Crow’s Nest — Feb. 22, 2019
Annual Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture to Feature Discussion on Jackie Robinson
In recognition of Jackie Robinson’s 100th birthday in 2019 (Jan. 31), Arnold Rampersad, Ph.D., the Sara Hart Kimball Professor in the Humanities, Emeritus, at Stanford University, will present a discussion on the life and legacy of Robinson as part of Park University’s 18th annual Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture. The event will be held on Monday, Feb. 25, at the Gem Theater in Kansas City, Mo., starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free to the lecture, but to ensure seating, registration is required at park.edu/spencercave.
Rampersad’s lecture, “Jackie Robinson, American,” will probe the ways in which Robinson’s story is a truly American story, one that reflects both the highs and lows, and the tragedies and triumphs, of U.S. history and culture. It will also illustrate the capacity of the individual American, as exemplified by Robinson, to change the nation in the direction of justice, honor and individual success. Robinson was the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball when he started for the Brooklyn Dodgers at first base in April 1947. Robinson played one season with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945 in the Negro American League. For more information about the lecture, visit park.edu/news/spencer-cave-lecture-2019/.
University receives award from Lenexa Chamber of Commerce
Park University was honored by the Lenexa (Kan.) Chamber of Commerce as its 2018 Company of the Year during a program on Jan. 19. The University, which opened its Lenexa Campus in 2017, was recognized with the following statement: “Their small but mighty staff attends events, and has hosted and sponsored events. Most recently, they went out of their way to make our players feel welcome at the Lenexa Golf Classic. They have been great hosts, allowing the Chamber to use their classroom space for meetings and Leadership Lenexa sessions. One of their dynamic representatives, Mya Lawrence (Lenexa Campus director) was a member of the 2018 Leadership Lenexa class. They have been a great partner for the City as well, holding some of their own events and meetings at the Civic Campus, which is the home of their new satellite campus.” Park President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., accepted the award from Kathy Saunders, 2019 Lenexa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors chair, and Tracy Alber Mattis, a member of the Chamber’s board.
Direct-to-Consumer DNA Tests Focus of Park University’s Johnson Lecture
With a single mouse click, a variety of sophisticated genetic tests are available directly to consumers at a relatively low cost, and advances in human genetics over the past 30 years have enabled the emergence and growth of a “recreational genetics” marketplace. On Tuesday, March 19, Park University will host Bryant McAllister, Ph.D., for a discussion on these direct-to-consumer DNA tests as part of its Johnson Family Lecture Series in Science. The talk will begin at 7 p.m. in the Jenkin and Barbara David Theater within Alumni Hall on the University’s Parkville Campus. Admission to the lecture, the fourth annual event in the series, is free, but registration is requested at park.edu/johnson.
McAllister, an associate professor and the director of the biomedical sciences program in the Department of Biology at the University of Iowa, will introduce the science underlying these tests, reveal potential unintended findings that can result from these tests and consider privacy issues that have arisen from the explosive growth of this industry. Read more about the lecture at park.edu/news/johnson-lecture-2019/.
Park University’s Esports Team Opens Inaugural Season
The Park University esports team held its first-ever match on Jan. 26, opening its inaugural season against No. 3 nationally ranked Columbia College. The Pirates fell to the Cougars 2-0 in a best-of-three series. Taking the “field” in Park’s initial match were seniors Carin Bublitz, Nic Gresham and Laura Passler, junior Jake Watson and sophomore Johnny Carrazco. For more information or to follow the Park esports squad, visit parkathletics.com/sport/0/31.
Annual Fundraising Breakfast for Banneker School Set for Feb. 25
The Banneker School Foundation will host its annual fundraising breakfast on Monday, Feb. 25, at Park University. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. in the Park Distance Learning Conference Center within the Parkville Commercial Underground on the University’s Parkville Campus. The event, in partnership with the University, will include an update related to restoration and fundraising efforts of the historic one-room structure, located at 31 W. 8th Street in Parkville, built in 1885 to educate children of color. Carl Boyd, a pioneer in integration and renowned education consultant, will be the featured speaker. For more information, visit park.edu/news/banneker-school-breakfast-2019/.
Consul General of Japan Visits Parkville Campus
On Jan. 26, Park University hosted Naoki Ito, consul-general of Japan in Chicago, on the Parkville Campus. Ito toured the University’s Nisei exhibit and the recently completed esports Parkade Battleground before concluding his visit with a short private performance by Kyoshiro Hirama, junior applied music/piano major in the International Center for Music. The Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago serves 10 Midwestern states.
Faculty, Staff, Student News
Park University’s Board of Trustees approved tenure and/or promotion for the following faculty at its meeting on Feb. 1, effective with the start of the 2019-20 academic year:
• Julia Creek, Ph.D., assistant professor of international business, approved for tenure and promotion to associate professor of international business
• Geri Dickey, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work, approved for tenure and promotion to associate professor of social work
• Nichole Goergen, instructor of nursing, approved for promotion to assistant professor of nursing
• Stacey Kikendall, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, approved for tenure and promotion to associate professor of English
• Amy Mecklenburg-Faenger, Ph.D., associate professor of English, approved for tenure
• Hank Roehrich, Ph.D., associate professor of management, approved for tenure
• James Vanderleeuw, Ph.D., professor of public administration, approved for tenure
Juan Maza, adjunct instructor of management, has been appointed as the 2019 workforce readiness director of the El Paso (Texas) Society for Human Resource Management.
Patrick Gallegos, senior academic director at Park University’s Camp Pendleton (Calif.) Campus, and Eric Jansen, academic director at Park’s Laughlin Air Force Base (Texas) Campus and adjunct instructor of English, presented a session on “Pirate Patch at Park University: Connecting Military Learners at Remote Campus Sites to a Single, Synchronous Classroom” at the Council of College and Military Educators symposium in Austin, Texas, in January. The session addressed the technical development, implementation and potential of Pirate Patch, the pedagogical and practical benefits to service members and educators, and its implications for other institutions.
An article co-authored by Jolene Lampton, Ph.D., associate professor of management, was published in the February issue of Strategic Finance, a magazine for the Institute of Management Accountants. The article’s title is “Strong Ethics Benefits All Stakeholders.”
An article co-authored by Alla Adams, Ph.D., assistant professor of healthcare administration and director of the Master of Healthcare Administration program, and Harold Griffin, Ph.D., adjunct instructor of healthcare administration, was published in the winter 2019 issue of ACBSP Impact (page 18). The article, “Record Graduate Growth Rates Through Faculty-Led Recruitment and Retention Strategies,” received a Region 5 2018 International Best of Regions Excellence Award from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
Fred Bisel, adjunct instructor of information and computer science, was part of a team honored with a Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Innovation Award on Feb. 5 at the Pentagon. Bisel and his Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic co-workers’ efforts led to the creation of the Cyber Education and Certification Readiness Facility in Charleston, S.C. Read more about the award.
Park in the News
Back in October 2018, an article that focused on experts reviewing if racism played a role in World War I troops being denied the Medal of Honor appeared on The American Legion’s website. The article was recently published in the February issue of The American Legion Magazine. Tim Westcott, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, associate professor of history and associate university archivist, was quoted in the story.
SuEllen Fried, ’75, was highlighted in a “Portrait Sessions” 50-minute interview that aired on KCUR-FM in Kansas City on Jan. 18, as well as a feature story on the KCUR website on Jan. 19. The interview and story focused on life lessons Fried has learned from prison inmates, psychiatric patients and school bullies as an advocate for child abuse prevention and prison reform.
A story about Park University’s offer to assist members of the Coast Guard during the partial government shutdown appeared on the website for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education on Jan. 25. Bill Lawson, director of strategic initiatives and student/Coast Guard Reservist Patrick McCarthy provided comments.
Todd Hunt, ’91, was featured in the “Faces in the Crowd” column for the Clare County (Mich.) Review on Jan. 24. Hunt is an on-air personality and co-host of “The Morning Express with Todd and Dave” on WGDN-FM in Gladwin, Mich. In October 2018, Hunt and his parents were inducted into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame.
A guest column titled “The Wall: Barrier or Symbol?” authored by Thomas Magstadt, Ph.D., adjunct instructor of political science, appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Jan. 26.
John Fierro, ’98, ’01 MPA, was highlighted in a “Faces of Northeast” profile that appeared in the Northeast (Kansas City, Mo.) News on Jan. 29.
Park University and its campus in Gilbert, Ariz., were featured in the Digital State of the Town on Jan. 29. A story, as well as a video that celebrated why people choose to come to Gilbert, appeared in the Gilbert Community Impact newspaper that same day. The 18-minute video includes comments from Jeff Ehrlich, Ed.D., executive director of the Gilbert Campus, and Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., president (their comments start 7:30 into the video).
A story about Gregory Murphy, ’91, being appointed police chief at California State University, Northridge, appeared in on the SCVNews.com website in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Jan. 30.
A feature/preview of a concert on Feb. 10 by Behzod Abduraimov, International Center for Music artist-in-residence, in Vancouver, B.C., appeared in the Vancouver Sun on Jan. 30.
The Park University Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus’ athletics programs were featured in a story that appeared in the East Valley Tribune (Tempe, Ariz.) on Feb. 1. Steve Wilson, director of athletics at the Gilbert Campus, provided comments for the article.
Luke Lewis, adjunct instructor of public administration, who was appointed as city administrator in Knob Noster, Mo., on Jan. 24, was featured in a Feb. 4 article that appeared in the Warrensburg (Mo.) Daily Star-Journal.
Ben Sayevich, professor of music/violin, and Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich, director of collaborative piano, appeared on “Kansas City Live” on KSHB-TV on Feb. 5. The husband-and-wife duo were interviewed and performed to promote their concert on Feb. 9.
A clip from Park University’s River Read Children’s Literature Festival in October 2018 was posted to the “KCPT Kids” page on KCPT-TV on Feb. 7. The clip will also air periodically on KCPT’s Kids channel, 19.4.
Kay Barnes, senior director of university engagement, was featured in a pair of Kansas City area magazines in February. She was the featured “In Conversation…” subject in the February issue of IN Kansas City, and she was highlighted in KC Relo in a feature story on “Kay Barnes on Leadership.”
Frances Moreno, ’94, was featured in the Spotlight E.P. News, a publication based in El Paso, Texas. Moreno was highlighted in section on El Paso Community College “Honoring the Past, Building the Future.”
An opinion article by Bill Nichols, ’60 was published in the Valley News (West Lebanon, N.H.) on Feb. 9. The column was titled “Old-Time Ichthyologist’s Fish Story Throws Light on Climate Change.”
Margherita Marconi, freshman business administration/marketing major and a member of the Park University women’s volleyball team, was featured in an article in Vivere Marche magazine recently in her home country of Italy.
A story featuring Lindsey Edwards, admissions counselor, who donated a kidney to a stranger after seeing a post on Twitter, aired on KMBC-TV in Kansas City on Feb. 12. Edwards saw a tweet by Park University student Allie Braymer, senior nursing major who put out a plea on social media to find a kidney donor for her boyfriend, Gavin Finch. The transplant surgery took place in November; both Edwards and Finch are doing great.
Park University’s esports program and the new Parkade Battleground on the Parkville Campus were featured in live segments that aired on KCTV and WDAF-TV in Kansas City on Feb. 13. Ashley Jones, esports head coach, was interviewed for segments on both stations, and esports students-athletes Laura Passler, senior, and Johnny Carrazco, sophomore, were interviewed for a segment on WDAF-TV.
Bridgett Cochran, ’03, and the fabric design firm she co-owns, Porter Teleo, were featured in CitySceneKC on Feb. 14.
Students in Park University’s International Center for Music performed live in-studio for Kansas Public Radio on Feb. 12 to preview a concert with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra the next evening.
Michael Lester, ’07, co-authored an article on “Cybersecurity Strategies Critical to Production Operations” that appeared as the cover story for the February issue of The American Oil and Gas Reporter.
A story about retired Brig. Gen. Richard Geraci, ’80, being appointed the president of Missouri Military Academy appeared in the Fulton (Mo.) Sun on Feb. 20.
The following Park University degree programs were recently recognized by various websites:
• Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in homeland security was ranked No. 1 on MBACentral.org’s “10 Best Online Law and Security MBA Degree Programs” list.
• Bachelor of Social Work program was listed on HumanServicesEdu.org’s “101 Most Affordable BSW Programs in America” and the Master of Social Work program was listed on the website’s “Most Affordable CSWE-Accredited Master’s in Social Work Programs for 2019-20.”
• Bachelor of Science in criminal justice administration program was listed on Online-Bachelor-Degrees.com’s “15 Best Online Schools for Bachelor’s in Corrections for 2019.
In addition, the University was ranked No. 35 on OnlineCollegePlan.com’s “Top 35 Fastest Online Degree Programs – Accelerated Bachelor’s Degree Options” list. Park was also ranked No. 57 in the country on CollegeFactual.com’s “Best Colleges for Overall Diversity” list.
Upcoming Events
(All events are Central time)
• Through February 28 — Andrea K. Lee and Enid Lee Paintings and Quilts Art Exhibit, Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center)
• February 25 — Banneker School Foundation Annual Fundraising Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., Park Distance Learning Conference Center
• February 25 — Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture: Dr. Arnold Rampersad on Jackie Robinso, 7 p.m., Gem Theater, Kansas City, Mo.
• March 1 — International Center for Music Concert: ICM Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• March 10 — Spring I Term Ends
• March 11-17 — Spring Recess
• March 18 — Spring II Term Begins
• March 19 — Johnson Family Lecture Series in Science: Dr. Bryant McAllister on Direct-to-Consumer DNA Tests, 7 p.m., David Theater (Alumni Hall)
• March 23 — International Center for Music Concert: Pianist Dang Thai Son, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.
• March 25 — Women’s History Month Lecture: Dr. Kim Warren on 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, 3 p.m., McCoy Meetin’ House
• March 27 — Documentary Screening: “Hopes, Dreams and Basketball – Joseph’s Story,” 5:30 p.m., David Theater (Alumni Hall); rescheduled from Feb. 15.
• March 28 — International Center for Music Concert: Violinist Irina Muresanu, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• March 29 — Leaders of Tomorrow Symposium, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Park Distance Learning Conference Center
• April 4 — International Center for Music Concert: Cellist Daniel Veis and Pianist Helena Veisova, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.
• April 12 — International Center for Music Concert: ICM Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
Note: To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics and student life, visit park.edu/calendars/park-events-calendar.html.