Park once again ranked high by magazine for graduating Hispanics
In the May 4 issue of The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine, Park University is again ranked among the top 100 colleges and universities in the country for bachelor degrees awarded to Hispanics. Park ranked 62nd nationally in the number of bachelor degrees awarded to Hispanics with 379, according to data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics for 2007.
Pool play schedule for Park softball team at national tourney announced
The 2009 Park University softball team, which made history by becoming the first Pirate softball squad to qualify for the NAIA National Tournament, will take on Friends University (Kan.), California Baptist and Hastings (Neb.) College, in pool-play action at the 2009 national tourney, Thursday, May 14, through Saturday, May 16, in Decatur, Ala.
Park (26-11) will play No. 22 Friends (38-7) on Thursday at 2 p.m. On Friday, the Pirates will take on top-ranked California Baptist (54-5) at 11:30 a.m. Park will round out pool play against Hastings (34-15) on Saturday at 6 p.m. Park must win its pool to advance to the eight-team double-elimination tournament, which begins on Monday, May 18. For more information, visit www.parkathletics.com/news/cat_index_69.shtml.
GoArmyEd advancements earns honors from Harvard's Ash Institute
The GoArmyEd innovation, which was developed to better serve the educational needs of soldiers worldwide, and a program that Park University is a partner, was recently honored for its success. The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government recently placed the GoArmyEd program among its top 50 government innovations. GoArmyEd will now compete for one of the Ash Institute's six Innovations in American Government awards.
In 2006, Park was selected by the U.S. Army Continuing Education System to serve on its 2006-07 GoArmyEd Advisory Group. Niki Rittenhouse, technology coordinator for finance and administration, served as the University's representative. GoArmyEd harnesses Web-based technology into a one-stop virtual portal that provides Online secondary educational support, tuition and other services, while streamlining administrative functions for the benefit of U.S. Army soldiers.
Park is one of about 145 partner colleges and universities that offer access to degree completion programs provided through GoArmyEd. Worldwide, more than 96,000 Army students registered for more than 200,000 courses in the last year through GoArmyEd.
Students win awards at Missouri science conference
Students and faculty from Park University's Department of Natural and Physical Sciences attended the Missouri Academy of Science's annual meeting, April 24-25 in Maryville. Park University was well represented with 13 presentations from eight students and five faculty from the biology, chemistry and geography programs. Two of the student presentations that were submitted for the awards competition won awards.
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| Alicia Wedel |
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| Tyler Stanley |
Tyler Stanley and Alicia Wedel, both seniors majoring in biology, took first place for their oral presentation, "Home Range and Nesting Locations of Raccoons Near Park University." Jim Taulman, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, was co-author. Paul Edinger, a senior majoring in both biology and geography, took third place in his poster presentation, "Bonner Springs Shale (Upper Pennsylvanian) Fossil Assemblage in a Mazon Creek-Type Depositional Environment." The poster was co-authored by John Gleason, Bo Hull, Josh Martin, Mike Price and Brandon Skelton, senior geography majors.
Other student oral presentations:
• "Cold Weather Effects of Precipitation, Humidity and Temperature on the Water Quality of the Osage Aquifer in Leavenworth, Kansas" by Travis Hunsecker, senior biology major (co-authored by Taulman, Scott Hageman, associate professor of geology, and Brian Hoffman, Ph.D., professor of biology and mathematics)
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| From left: Dr. Brian Hoffman, Bo Hull, Paul Edinger, Loren Ray Laughlin, Jeff Campbell, Josh Neeley, Andrea Sampson and Dr. Donna Howell |
Other student poster presentations:
• "The Effects of Specific Wavelengths of Light on Lettuce Carbohydrate Content and Pigmentation Using Light-Emitting Diodes" by Jeff Campbell, senior biology major (co-authored by Donna Howell, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, and Don Williams, Ed.D., associate professor of biology)
• "Carbon Dioxide Analysis of the Park University Campus: Buildings vs. Underground" by Hull (co-authored by Hageman)
• "The Itch of Awareness: Comparison of Resin Ducts in Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron Radicans) and the Mango (Mangifera Indica)" by Loren Ray Laughlin, senior biology major (co-authored by Williams)
• "Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae on Tomato Plant (Solanum Lycopersicum) Growth and Nutrient Absorption" by Josh Neeley, senior biology major (co-authored by Williams)
• "Molecular Modeling Studies on a Potential HDS Catalyst for Heavy Crude Oil" by Andrea Sampson, senior biology major (co-authored by Howell)
Faculty oral session presentations:
• "Characteristics of Influenza Fatalities in Saint Joseph, Missouri, During the 1918-1919 Pandemic" by Hoffman (co-authored by David Fox, assistant professor of geography)
• "New Sysciophlebia Cockroach Species from the Bonner Springs Shale, Parkville, Mo., and its Stratigraphic and Depositional Significance" by Hageman (co-authored by Hoffman)
• "Globalization of Baseball: 1876-1933 The First Wave of International Players" by Hageman
Faculty poster session presentations:
• "Analysis of Genomic Diversity Between Bluegill Populations in Platte County Streams by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA" by Doug Burns, Ph.D., associate professor of biology (co-authored by Diana Kalinowska, senior biology major and Todd Pogge, Ph.D., assistant professor of mathematics)
• "Microichthyoliths and Conodonts from the Quindaro Shale and Argentine Limestone of the Kansas City Group" by Hoffman (co-authored by Hageman and Christian Hoffman, Brian's son)
Faculty present posters at teaching and learning symposium
Park University faculty participated in the 3rd annual Greater Kansas City Symposium on Teaching and Learning, held in Kansas City, Mo. on April 25. The Symposium, initiated by Park's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, brings together faculty from diverse higher education institutions in the Kansas City area for dialogue about the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Presenting posters at the event were: Brian Cowley, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and chair of the Department of Psychology and Sociology, and Andrew Johnson, Ph.D., professor of psychology, "Facilitating Group Assignments in the Classroom;" Sherry Fontaine, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Master of Healthcare Leadership program, "Using Arts-Based Learning in Healthcare Management Education;" and Wen Hsin, Ph.D., association professor of information and computer science, "Internet Protocol Animation." In addition, the four presenters, as well as Emily Donnelli, Ph.D., assistant professor of English and assistant director of CETL; Robert Kao, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of finance; and Pete Soule, Ph.D., professor of economics and chair of the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, all engaged in a variety of roundtable discussions about scholarly teaching and the intersections between teaching and scholarship.
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| Dr. Kenneth Christopher |
Christopher speaks at Homeland Security conference
Kenneth Christopher, D.P.A., assistant professor of criminal justice administration, was invited by the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement to address the 7th annual Maritime Homeland Security Summit, April 28 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Christopher's presentation, "Building Effective Law Enforcement Partnerships," emphasized the use of collaborative approaches to capitalize on the expertise which exists in the many organizations vested in a secure maritime domain.
Pirate Club to hold annual meeting
The Pirate Club, which promotes the rich tradition of Park University and its athletics by supporting, encouraging and developing student-athletes, will hold its annual meeting on Thursday, May 21. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the NAIA Headquarters, 1200 Grand Blvd., in Kansas City, Mo. The meeting will include the election of the 2009-10 officers, voting on recent amendments to the Pirate Club bylaws and committee reports.
All current and past Pirate Club members are encouraged to attend. Please RSVP by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 18, to Wini Edwards, Office of University Advancement administrative assistant, at wini.edwards@park.edu or (816) 584-6200.
The primary purpose of the Pirate Club is to cultivate financial support and interest in Park University athletics. The organization also strives to continue the University's tradition by assisting student-athletes in achieving academic and athletic success.
Park Current wants your Mother's Day and Father's Day photos
The next issue of The Park Current will be coming soon and wants to honor all Park University mothers and fathers. We're looking for photos of Park faculty and staff with their children, and/or photos of you with your mom and dad (see the adjacent example of Scott Klann, director of development, with his son, Dylan). Please be sure to identify everyone in the photo, as well as include any additional information about the photo and the individuals in the photo. E-mail your submission and photos to advancement@park.edu or fill out the news request form at www.park.edu/webguide/news.html (you will still need to send your photos to the aforementioned e-mail address).
The deadline for submitting items for the next issue of The Park Current is 4 p.m. (Central time) on Friday, May 29. Remember, The Park Current is also your opportunity to share personal news, announcements and accomplishments with your Park University colleagues, as well as a place to sell, buy or trade items. Please send this information to advancement@park.edu as well. Remember, because of the personal nature of The Park Current, this newsletter is not published to the University's web site and is distributed only via e-mail.
Green tip of the day
One dimmer switch replacing a regular on/off switch in every U.S. house would save the electricity necessary to light 1.2 million homes -- equivalent to every home in the state of Arkansas. For more information and additional tips to lead a "green life," visit http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife.
Upcoming Events
• Joshua Edwards Graduating Seniors Art Exhibit -- through May 13, Campanella Gallery
• Chamber Music Concert -- May 7, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• Spring Semester ends -- May 8
• Interior Design Senior Showcase -- May 8, noon-3 p.m., Nara (1617 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.)
• Nursing Pinning Ceremony -- May 8, 2 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• International Sash Ceremony -- May 8, 4:30 p.m., David Theater
• Ben Sayevich Violin Studio Class Recital -- May 8, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• May Commencement -- May 9, Community of Christ Auditorium, Independence, Mo., 11 a.m.
• Spring II ends -- May 10
• Maymester begins -- May 11
• Park University Golf Scramble -- May 18, noon, Tiffany Greens Golf Club, Kansas City, Mo.
• Pirate Club Annual Meeting -- May 21, 6-8 p.m., NAIA Headquarters, 1200 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.
• Maymester ends -- May 22
• Memorial Day -- May 25 (Parkville Campus closed)
• Summer session begins -- June 1
• Junemester begins -- June 1
• Margaret Shelby Art Exhibit -- June 1-July 10, Campanella Gallery
• Alumni Weekend -- June 25-28, Parkville Campus
• Junemester ends -- June 26
Note: To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics, visit www.park.edu/calendar/parkville.html.
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