Work Begins
Construction has begun on the new Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center on the north end of campus. The project, which is privately funded, should be complete by early 2019.
International Attention
Pardon Masarirambi, a student in our master’s in forensic science program, was featured in a profile in The Sunday News of his native Zimbabwe. The article shares what led Pardon to the United States to study forensic science and his dream to return to Zimbabwe and use what he’s learned in the justice system.
Arts & Sciences
Dr. Brice Obermeyer (Associate Professor, Anthropology) and his colleague are semifinalists for the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development’s Honoring Nations Award for the reburial they did in 2016 at Schoenbrunn Historic Village in Ohio. This award is given to identify and celebrate outstanding examples of tribal governance.
Savannah Rayne Russell (Sociology Major) organized and moderated a panel presentation titled “What does it mean to be under community corrections supervision?” Panelists included, left to right in photo above, Travis Silverson, Gerald Ottenwalder, Stacy Turner, Cassie Ottenwalder, and William Blue. Probation Officer Bradford Douglas facilitated the participation of the panelists, and two sociology classes attended the presentation.
Congratulations to Dr. Richard Schrock (Editor, Kansas School Naturalist; Emeritus Biology Professor)! Dr. Schrock received the 2017 North Central Branch Educational Project Award at the Annual Meeting of North Central Entomological Society of America, March 20 in Madison, Wisconsin. The award is sponsored by the Certified Entomologists of Mid-America.
The ESU A Cappella Choir and Chamber Orchestra recently completed a three-day tour of the Topeka and Kansas City area with a join concert with the University of Central Missouri Concert Choir at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mission, Kansas.
Library & Information Management
Dr. Emily Vardell, SLIM, was elected in a national ballot to serve on the Medical Library Association Nominating Committee for the 2018-2019 term.
Robin Westphal is the new state librarian for Missouri. Robin obtained her Masters in Library Science at Emporia State University and has worked in a variety of libraries, spending time in different roles – from Friends of the Library liaison to high school librarian, as a researcher in a law library to working in youth services in Olathe, managing the adult department and serving as director of the Livingston County Library in Chillicothe, Missouri, for 12 years, and most recently serving as director at the Johnson City Public Library in Johnson City, Tennessee. Robin will assume her duties on April 9.
Athletics
The final All-America football team from the 2017 season has been announced and just like the other four teams so far, Justin Marcha of Emporia State is on this list making him Emporia State’s first Hornet to earn All-American honors from the five major organizations since Dontaye McCoy in 2002.
The Teachers College
Kelsey Anselmi, a current education administration student who is a teacher in North Carolina, hosted a Teacher Talk titled “Back on Track” about her journey as an educator.
Morgan Kerfes, HPER major, received the SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators) Major of the Year award on March 22 at this year’s national conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
A Mental Skills and Drills Workshop was hosted by HPER students serving as the sport psychology team at Burlingame High School on March 6 to the entire student body, Grades 7 through 12.
Thirty-five prospective officials attended the Officials Workshop on March 13 hosted by ESU Coaching Education and Recreational Services. Veteran officials served on a panel to discuss how to begin an officiating career.
Sarah Jo Heath (MS – HPER, 2013) received the National Mable Lee Award on March 22 at this year’s SHAPE America conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The Mabel Lee Award recognizes younger professionals who have demonstrated outstanding potential in scholarship, teaching, and/or professional leadership. Mabel Lee was the first female president of the American Physical Education Association in 1931-32 and a leader in athletics for women.
Daisuke Monda, athletic training student, won the Kansas Athletic Trainers Society’s Student Scholarship March 17 at the Mid-America Athletic Training Association’s conference in LaVista, Nebraska.
Kevin Yarnell (MS – HPER, 2016), was awarded the American Heart Association Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart grant March 22 at this year’s SHAPE America conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
A Mental Skills and Drills Workshop was hosted by HPER students serving as the sport psychology team for the Emporia High School softball team on March 14 to the EHS softball team.
Amanda Martens (MS – Psychology, 2013) was recently awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for a Graduate Teaching Assistant by Kansas State University.
Sarah Gietschier-Hartman (HPER alum), St. Louis, Missouri, was named National Middle School Physical Educator of the Year at the SHAPE America conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in March.
Business
Dr. Douglass Smith, assistant professor of information systems, passed the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Professional (PMP) exam. The PMP is a highly important industry-recognized certification for project managers.
The Emporia Entrepreneur Challenge concluded on March 13 at the Community Showcase. First place and $2,500 was awarded to Carissa McAfee. Second place and $1,500 was awarded to DeWayne Sanford. Clinton Henderson won third place and $500.
The second Hult Team competed in Mexico City over spring break. The team members included Mohammad Daouk, Warrick Rodgers, Emilia Flores and Saandhyarag Sasidhar.
Deena Wilson, Dr. Ed Bashaw and 13 BizHornets spent a couple of days in Chicago for a Commercial Insurance Workshop hosted by alumni John Stibal with Unum and Mark Kendall with HUB International. The participants gained valuable knowledge about the commercial insurance business from experienced alumni.
Presentations
Dr. Kenneth Thompson, ESU, Department of Physical Sciences, and Dr. Mirah Dow, ESU, School of Library and Information Management, presented on March 16, 2018 at the 2018 National Science Teachers Association annual conference in Atlanta, GA. Their session sponsored by the Society of College Science Teachers was titled ”Hitting the Mark? Rigor, Reflection, and Results of Co-teaching a STEM Standards-Based Competency Program.”
Dr. Terri Summey presented her poster, “Emotional-Social Intelligence and Award-Winning Reference and Information Services Librarian”s during the Jean Tague-Sutcliffe Doctoral Student Poster Competition at the ALISE Annual Conference in February.
Cynthia Kane and Dr. Terri Summey presented during the ALCTS Holdings Information Forum at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in February in Denver. Their presentation was titled, “Holding Steady with Changes! Using and Teaching a Discovery Service While Planning for a transition.”
Dr. Sara Schwerdtfeger, Dr. Scott Waters and Stephanie Mathis Metzger had a packed house of more than 40 participants at National Association for Professional Development Schools conference in Jacksonville, Florida, in March. Their session was, “The Generation Gap: The transformation of obtaining and revising supervision skills for PDS interns.”
Dr. Damara Goff Paris and Dr. E. Basil Kessler, both in the department of counselor education, provided a two-hour workshop on Accessibility of Deaf Individuals in the Criminal Justice System for the 2018 POWER conference in Wichita on March 1.
Dr. Connie Schrock presented “From Awareness to Action: Equity and Social Justice in Mathematics Education” for a national webinar on March 14.
Publications
Dr. Dabae Lee, department of instructional design and technology, wrote “From swimming pool to collaborative learning studio: Pedagogy, space, and technology in a large active learning classroom” published in the February 2018 edition of Educational Technology Research and Development.