IN ACADEMIA
IN ACADEMIA AWARDS, APPOINTMENTS, AND RECOGNITIONS continued
PUBLICATION
Choi
Dailey-Hebert
Estes
A book edited by Dong Hwa (Donna) Choi, Ph.D., professor of adult education and early childhood education, Amber Dailey-Hebert, Ph.D., professor of adult education, and Judi Simmons Estes, Ph.D., associate dean in the School for Education and associate professor of elementary and secondary teacher preparation, has been published. The book, Emerging Tools and Applications of Virtual Reality in Education, explores the potential and practical uses of virtual reality in classrooms with a focus on educational and instructional outcomes and strategies, with multiple projects from five different countries. The book includes experiments in the use of augmented reality in teaching and highlights the effects it has on students. The trio also authored the final chapter in the book, “Integrating Technological Innovations to Enhance the Teaching-Learning Process.” Julie Creek, Ph.D., assistant professor and area/program coordinator for international business, was elected second vice president for the International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City. As second vice president, Creek will serve as chairperson of the organization’s annual membership meeting and its Program Committee. She will also serve on the Educational Outreach Team, providing oversight on educational programming. The ITC-GKC’s mission is to promote international business through focused commercial education and networking to support individuals and businesses in the Greater Kansas City area. Michael Jeffress, Ph.D., adjunct instructor of communication arts and religion, had a book he authored published. The book, Communication, Sport and Disability: The Case of Power Soccer (Ashgate), tells the story of power soccer, the first competitive team sport specifically designed for electric wheelchair users. Beginning in France in the 1970s, today, more than 60 teams compete within the United States Power Soccer Association and the sport is actively played in more than 30 countries.
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An article written by Nicolas Koudou, Ph.D., professor of business administration and area coordinator of general concentrations in the Master of Business Administration program, was published in the Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development. The article, “Role of Freshwater Resources in Sustainable Economic Development in 21st Century: Exploratory Study,” envisions solutions to freshwater scarcity to promote viable economic development where needed and provides information to help prevent freshwater base conflicts among communities around the world.
AWARDS, APPOINTMENTS, AND RECOGNITIONS Shovkia Caldwell, a junior management major at Park’s Naval Support Activity MidSouth Millington (Tenn.) Campus Center, was selected Sailor of the Year for the U.S. Navy’s Installations Command Headquarters for 2015. Earlier in the year, Caldwell was selected Sailor of the Quarter among her peers at NICH at NSA Millington. Caldwell, as part of the Navy Wounded Warrior – Safe Harbor department, manages military pay, travel entitlements and deductions to assist enlisted personnel and their families with special problems or personal hardships. Vernal Cole, adjunct instructor of accounting at the Camp Pendleton (Calif.) Marine Corps Base Campus Center, was recognized by the North San Diego County (Calif.) Chapter of the NAACP with the organization’s 2015 Youth President’s Award. Cole received the award at the Blue and Gold Awards Gala in Carlsbad, Calif., in October 2015. Cole is active in numerous community based organizations, including the Vista Boys & Girls Club, where he serves as a board member, the Ocean Promise and the San Luis Rey Rotary.
Stephen Fant, adjunct instructor of management, was honored in August 2015 with a trio of accolades during an Installation Management Command quarterly town hall meeting at Joint Base San Antonio (Texas). Fant was recognized with the Global War on Terrorism Award and Medal, the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award and the Non-Article 5 NATO Award and Medal, all for his work as a safety manager for U.S. Forces Afghanistan while deployed in Kabul in 2014. The Global War on Terrorism Medal symbolizes the honor and achievement of civilians with the Department of Defense to defend freedom against danger that may develop on foreign soil. The Joint Civilian Service Commendation was bestowed upon Fant for exceptional meritorious service during Operation Enduring Freedom, specifically for ensuring “synchronization of the overall safety program initiatives, goals and objectives, regulatory requirements and Department of Defense and Army level mandates.” The NATO Award was given to Fant for service with NATO in relation to the International Security Assistance Force. A book authored by Dennis Okerstrom, professor of English, received the Air Power History Best Book Reviewed Award from the Air Force Historical Foundation. Okerstrom and his book, Project 9: Birth of the Air Commandos in World War II (University of Missouri Press, 2014), were honored at the AFHF’s awards banquet in October 2015, in Arlington, Va. The book is a narrative of the Allied joint project to invade Burma by air and details the aspects of the covert mission, including the selection of American airmen, the procurement of the aircraft, the joint training with British troops and the dangerous nighttime assault behind Japanese lines by glider. Air Power History is a journal published by the AFHF that chronicles the great campaigns, leaders, successes and failures of air forces in history.
OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT EARNS AWARD Park University’s Office of University Relations and Development received an Award of Distinction from Nonprofit Connect at the organization’s annual Philly Awards Celebration in November 2015 in Kansas City, Mo. The Award of Distinction was awarded to entries that scored in the 90th percentile, regardless of category. Park’s award was for the OURD’s overall marketing efforts for the School of Business and the Global Executive Master of Business Administration program.
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM EARNS FULL ACCREDITATION FROM CSWE Park University’s Master of Social Work program, which officially began in Fall 2014, has been granted full accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation. Park’s MSW program, which has three areas of practice emphasis — military, children and families, and gerontological — is the home of one of the few accredited advanced practice concentration in behavior health in the U.S. In addition, Park is the only college/university in the Kansas City metropolitan area to have both an accredited MSW program and an accredited Bachelor of Social Work program.
PARK UNIVERSITY RECEIVES MILITARY FRIENDLY ACCOLADE Park University has been selected as one of the “2016 Top Military Friendly Online Colleges” by the Guide to Online Schools. Colleges and universities named to the list provide a strong military culture, exceptional online support to its military students, and earn high marks in financial aid and flexibility. Of the 78 schools selected, Park University is one of just eight schools to earn a perfect score (100 points) for both its military culture and online support.
Henry Roehrich, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing/management and program coordinator for logistics and management, was appointed to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Marketing Management Association. The MMA is an academic association that showcases cutting-edge marketing thought, presented by practitioners and academicians.
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