The Crow’s Nest — November 3, 2023

Great War Institute Hosting Lecture Event on Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing

Park University’s Great War Institute, a division of the University’s George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War, will host its second Great War Institute Lecture Series event with a discussion on “Pershing of the West: The Formative Days of ‘Black Jack’ Pershing in the American Frontier.” The talk will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 21, starting at 6:30 p.m. at The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Mo., and streamed live. Admission to the event and live stream is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested at theworldwar.org/events.

Presenting the discussion will be Tim McNeese, Ph.D., chair and professor of history at York (Neb.) University, whose areas of expertise include American history, the history of the U.S. West, and 19th century America.

Those familiar with Gen. John J. “Black Jack” Pershing know him as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during the latter days of World War I. But Pershing’s military career began in 1886 with his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (N.Y.) and his first assignments in the American West as a horsebound cavalry officer during the final days of Apache resistance in the Southwest. During the next 30 years, Pershing experienced postings across the West, from the Dakota Territory to Montana and California to Texas. Even Pershing’s prolonged posting in the Philippines was a “Western” experience as the archipelagic country in Southeast Asia represented a new American frontier abroad, even as the frontier days of the American West were closing. All of Pershing’s experiences in the American West prepared him for his ultimate assignment as the top U.S. commander during World War I. For more information about the lecture, visit park.edu/news/black-jack-pershing-lecture.

Scholars @ Work Session Set for Nov. 6

Park University’s Faculty Center for Innovation, in partnership with the McAfee Memorial Library, will host another Scholars @ Work session open to all students, faculty, and staff on Monday, Nov. 6. The session, “Creating a Connected Culture with Dispersed Learners and Faculty, will be held from noon to 12:45 p.m. in the Norrington Center Learning Lab on the University’s flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus and virtually. Register to participate virtually.

Panelists will discuss experiences, insights, and ideas on ways to build a connected culture with geographically dispersed faculty and students. Scheduled panelists are Brandi Handley, assistant teaching professor of English; Jolene Lampton, Ph.D., professor of management/accounting; Brant Winn, Ph.D., associate professor of education; and Sophia Martin, senior elementary education major. The discussion will be moderated by Anne Accardi, digital initiatives and resources librarian.

Park University to Host Annual International Festival on Nov. 17

In celebration of International Education Week, Park University’s Office of International Education will host its annual International Festival on Friday, Nov. 17. The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Park Avenue area within the Mabee Learning Center / Academic Underground on the University’s flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus. Admission to the festival is free and open to the public.

The International Festival will include information booths, performances, cultural activities, and fashion shows featuring countries around the globe, with Park international students representing their native countries and sharing the unique and diverse characteristics of their homeland. Countries scheduled to be represented include Bangladesh, Brazil, China, The Gambia, Ghana, India, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Togo, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. In all, the University boasts more than 500 students from 70 countries. In addition to the festival, an international buffet will be served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. featuring foods from each continent. The price for the buffet is $15 for the public; Park students and employees on a meal plan can eat free with their Park ID.

For more information contact Catherine Geehan, associate director for international education, at catherine.geehan@park.edu / (816) 584-6857.

International Center for Music Continues 2023-24 Concert Season

Park University’s International Center for Music will close out the 2023 portion of its season with a pair of concerts in a span of just a few days. On Thursday, Nov. 30, students of Stanislav Ioudenitch’s piano studio will present a recital at the 1900 Building in Mission Woods, Kan., starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for this concert are $30 for general admission and $10 for students.

On Saturday, Dec. 2, the ICM Orchestra will present a holiday concert featuring a variety of familiar and less-known Christmas selections under the direction of Steven McDonald, director of the orchestra. Admission to this concert is free, but reservations are recommended at icm.park.edu/chapel-rsvp. For more information about the International Center for Music’s concert season, visit icm.park.edu/events-performances.

New Edition of The Peace Journalist Available

The October edition of The Peace Journalist, a publication of Park University’s Center for Global Peace Journalism, is now available. The current issue of the magazine features insightful articles about a seminar in Greece and the role of artificial intelligence in non-violent communication, along with stories from Brazil, Kosovo, Moldova, Pakistan, and Serbia.

Faculty, Staff, Student News

Martha Linscott, Parkville (Mo.) Campus men’s and women’s golf head coach competed in the United States Golf Association’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, Sept. 30 through Oct. 5 at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. Linscott opened the tournament in stroke play, shooting 21-over par over two rounds, placing in a tie for 56th. That was good enough to cut by one stroke to advance to match play. In the round of 64, Linscott, seeded 59th, upset the No. 6 seed 2 and 1 (2 holes up with one to play). Linscott was one down through eight holes before winning two of the next three holes to take a 1-up lead through 11. Her opponent tied the match on the 15th hole, but Linscott won the next two holes, including a birdie on the 16th hole, to win the match. Linscott was knocked out of the tournament in the round of 32, losing 2 and 1. Linscott found herself 3-down after the first four holes. She was able to cut the deficit to 2-down three times down the stretch, including a birdie on the 15th hole, but ties on the 16th and 17th holes gave her opponent, Kim Keyer-Scott, the win. Keyer-Scott eventually advanced to the semifinals.

Zackery Fritz, a sophomore nursing major and a member of Park University’s Parkville (Mo.) Campus esports team, was tabbed as the Heart of America Athletic Conference’s first-ever Esports League of Legends Player of the Year on Oct. 26. Fritz helped lead Park University to the HAAC tournament championship on Oct. 28 as the Pirates, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, pulled off two upsets to win the title.

A trio of Park University criminal justice administration faculty presented at the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association’s annual meeting in Chicago on Sept. 29. Greg Plumb, J.D., professor, was a panelist in the “Constitutional Issues in the Criminal Justice System,” presenting on “Pretrial Identification Methods in Greater Kansas City Area.” The session focused on live lineups, individual show-ups, traditional photo arrays, and modern computer databases used in the last 10 years. Plumb, Dianna Carmenaty (left), Ph.D., assistant professor, and Tamera Jenkins (right), assistant professor, presented a roundtable session on “Criminal Justice Pedagogy Unicorns: Examining the Differences Between Theory and Practice in the Classroom Panel.” The session, moderated by Carmenaty, highlighted the importance of augmenting the faculty with “unicorns” possessing both field experience and a terminal degree to infuse the academic curriculum with vital field expertise.

Brad Kleindl, Ph.D., professor of marketing, presented a session at the Alaska Association for Career and Technical Education Professional Development Conference in Anchorage on Oct. 2. His topic, “Preparing Students for Career Success by Creating Soft Skills Through Innovative Textbook Design,” described how curriculum design can help students develop the soft skills needed to create a competitive workforce. Kleindl also led an Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs accreditation visit to Zhejiang Wanli University’s business school in Ningbo, China, Oct. 11-13.

Jack MacLennan, Ph.D. associate professor of political science, delivered the annual political science lecture at St. Thomas University in Canada on Oct. 12. MacLennan’s lecture, “Old Wars Made New: Lethal Aid and Western Support for Ukraine,” unpacked how a commitment to seeing Ukraine engage in maneuver warfare has shaped the war, defined the geopolitics around its conduct and produced the stagnation of today.

Hank Roehrich, Ph.D., professor of management/marketing, presented a peer-reviewed refereed paper on “Generating Real-World Experience in the Online Marketing Classroom” (pages 1-7) at the Marketing Management Association of Educators fall conference in Orlando, Sept. 27-29. The paper, which presents a strategy for preparing students for future employment opportunities by generating a real-world experience in the online marketing classroom, was co-authored by Nicholas Miceli, Ph.D., associate professor of management/human resources, and Roehrich’s spouse, Julie Grabanski, Ph.D. Roehrich, who is serving his third term on the MMA’s Board of Directors, was also a panelist for the session “Effective Online Teaching Techniques.”

Steve Youngblood, associate professor of communication arts and director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism, was a co-panelist on a virtual event for the International Center for Journalists on Oct. 19. The session, “The Israel – Gaza Conflict: What Journalists Covering War Should Know,” was presented to help journalists better cover the crisis and other similar crises. In addition, Youngblood presented a virtual program on “What’s Happening in Moldova” for the International Relations Council on Oct. 25. Youngblood is teaching this academic year as a Fulbright Scholar at Moldova State University in the capital city of Chisinau.

Greg Plumb, J.D., professor of criminal justice administration, was honored by the Missouri Municipal League and the City of Parkville, Mo., with a Civic Leadership Award during an event on Oct. 26 in Liberty, Mo. The award was presented to Plumb for his outstanding leadership and dedication.

A technology startup, STATSdraft, founded by Melody Alexander, adjunct instructor of communication studies and The Stylus advisor, and her husband, Topher Enneking, was among the eight competitors as part of the 2023 Pure Pitch Rally in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 23. The business is a gaming app that uses analytics to help users build teams based on disciplines they believe create a winning culture, ultimately deepening their understanding of, and relationship with, sports. The business received $3,000 from investors.

Four Park University students presented at the Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas Women in Computing Conference in Lenexa, Kan., on Oct. 28. Somika Ganesh, junior information and computer science major, presented a poster on “My Experience in Using ChatGPT and GPTZero.” Yvette Karanja, junior cybersecurity major, presented research on “Vulnerability Management and Network Security” and was a panelist for the session on “Internship – Industry. Marina Perdiguero Martin, sophomore information and computer science major was a co-presenter of a poster on “Discrete Mathematics and ChatGPT.” Pawinee Sukasem, a junior information and computer science major, presented a poster on “Have You Ever Seen the Golden Ratio Around You?” Wen Hsin, Ph.D., professor of computer science, served as the program chair for the conference.

Park in the News

Bob Kendrick, ’85, participated in a 60-minute conversation with Frank Boal, Kansas City broadcasting legend, for Boal’s new “There’s Just Something About Kansas City” podcast on Oct. 3. Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, recalls his rise as a Park University basketball player to working at The Kansas City Star and his role at the NLBM.

Kay Barnes, senior director for university engagement, was also interviewed by Boal for a 70-minute conversation on his “There’s Just Something About Kansas City” podcast on Oct. 10. Barnes, who was elected as the first female mayor of Kansas City in 1999, talks about what she learned from her famous cousin, Walter Cronkite, and about breaking the glass ceiling for women in politics in Kansas City.

Silvia Byer, Ph.D., professor of modern languages, was featured in a story that aired on WDAF-TV in Kansas City on Oct. 5 related to her fight and survival after being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2019 and the subsequent clinical trial she participated in.

Jack MacLennan, Ph.D. associate professor of political science, was interviewed for stories that aired on KMBC-TV in Kansas City on Oct. 9 related to the history of Israel and Palestine, and what led up to the war that began days earlier.

Nikki Pauls DeSimone, assistant professor of social work, Diane Simpson, assistant teaching professor of education, and Linda Tavakoli, ’23, and graduate student pursuing a Master of Social Work degree, were interviewed on KCUR-FM’s “Up To Date” in Kansas City on Oct. 20 related to poverty simulation event Park University hosted in late September.

A story about Michael Morrison, ’94, appeared in the City-County Observer, a newspaper in Evansville, Ind., on Oct. 22. Morrison, who serves as the director of procurement and risk management at Vincennes University, was honored with the Ralph W. Adams Jr. Supplier Diversity Trailblazer Award by the Indiana Department of Administration’s Division of Supplier Diversity in October 2023. Morrison was recognized for transforming VU’s procurement landscape by fostering an inclusive environment that empowers underrepresented suppliers and businesses.

Park University was well-represented in a special edition September issue of the 2023 Ingram’s 250, a list of the most powerful business leaders in Greater Kansas City, according to the Kansas City business magazine. Among those selected were: Mitzi Cardenas, executive chief administrative officer at University Health and member of Park’s Board of Trustees; Matt Malott, ’01, president and chief executive officer at Multivac U.S.; Jeanette Prenger, ’09, founder and chief executive officer of ECCO Select, and past member of Park’s Board of Trustees; and Brad Skinner, ’99, president/CEO of Milbank Manufacturing.

ECCO Select, a Kansas City, Mo., information technology talent acquisition and advisory consulting company whose founder, president, and chief executive officer is Jeanette Prenger, ’09 (and former Park University Board of Trustees member), ranked No. 38 on the Kansas City Business Journal’s list of family-owned businesses (published Oct. 6), based on 2022 revenue.

Vlatko Andonovski, ’08, was the focus of a Kansas City Star column on Oct. 23. Andonovski, former head coach of the U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team, was appointed head coach and sporting director of the Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League that same day.

Roger Reich, ’03, and former director of Park University’s Minot (N.D.) Air Force Base Campus, was featured on KXNews in Minot on Oct. 25 as part of the television station’s “Veterans Voices” series.

Andrea Maggio, ’19, and former Park University Parkville (Mo.) Campus men’s volleyball player, was featured in a story on the Volleyball England website on Oct. 27. Maggio is a member of the IBB Polonia London Volleyball Club in England’s National Volleyball League’s Super League.

Matt Harris, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, was interviewed for stories aired on KMBZ-FM in Kansas City on Oct. 30 related to the race for Missouri governor.

Park University was ranked by Intelligent.com on 24 different national lists on Oct. 25, including the following top 20 lists: Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Psychology Programs, No. 5; Best Online Construction Management Degree Programs, No. 12; Quickest Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs, No. 14; Best Online Master of Business Administration in Project Management Degree Programs, No. 14; Best Online Graduate Certificate in Finance Programs, No. 14; Best Online Associate in Criminal Justice Programs, No. 15; Best Online Associate in Liberal Arts Programs, No. 15; Best Online Associate in Computer Science Programs, No. 16; Best Online Bachelor’s in Information Systems Security Programs, No. 17; Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Computer Science Programs, No. 19; and Best Online Master’s in Security Degree Programs, No. 20.

Park University was listed by Forbes Advisor on its “Best Online Educational Technology Master’s Degree of 2023” list on Oct. 4.

DegreeChoices.com ranked Park University No. 50 among Midwestern colleges/universities on its “Best Colleges in the Midwest” list and No. 44 on its “Best Online Accounting Degrees.”

PublicServiceDegrees.org ranked Park University No. 3 on its “Best Online Homeland Security Degrees” list; No. 7 on its “Best Online Criminal Justice Associate Degree Programs” list; and No. 13 on its “Best Online Psychology Degree Programs” list.

Upcoming Events

(All events are Central time and on the flagship Parkville [Mo.] Campus unless noted)
          •  Through December 8 — Art Exhibit: Merrick Henry Digital Designs, Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center)
          •  November 4 — Columbus (Ohio) Campus / Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio) Campus Commencement, 9 a.m., Ohio History Connection, Columbus
          •  November 6 — Scholars @ Work: “Creating a Connected Culture with Dispersed Learners and Faculty,” noon, Norrington Center Learning Lab and Virtual
          •  November 10 — Veterans Day Holiday (observed; all University offices closed nationwide; Parkville [Mo.] Campus and Gilbert [Ariz.] Campus daytime classes canceled; Fall II term classes held as scheduled)
          •  November 12 — Parkville Symphonic Band Fall Concert, 3 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
          •  November 17 — International Festival, 5-8 p.m., Park Avenue (Mabee Learning Center/Academic Underground)
          •  November 21 — Great War Institute Lecture Series: “Pershing of the West: The Formative Days of ‘Black Jack’ Pershing in the American Frontier,” 6:30 p.m., World War I Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, Mo.
          •  November 23-26 — Thanksgiving Holiday (all University offices closed nationwide; Parkville [Mo.] Campus and Gilbert [Ariz.] Campus daytime classes canceled; Fall II term classes held as scheduled)
          •  November 30 — International Center for Music Concert: Park ICM Piano Studio, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.
          •  December 1 — Board of Trustees Meeting, Parkville Campus
          •  December 2 — International Center for Music: ICM Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
          •  December 8 — Ellen Finley Earhart Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 2 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
          •  December 10 — Fall Semester / Fall II Term Ends
          •  December 22-25 — Christmas Holiday (all University offices closed nationwide)
          •  January 1 — New Year’s Day Holiday (all University offices closed nationwide)

To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics and student life, visit park.edu/calendars/park-events-calendar.