Ph.D. 2000 University of Maryland, College Park: Art History and Archaeology
M.A. 1994 University of Maryland, College Park: Art History and Archaeology
1986 Certificat de Hautes-Etudes, Université d’Aix-en-Provence, France, Graduate with Mention
B.A. 1987 Castleton State College (summa cum laude): Modern Foreign Languages
B.S. 1986 Castleton State College (summa cum laude): English Communications
A.S. 1985 Castleton State College, (summa cum laude): Communications

Publications

• 2009 “Why It's Essential Not to Essentialize: Analyzing the Varied Roles of Female Figures in Olmec and Olmec-Related Sculpture.” Article version of international conference presentation, published by the 53o Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Mexico City, D.F., July 2009.
• 2009 “Formative Period Gulf Coast Ceramic Figurines: The Key to Identifying Sex, Gender, and Age Groups in Gulf Coast Olmec Imagery,” chapter in Mesoamerican Figurines: Small-Scale Indices of Large-Scale Social Phenomena, edited by Christina Halerin, and Kaherie A. Faust, Rhonda Taube, and Aurore Giguet, 77-118. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
• 2009 Editor and Coordinator, Art History Virtual Museum Exhibit. Online publication of virtual exhibits/online museum catalogs for five exhibits (2005,2006,2007,2008,2009) incorporating advanced Art History students' research for CASL Integrated course projects. Published researchers include 80+ advanced undergraduate Art History students. Available link to the left of this page.
• 2008 "Exotica in the Ozarks: Collections of Native Art and Artifacts from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas," with co-authors (her students) Elizabeth Atchley, Heather Nelson, and Marie Swan, and additional contributions by (her students) Lynley Farris, Adam Hails, Alison Lovelace, and Robin Wagner. OzarksWatch, Series 2, Vol. 2, No. 2.
• 2008 “Fiber Technology and Weaving in Formative Period Gulf Coast Cultures.” Ancient Mesoamerica Vol. 19, No 1 (Spring 2008).
• 2006 “The Child and the Child-Like in Olmec Art and Archaeology,” chapter in The Social Experience of Childhood in Ancient Mesoamerica, edited by Traci Ardren and Scott Hutson, 249-280. University Press of Colorado.

Presentations

• 2009 "Why It's Essential Not to Essentialize: Analyzing the Varied Roles of Female Figure in Olmec and Olmec-Related Sculpture." Symposium: Iconography of the Gulf Coast. (July 20 2009) 53o Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Mexico City, Mexico.
• 2009 Session Chair: Formative Mesoamerica. April 24, 2009. Society for American Archaeology 74th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
• 2009 "A Re-evaluation of Plant Motifs Depicted in the 'Cave Mouth' Reliefs at Chalcatzingo." Session: Formative Mesoamerica. (April 24, 2009) Society for American Archaeology 74th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
• 2008 "Fiber Technology and Weaving at Formative Period Chalcatzingo." Session: Craft Production in Mesoamerica and Middle America. (March 30, 2008) Society for American Archaeology 73rd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
• 2007 "The Art of Marriage? A Re-Evaluation of Olmec and Olmec-Related 'Exogamous Bride' Images." Session: The Archaeology of Mexico, Part II. (April 26, 2007) Society for American Archaeology 68th Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
• 2006 “The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Formative Period Gulf Coast Ceramic Figurines.” Session: Mesoamerican Iconography and Symbols in Action: Small-Scale Figurines as Large-Scale Social Phenomena. (April 28, 2006) Society for American Archaeology 67th Annual Meeting, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Grants, Awards and Honors

• 2008-2009 Missouri Campus Campact Micro-Grant. Project: "Publishing Community-Based Research Service-Learning Projects Online"
• 2008-2009 Latin American, Caribbean, and Hispanic Studies Individual Faculty Research and Travel Grant Research Project: "Establishing International Academic Connections with and through the Springfield Sister Cities Association" (student/faculty exchange, Tlaquepaque, Mexico)
• 2008 Foundation Award in Teaching, Missouri State University
• 2007-2009 Faculty Research Grant, MSU Research Project: "Textbook Unit on the Americas - Final Research and Testing"
• 2007-2008 Granted Sabbatical for Spring 2008 semester, Missouri State University
• 2007 Missouri State University Candidate for Professor of the Year
• 2007 Recongized by Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, Annual Alpha Delta Pi Faculty Recognition Reception for contriution to the scholastic efforts of the women of Alpha Delta Pi.
• 2007 Louella Stuck Cline Endowment Award, Missouri State University
• 2006 Excellence in Community Service Award, Missouri State University
• 2006 College Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Arts and Letters, Missouri State University

Courses Taught

• ART 200: Art in Context
• ART 271: History of Western Art I
• ART 273: Art of Africa, Oceania, & the Americas
• ART 385: Art of the Americas *CASL Integrated Service-Learning Course
• ART 386: Art of Africa *CASL Integrated Service-Learning Course
• ART 485: Art of Mesoamerica *CASL Integrated Service-Learning Course
• ART 494: Independent Study in Art History
• ART 495: Internship in Art History
• ART 496/598: Art of the Native American Southwest (with S. Willis)

Office: Ellis Hall 203 A
Phone: 836-6348
Email: BillieFollensbee@missouristate.edu