February 26, 2004
2004 Commencement Speakers Announced
Faculty Development Center Develops a Following
Professional Development Day Set
Three Webster Athletes Reach 1,000 Career Points
Bowling For Dollars
Kampus Kudos
St. Louis Calendar Highlight
Employees of the Month
Service Anniversaries
New Employees
Condolences
2004 Commencement Speakers Announced
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Oxford-educated Paul Kennedy is currently the J. Richardson Dilworth Professor of History and Director of International Security Studies at Yale University. An expert in military strategy, diplomacy and international relations, Kennedy has authored and edited 13 books. His best-known work, “The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers,” enjoyed wide acclaim when it debuted in 1988 and has since been translated into more than 20 languages. His most recent book, “Preparing for the Twenty-First Century,” covers the themes of his DeVane lectures at Yale.
Kennedy is on the editorial board of numerous scholarly journals and writes for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic and a number of foreign-language periodicals. Kennedy was asked by U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to work with an international commission on the preparation of a report, “The United Nations in its Second Half-Century,” for the 50th anniversary U.N. debate on improving the world organization.
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Walker is chairman emeritus of Stifel Financial Corp. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company Inc. A long-time advocate for education, Walker has also been involved in civic affairs and politics, on both local and national levels. He was active in the campaigns of his cousin President George Herbert Bush and President Ronald Reagan. Walker serves as chairman of the steering committee for Citizens for Home Rule, a group seeking to reform the structure of the St. Louis city government. He has served as chairman of Downtown St. Louis Inc. and is a board member of the Missouri Historical Society and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Faculty Development Center Develops a Following
FROM MARIANNE KIRK, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A faculty member wants to take a 16-week class and condense it into eight weeks, while preserving the quantity and quality of material presented.A nursing instructor would like to create a virtual patient for students to see and evaluate, instead of just hearing about diagnosing conditions in a lecture.
A philosophy professor is tired of dragging 12 videotapes to his classes, only to show short segments of material from each.
The solutions for these teaching dilemmas, and many more, can be found in the new Faculty Development Center, located in Room 420 of the Emerson Library. The center provides a place where faculty can go to redesign a course, explore technology resources, create videos, meet with colleagues, or just have a cup of coffee and relax. Programs at the center kicked off this fall with a Teaching Strategies Workshop presented by Webster faculty members and an Open House to introduce newly hired instructional design/developer, Daniel Bell.
“The whole idea was to have a space in the library where faculty would be able to come to work — either with staff or on their own — to do some type of professional development,” says Laura Rein, dean of Emerson Library and co-director of the Faculty Development Center. “There hasn’t been a central, designated place where they could go before this.”
A Webster ID card provides access to the center, which consists of a multi-purpose room with PC and Mac computers, two offices, a small kitchen and an outdoor terrace, which is a favored lunch location in good weather. “It’s probably the grandest room in the library,” Rein says. “The faculty love it and are up there all the time.”
Co-directing the center with Rein is Jahna Kahrhoff, who is also director of the Academic Distance Learning Center. “Both centers are involved in helping faculty use new strategies and different kinds of technology,” Kahrhoff says, “There was a lot of overlap, and we wanted to make sure we coordinated the two departments.”
Funding for the center was obtained through a Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant, in the amount of $1.75 million, to be distributed over five years. The first two years, the grant money went directly into the building, funding all of the equipment and a large portion of the wiring. Now in the third year, the funding is going into the faculty development portion of the grant. Forty “teaching transformation” fellowships will be offered over the course of three years, with eight awarded this year, 16 next year, and 16 the following year. Faculty who are awarded the fellowships will each receive a $2,000 stipend, a laptop computer to keep, and the full support of the Faculty Development Center staff. The first wave of proposals is currently under consideration, while letters of intent for the next group are due on March 22, with full proposals due May 3.
Kahrhoff stresses that the fellowships are not just about using technology, but are to identify classroom teaching issues that can be addressed with technology. Bell is the person charged with delivering this service to the faculty. For the professor with the videotape problem, he came up with the solution of transferring the desired video clips to a DVD, and then into PowerPoint. “This provides a better way, that is a lot more interesting for students and a lot smoother for faculty,” Bell explains.
For more information on the Faculty Development Center, go to www.webster.edu/ietl/
Professional Development Day Set
At the Feb. 11 WSA meeting, Shana Wilson, department associate, University Center, announced that this year’s Professional Development Day is set for March 10, with the theme, “Can You Hear Me Now?” Lisa Yankowitz, of Channel 5 News, will be the luncheon keynote speaker and also will conduct two workshop sessions. Rather than Orlando Gardens, where the Professional Development Day has been held the past few years, this year’s luncheon will take place in Grant Gymnasium.Nominations are now being accepted for three open positions on the WSA Board. Nominations are due by mid-April, and new officers will be installed at the May 13 meeting. Board members hold their positions for two years, with two members rotating out each year. Officers to be replaced this year are Shana Wilson, chair, Julie Snorton, compensation chair, and Caprice Moore, secretary. Serving for another year are: Matt Nolan, special events chair, Dorothy Nootbaar, associate chair, and Cathy Heidemann, membership chair. Nominations for colleagues and/or self-nominations should be forwarded to Wilson at wilsonsd@webster.edu.
Three Webster Athletes Reach 1,000 Career Points
FROM THERESA ARNOLD, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS WORK-STUDY STUDENT
Recently, three Webster basketball players reached an important milestone, scoring 1,000 points in their athletic careers at the University. Senior Tara Fortschneider, senior Brady Barke and junior Angie Carr join a handful of Webster players to achieve the feat. It also marks the first time that so many players have realized the 1,000-point milestone in the same season.
“I think it’s a great accomplishment individually,” says women’s basketball coach Ryan Barke, about Tara and Angie. “I think it’s an even greater accomplishment for the players who have played with them and helped to make this possible.”
Men’s basketball coach Chris Bunch also credits the team as a whole with playing a big part in Brady’s 1,000 points. “It’s definitely been a team effort,” says Bunch.
Webster athletic director Tom Hart says the three players score high outside of the gym, as well. “One of the benefits of my position is watching these athletes on the court and around campus,” Hart says. “I’ve enjoyed knowing Tara, Brady and Angie as athletes, as well as students.”
The Webster athletic program has made leaps and bounds since its inception in 1984. “I think our athletic program as a whole has been able to compete locally and even regionally,” says Barke. Looking toward the future, Barke would like to see Webster compete nationally, too.
The Gorloks have won the SLIAC Conference All Sports Trophy four consecutive years, recognizing their excellence in conference competition across all sports. Webster athletics has celebrated other milestones, too: the women’s soccer team has performed well the past few years, with a 56-game winning streak in conference play, and a berth in the NCAA tournament the past four years. This year also marked the inception of a Webster men’s swimming team.
The women’s basketball program has greatly improved since it was established 18 years ago. The first four years of competition, the team did not win a single game, with a record of 0-39. In the last four years, the women’s team has had a record of 69-34 and 43-13 in conference. The greatest accomplishment for the Lady Gorloks was advancing to the Sweet 16 Tournament in the 2001-02 season, going farther in postseason play than any other Webster athletic team in history.
The athletic strides have not been at the expense of academics, however. Webster student athletes currently hold a cumulative 3.36 GPA, above average in the SLIAC conference, as well as among NCAA Division III teams nationally. “All of the coaches try to bring in quality people who will get good grades and stay all four years,” Bunch says. “It’s a positive image for the athletic program and Webster University, both on and off of the court.”
To view more Webster University records, go to www.webster.edu/athletics.
Bowling for Dollars
FROM TED HOEF, DEAN OF STUDENTS
Once again this year, Webster faculty, staff and students will be participating in the Bowl for Kids’ Sake program, which benefits Big Brothers/Big Sisters of St. Louis. In past years, the University has had up to seven teams participate and has raised over $2,400 for the organization.
The event will be held Saturday, March 20, at 11 a.m. at Olivette Lanes, 9520 Olive Blvd. Spaces exist for 36 bowlers, each of whom is expected to secure a minimum of $60 in pledges in order to participate. Our goal for Webster University is to collect an average of $75 in pledges per bowler.
Friends and colleagues of the Webster community are encouraged to participate, too, and no bowling skills are required. You just need a willingness to have fun and help raise money for a good cause. The organization provides free pizza and prizes.
If you’d like to put together a team, contact Ted Hoef at ext. 6980. If you’d like more information about the event, check out http://www.bbbsemo.org/ Those who can’t make it that day are encouraged to make a pledge to one of our bowlers.
Thomas Keith Mirabile, adjunct professor, Chicago Metropolitan Campus, completed the requirements for the advanced law degree of LL.M in Health Law at DePaul University Graduate College of Law. Mirabile had his article, “Aids, Africa and Access to Medicines,” published in the Journal of International Law of Michigan State University-Detroit College of Law this fall. In addition to teaching at Webster’s Crystal Lake Metropolitan and Great Lakes campuses, Mirabile practices law in Wheaton, Ill.
Dan Viele, chair, Business, received an award for Excellence in Teaching by Missouri Gov. Bob Holden. The award is presented annually for significant contributions to the quality of education at colleges and universities in the state of Missouri.
Warren Rosenblum, assistant professor, History, Politics and Law, presented, “Vagabonds, Prostitutes, and the Concept of the Asocial, 1900-29,” at the German Studies Association meetings in New Orleans. Rosenblum also presented “Hitler: Portrait of a Dictator” at the St. Louis Holocaust Museum and served as a commentator for the panel “Violence and Peace: Postwar Reconstructions in 20th Century Germany” at the American Historical Association meetings in Washington, D.C.
Robin Assner, visiting assistant professor, Art, had a review of her exhibition, “Cravings,” published in the November/December 2003 issue of Art Papers, vol. 27, no. 6.
Jeffrey Hughes, professor, Art, had his feature article, “German Art Now,” published in the January/February 2004 issue of Dialogue. Hughes’ reviews of “The Fiction of Authenticity: Contemporary Africa Abroad” appeared in the London-based Contemporary (no. 57) and the December 2003 edition of Flash Art. In the November/December 2003 issue of Art Papers, Hughes published reviews of “Heather Bennett: Untitled;” the inaugural exhibition of the Contemporary Art Center Cincinnati; and the new Zaha Hadid structure.
Margaret Reed, office manager, Little Rock Metropolitan Campus, Ark., had her book, The Spell Breaker, published by First Books Library. It is the first in a series, called “Krista’s World,” which is aimed at children at the fourth-grade reading level.
Ahzad Bogosian, adjunct professor, Art, had his works exhibited at the Navy Pier in Chicago. In addition, his artwork appeared in the traveling exhibition, “Five Views of the Midwest,” which opened at the Margaret Harwell Museum in Poplar Bluff, Mo., and “Five Artists Exploring the Landscape,” at Eliot Smith Contemporary Art in St. Louis. Bogosian also had solo exhibitions of his paintings shown at Elliot Smith Contemporary Art and at the Ann Nathan Gallery in Chicago.
Don Corrigan, professor, Communications and Journalism, received the Kirkwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award for the 25th anniversary of The Webster-Kirkwood Times, which he edits, and his 25 years of service to the community.
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St. Louis Calendar Highlight
Calling all poets….
In honor of Black History Month, the Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs is hosting, “wordsfromthesoul,” an open-mike poetry night featuring verse, food and music from the band Alkebulan.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 in the Sunnen Lounge.
For more information on St. Louis events, check the online calendar.
Employees of the Month
February 2004 Spotlight Award
FROM THERESA ARNOLD, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS WORK-STUDY STUDENT
Congratulations to the February winners of the Employee Spotlight award: Larry Mabrey, coordinator, School of Business & Technology and Jaime Hicks, representative, Little Rock AFB.
Larry Mabrey has worked in the dean’s office in the School of Business & Technology (SBT) for over a year. His nominator says that, during that time, Larry has “greatly enhanced” the communication and connectivity to the 2,500 faculty and 15,000 students worldwide. Mabrey has also worked with the Friends of Business (FOB) and corporate supporters to strengthen the image of the SBT, both in St. Louis and abroad.
Larry says he was surprised to learn that he had won the Spotlight Award. “I had no idea I was nominated for it,” he says. He describes his job working in the School of Business & Technology and with Dean Benjamin Akande as “energizing” and “fast-paced.”
“The School of Business is so big and always changing,” says Larry. “There are so many things we need to react to … My favorite thing about this job is getting to interact with students and partners of the University in business.”
Larry chose a day off with pay as his prize.
Jaime Hicks has worked at Webster for over three years. According to her nominator, Jaime plays multiple roles in the office. On one occasion, a computer hard drive crashed in the office, leading Jaime to take charge by replacing the drive and adding new memory and programs in the computer—despite her lack of formal training in computer hardware. “She just jumps in and learns as she goes,” her nominator says.
Several students and staff members have mentioned Jaime's personal attention and have commended her as an asset to the University. “She makes it her personal duty to ensure everyone is happy,” says her nominator.
When she learned about winning the Spotlight Award, Jaime was “shocked and speechless.” One of her favorite aspects of her job is working with the students and watching them progress through and ultimately finish their studies. She says that some stop in to visit after completing their schooling at Webster, and occasionally even bring pictures of their children. “We get close with our students,” she says. Jaime is fond of the people she works with and says they share a great relationship. “We all work really well together,” she says.
Jaime describes Webster as “a great organization” and is very thankful for the flexibility she received from her supervisors so that she could recently obtain her associate’s degree. “I haven’t found anything that’s not really good about Webster,” Jaime says.
Jaime chose a savings bond as her prize, which she plans to use someday to help fund her children’s education.
Employees everywhere are eligible for the monthly Employee Spotlight Award. Using the nomination form is easy!
Service Anniversaries
February 2004
The University extends its appreciation to the following individual who has ably served the institution for many years:
Barb Ehnes, coordinator, University Communications, 10 years
New Employees
A warm welcome to the newest members of the Webster family:
James Arnold, HVAC, Facilities Operations
Thomas Boing, lab assistant, User Services
Riti Dole, representative, Procurement Services, ext. 8037
Barbara Downs, director, Patterson AFB, 937-790-0541
Mary Ellis, representative, Sarasota Metropolitan Campus, 941-365-7040 or speed dial #6 114, replaces Debra Kirkpatrick.
DeLayne Levels, general clerk, Mail & Copy Center, replaces Derrick Florian.
J. Scott McLean, lab assistant, Myrtle Beach Metropolitan Campus, 843-274-4448, replaces John Ellerbe.
Forrest Melson Jr., skilled groundskeeper, College Grounds, replaces Mike Denton.
Perry Pogue II, lab assistant, Rolla-Fort Leonard Wood, 573-368-4569 or speed dial #6 102, replaces James Chipman.
Deanna Snowden, reference assistant, Emerson Library, ext. 6950
Anastasia Soetanto-Schafer, department assistant, Academic Distance Learning Center
James Times, plumber, Facilities Operations
Matthew Wier, library department head, Access Services, Emerson Library, ext. 7806, replaces Susan Mueller.
David West, office manager, International Recruitment and Services, ext. 7049, replaces Theresa Hard.
Marlon Wellington, technician, Pope AFB, 910-436-0014 or speed dial #6 024, replaces Michael Sumrell.
Samuel Shiplett, director, Andrews AFB, speed dial #6 123
To learn more about job opportunities at Webster, go to the Human Resources Jobs site.
Condolences
The University extends its sympathy to Jeri Levesque, director, Institute of Literacy Evaluation and Training, LIFT, on the death of her father; Wanda Stretch, representative, Denver Metropolitan Campus, on the death of her mother; Susan Daily, director, Health Services, on the death of her mother; and Josh Daily, department assistant, Mail Center, on the death of his grandmother.
Webster University faculty and staff.
Jeryldine Tully, Editor
University Communications
Marianne Kirk, Contributor
University Communications
Radhika Rai
Student Contributor
Pete McEwen, Technical Advisor
IT
Betsy Schmutz
Human Resources
© 2004, Webster University