Inside Webster-November 2005

Director Arthur Hirsh (on right) with Vienna alumni and staff members. Photo by Petra Schmidt

Contributed by Andrea Richter, Vienna Campus

More than 300 people from all over the world gathered at the Austrian Lotteries' Studio 44 to celebrate Webster University's 25th Anniversary in Vienna, Austria. The event on Nov. 12 was full of exciting stories, emotional moments and surprises.

The event's opening was marked by a march of 20 students carrying flags from students' home countries, only a portion of the 60 nations represented at the campus.

President Richard S. Meyers traveled from St. Louis to attend the festivities, accompanied by board of trustees members Jerry Ritter and Michael Neidorff. President Meyers; Emil Mezgolits, CEO of Austrian Lotteries and host of the event; and Arthur Hirsh, director of the Vienna Campus, each said a few words, followed by a nine-minute video celebrating Webster Vienna's past, present and future.

Celebrity guests included Charles Randolph, a successful screenwriter and former professor, who was presented with a "Webster Oscar" for his achievements and support of the University.

Betty Ortner-Chopin speaks about new professorship fund.
Photo by Petra Schmidt

Twenty-five faculty members were honored with awards for 10, 15 and 20 years of service with the University.

The evening's biggest surprise was the announcement of a newly established fund, the Dr. Elizabeth Ortner-Chopin Endowed Visiting Professorship. Reinhard Ortner established the professorship to honor his wife's long association with the University. The fund is to be assigned to an internationally acclaimed guest lecturer every year.

As the gala concluded, guests mingled with former colleagues, alumni and friends to the sounds of a jazz concert by Sumitra, a Webster Vienna graduate who traveled from Los Angeles to be part of a very special night.

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Contributed by Patrick Powers

CMS musicians perform at the groundbreaking.
Photo by Claudia Burris

A spacious glass lobby, 500-seat concert hall and two large rehearsal rooms will comprise the bulk of a new 26,000-square-foot building set to rise from the broken asphalt of Parking Lot K.

Administrators, faculty and friends officially broke ground for the facility at a ceremony held Nov. 17. It will be the new home to the Community Music School of Webster University.

"We are incredibly fortunate to be partnered with an institution that values what we value," James L. Morice, chairman of the Community Music School Advisory Board, said during the ceremony. "We could not have a better partner than Webster University."

President Richard S. Meyers trumpeted the arrival of the Community Music School, citing the positive impact it has on the St. Louis region and in the life of his own family. Meyers' two children both attended Community Music School programs.

"The Community Music School helps rejuvenate this community's musical legacy," Meyers said. "It is a regional treasure."

Morice, Meyers and a team of other involved dignitaries celebrated the groundbreaking by turning over dirt piled in the parking lot — a move met with cheers and applause from the more than 200 people who attended the event.

The new structure, adorned with brick and metal-clad accents, also will provide classrooms and office space. Additional space will be available in retrofitted spaces on the Webster campus or nearby at the Old Orchard Center.

Said Community Music School Director Carol Commerford: "Webster Groves is a perfect place to call home."

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Jonathan Becker working in his mask studio

Spencer Tracy once said the art of acting basically consists of knowing your lines and not bumping into the furniture. Accomplished actors, however, also need to know how to move appropriately in character, and that's where visiting assistant professor Jonathan Becker comes in.

Becker is filling a one-year appointment in the Theatre and Dance department, in a vacancy left by Liz Shipman, who has moved on to a position in California. Before coming to Webster, Becker was associate director with The National High School Institute at Northwestern University in Chicago, where he had been a faculty member for 14 years.

After earning his undergraduate degree in Theatre from the College of Wooster, Becker attended the International School of Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, where he received his Conservatory Certificate. He has a master's degree in Acting and Directing from the University of Akron and an M.F.A. in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Becker has traveled, performed, directed and taught theatre in Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States, and worked as a member of the Sundance Institute's Playwright's Lab, founded by Robert Redford to develop new works for theatre and film.

In addition to his theatre credits, Becker also has a successful business creating and selling theatre masks to universities and theatre companies. To learn more about Becker's masks, visit www.theater-masks.com

Becker acknowledges that movement training is a discipline most people are not familiar with. "When people ask, 'What do you do?' and I respond, 'Well, I teach movement,' the conversation pretty much stops," he says with a laugh.

Becker explains that movement classes provide a muilti-faceted, multi-level way of coming at theatre training from a totally physical perspective. He says the ultimate goal is to enable actors with the ability to make their character's internal emotional life visible to the audience.

"On a technical level, we deal with alignment issues so that we can connect the breath in the body in order to support the vocal instrument properly," Becker says.

Theatre students enrolled in Webster's Conservatory program take a four-year sequence of movement classes that includes yoga, tai chi, gymnastics and stage combat, among others.

Becker did the movement coaching for Our Country's Good, the Conservatory Theatre's first production this season. The training consisted of immersing the students in the physical manners and behaviors of the 18th century characters they were portraying. "The challenge to the actor is to bring them to life in an organic way so they don't appear to be acting," Becker says.

Working at Webster University and living in St. Louis agrees with Becker. "What I like about Webster is that it's a small liberal arts college with a larger university's world view, so you get the emphasis on education and the focus on the student. I think that is really tremendously important."

As for St. Louis, Becker says he likes its size. "It's sort of a big city-small town, and everything is close by. The people are friendly and, having grown up in northeastern Ohio, I like the Midwestern feel here." He also appreciates the local arts community.

Becker values Webster's international outreach. "I've had an international education, so that's my bias," he says. "We live in a world that's global now and we can't ignore it. I think it's important to educate the students so that they see the larger world, as opposed to just us on this big island between two oceans."

"As a theatre artist, I think if we're doing our job in a context of training students and also behaving as a creative artist in a world community, theatre is something that is by its very nature multicultural, and holds within it a universal world view," Becker says. "Essentially, what we're doing is training the students to be human beings, open to embracing the human condition in its entirety."

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Professor Kent Wilson.
Photo by Theresa Arnold

Kent Wilson, visiting business professor, arrived at the St. Louis campus this semester from Webster Vienna, where he has been an adjunct professor since 1991. The former IBM employee, who has an undergraduate degree in engineering sciences and an M.B.A from Harvard University, has made his home in Vienna for the past 30 years.

After college, Wilson served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador and then headed for Europe. "I was a young guy from Springfield, Ill., who wanted to see the world," he says of that period in his life.

And see the world he did. A college trip to Eastern Europe after his Peace Corp service and a desire to improve his language skills led Wilson to the University of Vienna in Austria, where he took Russian and German language courses. Eventually, he landed a job with IBM's Eastern European division in Vienna serving the countries of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, he worked in Russia and the Ukraine and even did a three-year stint in Saudi Arabia.

As an adjunct professor with Webster Vienna, Wilson taught corporate strategy in Bratislava, Slovakia, for the Weekend Executive MBA (WEMBA) program, a joint venture with Comenius University in Bratislava.

In 2003, Wilson traveled to China to teach a graduate level marketing class at Webster Shanghai. "I really enjoyed it," he says. "The Chinese students were bright and just being in China was a great experience. The first thing you notice is there are so many people, and for Westerners it's unusual to see so many cyclists. The whole idea of managing 1.4 billion people is mind boggling."

Despite all his credentials, the unassuming Wilson remains humble. "To be honest, I am just a substitute teacher," he says. "I jump in when there is a need, when they are short of an instructor somewhere."

He says the biggest difficulty is that full-time instructors develop a course and can use that material — with some changes — many times. "You can get some mileage out of it. But every course I teach, I get a new book," he says, laughing.

As for the students, Wilson says there is not much difference between students from the St. Louis campus and those at the Vienna campus. "You always have some good students and also those who are more interested in other things," he says with a smile. "The students in Vienna do have certain advantages over students from the States when you talk about international themes and subjects, because they live it," he says. "They understand immigration problems and things like that because they are everyday problems there."

Wilson says being at Webster's home campus has given him a bit of a different perspective on the University. "You get a better understanding of the problems," Wilson says. "When you're out in the network somewhere, it's not always obvious why you get requests to do things in a certain way." In addition, Wilson says, "The people are very helpful, very friendly and I've enjoyed the reception here."

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Director Fagan oversees "rocket lift-off" at the expo. Photo by Barbara Chatham

You might say the display the Fort Smith campus put together for a local business expo on Oct. 20 really took off.

Director Diane Fagan says her team decided to showcase Commander Eileen Collins in the expo, which was themed "Building a Better Region." Fagan says they had to stretch their imaginations to get from "region" to "outer space," and came up with the premise that people need to start with their own personal growth, which enhances the region, the world, and — eventually — the universe.

"Commander Collins is a perfect example of this circle of growth," Fagan says. "Her personal goals led her through education (including her master's degree from Webster), and then she reached for the stars."

The Fort Smith display included a rocket created from plastic with revolving strobe lights and a fog machine providing the staged lift-off. Stars and shimmering material gave the display an out-of-this-world look. White painter's overalls served as space suits for Fagan and Barbara Chatham, general clerk, Fort Smith.

A poster spelling out the display's theme explained that Webster University is a great vehicle for attaining a person's educational goals. "It was a great expo with much attention gained by Webster," Fagan says.

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The Little Rock Metropolitan Campus hosted a reception on Oct. 27 to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The reception, themed, "A Party With a Purpose; Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence in Education," was held at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center.

Joining the festivities were Col. John Starkey, Commander of Mission Support, Little Rock Air Force Base; A. J. Baker, 25-year adjunct professor at the Little Rock Campus; Jeanne Jones, director, Arkansas Dept. of Higher Education; and Jack Lankford, president, Arkansas Twisters arena football program.

"Our educational institution is excited about reaching such a huge milestone, and we wanted to throw a party to say thank you to the people of Arkansas for helping us achieve this accomplishment," said Jerry Peters, senior regional director, Little Rock Campus.

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John Feiock visits with well-wishers at the party in his honor. Photo by Claudia Burris

An emotion-filled retirement celebration was held Oct. 28 at the Louisville Metropolitan Campus as long-time friends, colleagues and students shared memories and said goodbye to retiring director John Feiock.

Feiock joined the Jeffersonville, Indiana campus — Webster's first civilian site — in October 1980 as program coordinator. In 1986, he was reclassified as site director, a position he held for the next 19 years.

In addition to administrative duties, Feiock also served the University as an adjunct professor teaching finance, economics, management and other business courses. In February 2005, he coordinated the Jeffersonville Campus move to Louisville and name change to Louisville Metropolitan Campus.

On the personal side, Feiock is known to be an avid golfer. "John never saw a scholarship program he didn't like when it included an opportunity to play golf," says one co-worker. "He believes that golf courses are a valuable recruiting tool and an excellent way to forge relationships with local business leaders."

Feiock also is known to be a lover of thoroughbred horses. Over the years, the Jeffersonville-Louisville campus has held a variety of activities, including the Day-at-the-Downs with the Alumni association. "Thanks to Feiock's interest, Webster University is one of the few institutions of higher education to have a horse race named after it," the co-worker says.

The annual campus graduation has been held at the Churchill Downs Museum for several years. Feiock believed that since Webster University is a unique institution, the students and faculty deserve a unique graduation experience.

Feiock's co-workers, friends and colleagues gave tributes to him at the retirement party, praising his generosity, problem-solving skills, warmth and sense of humor. He will be greatly missed.

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Contributed by Jennifer Willis, Special Events Coordinator

Once again, WebsterWorksWorldwide was a huge success! More than 1,900 Webster faculty, staff, alumni and students painted, raked, collected, shared, sorted, cleaned, hammered, planted, created, listened and responded to the needs around them during the University's 11th annual community service day held Oct. 12. A comparison of statistics through the years and a photo gallery from WWW11 are available on the WebsterWorksWorldwide homepage at www.webster.edu/www/www.html.

While the number of volunteers and the hours worked are impressive, the real measure of WWW11's success is seen through the comments made by the volunteers and agencies who took part. Here's a sampling…

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Contributed by Shawn Arbogast, student editorial assistant

Employees can now get health care information by phone — 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week — with the NurseAssist Line. BlueCross BlueShield of Missouri sponsors the free program and all calls are completely confidential. Callers speak privately with an experienced registered nurse about symptoms or specific health questions.

Nurses also can assist by educating callers about how to handle various conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension. They can answer questions about medical tests and surgical procedure, helping callers understand what will be done, how it should help and possible complications.

The NurseAssist Line also allows employees to call and listen to more than 250 tapes — ranging from three to five minutes in length — on health care topics including abdominal problems, infant and childcare, mental health, cancer treatment and sleeping disorders.

Here's How it Works:

• To speak to a nurse, dial 1-888-485-BLUE (2583) and press 1. (If you have a rotary dial phone, stay on the line and a nurse will be right with you to answer your questions or play a requested tape selection for you.)

• To listen to a tape, dial 1-888-485-BLUE (2583) and press 2. Then enter the four-digit code of the selection you would like to hear.

For more information on available topics and their codes, contact Gloria Barbre in Human Resources at barbregj@webster.edu or (314) 968-6961.

Please note: Any information provided through this service is not intended to be a substitute for medical care or advice provided by a physician. This line is not intended for emergencies.

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Becca Flinn, standing; Kim Horner, left; Cj Merriman, right; play sisters in The Memory of Water.
Photo by Theresa Arnold

CONSERVATORY OF THEATRE ARTS PRODUCTION
The Memory of Water

This dark comedy concerns three very different sisters brought together by their mother's death. On the eve of her funeral, they struggle with each other and conflicting memories of their past. The Memory of Water won the 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for best comedy.

• Nov. 30 to Dec. 4 and Dec. 7 to 11
• 7:30 p.m.; Sundays 2 p.m.
• Stage III, Webster Hall

Admission
• Adults: $10
• Seniors/alumni/non-Webster students: $5
• Webster students, faculty and staff with I.D.: Free

For more information or to reserve tickets, call the Fine Arts hotline, 968-7128.

HOLIDAY CONCERTS
A French Christmas
Webster's Concert Choir and Choral Society, directed by Joel Christie and Kathryn Bowers present a concert of French Christmas music.
• Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m.
• Moore Auditorium
• Admission free and open to the public

Home for the Holidays
Debby Lennon directs the Webster Jazz Singers in a concert of classic holiday favorites.
• Monday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m.
• Moore Auditorium
• Admission $3; free to faculty and staff with Webster I.D.

Holiday Reflections Concert
The Webster Chorale, under the direction of Kathryn Bowers, presents a concert of familiar carols, old and new music for the Christmas season. A highlight will be the reading of O.Henry's short story, "The Gift of the Magi," by Larry Furrer, adjunct professor, Management.
• Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m.
• Moore Auditorium
• Admission free and open to the public

For more information call the Fine Arts hotline, 968-7128.

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Contributed by Shawn Arbogast, Student Editorial Assistant

Kay Sanders. Photo by Claudia Burris

NOVEMBER 2005 SPOTLIGHT AWARD

Kay Sanders, publications production manager, Marketing and Communications, is the winner of the Employee Spotlight Award for November.

Sanders has worked in the Marketing department for 13 years. She coordinates the publication of a number of student recruitment and retention pieces, including site brochures, search pieces, course schedules for extended campuses, viewbooks and many more.

According to her nominator, Sanders handles so many publications, "You might think she would get frustrated with all the work, but, instead, she is always pleasant and has a warm, friendly demeanor." In addition, the nominator says Sanders is a hard-working, detail-oriented person with an exceptional degree of accuracy, which is evident in the high quality of her work.

Sanders says she was very surprised when her supervisor told her that she had won the spotlight award, adding how much she appreciated the congratulatory e-mail sent to her co-workers, who responded with more accolades.

Sanders says she had no idea so many details were involved with producing a published piece when she was promoted to publications production manager. She says she finds herself studying publications produced outside of Webster. "Instead of reading a piece, I find myself analyzing how it was put together," she laughs.

"The most rewarding part of my job is the realization that I am part of a process that is helping people to better their lives," Sanders says. She adds that she has always liked being in an educational setting for that very reason and that she especially enjoys working with the extended campuses.

"After 13 years, my job is still interesting because there is always something new. It is definitely not boring."

Sanders selected a day off with pay as her prize.

Employees everywhere are eligible for the monthly Employee Spotlight Award.
Using the nomination form is easy!

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Carol Hodson, associate professor, Art, premiered a new work performance piece, "How to Cleanse Dark Secrets," as the opening act of a three-day, multi-national festival in Vienna, Austria: the OASES International Festival of Film, Art and Architecture sponsored by the KultarAxe Organization.

Kathy Gaynor, reference librarian, Emerson Library, was recently elected co-chair of the Association of St. Louis Area Archivists (ASLAA). The organization's members represent educational, historical, cultural, corporate, government and religious institutions throughout the Illinois and Missouri bi-state area.

Paula Hanssen, coordinator of German Studies, International Languages and Cultures, was among several Brecht scholars interviewed for the article, "For Brecht, an Ironic Encore," by Monaghan for The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 29, 2005.

Barry Hufker, associate professor, Electronic and Photographic Media, recorded Bruce Vantine's Cornerstone Chorale and Brass at Trinity Lutheran church during the final concert of their 2005 tour for a future compact disc release. The presentation, "Go Now and Love One Another," featured two narrators, a brass quintet and a chorale of about 30 singers. Hufker also recorded the November concert of the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, "Early Days," which featured the Saint Louis Children's Concert Choir, conducted by Philip Barnes.

Calvin Smith, director of International Recruitment, International Recruitment and International Services, served as tour director for the Council of International Schools (CIS) Fall 2005 Latin American Recruitment tour. Smith lead a group of 30 university admissions officers from institutions across the United States on an undergraduate recruitment tour to Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala during three weeks in September. Over 3,000 prospective students attended the fairs and related events organized by Smith.

Melanie Gottlieb, international credential specialist and coordinator, International Recruitment and International Services, was elected Vice President for Programs and Projects for the Missouri Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) for the 2005-06 term. Gottlieb presented "Arm Chair Recruitment Vs. Travel: Effective Approaches and Practical Tips for International Student Recruitment" at the MACRAO Annual Conference, Oct. 23-25, at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. At the conference, Gottlieb received the Outstanding Professional Award for 2005, given each year by MACRAO to an individual who personifies professionalism and service to the organization.

Linda Woolf, professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences, is currently serving as president of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence, which is also the Peace Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association (APA). Woolf was elected to APA Fellow status, which requires the recipient to show evidence of outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology, which has had a national impact. In addition, Woolf serves on the APA committee, "Where Faculty Live: Internationalizing the Disciplines," American Council on Education Initiative being coordinated through the APA Education Directorate. Woolf recently gave an invited plenary address, "Putting the positive in pedagogy," at the 113th Annual APA convention in Washington, D.C. and also presented a paper, "Landmines to lynchings: The political psychology of mass violence," at the convention. Recent publications by Woolf include two chapters and a journal article: "Swimming against the tide: Journey of a peace psychology professor" in The Teaching of Psychology in Autobiography: Perspective from Exemplary Psychology. "Women and Global Human Rights" in Teaching about Human Rights, pp.125-135, American Sociological Association; and "Psychosocial roots of genocide: risk, prevention, and intervention," Journal of Genocide Research, 7, 101-128.

Keep us posted on your professional activities and send us your story ideas by completing the UFO form.

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The University extends its appreciation to the following individuals who have served the institution for many years:

Rita Braunegg, academic advisor, Jacksonville Metropolitan Campus, Fla., 5 years

Glenda Harris, representative, Fort Smith Metropolitan Campus, Ark., 5 years

Mable Landrum, general clerk, Registrar, 5 years

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We extend warm welcome to the newest members of the Webster family:

Nicole Cheney, department assistant, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., (573) 329-6777 or speed dial #6 014, replaces Stephanie Lectcher.

Christle Collins, service clerk, Columbia Metropolitan Campus, S.C., (803) 699-0900 or speed dial #6 083.

William Duvendack, service clerk, Media, (314) 968-6967, replaces Lindsey Robinson.

Arlene Lynton, general clerk, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., (623) 536-6880 or speed dial #6 116.

Valerie Perera, coordinator, community relations/academic advisor, Crystal Lake Metropolitan Campus, Ill., (815) 356-9619 or speed dial #6 081, replaces Leroy Hartwig.

Andre Redditt, general clerk, Andrews Air Force Base, Md., (301) 420-2256 or speed dial #6 123, replaces Tracy Scott.

Casey Treinen, computer technician, Space Coast Metropolitan Campus, Fla., (321) 449-4500 or speed dial #6 008, replaces Rosalind Lanthorne.

Cindy Zelinsky, assistant softball coach, Athletics, (314) 968-6984, replaces Nicole Herman.

To learn more about job opportunities at Webster, go to the Human Resources Jobs site.

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The University extends its sympathy to Dian Davitt, associate professor, Nursing, on the recent loss of her father.

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CREDITS
Marianne Kirk, Editor
Marketing & Communications

Dominik Jansky, Contributor
Marketing & Communications

Patrick Powers, Contributor
Marketing & Communications

Claudia Burris, Editor and Photographer
Marketing & Communications

Casey Conroy, Graphic Designer
Marketing & Communications

Pete McEwen, Technical Advisor
Information Technology

Betsy Schmutz, Director
Human Resources

STUDENT EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Shawn Arbogast