Jacquline Bacino, Human Development & Family Studies Jackie Bacino has her B.A. in child development and M.A. in psychological science from California State University, Chico. She is currently an instructor in human development and family studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia, teaching undergraduates in a laboratory setting while working towards her doctorate. Her research interests include culturally appropriate teacher-child interactions in early childhood education settings.

Tina Bloom, Sinclair School of Nursing
Tina Bloom, PhD, MPH, RN, is an Assistant Professor at the Sinclair School of Nursing. She joined the faculty in August 2008 after completing her doctoral work in nursing at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. Her research interests include intimate partner violence intervention, maternal-child health outcomes related to chronic stress, participatory and collaborative research approaches, and health disparities. She teaches public health survey courses for undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

Sarah Breier, Sinclair School of Nursing
Sarah Breier PhD, RN, is an assistant professor of clinical nursing at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, and associate director of the MU Center for Health Ethics at the University of Missouri. Breier, who joined the faculty in Fall 2004, is known for work in the field of clinical ethics, end-of-life care and artificial nutritional support. She obtained her Bachelor's and Master's of Nursing from the University of Tasmania, School of Nursing, and her PhD from the University of Tasmania, School of Medicine, Australia. She has practiced in various clinical and academic settings both in the USA and Australia including critical care, oncology, and remote area indigenous community health. Publications include articles on nursing ethics, end-of-life care, artificial nutritional support, vascular access and parenteral therapies.

CFrancis Blackchild, Theatre
CFrancis, a doctoral candidate in theatre and a Masters student in African Diaspora Studies at the University of Missouri, holds a MFA in playwriting from the University of Texas Austin, and Teaching Credential from California State University Los Angeles. She teaches African-American Theatre History, Acting, Playwriting, and Solo Performance. Her research interests include African-American woman theatre practitioners and her dissertation examines director Lloyd Richards’ work with actors. CFrancis directs for MoHIP Theatre and is an actor and facilitator with MU Interactive Theatre Troupe.

Troy Gardner, Religious Studies
Bio

Jere Gilles, Rural Sociology
Jere Gilles is an associate Professor of Rural Sociology who teaches in the areas of Social Change, Food and Natural Resources and Globalization. He grew up on a small cattle ranch in Montana. His first trip outside Montana was when he was 22 when he bought a 1 way ticket to Bordeaux France. When he graduated from college he served in Peace Corps in Chad. His research interests are in sustainable rural development. His true love is Africa especially the Sahelian region but he has worked in Morocco and is currently working in Costa Rica, Bolivia and Peru.

Sheri-Marie Harrison, English Department
Sheri-Marie Harrison is a new Assistant Professor in the English Department. Her work focuses on Caribbean Literature, cultural studies, film, and feminist and queer theories. Her current manuscript focuses on colonial, independence, and postcolonial moments to explore shifts in collective and individual senses of self, identity and sovereignty, as they are represented in Caribbean Literature. She is the Caribbean bibliographer for The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, has edited work in Anthurium: A Caribbean Studies Journal, and has also presented her research at several national and international conferences.

Laura Johnston, Journalism
Laura Johnston is an editor at the Columbia Missourian and an assistant professor on the print and digital news faculty at the Missouri School of Journalism. At the Missourian, she directs coverage about religion and faith communities in Columbia. She also teaches an editing course for the school. She is a 1995 graduate of the Journalism School and worked for community newspapers before coming back to MU. Her interests include gardening, knitting and cooking.

Laurie Kingsley, Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum
Laurie Kingsley is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Literacy in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum. She currently coordinates all literacy courses within the Elementary Education Senior Year On-Site Program (SYOSP). She does consulting work for school districts looking to improve their literacy practice, and has interest in research areas involving professional development, teacher change, and pre-service teacher education in literacy.

Jane A McElroy, Family and Community Medicine
Jane McElroy is an Assistant Professor in Family and Community Medicine. She is also affiliated with the Missouri University Research Reactor. She teaches epidemiology to students interested in public health as well as to first year medical students. Her overarching research interest is in chronic disease associated with environmental exposures, particularly metal exposures, using the tools of biomarkers and geographic information systems (GIS). Dr. McElroy received her PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003. She joined the faculty at University of Missouri in the fall of 2007.

Mark Milanick, Medical Pharmacology/Physiology
Mark Milanick attempted to double major in English literature and physics as an undergraduate. His doctoral degree is in Biophysics and Theoretical Biology and postdoctoral work was in physiology. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology and an Investigator at the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. His previous research includes studies of red blood cell physiology and how proteins harness the energy of ATP to pump salt and calcium out of cells. His new research direction is developing assays, equipment, and other tools for the study of biologically and clinically interesting measurements for home, classroom, clinic and field use. Mark teaches gastrointestinal physiology and includes a section on lactase hypersecretion and iron absorption in order to raise multicultural and gender issues in the medical school classroom. He also facilitates in the medical school small group problem solving curriculum. Mark teaches a graduate course in Ethics Education thru Engagement, Enactment, And Empowerment as well as directs an undergraduate laboratory in physiology. He has been trained to be a facilitator in the Alternatives to Violence Project and has served as a facilitator for several Let’s Talk Columbia Study Circles.

Glenda Nickell, Sinclair School of Nursing
Glenda Nickell is a clinical instructor at the MU Sinclair of Nursing. She coordinates the Mental Health and the Community Health Nursing Courses for students in the undergraduate, accelerated and RN to BSN nursing programs. Her interest areas include promoting mental health in children and adults, health behavior change, promoting healthy communication, and the interface between religions, the professions, and the public.

Lynette Nickleberry, Human Development & Family Studies
Lynette D. Nickleberry is graduate student in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis on gender dynamics in minority families. Her dissertation centers on exploring conceptualizations of masculinity among African American men, the social institutions that regulate gender ideologies, and forms of gender resistance and compliance across diverse groups of Black men (gay Black men, Christian Black men, etc). She also conducts research on stepfamilies and teaches Black Families, Stress in Families, and Multicultural Families and Children at the University of Missouri.

Catherine Rymph, History Department
Catherine Rymph is Associate Professor of History at MU. She received her Ph.D. in 1998 from the University of Iowa. She published Republican Women: Feminism and Conservatism from Suffrage through the Rise of the New Right in 2006 and is currently working on a history of the American foster care system. At MU she teaches courses on 20th Century U.S. History, Women and Politics, and Adoption and Child Welfare.

Yve Solbrekken, The Learning Center

Michael Sykuta, Agricultural Economics
Michael Sykuta is an associate professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences and Director of the Contracting and Organizations Research Institute at MU. He holds a PhD in economics from Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on the economics of business organization, with particular interest in organizational governance and contracting between firms. He also studies the political economy of regulation and its effects on the organization of firms and markets. He teaches the management strategy capstone in the agribusiness management major, a course on the economics of contracting in the Crosby MBA program, and doctoral seminars on microeconomic theory and on the organization of firms and industries.

Michael Volz, German & Russian Studies
Michael Volz is a Chinese language instructor and coordinator of the Chinese language program at MU. He earned his MA in Second Languages and Cultures from the University of Minnesota in 1995, and an MA in East Asian Studies from Stanford in 2005. Over the last 20 years he has had extensive experience living, teaching and learning in China. He is particularly intererested in U.S. – Chinese cross-cultural relations at both the personal, organizational, and religious level.

Barbara Willis, Office of Service Learning
Barbara G. Willis, Ph.D., graduated from the University of Missouri with a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and a minor in College Teaching. She is currently serving as the Coordinator for the Minor in Leadership and Public Service in the Office of Service-Learning at Mizzou. As the internship coordinator, she places undergraduates in government agencies and nonprofit agencies. When not working, Barbara enjoys fishing and watching football or women’s basketball.