Crow's Nest Daily Report - April 6, 2023
Park University has been a hive of activity in the past few months, with numerous faculty and alumni achievements, events, and academic advancements. Here's a roundup of some of the highlights.
Academic Achievements
Several faculty members have been promoted to new positions, including Debonie Lewis, MHA '20, who was highlighted in a "Fit and Fab" feature and has been promoted to associate professor of education. Tim Westcott, Ph.D., has been promoted to professor of history, and Glenn Lester, Jack MacLennan, Ph.D., and Henry Roehrich, Ph.D., have all been promoted to associate professors in their respective fields. Susan Keim, Ph.D., Kathy Howe, Ph.D., and Matt Harris, Ph.D., have also been promoted to associate professors.
In addition, Brant Winn, Ph.D., has been promoted to associate professor of education, and Robert Kao, Ph.D., and Joshua Mugg, Ph.D., have been promoted to professors of economics and philosophy, respectively.
Scholarly Achievements
Park University faculty have been making waves in the scholarly world. Jolene Lampton, Ph.D., professor of management/accounting, co-authored an article titled "Managing Conflicts of Interests" for Strategic Finance. Kathy Howe, Ph.D., assistant professor of literacy education and director of the Watson Literacy Center, co-presented a paper on "Modeling Innovative Technology Use in Teacher Education and Professional Development" at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education annual conference.
Abhijit Mazumdar, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication arts, and Zahra Mansoursharifloo, MACL '22, authored an article on "U.S. Foreign Policy and Indexing Theory: A Study of U.S. Press Coverage of the Taliban and ISIS". Lacey Finley, Ph.D., associate professor of management and department chair of accounting, co-authored the article "Using Design Thinking to Develop a Career Development Plan SWOT Analysis".
Events and Presentations
Several faculty members presented sessions for the Kansas City Professional Development Council's annual Enhancing Teaching and Learning Conference. Kathy Howe, Ph.D., was a co-presenter for an "Exploring Current Trends in Higher Education" discussion for the Shawnee (Kan.) Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Steve Youngblood, associate professor of communication arts and director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism, authored an article on "Misinformation, Democracy and the Peace Journalism Solution".
The success of students in Park University's International Center for Music was the focus of a story that appeared in KC Studio magazine on March 3. On April 28, guest conductor Timothy Hankewich will lead the ICM Orchestra in a concert. On April 24, a discussion on exoplanets will be the focus of Park University's Johnson Family Lecture Series in Science.
Athletics and Community Engagement
Park University's Department of Athletics is hosting a women's networking event, Arrrgh & Arrrgh, on May 17. The event provides an opportunity for Park University to showcase its athletics programs and the Parkville community. Park University's Department of Nursing will host a community health fair on April 13. The health fair provides an opportunity for the University's nursing students to showcase what they have learned in community health, and it provides the community with an opportunity to receive pertinent health information.
On April 11, the Pirates will open play in Pool D on April 11 against No. 12 seed Webber International University (Fla.) in the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship Tournament. The Park University men's volleyball team has earned the No. 4 seed.
Alumni Achievements
Cristian Maciel, '07, and Marco Rabello, '07, owners of Taste of Brazil restaurant in Kansas City, Mo., were featured on KCTV in Kansas City on March 2. Casi Joy (McCall) Lankford, '12, who goes by the stage name Casi Joy, was featured in an interview in Entertainment Focus, a United Kingdom-based entertainment website, on March 29.
Claude English, retired director of athletics and former men's basketball head coach at Park University's flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus, was mentioned in various news stories on March 2, including The Kansas City Star, as he was announced as part of the 2023 class of inductees into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Organizational Changes
The Hauptmann School of Public Affairs and the sociology program will return to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Park University, effective from the 2023-24 academic year. The School of Natural and Applied Sciences will include the Department of Natural and Physical Sciences, and the Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Park University will consist of three schools and seven departments after the mentioned changes.
The Park University Board of Trustees approved promotion and tenure for several faculty members, effective from the 2023-24 academic year. The Gilbert Campus will also add a men's ice hockey club program starting in the 2023-24 academic year. Park University's Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus athletic programs will move from the California Pacific Conference to the Golden State Athletic Conference, effective with the start of the 2024-25 academic year.
Notable Mentions
On March 16, the National Premier Soccer League announced that the Kansas City Sol has joined the league as an expansion team and will play its home matches on Park University's flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus at Julian Field beginning this summer. Jason Kline, men's basketball head coach and assistant athletic director at Park University's Parkville (Mo.) Campus, was a part of a "Toni's Talents" segment that aired on WDAF-TV in Kansas City on March 30.
Vince Clark, chair of Park University's Board of Trustees, Scott Hall, a member of Park's Civic Advisory Council, and Gloria Jackson-Leathers, '91, were panelists at the #C3KC event hosted by the Junior League of Kansas City, Mo. Sarah Moran, Ph.D., the first Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Director's Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona, will present the lecture. On May 11, world-renowned ICM artist-in-residence Behzod Abduraimov will perform a solo recital at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Mo.
Michelle Myers, Ed.D., provost, provided comments for a story on "Shared Pain in the C-Suite and on Campus" that appeared in the February edition of Ingram's, a Kansas City business magazine. John Hamilton, Ph.D., professor emeritus of criminal justice administration, was interviewed for a story that aired on KSHB-TV in Kansas City related to the process of executing search warrants following a day-long standoff after the shooting of three tactical officers. Hamilton was also interviewed for a story that aired on WDAF-TV in Kansas City related to an increase of hoax calls of active shooters (known as swatting) at area schools. Dianna Carmenaty, Ph.D., assistant professor of criminal justice administration, was interviewed for stories that aired on KMBC-TV in Kansas City on March 22 related to a Social Security Administration investigation of a body being found in a home after having been deceased for six years.
Stephen David Grover, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, presented a webinar on "Blurring the Edges: Using Slack to Enable and Extend Class Interactions" for the Global Society of Online Literacy Educators. Col. Lewis Millett, '63, one of two Park University graduates who have been recognized with the Medal of Honor, was featured in a "Medal of Honor Monday" article posted on the U.S. Department of Defense website on March 6.
For the latest faculty, staff, and student news, visit Park University's official website.
At Park University, science and education-and-self-development are not merely subjects, but platforms for growth and innovation. For instance, Jolene Lampton, Ph.D., professor of management/accounting, co-authored an article in the scholarly domain titled "Managing Conflicts of Interests". On the other hand, the physician assistant program in the Department of Health Sciences organized a sports-themed event, "Medical-Athletes: Treating the Future Healthcare Providers", which brought together students, faculty, and coaches of sports teams to discuss health and wellness. This synergy between science, education-and-self-development, and sports is a testament to the university's holistic approach to learning.
