The Crow’s Nest — September 7, 2021
Hauptmann Lecture to Feature Talk on Effective Governance in Public Administration
A presentation on “Public Administration’s Triple Bottom Line: People, Process and Performance,” will be the focus of Park University’s 29th annual Dr. Jerzy Hauptmann Distinguished Guest Lecture on Thursday, Sept. 9, starting at noon. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the lecture will be held virtually for the second year in a row. To register, visit park.edu/hauptmannlecture. After registering, information will be sent with instructions on how to access the event.
This year’s Hauptmann Lecture keynote speaker will be Mary Guy, Ph.D., professor of public administration at the University of Colorado, Denver. Guy’s presentation will link public administration’s triple bottom line — people, process and performance — to effective governance. According to Guy, social equity, democratic ideals and meaningful public services hang in the balance. She will explore how the triple bottom line reflects stewardship of the common good and advancement of civil society. Read more about Guy and the Hauptmann Lecture at park.edu/news/hauptmann-lecture-2021.
International Center for Music Announces 2021-22 Concert Season
Park University’s International Center for Music has announced its 2021-22 concert season with a series of nine events. Kicking off the season will be a performance by Kenny Broberg, ICM graduate student and recent winner of the American Pianists Awards, in concert with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra on Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Mo.
The season schedule also includes performances by The Boston Trio, violinist Elmar Oliveira, and Park ICM faculty and students, including violinist Ben Sayevich and pianist Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich, and pianists Stanislav Ioudenitch and Behzod Abduraimov. Check out the schedule of performances at icm.park.edu/events-performances.
Park University Co-Hosting 2021 KC Area Peacebuilding Conference
Park University and its Center for Global Peace Journalism are again co-hosting the Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference. This year’s conference theme, “Peacebuilding: Healing Our Polarized Societies,” will feature three events in a mix of both in-person and virtual discussions. The conference kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 16, at 1 p.m. with a virtual presentation by Michael Collins, executive director of The Americas at the Institute for Economics and Peace based in Sydney, Australia. Collins will discuss “Positive Peace: Empowering the Peacebuilder We Each Have Within.” On Wednesday, Oct. 6, starting at noon in Park University’s Park Distance Learning Conference Center (and available virtually), Mará Rose Williams, higher education reporter at The Kansas City Star, will present a discussion on “Media as a Tool to Heal Polarized Societies.” The conference ends on Wednesday, Oct. 27, as Rev. Donna Simon, D.Min., pastor at St. Mark Hope and Peace Lutheran Church in Kansas City, Mo., presents “Healing Polarized Societies Through Equitable Pay.” Admission to all events is free. For more information, visit about the individual events, visit park.edu/news/peacebuilding-conference-2021 or jccc.edu/conferences/peacebuilding.
Register to Receive ParkAlerts!
Park University students, faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up for ParkAlert, a mass notification system that can alert the University community with time-sensitive messages via text, voice, e-mail and social media. 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.
To register and/or for more information, visit park.edu/park-alert. If you registered prior to August 2020, you must re-register as all previously registered accounts were purged from the system last year. If you registered after August 2020, it is suggested that you verify your information and options by signing in to your account at park.omnilert.net/subscriber.php.
Faculty, Staff, Student News
Sarah Weygand, ’16, and past Park University director of military and veteran student services, was honored by G.I. Jobs as a 2021 Veteran Champion of the Year in Higher Education in its August issue. Weygand, who was nominated by Park University staff prior to her leaving the University earlier this year, was recognized as being a tireless advocate for the success of America’s military and veteran students.
Donna Jean, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, was honored by Wiley’s Academic and Professional Learning Organization on Aug. 26 as part of its Woman’s Equality Day celebration as she was named to Wiley’s STEM Hall of Femme. The Hall of Femme highlights women who are making a difference in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, and blaze a trail to enable future success for women in STEM. Jean was chosen for her commitment to leveling the playing field for all students by providing them the individualized attention and personalized learning path needed for success. The Wiley colleague who nominated Jean said “she makes it a point to help students by sharing her own personal experiences, telling students how she actually failed her first chemistry class and how she persevered.”
Park University’s Office of Academic Affairs recognized four members of the University’s faculty and staff during the Fall Faculty Conference in August as part of its Academic Affairs Celebrates Excellence campaign. The program honors faculty and staff who embody excellence in teaching, scholarship and/or service to Park students. The profiles of the honorees are on display in the hall adjacent to the Office of Academic Affairs on the first floor of Mackay Hall on the Parkville Campus. Those honored were: Gina Chambers, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, and assistant professor of education; Dmitry Gimon, Ph.D., assistant professor and program director of information systems and business analytics; David Luellen, adjunct instructor of information systems; and Jennifer Whitley, Ph.D., lecturer of mathematics.
Jolene Lampton, Ph.D., professor of accounting and management, authored an article on “Crafting a Mission Statement” that appeared in the August issue of Strategic Finance, a publication of the Institute of Management Accountants.
Patty Ryberg, Ph.D., associate professor of biology and director of Park’s Honors Academy, co-authored an article on “Celebrating Women in Paleobotany: A Tribute to Edith L. Taylor – Introduction and Dedication” that appeared in the July/August edition of the International Journal of Plant Sciences. Ryberg was also a panelist for a “Dinosaurs of Antarctica” screening and presentation during Awesome Con, Washington, D.C.’s Comic Con, on Aug. 21.
Tami Radohl, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of social work, was appointed to serve on the board of the Kansas City Suicide Awareness and Prevention Program. The mission of the organization is to eliminate suicide in the Kansas City region through clinician and community stakeholder education, advancing science, and improved outcomes by convening and supporting stakeholder organizations and mental health professionals.
Brad Kleindl, Ph.D., professor of marketing, presented a virtual keynote speech for the Global Forum on Business Case Study hosted by the Research Center for the Internationalization of Companies from Emerging Economies at the International Business School of Beijing (China) Foreign Studies University. Kleindl’s speech summarized results of three interrelated areas of international focus — his cross-cultural article on marketing strategies across China, Hungary and Kazakhstan within 10 years of transitioning from command to free market economies compared to U.S. firms; a game theory structure related to the decision process used by U.S. firms to enter foreign markets; and a U.S. Department of Education Business International Education grant Kleindl oversaw prior to him joining Park University.
Park in the News
Kenny Broberg, graduate student in the Park University International Center for Music and recent winner of the American Pianists Awards, was featured in the August edition of IN Kansas City magazine in the publication’s “IN Conversation with…” section.
Broberg and Stanislav Ioudenitch, associate professor of music/piano and artistic director of the ICM, participated in a 50-minute interview for a podcast that aired on DannyClinkscale.com on Aug. 11.
Phill Vardiman, ’96, who was a member of the Team USA track and field training staff during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, was featured in a story that aired on KSHB-TV in Kansas City on Aug. 2 discussing his experiences.
Col. Bradley Ward, ’97, was highlighted on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website on Aug. 2. Ward is the recruit training regiment commander at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (S.C.).
Claude English, who recently retired as director of athletics for Park University’s Parkville Campus, was featured in the Platte County (Mo.) Citizen on Aug. 4.
Anthony Melchiorri, ’90, a member of Park University’s Board of Trustees, appeared on NBC’s “Today” show on Aug. 9 to discuss bucket-list trips to take before summer ends.
Zenovia Crier, ’03, Ed.D., was featured in a story published in the Odessa (Texas) American on Aug. 11. She was recently appointed principal of LBJ Elementary School in the Ector County (Texas) Independent School District.
Matt Harris, Ph.D. assistant professor of political science, was interviewed for stories that aired on KMBZ-FM in Kansas City on Aug. 12 related to the Missouri Supreme Court ruling that the state government must follow voters’ directive to expand the state’s Medicaid program.
Park University’s International Center for Music upcoming 2021-22 concert season was featured in The Kansas City Star on Aug. 15 and included comments from Lisa Hickok, ICM executive director.
Kris Matthews, adjunct instructor of social work, was highlighted in a story that appeared in The Virginia Gazette on Aug. 17. The article was about Matthews’ relationship with her parents, and the challenges she has faced as a single mother with an autistic son and her recent marriage to a man diagnosed with ALS.
Matheus Teles, ’21, authored a guest commentary that appeared in The Kansas City Star on Aug. 18 telling the story of an unnamed college student from Afghanistan and the challenges the student faces.
Bob Kendrick, ’85, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., was featured in the August issue of Ingram’s (a Kansas City business magazine) on its list of “50 Missourians You Should Know.”
Theresa Garza, MPA ’14, was selected to the Kansas City Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” Class of 2021. Garza was featured in the Aug. 20 edition of the publication.
Park University’s Fort Leonard Wood (Mo.) Campus was recognized by the Waynesville-St. Robert (Mo.) Chamber of Commerce for its August Business Showcase. A story about the honor appeared in the Rolla (Mo.) Daily News on Aug. 25.
Joachim Seelos, ’18, was featured in a story that appeared in The Daily Iowan on Aug. 26. Seelos was recently appointed as the Iowa City, Iowa, Police Department’s first mental health law enforcement liaison.
Tech. Sgt. Damita Stevens, ’21, was recognized in Air Force Magazine, a publication of the Air Force Association, as a 2021-22 AFA Emerging Leader. Stevens is a flight chief/unknown signals analyst at Buckley Space Force Base, Colo. The purpose of the program is to identify, motivate, develop and encourage emerging leaders to serve actively in AFA by providing hands-on experience and unique insights into how AFA operates and is governed. Emerging Leaders volunteer for a year, and with guidance from a mentor, they participate on a national-level council, attend national leader orientations and serve as national convention delegates.
Giovanna Bello, a sophomore libero on Park University’s Parkville Campus women’s volleyball team, was featured in an article that appeared in the Brazilian Times on Aug. 25. Bello, from Rio de Janeiro, discusses her dream of studying abroad and playing the sport she loves.
Park University also received the following rankings in recent weeks:
• SecurityDegreeHub.com ranked Park No. 9 on its “Top 10 Online Emergency Management Graduate Certificate Programs for 2021” list.
• Park University was selected by Abound (from Colleges of Distinction) on its “Top Grad Programs 2021” list of schools.
Upcoming Events
(All events are Central time)
• Through September 13 — Andrea K. Lee Art Exhibit, Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center)
• September 9 — Dr. Jerzy Hauptmann Distinguished Guest Lecture Series: Dr. Mary Guy, “Public Administration’s Triple Bottom Line: People, Process Performance,” noon, Virtual
• September 14 — International Center for Music Concert: Pianist Kenny Broberg with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, 7 p.m., Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
• September 16 — Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference (Event 1), Michael Collins, “Positive Peace: Empowering the Peacebuilder We Each Have Within,” 1 p.m., Virtual
• September 19 — International Talk Like a Pirate Day
• September 22 — International Center for Music Concert: The Boston Trio, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.
• September 30-October 2 — Homecoming Weekend
• October 1 — Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center and School of Business Dedication Ceremony, 2 p.m., Parkville Campus
• October 1 — International Center for Music Concert: ICM Orchestra, 8 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• October 6 — Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference (Event 2), Mará Rose Williams, “Media as a Tool to Heal Polarized Societies,” Noon, Park Distance Learning Conference Center
• October 9 — International Center for Music Concert: ICM Students and Owen/Cox Dance Group Collaboration, 7:30 p.m., Johnson County (Kan.) Community College
• October 10 — International Center for Music Event: ICM Students and Owen/Cox Dance Group Collaboration, 2 p.m., Johnson County (Kan.) Community College
• October 10 — Fall I Term Ends
• October 11-17 — Fall Recess
• October 12-14 — Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs Region 5 Conference, Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, Parkville Campus
• October 18 — Fall II Term Begins
• October 27 — Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference (Event 3), Rev. Donna Simon, “Healing Polarized Societies Through Equitable Pay,” 6 p.m., St. Mark Hope and Peace Lutheran Church, Kansas City, Mo.
To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics and student life, visit park.edu/calendars/park-events-calendar.