IN THIS ISSUE:
• Trustee wins award from International Relations Council
• Social psychology class collecting supplies for students in Afghanistan
• "Take a Walk Around the Park" wellness program to begin
• Droge, O'Neill participate in NAFSA roundtable discussion
• Dining Services employee honored for customer service
• Hassan presents paper at Global Studies Conference
• University to partner with organization to assist minority youth
• Green tip of the day
• Upcoming Events
Trustee wins award from International Relations Council
Danny O'Neill (left in adjacent photo) a member of Park University's Board of Trustees and past chair of the Board's Student Services Committee, was honored on Oct. 5 with the International Relations Council's Award for Contributions to International Commerce and Community Service during a banquet in Kansas City, Mo. The IRC commended O'Neill for demonstrating that operating a successful, profitable business can be accomplished in a manner that is also humane and sustainable. He was presented the award by Erik Bergrud (right in photo) Park's senior director of community and government relations, and the IRC's first vice president and treasurer.
O'Neill is the founder, president and "bean baron" of The Roasterie Inc., a Kansas City based coffee company. While a high school foreign exchange student in Costa Rica in November 1978, this promising young entrepreneur picked his first coffee beans in the mountainous, coffee-growing region around the Poas volcano. His passion for great coffee led him to starting The Roasterie in the basement of his home in November 1993. O'Neill is a sought-after expert in the coffee industry, judging cupping and barista competitions all over the world since 1995. And in 2001, he was awarded "Super Taster" status on the Specialty Coffee Institute's Sensory Aptitude Test. In addition, he authored a DVD in 2005 called "Cupping 101," which is sold around the world.
During the banquet, the IRC also highlighted its International Classroom Partnership Program, which sends international students from several Kansas City area colleges and universities to visit elementary schools and to share their life and culture with school children. ICPP was launched in partnership with Park University and will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2010.
Social psychology class collecting supplies for students in Afghanistan
Students in a social psychology class on the Parkville Campus taught by Dennis Kerkman, Ph.D., professor of psychology (right in adjacent photo), are doing another round of collecting supplies for a school at Bagram Air Base in eastern Afghanistan. Park University social psychology online student and U.S. Army Special Forces Sergeant Major "Rob" (left in photo), along with other military personnel, built the school two years ago, and Park social psychology students have been collecting school supplies for them every semester since the school was completed. More than 700 pounds of supplies have been shipped, thanks to Park's chapter of Psi Chi, a national honor society for psychology students, which foot the bill for the freight.
In addition, Sgt. Maj. "Rob" was on the Parkville Campus recently and spoke to the social psychology class. In addition, he did a videotaped endorsement of Park University for KCPT (Kansas City's Public Television station) and KC REACHE (Kansas City Regional Access Consortium for Higher Education), an alliance between KCPT and colleges and universities in the Kansas City region.
"Take a Walk Around the Park" wellness program to begin
Park University and Aetna, the University's employee health insurance provider, have teamed up to begin a wellness program for staff and faculty. The University's Wellness Committee will begin a walking program called "Take a Walk Around the Park." Faculty and staff that sign up for the walking program will be given a water bottle and pedometer to assist them with taking a step toward a healthier lifestyle.
As a University, the goal is to accomplish walking around the country to all Park University campus centers, equaling 10,367 miles. To find out more about the program, a kickoff luncheon will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 11:30 a.m. in the McCoy Meetin' House. Those planning to attend need to RSVP to Ashley Culp, assistant director of Human Resource Services, by Monday, October 19 at ashley.culp@park.edu. Those unable to attend the kickoff luncheon but interested in participating in the program (this includes all staff and faculty at campus centers across the country) should also contact Culp.
Droge, O'Neill participate in NAFSA roundtable discussion
Park University provided half of the participants in the NAFSA: Association of International Educators roundtable discussion on "Global Workforce Development: Connecting the Business and Education Corridors" on Oct. 8 in Kansas City, Mo. Michael Droge, Ph.D., Park University president (middle right in adjacent photo), and Danny O'Neill, a member of Park's Board of Trustees (middle left), provided their perspectives from higher education and the private sector, respectively. The event included predictions about the vital skills of the global manager of the future and information about colleges and universities as global campuses exploring the role of global workforce development in preparing competitive graduates. Droge and O'Neill were joined by Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University, and Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort.
Dining Services employee honored for customer service
Tom Alonzo, a member of the Sodexo Dining Services staff on the Park University Parkville Campus, was honored on Sept. 29 as the winner of a monthly regional "Hero of Customer Service" award from Sodexo. Molly Droge, M.D., spouse of Park President Michael Droge, Ph.D., helped nominate Alonzo for the award. According to Kathleen Robey, food services director, more than 1,000 employees at 100 colleges and universities in the region were eligible for the award.
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| Dr. Munir Hassan |
Hassan presents paper at Global Studies Conference
Munir Hassan, Ph.D., associate professor of finance and chair of the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, presented a paper on "Co-Integration Model for U.S. Stock Market and Consumer Sentiment" at the 32nd annual Global Studies Conference, Oct. 1-3 in Omaha, Neb.
In the paper abstract, Hassan wrote, "U.S. stock market (proxied by S&P 500) and consumer confidence index are nonstationary in levels, and both possess the same order of integration. There is a strong evidence of co-integration between the variables. The long-run causal flows are rather weak and bidirectional. In contrast, the evidence on feedback relationships between the variables is strong."
University to partner with organization to assist minority youth
Park University has joined with the Urban League of Greater Kansas City to help minority youth in the Kansas City area through the organization's Education Empowerment Center. The EEC's mission is to improve high school graduation rates and increase the enrollment of minority youth into institutions of higher learning. As youth acquire the skills they need to succeed academically, parents and educators are empowered to equip students to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient. Wakisha Briggs, director of continuing education, is Park's coordinator for this initiative.
Green tip of the day
Food waste and yard clippings can be turned into natural fertilizer through the composting process. Check out the Environmental Protection Agency's guide to find composting resources in your region. If you're looking for something more animated than a heap of twigs and peels, consider that kitchen scraps can also be used to feed backyard chickens. For more information and additional tips to lead a "green life," visit http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife.
Upcoming Events
• William Eickhorst Art Exhibit -- through October 23, Campanella Gallery
• Fall Break ends (KC area) -- October 18
• Fall II begins (KC area) -- October 19
• Coming to America Program (Americas) -- October 21, noon, Louise Morden Board Room
• Ethnic Voices Poetry Series: Latino Writers Collective -- October 22, 7 p.m. (reception 6:30 p.m.), McCoy Meetin' House
• Association for Computing Machinery Regional Programming Contest -- October 24, Parkville Campus
• Michael David Wickerson Art Exhibit -- October 26-November 25, Campanella Gallery
• "Experience a College Day" (CLAS event) -- October 28, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Parkville Campus
• Meet, Eat and Greet Career Fair -- October 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (employers and students), 1-3 p.m.; (employers and faculty), Breckon Sports Center East Dome
• Toys for Tots Campaign (Phi Alpha Theta/Zeta Omicron) -- October 29-November 25, Parkville Campus
• CETL Colleague-to-Colleague Series "Creating a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program -- November 4, 1-3 p.m., Louise Morden Board Room
• School of Business Symposium on Public/Private Partnerships -- November 4, 8 a.m., Kansas City Public Library Central Library
• Meyer Music Piano Sale -- November 6-7, TBA, Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• Parkville Community Band Concert -- November 8, 3 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• Veteran's Day (Kansas City area offices closed; no Parkville Campus daytime classes; Fall II classes held) -- November 11
• Park Model United Nations Event -- November 11, TBA, Parkville Campus
• International Center for Music Master Classes with violinist Eric Rosenblith -- November 13, 1-5:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• International Center for Music/Youth Conservatory for Music Young Virtuosi Concert -- November 15, 3 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
• Coming to America Program (Asia) -- November 18, noon, Herr House Lounge
• Thanksgiving Break (KC area offices closes and no daytime classes; Fall II classes held) -- November 26-29
• Graduating Fine Arts Seniors Art Exhibit (Melanie Clouser, Rachel Hinges and John Sutton III) -- November 30-January 29, 2010, Campanella Gallery
Note: To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics, visit www.park.edu/calendar/parkville.html.
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