The Crow’s Nest — November 4, 2022
Park University to Host Peacebuilding Session
Park University and its Center for Global Peace Journalism will host a session on “Combating Misinformation: Tools and Techniques” as part of the annual Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference on Wednesday, Nov. 9, from noon to 1:15 p.m. at the McCoy Meetin’ House on the University’s flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus. The event is open to the public. The program will include a trio of speakers who will discuss misinformation and disinformation, and how it impacts the academic world, as well as professional journalism. The presentation will include information on how to combat misinformation/disinformation and how to become more enlightened media consumers. A panel discussion and questions-and-answer session will conclude the event. Steven Youngblood, founding director of the CGPJ and associate professor of communication arts at Park University, will be one of the speakers. Read more about the event at park.edu/news/peacebuilding-conference-2022.
Parkville Campus Announces 2022 Homecoming Royalty
As part of Park University’s recent Homecoming Weekend 2022 festivities on the flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus, eight Park students were announced as homecoming royalty during halftime of the men’s soccer match against Baker University on Oct. 1, as voted on by the student body based on how those honored exemplify Park’s core values: accountability, civility and respect, excellence, global citizenship, inclusivity and integrity.
• Seniors: Victoria Olaleye, multimedia journalism/public relations major, and Taylor Shelby, sport exercise science major
• Juniors: Elias Eichhorn, business administration/management major, and Gabriel Soares, sport exercise science major
• Sophomores: Camila Martinho, chemistry major, and Carla Pons, biology major
• Freshmen: Adarsha Pandey, business analytics major, and Matteus Valone, undecided major
International Festival Set for Nov. 18
In celebration of International Education Week, Park University’s Office of International Student Services will host its annual International Festival on Friday, Nov. 18. 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 530 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. Park students and employees on a meal plan can eat free with their Park ID; for the general public, the price for the buffet is $12. For more information about the event, contact Julia Baer, associate director for international education, at julia.baer@park.edu / (816) 584-6857.
Campanella Gallery to Feature Student Clay Art Exhibit
The next art exhibit in the Park University Campanella Gallery’s 2022-23 season will be a showcase of student works, “Hand Studies in Clay,” that will run Thursday, Nov. 10, through Wednesday, Nov. 30. Admission to the Gallery is free. A reception for the artists will be held on Friday, Nov. 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Gallery, which is located within Norrington Center on the University’s flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus. Eighteen Park University students from AR 143 (Three-Dimensional Design) classes taught by Elaina Michalski, assistant teaching professor of fine art, will exhibit their work sculpted from direct observation of the hand to create naturalistic three-dimensional forms using stoneware clay. For Norrington Center hours, visit park.libcal.com/hours.
The Navigator Seeks Student Writing Submissions
Park University’s undergraduate research journal, The Navigator: Excellent Student Writing Across the Disciplines, is asking undergraduate students to consider submitting academic work — from any discipline completed in a Park course during the 2022 calendar year — for possible publication. The publication is designed to highlight the best undergraduate student writing at Park, with an emphasis on the richness and variety of academic research across the University.
To have your work considered for publication, undergraduates should submit their work along with their name, Park ID number, title of the project, the course and name of the instructor for which the project was produced and a short description of the assignment to navigator@park.edu. For more information visit thenav.org.
Faculty, Staff, Student News
In October, an excerpt from a yet-unpublished novel (Take Warning: The Ballad of Sammy Slug) authored by Glenn Lester, assistant professor of English, was selected as the grand prize winner of a novel excerpt contest held by The Masters Review. In the excerpt, readers meet “Sammy Slug” — the protagonist of the novel — a 14-year-old dealing with the recent loss of his father, a decorated cross country coach. Lester won a $3,000 prize and a consultation with a literary agent. On Oct. 7, an interview with Lester about his novel appeared on The Masters Review website.
Kathy Howe, Ph.D., assistant professor of literacy education and director of the Watson Literacy Center, co-authored the article “Decoding SOR Misinformation from A to Z: What Teachers Need to Know” that was published in the winter 2022-23 issue of The Missouri Reader. The article is about professional learning activity for use by K-12 teachers and teacher leaders about the science of reading.
Andrea Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of fine art and director of the Campanella Gallery, had a mixed media artwork, “The Hero’s Journey,” accepted into the Cancer: Never Give Up 2022 online exhibition hosted by Gallerium Art in Canada that runs through Friday, Nov. 11.
Elisha Knapp, a senior multimedia journalism and public relations major, won the informative speaking category at the Derryberry Season Opener in Bolivar, Mo., Oct. 7-8, and she won the same category at Park University’s Riverfest Tournament on Oct. 15.
Hank Roehrich, Ph.D., associate professor of management/marketing, presented a peer-reviewed, refereed paper at the Marketing Management Association’s fall educators conference in San Antonio on Sept. 22. The paper “Online Group Projects: Instructor Path to Creating Student Ownership,” was also co-authored by Nicholas Miceli, Ph.D., associate professor of management/human resources, and Roehrich’s spouse, Julie Grabanski, Ph.D. Roehrich also was a panelist for the session on “Innovations in Teaching Buyer Behavior” on Sept. 23.
Erik Bergrud, chief strategic communications officer, authored the foreward for the recently published book COVID-19, the LGBTQIA+ Community and Public Policy.
Tim Hanrahan, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, presented a session on “Developmental Relationships: An Examination into Student Perceptions of their Relationships with Faculty Members” at the University of New Mexico’s annual Mentoring Conference on Oct. 25. The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceptions of students on the importance of developmental relationships related to teacher satisfaction and retention.
Park in the News
Patti Mitschke, director of Park University’s Randolph Air Force Base (Texas) Campus, was recognized by Viqtory, publishers of G.I. Jobs magazine, on its 2022 Veteran Champions of the Year in Higher Education list (page 10). The list honors champions who go above and beyond in advocating for our nation’s veterans in higher education.
In the same publication (page 16), Park University was recognized by Viqtory as a Military Friendly School for 2022-23, earning a No. 6 ranking in the “Private Schools Not Offering Doctorate” category. This honor was announced by the University earlier this year.
Stories focusing on Park University’s Valor Medals Review Project and the “More Than A Medal” documentary aired on WTOP-FM in the Washington, D.C., region on Oct. 18. Tim Westcott, Ph.D., associate professor of history, director of the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War and associate archivist, Ashlyn Weber, associate director of research and initiatives, and Joshua Weston, associate director of military research, were interviewed for the nearly 30-minute segment.
A cover story that focused on the philanthropic efforts of Nicole Matsoukas, ’98, and her husband appeared in the Little Rock (Ark.) Soirée magazine on Oct. 1.
Matt Harris, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, was interviewed for stories that aired on KSHB-TV in Kansas City on Oct. 5 related to the Kansas gubernatorial debate that same day.
A story about Michail Walker, ’13, MBA ’17, who serves as the business consultant and outreach specialist with the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse’s Wisconsin Small Business Development Center, appeared on the UWL website on Oct. 11. Walker was recently named to the 7 Rivers Alliance’s Rising Stars Under 40 list.
Jack MacLennan, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, co-authored an article published by The Conversation on Oct. 12 on “The Russian Draft Isn’t Likely to Help Vladimir Putin Win the War in Ukraine.”
Triumfia (Houmbie) Fulks, ’14, was announced as a winner of $13,000 as part of a Pure Pitch Rally event in Kansas City on Oct. 17. Fulks founded codeAlgo Academy, which uses gamification to teach coding skills to students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Lynn Richardson, adjunct instructor of fine art, was featured in a story that aired on KMBC-TV in Kansas City on Oct. 18. Richardson’s artwork is among those being displayed at the Liberty (Mo.) City Hall as part of an exhibit that focuses on health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Park University’s Housing Insecurity Summit on Oct. 19 was highlighted on KCTV/KSMO-TV, KMBC-TV/KCWE-TV and WDAF-TV in Kansas City the morning of the event. Tami Radohl, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of social work, was interviewed for stories that aired on KCTV in advance of the event and KMBC-TV following the event.
Casi Joy McCall, ’12 (who goes by the stage name Casi Joy), appeared in a question-and-answer interview for The Honey Pop, a pop culture magazine, on Oct. 25. In the interview, Joy talks about her recently released single, “Business of Breaking Up” and shooting a portion of the music video for the song in Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel on Park University’s flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus.
Janice Teeter, director of the Goodfellow Air Force Base (Texas) Campus and military strategic partnership manager, was one of 23 community leaders who were inducted as 17th Training Wing honorary commanders during a ceremony on Oct. 25 at Goodfellow AFB.
Park University was highlighted in a story that aired on WDAF-TV in Kansas City on Oct. 27 about a new campaign — Hometown U — to bring the University and the city of Parkville, Mo. (home of Park’s flagship campus), closer together and helping brand the community as a college town. Erik Bergrud, chief strategic communications officer, and Kristin Helling, ’12, owner of Parkville Coffee, were interviewed for the story.
CollegeFactual.com announced its 2023 rankings on Oct. 24. Among the highlighted national rankings for Park University:
• Best Colleges for the Money, No. 38 (out of 2,223)
• Best Associate Degree Colleges, No. 49 (out of 1,330)
• Best Colleges for Veterans, No. 58 (out of 2,157)
View all of Park’s rankings at collegefactual.com/colleges/park-university/rankings.
Upcoming Events
(All events are Central time and on the flagship Parkville [Mo.] Campus unless noted)
• November 5 — Columbus (Ohio) Campus Commencement, 9 a.m., Ohio History Center, Columbus, Ohio
• November 6 — Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio) Campus Commencement, 2 p.m., Hope Hotel and Richard C. Holbrooke Conference Center, Dayton, Ohio
• November 9 — Peacebuilding Session: “Combating Misinformation: Tools and Techniques,” noon, McCoy Meetin’ House
• November 10-30 — Student Art Exhibit: “Hand Studies in Clay,” Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center) (Reception: Nov. 18, 2-4 p.m.)
• November 11 — Veterans Day Holiday (all University offices closed nationwide; Parkville [Mo.] and Gilbert [Ariz.] daytime classes cancelled; Fall II classes held as scheduled)
• November 18 — Board of Trustees Meeting, Parkville Campus
• November 18 — International Festival, 5-8 p.m., Park Avenue (Academic Underground)
• November 19 — International Center for Music Concert: Violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.
• November 24-27 — Thanksgiving Holiday (all University offices closed nationwide; Parkville [Mo.] and Gilbert [Ariz.] daytime classes canceled; Fall II classes held as scheduled)
• November 25-27 — Kansas City Symphony Concert with Pianist Behzod Abduraimov, 8 p.m. Nov. 25-26 and 2 p.m. Nov. 27, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas City, Mo.
• December 3 — International Center for Music Concert: ICM Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• December 9 — Ellen Finley Earhart Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 1 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• December 9 — International Sash Ceremony, 5 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• December 11 — Fall II Term / Fall Semester Ends
• December 23-26 — Christmas Holiday Observed (all University offices closed nationwide)
• January 2 — New Year’s Day Holiday Observed (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.