Texas State University’s David Coleman, director of The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the legacy of Edward Curtis and his photography collection, “The North American Indian.”

In 1906 Curtis received a grant from financier J.P. Morgan to record, through photography and the written word, all Native American tribes who retained some degree of their “primitive” lifestyle. Native Americans were almost wholly confined to reservations by this time, and they were subjected to federal programs that forced their assimilation to Western ways. Curtis felt passionately that their cultures should be chronicled before they disappeared altogether.

The North American Indian is one of the most ambitious photographic projects ever undertaken. Published from 1907 to 1930, it documents more than 100 peoples’ languages, stories and songs, along with extensive illustration by Curtis’ photography. Yet his work has also come under scrutiny, revealing that in some cases he used the same clothing or accessories for multiple tribes and he retouched many of his negatives to remove Western items like suspenders, parasols and more. Curtis is regarded by some as a notorious “faker,” and he is criticized for romanticizing Native Americans at a time when their forced assimilation into Western culture denied their rights and dignity.

Coleman came to Texas State in 2011 from the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin, where he served as the chief curator for photography. He earned his doctorate in art history from the University of Texas in 2005 and has worked at the Ransom Center since 1996.

FURTHER READING:
Edward Curtis: Treasures of The North American Indian

Edward Curtis

Texas State University’s Jake Waddingham, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the McCoy College of Business at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs trying to reenter the traditional workforce. 

Americans launched new entrepreneurial ventures during the COVID pandemic at accelerated rates and those trends have continued through 2023. If any of these entrepreneurs decide to reenter the traditional workforce in the future, however, they may be in for an unwelcome surprise: a study coauthored by Waddingham showed that former business owners were less likely to get interviews compared with applicants with only traditional experience. This was true regardless of whether they had sold or closed their businesses. And the longer they were out of the traditional workforce, the worse their chances of success were. The surprising results were revealed in a survey of more than 700 hiring professionals as well as seven former entrepreneurs who successfully made the transition back into the workforce.

Waddingham received his MBA from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. in management from Auburn University. He has published in top management journals including the Journal of Management, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Small Business Management, and Business Horizons. Prior to joining academia, Waddingham worked as an associate editor of a daily newspaper in Creston, Iowa. He primarily covered breaking news, local politics, agriculture and sports. 

FURTHER READING:
Entrepreneurs, beware: Owning your own business can make it harder to get hired later
 

Texas State University’s David Bailiff, special assistant to new head coach G.J. Kinne, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss his return to San Marcos and Bobcat football. 

Bailiff returned to Texas State earlier this year after 18 years as a head coach in college football and nearly 40 years in coaching overall. He has won two conference championships as a Bobcat–one as a player in 1980 and another as a head coach in 2005–and was twice named conference coach of the year during his time as the head coach at Rice University in 2008 and 2013.

Bailiff led the Bobcat football team as head coach 2004-2006, guiding the team to a Southland Conference co-championship and appearance in the Division I-AA semifinals in 2005. He was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 5 Coach of the Year that season and finished third in voting for the Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the top coach in Division I-AA/FCS.
 
Bailiff is a former student-athlete at Texas State (then-Southwest Texas State), lettering for the Bobcats from 1977 to 1980. He helped the Bobcats have winning records in all four seasons, culminating with the Lone Star Conference championship in his senior season and helping set up the program to win back-to-back Division II national championships in 1981 and 1982 under the late Jim Wacker.

Big Ideas TXST is part of the TXST Podcast Network.
 

Texas State University’s Elizabeth Buckley, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the Texas State film program. 

The Department of Theatre and Dance has long maintained an unofficial film program, with technical courses teaching knowledge and skills applicable to film and television production. That track of study has been elevated following the opening of Live Oak Hall in 2022—which boasts a working sound stage and other state-of-the-art capabilities—and the addition of a BFA Major in Theatre with a Film Production Concentration. The $200 million Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program passed by the Texas Legislature earlier in 2023 is expected to further increase the demand for Texas State program graduates.  

A native Texan, Buckley is an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie award-winning producer and writer with more than 25 years of experience in film, television, new media and animation. Her work in scripted broadcast television work has been seen in 32 countries. In 2019, she produced the HBO’s Comedy Special Entre Nos, employing nine paid Texas State film student interns. Independent features include the Netflix feature film, Hoovey, and the indie film Edge of the World as well as the Showtime broadcast Dog Days of the West, a feature film extension of the award-winning series Wishbone Buckley produced for PBS.

 Buckley has BFA in broadcast-film arts from Southern Methodist University and studied in the dramatic writing graduate program at Texas State. She teaches film producing as well as the business of film, a legacy course created by Tom Copeland, who founded the film concentration program at Texas State.
 
Further reading:

Live Oak Hall groundbreaking ushers in new film sound stage, TV studio

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, Film Production

Texas State University’s Colleen Myles, an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss her research into the social interplay between craft breweries and the communities they reside in.

The contemporary craft brewery boom is having a broader impact on U.S. culture than simply providing an array of beverages to consume. Those small, independent craft breweries are increasingly active participants in their communities’ environmental and social sphere. These breweries often take up and champion local causes, becoming powerful agents of advocacy for sustainability initiatives, wildlife conservation, public spaces, defending the rights of marginalized populations, fighting hunger, homelessness and a host of other causes. Almost half of craft breweries engage in some form of social advocacy, bringing to bear on local issues the innovation and independence for which these businesses are known.  

Myles is a rural geographer and political ecologist with specialties in land and environmental management; (ex)urbanization; (rural) sustainability and tourism; wine, beer and cider geographies (aka fermented landscapes); and agriculture, inclusive of urban, peri-urban and “local.” She holds a level 1 certificate in wine from the Wine Spirit Education Trust, a specialist of Texas wines certification from the Texas Wine School and is a certified specialist of wine by the Society for Wine Educators. She completed her Ph.D. in geography and her master’s in community development both at the University of California-Davis. She earned her bachelor’s with a double major of liberal studies and political science at Sonoma State University.  

Further reading:

Fermented Landscapes

Craft breweries are fermenting change, addressing local ills while serving local ales

Texas State University’s Ali Forbes, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss her research into the cultural impact of video games—NBA2K, in particular.

NBA 2K debuted in 1999 and since then has become an enduring franchise. The game simulates professional basketball and attracts millions of players around the globe. Along the way, NBA 2K has developed its own culture—as a multiuser domain game, players can create their own characters and socialize with other players—but has also become part of the larger, real-world culture of the National Basketball League. Forbes is particularly interested in the interactions players of different ethnicities have within the game environment, as well as those of women and girls. Her research is the basis for a book she is currently writing.

Forbes completed her Ph.D. at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She is from Canada, where her family still lives. Forbes’ professional background is in live broadcast production for radio, television and online and she teaches classes in studio production, live sports production, advanced issues and ethics in sports journalism.

Further reading:
Playing for a level court in esports

Understanding the Culture of NBA2K

Texas State University’s Emma Parsley, sustainability coordinator in the Office of Sustainability at Texas State University, join the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the university’s recent STARS Silver rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements.

STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. It is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Texas State has a longstanding commitment to environmental conservation, exemplified by the university’s stewardship of the headwaters of the San Marcos River, the national award-winning Bobcat Blend composting program, Masters in Sustainability Studies and active co-curricular environmental groups. This commitment was formalized in 2018 with the creation of the Office of Sustainability.

Parsley earned her bachelor of science and technology degree in environmental/environmental health engineering and her master’s in sustainability studies, both from Texas State.

Further reading:

Texas State’s STARS report

Sustainability Culture Assessment

Texas State earns STARS Silver rating for sustainability achievements

Texas State University’s Alyson Collins, an assistant professor, and Stephen Ciullo, an associate professor, both in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University, join the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss their program to improve writing instruction for students with disabilities.

A survey of fourth-grade general and special education teachers indicated fewer than 20% of them felt adequately prepared to teach writing to students with and at risk for disabilities. Through that, Collins and Ciullo identified a need to provide special and general educators professional development in writing to help them be more prepared to address the needs of students with disabilities. Their program, “Turning the TIDE: Building Teacher Capacity to Accelerate Text-Based Writing Performance of Students With and At Risk for Disabilities,” will provide the necessary professional development for these teachers to collaboratively deliver intensive intervention in text-based writing to students with and at risk for disabilities.

Collins has nine years of teaching experience in Texas public schools and an extensive background in implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS). Her research focuses on effective intervention and assessment for students with learning disabilities, specifically in the areas of reading and writing.

Ciullo’s research focuses on two topics. First, he studies the extent to which classroom writing instruction provided to students with disabilities aligns with research evidence, and how observed instruction relates to students’ writing performance. Second, he is interested in interventions that enhance teachers’ effectiveness in the area of writing and content-area knowledge.

Further reading:

Research To Accelerate Pandemic Recovery in Special Education: Grantee Spotlight Blog Series Featuring Dr. Alyson Collins

Texas State University’s Miranda Wait, deputy director of Spring Lake education for The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss various projects and programs that can be found at Spring Lake.

One of the oldest sites in North America continuously inhabited by humans, Spring Lake is an environmentally sensitive natural space. Through much of the 20th century it was the site of Aquarena, one of the most popular theme parks in Texas. Today it is home to The Meadows Center, which inspires research, innovation and leadership that ensures clean, abundant water for the environment and all humanity.

One popular legacy of Aquarena are the glass bottom boats, which offer a stunning view of flora and fauna that abound in the crystal-clear depths of Spring Lake. An ongoing program is refurbishing these vintage boats with fiberglass hulls to improve their long-term durability and the recent construction of a floating dock ensures the safety of the boats during flooding events. Other initiatives on tap for the coming year include guided snorkeling and kayak tours.

Wait’s educational background is in biology with an emphasis in wildlife ecology. She has a passion for getting kids and adults outdoors and excited about nature. Currently, she is working on bringing a research component to The Meadows Center’s educational programming. Wait recently joined the Texas Informal Science Educators Association for a three-year term.

Further reading:

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

Meadows Center constructing new glass-bottom boat dock at Spring Lake

Meadows Center and San Marcos Chamber hold ribbon cutting for restored glass-bottom boat #1963

Meadows Center reintroduces snorkel, kayak tours at Spring Lake

Texas State University’s Farzan Irani, professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the stereotypes and myths about stuttering.

Of particular interest to Irani is fluency development in bilingual children and the misconception that bilingual children are more likely to stutter than their monolingual counterparts. Irani has also done extensive longitudinal work on stuttering treatment outcomes. Irani oversees the Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy Program, an intensive clinical program designed for adolescents and adults who stutter that is based at Texas State’s Round Rock Campus. The program, established in 2011, is offered by the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic every July.

Irani received his bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology and audiology at the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Mumbai India. He received his master's degree and earned his doctorate in communication sciences and disorders at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. He has experience working as a graduate student and clinician at Bowling Green State University's Intensive Clinic for Adolescents and Adults. He also gained experience in delivering therapeutic services to People Who Stutter via telepractice during his doctoral program. His research interests include psychosocial aspects of stuttering, multicultural aspects of stuttering and treatment effectiveness in stuttering.

Further reading: