The Crow’s Nest — September 4, 2024
Park University Named To Money’s “Best Colleges” List
Park University has been named to Money magazine’s “Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs.” In conjunction with College Factual, Money weighed affordability alongside quality metrics, including graduation rates and employment outcomes, to highlight the best-value colleges. Park is one of just 86 schools across the country on the list. Among the schools listed, Park ranked 18th on estimated annual price and 20th on average early career salaries. Park is the only college/university in the Kansas City region on the list. For more information about the methodology, visit money.com/best-online-colleges/methodology.
In addition, Niche ranked the University No. 100 on its 2024 “Safest College Campuses in America” list and No. 1 on the “Safest College Campuses in Missouri” list.
Park University Alumni Association Announces Honorees of 2024 Annual Awards
The Park University Alumni Association has announced the 2024 honorees of its four annual awards. A ceremony recognizing the recipients, along with the University’s 2024 Athletics Wall of Honor awardees (announced in June), will be held as part of Park’s Homecoming and Parents Weekend festivities on Friday, Sept. 27, starting at 3 p.m. in Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel on the University’s flagship Parkville Campus.
Following the awards ceremony, the plaques recognizing the Athletics Wall of Honor recipients will be unveiled at 4:15 p.m. in the hallway adjacent to the 6th Street entrance to the Mabee Learning Center/Academic Underground, followed immediately by a reception. These events are open to the public.
The 2024 Park University Alumni Association awards honorees:
• Distinguished Alumnus Award — This award, which recognizes Park alumni who have distinguished themselves through career service or community achievements, will be presented to Ricky Godbolt, ’93, Ed.D. (left)
• Torchlighter Award — This award is given to honor individuals who have made significant, long-standing contributions and commitment to Park University, whether alumni, faculty or friend. The recipient of this year’s award is Tom Peterman, Ph.D. (above right), who served the University for 21 years as vice president for distance learning and as a library director.
• Marlowe Sherwood Memorial Service Award — This award is presented to Park University alumni in recognition of volunteer service to community and/or civic organizations. The award is named in honor of Marlowe Sherwood, ’63, who exemplified the school motto of Fides et Labor (faith and labor). This year’s recipient is Jack Satter, ’71 (left).
• Park Promising Young Professional Award — This award recognizes a Park University alumna/alumnus who graduated from Park within the last 10 years, is under the age of 40 and shows exceptional leadership promise in his or her profession and community. This year’s recipient is Master Sgt. Corey Holt, ’19, MPA ’22 (above right).
Read all about this year’s recipients at park.edu/news/alumni-awards-2024.
Hamilton to be Honored with University’s Paul H. Gault Service Award
Park University’s Office of Academic Affairs will honor John Hamilton, Ph.D., professor emeritus of criminal justice administration, as the recipient of the 2024 Paul H. Gault Service Award. A ceremony recognizing Hamilton will be held on Thursday, Sept. 26, starting at 1 p.m. in the Jenkin and Barbara David Theater inside Alumni Hall on the University’s Parkville (Mo.) Campus. The award is presented annually to a retired Park University faculty or staff member who provided a minimum of 15 years of distinguished service to the University, with special consideration given to individuals who held volunteer leadership positions within the University or in the community as a University representative. This award is named Gault, ’65, MPA ’88, whose dedicated service to Park spanned more than five decades.
Hamilton retired from Park University in 2022 after 23 years of service, but he continues to serve the University as an adjunct instructor of criminal justice administration. Over his Park career, Hamilton served the University in numerous roles, including as chair of the Department of Criminal Justice Administration, was president of the University’s Faculty Federation and served as head marshal during the University’s commencement and opening convocation ceremonies. Prior to joining Park, Hamilton was a Kansas City, Mo., police major. Read more about Hamilton at park.edu/news/gault-award-2024.
Hauptmann Lecture to Focus on Improving Administrative Burdens in Government
A presentation on “Administrative Burdens: A Framework for Improving Government” will be the focus of Park University’s 32nd annual Dr. Jerzy Hauptmann Distinguished Guest Lecture Series event on Thursday, Sept. 12, starting at noon. The lecture will be livestreamed, but registration is required at register.gotowebinar.com/register/3864626580759197792.
The speaker will be Donald Moynihan, Ph.D. Moynihan recently joined the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, and on Jan. 1, 2025, he will become the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy. Previously, Moynihan served as the chair of public policy at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy since 2018.
According to Moynihan, administrative burdens are the everyday frictions that people encounter when they engage with public services. He added that governments are increasingly interested in ways to identify and reduce these burdens. During the talk, Moynihan will discuss how research on burdens can inform and improve policy implementation. For more information about Moynihan and the lecture, visit park.edu/news/hauptmann-lecture-2024.
Fishburn Archives Hosting Pirate Chats
Park University’s Frances Fishburn Archives and Special Collections will be hosting a series of Pirate Chats related to the University’s nearly 150-year history as Park will celebrate its sesquicentennial during the 2025 calendar year. Tim Westcott, Ph.D., professor of history, associate university archivist, and director of the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War, will present the chats virtually via the University’s YouTube page, youtube.com/@parkuniversityvideos.
The first event, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, starting at 7:30 p.m., will be on “Sojourners to Mission Disrupted by Internment.” The Japanese military, within hours of the attack on Pearl Harbor, invaded the American territory of the Philippines and by early May 1942, captured the island. On Jan. 2, 1942, Japanese forces entered Manila and began interning foreigners, including 3,200 Americans at the University of Santo Tomas Internment Camp. By May 1943, due to overcrowding, internees, including 1,527 Americans, were transferred to a new facility named Los Banos. The transferred Americans included Park alumni Rev. Herbert Blair, 1901; Rev. Roy and Nellie (Pollock) Brown, both 1901; Dr. James and Ethel (Robinson) Chapman, both 1907; and Rev. H. Hugh Bousman, 1917. In late February 1945, led by U.S. Army Airborne and Filipino guerrilla forces, the Los Banos camp was liberated. Unfortunately, not all of the Park alumni survived. For more information on the Los Banos raid, visit militaryhistorynow.com/2019/11/26/raid-on-los-banos-the-ww2-prison-camp-rescue-that-history-forgot.
Park University 2024 Golf Scramble Set for Oct. 14
The 2024 Park University Golf Scramble, a four-person tournament that benefits the University’s Parkville Campus athletics programs, is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 14, at The National Golf Club of Kansas City. Golfers get on the course with a shotgun start at 10 a.m., with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Registration fees are $1,000 per four-person team, and a variety of sponsorship packages are available, ranging in price from $1,500 to $5,000. Entries include 18 holes of golf with a cart, box lunch on the course, driving range access prior to the event, on-course games and contests, refreshments and flight prizes. To register for the tournament or for more information, visit park.edu/golf. For questions about the tournament or sponsorship levels, contact Celeste Lupercio, director of corporate and foundation relations, at celeste.lupercio@park.edu / (816) 584-6399.
Summer/Fall 2024 Edition of The Archives Now Available
The summer/fall 2024 issue of The Archives magazine, a publication focusing on Park University’s Frances Fishburn Archives and Special Collections, has been published. This edition of The Archives includes a cover story on Spencer Cave, a 70-plus year employee of Park College who was known as the “Caretaker of Park.” Additional featured articles are related to recent acquisitions the Archives has received from donors; a visit to then Park College in 1908 by William Jennings Bryan, who served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1913-15; Park’s involvement with the U.S. Navy’s V-12 program; the recently named Angeline Washington Elementary School in the Park Hill (Mo.) School District; the typhoid epidemic of 1909-10; and a story on the “Day of Infamy” from World War I.
Pirates Women’s Volleyball Ranked in 100th Straight Poll
On Aug. 14, the Park University Parkville (Mo.) Campus women’s volleyball program began the 2024 season as the No. 8 team in the country as the NAIA announced its preseason top 25 poll. The Pirates hold the longest active streak in the NAIA as Park has been ranked in 100 consecutive top 25 polls. Through Sept. 1, the Pirates had a 4-2 record on the season.
Campanella Gallery Kicks Off 2024-25 Season with an Exhibit by Cody Page
The Campanella Gallery at Park University has opened its 2024-25 season with an exhibit of illustrations and paintings by Cody Page. The exhibit, “Studio Illustration: Page Studio 24,” runs through Thursday, Oct. 31. Page considers illustration as a decorative art with a practical function. Much of Page’s work is inspired, in part, by Gustave Corubet’s realism and Eugene Delacroix’s romanticism. Learning from these two Golden Age artists, Page enjoys painting a story on a single, two-dimensional surface. For more information about the exhibit, including gallery hours, visit park.edu/news/page-exhibit.
Park ICM to Collaborate with NAVO Arts for 2024-25 Season Opening Concert
Park ICM to Collaborate with NAVO Arts for 2024-25 Season Opening ConcertPark University’s International Center for Music will kick off its 2024-25 season with a concert in collaboration with Overland Park, Kan., based NAVO Arts on Friday, Sept. 20, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Mo. The concert will feature world-renowned pianist and Park ICM Artist-in-Residence Behzod Abduraimov (left) and Shah Sadikov, ’12 (right), NAVO Arts founder, chief executive officer and conductor, along with the Park ICM Orchestra and NAVO Arts musicians. For more information about the concert, including tickets, visit park.edu/news/icm-abduraimov-navo-concert.
The next performance in the Park ICM 2024-25 season will be a concert by pianist Ilya Shmukler, Park ICM graduate student, on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the 1900 Building in Mission Woods, Kan. Shmukler was the winner (along with four additional prizes) of the 2024 Concours Géza Anda Piano Competition in June in Zurich, Switzerland, and a finalist at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas.
Register for ParkAlert — the University’s Emergency Alert System
With the start of winter weather arriving across the country in the coming months, Park University students, faculty and staff nationwide are encouraged to sign up for ParkAlert, a mass notification system that can alert the University community with time-sensitive messages via text, voice and e-mail. ParkAlert will be used to notify the University community with important/urgent/emergency messages and/or weather-related alerts and updates; it is not used for advertising or other unsolicited content. ParkAlert is designed to allow participants to choose the Park University campus they attend (or is in their area) and receive messages related only to that specific campus. ParkAlert adds another immediate notification mechanism to the University’s existing methods for alerts. The following are the available alert options:
• Short Message Service (SMS)/Text — Text message alerts to the mobile phone(s) that you register in the system.
• Voice — Similar to the text message, this service delivers a voice alert to your registered phone(s)
• E-Mail — An e-mail alert is sent to your registered e-mail address. (It is suggested that you register an e-mail address that is not a Park University account since the Office of Strategic Communications or the Office of Campus Safety may send an extended e-mail message to your Park e-mail address.)
To register, visit park.edu/about-park/campus-safety/park-alerts. If you previously registered, it is suggested that you verify your information and correct options by signing in to your account at park.omnilert.net/subscriber.php. After registering, please verify that you are signed up to the proper group(s) by selecting one or more campus centers. For those in the Kansas City area, it is recommended that you choose at least one campus (Parkville and/or Independence) AND the “All Kansas City Area Campuses” group.
Faculty, Staff, Student News
Cassie Werle, assistant teaching professor of nursing, earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Regis College in Massachusetts in August. Werle’s dissertation was on “The Big Three: Can Nursing Students Increase Their Knowledge and Understanding of Critical Thinking, Clinical Judgement and Clinical Reasoning?”
Martha Linscott, Park University Parkville (Mo.) Campus men’s and women’s golf head coach, competed in the 2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, Aug. 1-4 at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Pa. Linscott shot an 11-over par 153 over the first two rounds to miss the cut by two strokes. She was under the cut line by a stroke after a birdie on the 13th hole in the second round, but a double-bogey and bogey on the next two holes moved her over the cut line. Linscott earned a spot in the USSWO by shooting a four-over par 74 to finish in a tie for third in a qualifying event in early July at Diamond Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the third straight year Linscott has qualified for the USSWO.
Tim Westcott, Ph.D., professor of history, director of the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War and associate university archivist, authored the article “A Stranger in my Own Land” that was published in a recent MOHumanities special issue. The article was related to the University’s Nisei (second generation American-born Japanese with U.S. citizenship) students during World War II.
Andrea Hendricks, Ed.D., who was recently elected to Park University’s Board of Trustees, served as a panelist at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Power of Diversity breakfast on Aug. 2 in Kansas City, Mo. Hendricks was a part of a “Where Are They Now?” conversation with past GKCCC Ace Award honorees who discussed practical solutions to the pushback and resistance to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, as well as how to sustain best practices in creating communities of belonging.
Amber Dailey-Hebert, Ph.D., director of the Faculty Center for Innovation and professor of organizational leadership and adult learning, was invited by Coursera to serve as a subject matter expert and to develop a series of content for a short course on “Fostering Psychological Safety.” In addition, Dailey-Hebert was a facilitator lead for the Educause Digital Learning Transformation Institute this summer.
Wen Hsin, Ph.D., professor of information and computer science, presented a paper on “Fostering Creativity and Engagement Through Applied Problem Solving in Online Discrete Mathematics Course” at the International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies this summer in Palma, Spain. The paper explores an innovative way through an assignment to promote creativity, engagement and practical application of theoretical concepts within an online discrete mathematics course.
Park University Parkville (Mo.) Campus baseball players Luis Gonzalez and Gilberto Torres were both selected by the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation as members of the national U-23 team for the Baseball World Cup, held Sept. 5-15 in Shaoxing, China. Gonzalez and Torres are among the 13 position players on the 24-player roster.
Park in the News
Two Park University families were the featured cover story in the July and August editions of Staley Neighbors, a publication for residents of a Kansas City, Mo., neighborhood. The August issue highlighted Dougie, ’13, and Jamie (Phipps) Martinson, ’11, while the July issue highlighted Robert, ’04, and Irina (Kobzeva) Pavlovic, ’04, MPA ’11.
Jeanette Prenger, ’09, a former chair of Park University’s Board of Trustees, was named to the “Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri for 2024” by Women We Admire in August. Prenger is the founder, chief executive officer and president of ECCO Select, a talent acquisition and consulting company based in Kansas City, Mo.
Matt Harris, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, was interviewed for a story that aired on KCTV in Kansas City on Aug. 5 related to allegations of dark money and dirty politics in the Jackson County (Mo.) prosecutor’s race.
The next evening (Aug. 6), Harris participated in live, in-studio interviews on KCTV to provide expert opinion on the Missouri governor race, the Jackson County prosecutor’s race, police funding in Kansas City, Mo., and the Taylor Swift effect in national elections. The following day (Aug. 7), Harris was interviewed by KCTV for a specific story related to Swift’s political influence.
Also on Aug. 6, Harris was interviewed live on KCUR-FM (Kansas City’s NPR affiliate) related to the announcement that Vice President Kamala Harris had selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in this fall’s presidential election.
On Aug. 7, Harris was interviewed by KSHB-TV in Kansas City related to the Missouri governor’s race.
Harris was interviewed by KMBZ-FM in Kansas City for stories that aired on Aug. 13 related Missouri voters passing a statewide amendment that requires the City of Kansas City, Mo., to give 25 percent of its budget to the Kansas City Police Department.
On Aug. 18, Harris was interviewed for stories that aired on KCTV related to the start of the Democratic National Convention.
Harris, along with two students in his PO 200 (American National Government) class, Kareem Salame, freshman information and computer science major, and Ava Villarreal, freshman undecided major, were the focus of a story that aired on KSHB-TV in Kansas City on Aug. 20. The story was related to political science educators using current historical events as part of the curriculum.
Another story with Harris and two other students in a second section of his PO 200 class, Kyler Meinhardt, sophomore management major, and Michael Uhler, junior corporate financial management major, aired on KCTV on Aug. 29, related to Missouri voters showing favorability to proposed state constitutional amendments.
Bob Kendrick, ’85, appeared on the “In the Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” podcast on Aug. 11. Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., talked about his journey to Park University, the NLBM and the growing respect for the Negro Leagues with statistics being added to Major League Baseball records.
Kay Barnes, who recently retired from Park University as senior director of university engagement, participated in a 50-plus minute conversation on Danny Clinkscale’s “Reasonably Irreverent” podcast that was posted on Aug. 16. The interview covered Barnes’ life, as well as her time as the first female mayor of Kansas City, Mo., from 1999-2007.
Aubrie (Burkhalter) Harris, ’23, was featured in a story that aired on KSHB-TV on Aug. 20. The story focused on Harris, who is in her first year of teaching in the Liberty (Mo.) School District, and another teacher who is in her 25th year of teaching.
James Isom, a member of Park University’s Civic Advisory Council, was highlighted in Midwest Contractor on Aug. 20 as he was appointed business unit leader for McCownGordon Construction in Kansas City, Mo.
Ilya Shmukler, graduate student in Park University’s International Center for Music, participated in a two-part, 18-minute interview that aired on K297BI / WFUN-FM-HD2 in St. Louis on Aug. 22. Part one of the interview previewed Shmukler’s recital concert on Aug. 24 in St. Louis, while part two was a discussion of Shmukler’s victory at the Concourse Géza Anda Piano Competition in Zurich, Switzerland, in June.
Merideth Rose, ’06, MPA ’08, and a member of Park University’s Board of Trustees, was recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal on its 2024 list of “Women Who Mean Business” on Aug. 23. The award honors women with notable career achievements who carve out time to give back to the community and help other women advance their careers. Rose is the president and chief executive officer at Cornerstones of Care, a behavioral health agency in Kansas City, Mo.
Upcoming Events
(All events are Central time and on the flagship Parkville [Mo.] Campus unless noted)
• Through October 31 — Art Exhibit: “Studio Illustration: Page Studio 24,” by Cody Page, Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center)
• September 4 — International Center for Music Recital: Pianist Tatiana Dorokhova, 7 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• September 6 — Camp Pendleton (Calif.) Campus Commencement Ceremony, noon, Pendleton Theater and Training Center
• September 6 — Ellen Finley Earhart Department of Nursing White Coat Ceremony, 2 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• September 10-12 — Enrollment and Student Services Conference, Parkville Campus and Virtual
• September 12 — Dr. Jerzy Hauptmann Distinguished Guest Lecture: Dr. Donald Moynihan, noon, Virtual
• September 19 — International Talk Like A Pirate Day
• September 19 — Board of Trustees Meeting, Virtual
• September 20 — International Center for Music Concert: Pianist Behzod Abduraimov / NAVO Arts, 7:30 p.m., Folly Theater, Kansas City, Mo.
• September 26-28 — Homecoming and Parents Weekend, Parkville Campus
• September 26 — Paul H. Gault Service Award Ceremony, 1 p.m., David Theater (Alumni Hall)
• September 27 — Alumni Association Awards / Athletics Wall of Honor, 3 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• September 27 — Wall of Honor Unveiling, 4:15 p.m., Inside 6th Street Entrance to Mabee Learning Center/Academic Underground
• October 1 — Frances Fishburn Archives and Special Collections Pirate Chat: “Sojourners to Mission Disrupted by Internment,” 7:30 p.m., Virtual
• October 5 — International Center for Music Concert: Pianist Ilya Shmukler, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.
• October 6 — Fall I Term Ends
• October 7-13 — Fall Recess (no classes held nationwide; all University offices nationwide open)
• October 14 — Fall II Classes Begin
• October 14 — Park University Golf Scramble, 10 a.m., The National Golf Club of Kansas City
• October 18 — Austin (Texas) Campus Commencement Ceremony, 7 p.m., Austin Stone Northwest Campus Auditorium
• October 24 — International Center for Music Concert: Stanislav Ioudenitch Piano Studio, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.
To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics and student life, visit park.edu/calendars/park-events-calendar.