Black History Month lecture to highlight African-American soldiers and World War I
Chad Williams, Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker in Park University’s 13th annual Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture Series
program on Monday, Feb. 24. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Mo., starting at 7 p.m. Williams, department chair and associate professor of African and Afro-American studies at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., will present his lecture on “Torchbearers of Democracy: African-American Soldiers and World War I.” The lecture will examine the historical meaning of African-American military participation in World War I and how black soldiers and veterans, at home and abroad, fought to make democracy not just an ideal, but a lived reality. The Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture Series
is named for Spencer Cave, who was born a slave at the start of the Civil War, later moved to Parkville in 1875 (the year Park University was founded) and worked for the University for more than 70 years before his death in 1947. For more information, visit www.park.edu/news/2014/02/2014-spencer-cave-lecture.html
Ryberg, student present session at Expanding Your Horizons Conference
Patricia Ryberg, Ph.D. (left), assistant professor of biology
, and Brooke Dedrick, a senior biology
major, presented a session and hands-on experiment at the Expanding Your Horizons Conference in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 24. The duo presented “The Tropics of Missouri: 300 Million Year-Old Fossil Plants” The presentation showed the geography and landscape of the Kansas City area 300 million years ago when it was a tropical swamp and explained climate change and global warming. Their hands-on experiment, the acetate peel technique (a process used by all professional paleobotanists), allowed students to take a petrified fossil, dissolve the minerals surrounding preserved plant cells and then glue the cells to a piece of plastic as a take-home fossil, which under a microscope can show individual plants cells from millions of years ago. The conference was a part of a national program that promotes science to female middle school students by introducing them to successful women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs.
Ferezan article on nature versus nurture published in psychology newsletter
An article written by Jeffrey Ferezan, Ph.D., adjunct instructor of management
at Park University’s Luke Air Force Base (Ariz.) Campus Center
, was recently published in the American Institute of Business Psychology’s AIOBP Newsletter
. In the article, “Nature Versus Nurture: The Debate Goes On,” Ferezan concluded that “Culture is not some external mysterious force, it is a biological phenomenon. It is the ability to learn and change and pass on what we have learned to the next generation. Our ability to learn and change by adopting and adapting is our nature; it is our most important fundamental instinct, preventing us from becoming extinct.”
Information Technology Services extends help desk hours, services
Park University’s Office of Information Technology Services
has started a new technical support help desk service to better serve students, faculty and staff. On Feb. 3, help desk/technical support service hours were extended to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new service also includes live chat services at http://parkuniversity.echelp.org/
. Technicians will provide tier one level assistance for many common technical related issues. If the technician is unable to solve an issue, it will be escalated for in-depth assistance. Issues escalated after the University’s standard business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time) will be addressed the next business day.
International Center for Music presents concert featuring Veis and Veisova
Park University’s International Center for Music
presents a concert featuring cellist and visiting assistant professor of music/cello at Park University, Daniel Veis (right), and his wife, pianist Helena Veisova, on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel on the University’s Parkville Campus. Veis is widely recognized as the finest Czech cellist since winning the first prize at the 1976 Prague Spring Competition and the silver medal at the prestigious 1978 Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. Veisova graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and began to perform at age 12 with her father, the legendary violin virtuoso Vaclav Snitil before collaborating with husband. The husband and wife duo will perform Bohuslav Martinu’s profound “Cello Sonata No. 1” and Cesar Franck’s popular “Sonata in A Major for Cello and Piano.” For more information, including tickets, visit www.park.edu/news/2014/01/icm-veis-veisova-concert.html
. The duo is scheduled to appear on Kansas Public Radio (including KANU-FM [91.5] in the Kansas City area) on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 11 a.m. to promote the concert.
Library requests published works for author reception
Calling all Park University faculty and staff authors! The McAfee Memorial Library
and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
are co-sponsoring an author reception on Tuesday, March 25, in the Library from 2 to 4 p.m. The program this year will include faculty/staff who have published an article, edited work, book chapter or full-length book from January 2013 to the present. The event will also include author readings. If you have had a work published during that time period, please send a copy of the work or the bibliographic information for ordering to Glenn Ferdman, director of library services
, so that it may be displayed.
Park Spirit Squad hosting youth cheer clinic on Feb. 22
The Park University Spirit Squad
will host a youth cheer clinic on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the east dome of Breckon Sports Center on the University’s Parkville Campus. Participants (the clinic is for children ages 5 through 13) will learn age-appropriate chants, dances and stunts. Participants are scheduled to perform at the conclusion of the clinic during halftime of Park’s women’s basketball
game vs. Mid-Continent University. Registration is $20 per child and includes a T-shirt and box lunch. To register, visit www.jotformpro.com/ParkUniversity/spiritsquadyouthclinic
(payment due at clinic check-in). For more information, contact Karie Schaefer, Spirit Squad
head coach, at email@example.com
or (816) 584-7401.
Registration continues for 2014 Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium
Park University’s ninth annual Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium
is set for Monday, April 7, through Thursday, April 10, 2014, on the University’s Parkville Campus. The Symposium is an opportunity for Park students nationwide from all disciplines to present their independent and/or collaborative research and creative and artistic projects to the University and wider community. Students from all campus centers, as well as online students, are eligible to participate. The Symposium will provide venues for poster presentations, oral presentations, artistic and visual displays, asynchronous virtual presentations, and musical and dramatic performances.
Students may submit their proposals through Friday, March 14, with the approval of a faculty mentor, at www.park.edu/symposium
. When registering, students should be prepared to provide the name and contact information of the primary and co-presenters, the faculty mentor, as well as the title and abstract of the presentation. For additional information, visit www.park.edu/symposium
or contact Virginia Brackett, Ph.D., associate professor of English
and director of the Honors Academy
, at firstname.lastname@example.org
or (816) 584-6818.
Human Resource Services announces new hires, transfers/promotions
From January 1-31NEW HIRES •
Thomas Billesbach, Program Coordinator of Management
, School of Business •
Walter Boulden, Associate Professor of Social Work
, Parkville Campus •
Anessa DeLong, Online LMS Support Specialist, Park Distance Learning, Parkville Campus •
Michael Hightower, Campus Safety Officer, Department of Campus Safety
, Parkville Campus •
Eddah Leboo, Data Analyst/Accreditation Specialist, School of Business
, Parkville Campus •
Jasmine Lee, Assistant Director, Fort Myer (Va.) Campus Center •
Tammie Lillard, Cashier, Parkville Campus •
Robin Matney, Director, Quantico (Va.) Marine Corps Combat Development Command Campus Center •
John Stratton, Media Services Technician, Office of Information Technology Services
, Parkville CampusTRANSFERS/PROMOTIONS •
Cliff Ferby, Interim Executive Director, Fort Bliss (Texas) Campus Center
(previously served as academic director)
Park In The News
Staff Sgt. Adam Hix, a senior sociology
major, was featured in the February issue of G.I. Jobs
magazine. Hix was highlighted in a question-and-answer feature about his experience at Park University and his future plans.
A story about Maj. Joseph H. VerStraten, ’98, appeared in the Jan. 28 issue of the Steubenville (Ohio) Herald-Star
. VerStraten was honored at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio), where Park University has a campus center, during a retirement ceremony.
Gary Bachman, associate professor and field director of social work
, was quoted for an article that appeared in the Kansas Health Institute’s News Service on Jan. 31
. The article was about a public forum related to a new short-stay mental health facility in Kansas City, Kan.
Staff at Park University’s Fort Bliss (Texas) Campus Center
appeared in a photograph that was included in the “Spotlight” section of the Jan. 30 issue of the Fort Bliss Bugle (page 21A)
A photo of Chad LaValley, ’13, appeared in the Jan. 31 issue of the Luke Air Force Base (Ariz.) Thunderbolt (page 12)
. LaValley was selected as an award winner during the 56th Fighter Wing awards ceremony.
Park University President Michael Droge, Ph.D., was quoted and appeared in a photograph for a story on Ingram’s (Kansas City’s business magazine) General Assembly Industry Outlook in the January issue of the magazine
. In the same issue of Ingram’s
, Charles Garney, an honorary Park Board of Trustees member, was featured as a “Kansas City Legend.”
Lendell Hood, ’05, was featured in the Feb. 9 issue of the Michigan City, Ind., News-Dispatch
. Hood is a police officer in Michigan City and he also teaches and serves as a youth pastor.
(All events are Central time) • Through February 16 – Matthew LaRose Paintings Exhibit
, Campanella Gallery • February 11 and 25 -- Center to Advance the Study of Loss Two-Part Series on Grief
, Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., 6:30 p.m. • February 15 -- International Center for Music Concert: Cellist Daniel Veis and Pianist Helena Veisova
, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel • February 17 --
President’s Day Holiday (Kansas City area offices closed; no Parkville Daytime classes; Spring I classes will be held) • February 18-March 16 --
Art Exhibit: "Foundations: Selected Work by Park University Students in Drawing and Design," Campanella Gallery (Reception: Feb. 19, 4:30-6 p.m.) • February 19 --
Coming to America: France, noon, McCoy Meetin’ House • February 24 -- 13th annual Spencer Cave Black History Month Lecture Series, Dr. Chad Williams
: “Torchbearers of Democracy: African-American Soldiers and World War I,” 7 p.m., National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Mo. • March 1 -- Admissions: Pirate Preview Day
, 9 a.m., Parkville Campus • March 9 -
- Spring I classes end • March 9-16 --
Spring Recess • March 17 --
Spring II Classes Begin • March 19 --
Coming to America: Madagascar, noon, McCoy Meetin’ House • March 20-April 25 --
Armenian Genocide Art Exhibit, Campanella Gallery • March 22-23 and March 28-30 --
Park University Theater
Production: “The Dixie Swim Club,” 7 p.m. March 22, 28 and 29; 2 p.m. March 23 and 30, McCoy Meetin’ House • March 25 --
Park University Author Reception, 2-4 p.m., McAfee Memorial Library • March 26 -- Dr. Jerzy Hauptmann Distinguished Guest Lecture Series
: Dr. Robert Jervis, 6 p.m., Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library Central LibraryNote:
To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics, visit www.park.edu/calendars/park-events-calendar.html