The Crow’s Nest — October 31, 2019
Huynh Appointed AVP of Marketing and Strategic Growth
Park University has appointed Long Huynh, D.B.A., as associate vice president of marketing and strategic growth. Huynh began his role at Park on Oct. 14. As AVP of marketing and strategic growth, Huynh will provide leadership in developing, presenting, achieving and monitoring the University’s strategic enrollment plan, and implementing a comprehensive, integrated marketing approach in support of enrollment goals. He will oversee the University’s digital and brand marketing functions, as well as business development and customer relations management.
Huynh has spent the majority of his professional career in higher education. Prior to joining Park, Huynh served as associate dean of enrollment management and marketing at the Kansas State University Global Campus in Manhattan since 2016. He spent two years (2014-16) as director of graduate and professional education programs and services at California State University, Northridge; seven years (2006-13) as executive director of graduate services and administration at Academy of Art University, San Francisco; and three years (2003-06) as assistant director of international Master of Business Administration programs at California State University, Hayward. Read more about Huynh at park.edu/news/huynh-appointed-avp.
Park University Co-Hosting KC Area Peacebuilding Conference
Park University and two other Kansas City area higher education institutions are co-hosting a conference that will explore how peacebuilders around the world have positively impacted their communities by advocating for human rights. “Human Rights: The Foundation of Peace Building” is the theme for the 2019 Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference. Admission to the conference, which is open to the public, is free, but registration is required.
The second day of the conference (Friday, Nov. 1) will be held at Park University’s Park Distance Learning Conference Center from 1 to 4 p.m. The afternoon will open with an introduction on human rights and journalism and will be followed by discussions on media, human rights and the African American and Latino communities, before concluding with a session on the view of human rights and journalism abroad. For complete information about the conference and to register, visit jccc.edu/conferences/peacebuilding.
Park University to Host Screening of “The Weight of Honor” on Nov. 6
Park University’s Department of Military and Veteran Student Services, home of the Park Global Warrior Center, will host a screening of the documentary “The Weight of Honor” on Wednesday, Nov. 6, starting at 6 p.m. in the Jenkin and Barbara David Theater inside Alumni Hall on the University’s Parkville Campus. Admission to the screening, which is open to the public, is free, but reservations are required at caregivers-homefront.org. Light appetizers will be served beginning at 5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., Shawn Moore, founder and executive director of Caregivers on the Homefront will introduce the documentary. At the conclusion of the film, a panel with four caregivers will hold a discussion and take questions from the audience.
“The Weight of Honor” is the first comprehensive documentary to chronicle the lives of families caring for their catastrophically wounded relatives returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over the course of five years, the film follows the arc of what happens when some of America’s best and strongest volunteer to protect our nation, but return home physically and emotionally broken and disillusioned. What happens when they return is not only a personal journey, but also that of their family caregivers who have no training other than the love for their wounded. “The Weight of Honor” tells their stories of strength, exhaustion, conflict and even humor as they chart a course through the unknown. Read more at park.edu/news/weight-of-honor-documentary.
International Festival Set for Nov. 22
In celebration of International Education Week, Park University’s Office of International Education will host its annual International Festival on Friday, Nov. 22. The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. in the University’s Park Avenue area within the Academic Underground on the Parkville Campus. Admission to the festival is free and open to the public. A buffet dinner will be served for a separate fee. The International Festival will include information booths, performances, cultural activities and fashion shows from countries around the globe, all featuring Park students representing their native country and sharing the unique and diverse characteristics of their homeland. Countries scheduled to be represented include Brazil, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Russia and South Korea. In all, the University boasts 250 students from 55 countries around the globe.
In addition to the festival, an international buffet will be served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. featuring food from more than 10 countries. The price for the buffet is $7 per person for the general public; Park University students eat free with their Park ID. For more information about the event, contact Loy-Ann Harrison, graduate assistant in the Office of International Education, at lharrison@park.edu / (816) 584-6820.
“Park Stories” Initiative Showcases Park Family
The heart and soul of Park University lies within the spirit of the people who represent the institution in the classroom and community. The Office of University Engagement’s “Park Stories” initiative showcases fun and inspiring features highlighting Park University students, faculty, staff and alumni. These stories are shared periodically in The Crow’s Nest. This edition’s installment highlights Xavier Harper, senior fitness and wellness major and a member of the men’s basketball team. Visit advancing.park.edu/just-one-day to read about Harper.
Faculty, Staff, Student News
Zac Jarrard, information technology services project manager, served as a judge in the preliminary round for American Society for Quality’s International Team Excellence Award, Oct. 14-15 in Charlotte, N.C.
Alla Adams, Ph.D. (right), assistant professor of healthcare administration and director of the Master of Healthcare Administration program, and Dana Foster, adjunct instructor of healthcare administration, co-authored an article that appeared in a recent issue of The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society. The article, “Demands on Hospital-Based Chaplains: An Observational Study,” draws attention to healthcare chaplaincy issues that that can impede quality of service and decrease operational efficiency.
Photo collages by William Eickhorst, Ed.D., adjunct instructor of fine art, will be on display as part of an exhibit, “A Neutral World,” at the Tim Murphy Art Gallery inside the Irene B. French Community Center in Merriam, Kan., Thursday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Nov. 30.
Gregory McLaughlin, D.B.A., adjunct instructor of quality management, and Heidi McLaughlin, D.B.A., adjunct instructor of marketing, presented their paper “Generational Perceptions of Innovation: Definition, Meaning and Application” at the International Academic Conference on Business in Las Vegas in October. The paper, which received a best presentation award, is a continuation of their research conducted in 2012 of generational cohorts of information technology professionals in South America and validated the findings of multidimensional constructs based on generational perceptions of innovation.
Park University’s Rho Epsilon chapter of Phi Alpha, the national honor society for social work, received two awards at the Council on Social Work Education’s annual meeting in Denver, Oct. 24-27. The chapter was honored with a national award for chapter service, receiving a $1,000 prize, and Debra Olson-Morrison, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work and chapter adviser, was honored as the Adviser of the Year. In addition, Olson-Morrison presented a workshop on “Pushing Boundaries: Unique Opportunities for Mutually Beneficial Relationships Through University-Based Social Work” and co-presented a workshop on “Understanding Approaches of Infusing Diversity into the Implicit Curriculum: Creating Implementation Strategies.” Tami Radohl, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work, presented a workshop on “Interdepartmental Simulations from Start to Finish: Implementation in Five Easy Steps,” and was a panelist on the session “Disaster Preparedness: How Field Education Can Balance Response and Recovery.” Natasha Swayze, ’19, and pursuing a Master of Social Work degree (pictured with Olson-Morrison), presented a poster on the chapter’s participation in Park’s Pirate Pantry.
Benn Garrett, senior information and computer science/cybersecurity major, was named as a winner of a scholarship from Infosec and CompTIA valued at $13,000. The award provides three cybersecurity training courses and certification vouchers.
Park in the News
A story about Warrant Officer Tommy Rodriguez, senior construction management major at Park University’s Fort Leonard Wood (Mo.) Campus, appeared in the Phelps County (Mo.) Focus on Oct. 11 as he was recognized as the Rolla (Mo.) Area Chamber of Commerce Honoree of the Month.
Park University was featured in live remotes from the Parkville Campus on Oct. 15 on KMBC-TV in Kansas City to promote the River Read Children’s Literature Festival. Kathy Howe, Ph.D., assistant professor of literacy education and director of Park’s Watson Literacy Center, was interviewed for the segments.
Park University baseball assistant coach Bill Sobbe was interviewed for a story that aired on WDAF-TV in Kansas City on Oct. 15 related to the potential sale of the Kansas City T-Bones (American Association) baseball club to a new owner. Sobbe joined the T-Bones as a bench coach in 2012 and took over as the team’s pitching coach in 2014.
Park University men’s and women’s volleyball head coach Mike Talamantes was the focus of a feature article that appeared on VolleyballMag.com on Oct. 16. The article included comments from Talamantes, assistant coach Kaci Crabtree and senior Celina Monteiro.
A story about ghosts on Park University’s Parkville Campus that was produced by KMBC-TV in Kansas City and originally aired in 1989, was posted on the television station’s website on Oct. 17.
Mara Cohara, a member of Park University’s Board of Trustees, was recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal on its “2019 Best of the Bar” list in the Oct. 25 issue. Cohara is an attorney and partner at Lathrop Gage in Kansas City Mo.
Steve Youngblood, associate professor of communication arts and director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism, was interviewed for a podcast that aired on DannyClinkscale.com on Oct. 25. Youngblood discussed the upcoming Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference.
Ryan Shriver, ’18, was featured in the Stars and Stripes Fall 2019 “Servicemember’s Guide to Education and Transition” special section for the Cherry Point (N.C.) Marine Corps Air Station where Park University has a campus.
Vlatko Andonovski, ’08, was selected as the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team on Oct. 28. Stories about Andonovski new job appeared in news outlets around the world, including a story in The Kansas City Star on Oct. 29, which also included an interview with Efrem Shimlis, Park University men’s soccer head coach.
Photos from the Park University International Center for Music’s Stanislav and Friends Benefactor Party were published in the Oct. 26 issue of The Independent, Kansas City’s journal of society.
Kenny Broberg, graduate student in the International Center for Music, appeared in a 9-minute interview that aired on WWNO-FM in New Orleans on Oct. 29 in advance of his performance at the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans’ Nocturne XVII event on Nov. 3.
Gwendolyn Grant, ’94, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, and a member of Park University’s Civic Advisory Council, was selected to 435 Magazine‘s “50 Most Powerful People in Kansas City” on Oct. 29.
A story related to Park University hosting Brent Geary, Ph.D., and his discussion on “Very Secret, Very Cool, but not Aliens: The U-2, the A-12 and Area 51” on Oct. 30 appeared on the WDAF-TV (Kansas City) website that evening. The story included soundbites from Debra Sheffer, professor of history and associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Ozoda Narzullaeva, sophomore information and computer science/software development major, and Stefanie Rettenbacher, graduate student in the Master of Business Administration program.
Park University has received the following ranking:
• Online Master of Business Administration degree in accounting ranked No. 10 on DiscoverBusiness.us’ “10 Most Affordable Online MBA Programs in Accounting for 2020” list.
Upcoming Events
(All events are Central time)
• Through November 22 — Student Military Art Exhibit – “Darkest Hour,” Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center)
• Through November 30 — Park Through the Years Exhibit, Fishburn Archives Exhibit Space
• November 1 — Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference (Day 2), 1-4 p.m., Park Distance Learning Conference Center
• November 2 — Defense Supply Center Columbus (Ohio) Campus Commencement, 9 a.m., Ohio History Connection
• November 3 — Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio) Campus Commencement, 2 p.m., Hope Hotel and Richard C. Holbrooke Conference Center
• November 3 — Parkville Symphonic Band Concert, 3:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• November 6 — “The Weight of Honor” Documentary Screening, 5:30 p.m., David Theater (Alumni Hall)
• November 8 — International Center for Music Concert: ICM Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• November 11 — Veterans Day Holiday (all University offices closed; Parkville Daytime classes cancelled; Fall II classes held as scheduled)
• November 15 — Mountain Home (Idaho) Air Force Base Campus Commencement, noon, 665 Falcon St., Room 108
• November 16 — International Center for Music Concert: Pianist Jan Jiracek von Arnim, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.
• November 22 — International Festival, 5-8 p.m., Park Avenue (Academic Underground)
• November 28-29 — Thanksgiving Holiday (all University offices closed; Parkville Daytime classes cancelled; Fall II classes held as scheduled)
• December 2-31 — Senior Art Exhibition, Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center)
• December 4 — International Center for Music Concert: ICM Chamber, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• December 6 — Charleston (S.C.) Air Force Base Campus Commencement, noon, Education Center Auditorium
• December 13 — Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 10 a.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• December 13 — International Student Sash Ceremony, 5 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• December 14 — Kansas City Area December Commencement, 10 a.m., Community of Christ Auditorium, Independence, Mo.
• December 15 — Fall Semester / Fall II Classes End
• December 24-25 — Christmas Holiday (all University offices closed)
• January 1 — New Year’s Day Holiday (all University offices closed)
Note: To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics and student life, visit park.edu/calendars/park-events-calendar.