Thomason, Department of Political Science and Sociology Alum
Congratulations to Political Science alumnus Case Thomason on winning the Prize for Paper Exploring Social Media Regulation Laws, “Scalpels, Not Hatchets: Beyond Access Bans and Toward a Design-Based Framework for Social Media Regulation,” published in the Michigan Law Review. Case is a law student at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Andy Black, Professor of English
Dr. Black's short article about teaching The Odyssey in the wake of Christopher Nolan's film was published on Zocalo Public Square. Zócalo Public Square is a unit of Arizona State University Media Enterprise and publishes original essays, columns, poems, and artwork that grapples with a broad range of subjects and goes out to readers around the world.
Alicia Carthell, Associate Professor of English
Dr. Carthell recently published a book chapter. "Promoting learning and academic success: A principle-based, student-centered approach to providing feedback in college writing courses" appears in Progress in Education (R. V. Nata (Ed.), Nova Science Publishers, Vol. 91, pp. 177–191).
Judy Crofton, Senior Instructor of English
Professor Crofton's poem, "Butter Bean Picking," has been published in Red Clay & River Fog: Artists and Writers of North Alabama.The poem encapsulates one of many summer days she spent with her grandparents in Barbour County, Alabama, where, under the guidance of her grandmother, she learned that valuable life lessons can be achieved through seemingly insignificant activities.
Antje Gamble, Professor of Art History
Dr. Gamble published a blog post for Wiki Education's Blog on positive outcomes of updates made to a Wikipedia assignment for her design history class.
Matthew Gianforte, Professor of Music (Piano) and Meeyoun Park, Professor of Music (Piano)
Drs. Park and Gianforte performed at the American Liszt Society Festival, held at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on September 28–30. The theme of this year's festival was "Toward Re-Enchantment: Beauty as a Portal to the Sacred," exploring spirituality, beauty, and transcendence through music. Their session, titled "Chant-Inspired Works of Sergei Rachmaninoff," was part of a morning featuring music for two pianos.
T. Michael Martin, Professor of Art & Director of University Galleries
Professor Martin has artwork included in the LaGrange Southeast Regional Biennial host at The LaGrange Art Museum and the Lamar Dodd Art Center at LaGrange College in LaGrange, GA. This exhibition was juried by Melissa Messina, a nationally recognized curator and arts professional, and is on view September 19, 2026 through January 16, 2027.
Katie Marya, Assistant Professor of English
Dr. Marya was recently a resident at Art Omi's Writers Translation Lab, a residency that gives writers and their translators a chance to work together on a project in the same place for an extended period of time. Dr. Marya was there to work with Nicole Cecilia Delgado, a writer and book artist from Puerto Rico who co-directs the editorial studio La Impresora (@laimpresora).
Danielle Nielsen, Professor of English
Dr. Nielsen's article "Synthesizing Project-Based Learning and Universal Design for Learning to Enhance Student Success: A Review and Reflection" was published in the most recent issue of Currents in Teaching and Learning. It explores the importance of creating assignments that making learning accessible to all students in the classroom and offers up one option, a creative project that encourages student choice and engages with their interests alongside course material.
Elena Picech, Associate Professor of Spanish
Dr. Picech presented at the Annual Congress of the Asociación Canadiense de Hispanistas, an international conference hosted by the University of Salamanca, Spain. Her paper Más allá de las palabras (“Beyond Words"), examines contemporary artistic representations of street visual art that use the body as a point of convergence and a medium for conveying powerful messages.
Ben Post, Associate Professor of Spanish
Dr. Post's article, "'Forged and perforated with fine craftsmanship': an Indigenous Intellectual 'Reduces' Calderón" was published in Colonial Latin American Review. In this article, Dr. Post examines a 17th-Century translation of a famous Spanish metatheatrical play into Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. This translation happens to be older than the oldest known copy of the play in Spanish, which creates the opportunity to question the common tendency to see translations as sub-par copies of originals.
Megan Von Bergen, Assistant Professor of English
Dr. Von Bergen published a special issue of the Journal of Writing Assessment (Volume 19, Issue 1) on alternative writing assessment and disability/neurodivergence. The special issue was co-edited with Dr. Andrew Harnish from the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The co-written guest editors' introduction to the special issue appears here.
ART & DESIGN
In September, the Department of Art & Design welcomed ceramics artist Pattie Chalmers, who hosted an engaging public lecture and led a hands-on workshop. Beyond campus, three students exhibited work in local venues: Emily Ray's “The Nature of Existing” at Murray Art Guild, “Oneiroplós” by Cora Menendez at Gallery X, and Raini Evergarden's "Dissolution of, Labor" at Wits' End. The art education program’s NAEA Student Chapter had a blast painting faces at North Calloway Elementary’s Books in the Bluegrass Family Literacy Night, and the department hosted its annual Engage with Art & Design recruitment event for 104 juniors & seniors from seven different schools. Don't forget to mark your calendars now for the annual Art Auction on November 13, and follow the department @murraystateart for the inside scoop on all things Art & Design!
MUSIC
September featured an exciting lineup of recitals and concerts in the Department of Music, including a Guest Artist Recital with composer and electric bassist Alejandro Rutty. Family Weekend highlighted the annual Fall Fanfare Concert, featuring numerous instrumental and vocal ensembles. The department also held its first Jazz Ensembles Concert of the season at Lovett Auditorium, featuring the Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Jazz Combos under the conducting debut of Dr. Jonathan Nickell. Meanwhile, the Music Entertainment Industry Student Association (@murraystatemeisa) hosted its first meetings, helped out with the Johnson Colloquium event with S.G. Goodman, and published the first issue of its newsletter, Amplified. Racer Band continues to deliver high-energy halftime performances for Racer Football, too. Follow @murraystatemusic on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on upcoming events!
English & Philosophy
In September, the Department of English and Philosophy welcomed alumna S.G. Goodman back to campus for the prestigious Johnson Colloquium. The Medical and Health Humanities program hosted a virtual book talk by Dr. Mila Daskalova on 19th-century asylum periodicals and patient narratives, as well as two Cinema International screenings of the documentary The Tallest Dwarf and thoughtful follow-up discussions on disability and social justice. Student organizations were also busy throughout the month. The English Student Organization (ESO) hosted a lively lineup featuring Show & Tell, Rant Night, and Bingo Night. Meanwhile, the Philosophy Club explored the concept of creativity, tackled a game based on the Trolley Problem, and took a field trip to the Cheri Theatre to catch Primetime. Lots more to come in October! Follow along at @murraystateenglish and @murraystatecreativewriting!
Political Science & Sociology
The Department of Political Science and Sociology began September with a Law School Admissions Panel, giving pre-law and political science students access to admissions representatives for application advice. PSS held its annual Constitution Day celebration with panel presentations that examined constitutional history, legal precedents, and current issues like birthright citizenship. Dr. Ali Hendley presented "Community as Classroom: Connecting, Serving, and Learning" in the Humanities+ Series, and Dr. Diane Nititham gave expert advice at a workshop for faculty on holistic advising practices. The department ended the month with a Donuts with Faculty gathering, offering a fun way for students to connect with professors. Mock Trial, Model UN, the Pre-Law Association, the Political Science Club, and the Women in Law Association held meetings as well. Follow @murraystatepss to stay up to date on department events and student organization news!
Psychology
Global Languages & Theatre Arts
September was an action-packed month for the Department of Global Languages and Theatre Arts! The Theatre Arts Program officially kicked off its 2026–27 performance season in the Robert E. Johnson Theatre with BEANSTALK! THE PLAY!. This fun adaptation of the classic fairy tale brought hundreds of area school children to campus for entertaining performances. Cinema International launched its fall 2026 film series with free, open-to-the-public screenings in Faculty Hall 208. Audiences enjoyed featured films and discussions, including Oscar-nominated Little Amélie, the Spanish film The Girls Are Alright, and the Brazilian dark comedy The Second Mother. The Spanish Language Table began regular meetings, as did Alpha Mu Gamma, the foreign language honor society. AMG hit the ground running with tabling outside the Curris Center and in Faculty Hall before their "Lost in Translation" event and "Constructing Across Cultures" night. Be sure to follow @murraystatetheatrearts, @msulanguagedept, and @cinemainternationalmsu to stay in the loop on all of GLTA’s upcoming events!
History
In recognition of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the Department of History hosted its annual Sid Easley Lecture event in Wrather Auditorium with guest scholar Dr. Emily Sneff , whose lecture, "When the Declaration of Independence Was News," explored how colonial communities first received revolutionary ideas. Student members of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society and History Club (@msuphialphatheta) helped kick off the event by hosting a "Meet & Greet" session with Dr. Sneff prior to the lecture. The Department also launched its fall student essay contest exploring whether Americans have fulfilled the ideals of the Declaration. Faculty members also participated in Murray State's annual Constitution Day celebration on September 17 in the Curris Center Theater. Department of History professors led an engaging panel discussion,"Did the Constitution Reflect the Promises of Liberty in the Declaration?". Be sure to follow @murraystatehistory and @msuphialphatheta to stay up to date on department news and club events!