Faculty and Staff Highlights: Assner-Alvey, Belo, Holzen, Muyco-Tobin, Pease, Smith

Webster University faculty and staff highlights offer a roundup of recent Webster faculty and staff activity and achievements.

Assner-Alvey's Artwork Included in Exhibition 

Professor Robin Assner-Alvey's artwork is included in an exhibition titled “46th Annual Paper in Particular,” now on display through April 4 at the Sidney Larson Gallery on the campus of Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri. A public reception for the exhibit will take place from 4-6p.m. on March 13. 

Assner-Alvey is a professor of Art at Webster University and serves as interim chair of the Department of Art, Design and Art History.

 

Belo Co-Authors Two Articles

Dani Belo, assistant professor of Security and International Relations, recently co-authored a commentary entitled, “U.S.-Russia Proxy War in Ukraine: A Case of Deterrence Failure” for the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy. 

The commentary delves into the challenges of deterrence in a multipolar world, alliance entrapment and strategic discord, the incoherence in U.S. policy, nationalism and ethnic divisions in gray zones, the lure of escalation, aspects of strategic empathy and miscalculation as well as a pragmatic approach to deterrence. 
 
Additionally, Belo co-authored an article titled “Canada failed to heed the warning signs of key U.S. policy shift,” which examines the current state of affairs and suggests that Canada should consider a strategic reset to foreign policy. 

Belo, Pease Co-Author Book

Webster University professors Kelly-Kate Pease and Dani Belo recently co-authored a new edition of "International Organizations: Perspectives on Global Governance." 

Published by Routledge, the textbook provides a critical examination of the role that international organizations play in shaping global governance, particularly at a time when the post-Cold War order is facing unprecedented challenges.  

As Webster University continues to foster dialogue on pressing global issues, the textbook stands as a testament to the institution’s commitment to rigorous scholarship and policy-relevant research.

Holzen Named Hall of Fame Award Recipient

Community Music School (CMS) of Webster University faculty member Laura Holzen recently received the Hall of Fame Award from the St. Louis Suburban MMEA District 5. This recognition honors her exceptional contributions to music education in the St. Louis area and her unwavering dedication to inspiring young musicians.  

Holzen is a retired elementary strings teacher and orchestra director for the Rockwood School District. In January, she conducted the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association’s 6th Grade Honors Orchestra.  

Currently, Holzen serves as the artistic coordinator for the CMS Preparatory Program (Prep), the pinnacle of the CMS sequential music education curriculum. 

Muyco-Tobin Appointed to Arts Commission

Trish Muyco-Tobin, professor of Journalism and Media Studies in the School of Communications, has been appointed as a member of the Arts Commission in the City of Webster Groves. 

Muyco-Tobin's appointment by Mayor Laura Arnold and the City Council took place on Dec. 4 at Webster Groves City Hall. She will serve a three-year term on the commission, which was created to promote and support the arts and participation in the arts for the benefit of the community. Established in 2006, the commission also encourages and maintains connections with organizations within the City of Webster Groves that produce programs and activities in the arts. 

Muyco-Tobin, a resident of Webster Groves for more than 20 years, has covered local arts extensively as a longtime journalist. She has been a journalist and writer for print, radio and television for 30 years, covering some of the biggest local and national news stories over the decades, including the Great Flood of 1993, the 1999 Papal Visit to St. Louis, presidential campaigns and elections and the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Bombing and 9/11 terror attacks. She is also The Journal advisor on campus. 

Smith Visits Missouri Capitol for House Bill 

Julie Smith, instructor of media studies in Webster’s School of Communications, testified before the Missouri House Education Committee on Feb. 11 at a hearing for House Bill 116 - Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act. The bill would establish a pilot program to require media literacy instruction in public school classrooms.