Inside Webster: July/August 2009

Webster University's 11th president, Dr. Elizabeth Stroble. Photo by Claudia Burris

Webster University faculty and staff members officially welcomed our new president, Dr. Elizabeth Stroble, July 1 at a meet-and-greet breakfast buffet in the Sunnen Lounge.

President Stroble visits with with Matt Andrew, associate vice president, Development & Alumni, at the meet-and-greet breakfast. Photo by M. Kirk

With a smile as bright as her gold lapel flower, Stroble shook hands and chatted with a steady stream of faculty and staff for nearly two hours. She was then off for campus tours and press interviews before a lunch with 14 students, faculty and staff.

Stoble's high energy was on display throughout a day that included moment-by-moment "tweeting" and concluded with a reception and dinner with David Greenhaw, president of Eden Seminary.

View a video of President Stroble's first day.

Check out the St. Louis media coverage of President Stroble's arrival:

"Stroble to take helm of Webster University," St. Louis Business Journal online, 6/29/09

"Webster University president flashes energy and Twitter updates, on first day," STLtoday.com, 7/5/09

"Webster University welcomes new president," KSDK.com, 7/3/09

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Wouldn't you like to visit and work for a week or two at one of Webster's international campuses? For the past six years, that opportunity has been available to Webster staffers through the Energizer Global Staff Exchange Program.

Open to all support staff from Webster's U.S., European and Asian campuses, the program is made possible through a grant from the Energizer Corporation to the School of Business & Technology and offered in cooperation with International Programs, the Center for International Education, International Projects and the Human Resources Department.

The 2008-09 staff exchange selections were: Billi Brickey, assistant bursar, Business Office, who went to Webster's Leiden campus; Caprice Moore, director of operations, School of Business & Technology, who visited Shanghai; and Bethany Keller, international academic advisor, Academic Advising, who was selected to go to Vienna.

Unfortunately, Keller was unable to travel to Vienna due to pregnancy complications. "I was ready to fly out on a Saturday and the doctor sidelined me the Friday before," Keller says. "But I have a beautiful healthy son, Miles Stewart Keller, born March 5." Keller hopes to participate in the program in the future.

DESTINATION: CHINA
Caprice Moore's China visit took place March 26 to April 3, 2009. She applied to the program to visit China because of her role as liaison between the School of Business & Technology and representatives of the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu campuses.

"I work with the campuses and wanted to learn more about their operations and how they relate to what I do," Moore says. "The timing worked well because the Global MBA students were at the Shanghai campus during my visit."

Sharing Moore's 13-hour flight from Chicago to Shanghai was Pat Masidonski, associate dean, School of Business & Technology, who had also scheduled to be there when the Global MBA students were taking finance classes at the campus.

Nelly Zhang and Joyce Fan with Caprice Moore and Pat Masidonski at the Shanghai Campus.

Moore met with staffers Nelly Zhang and Joyce Fan in Shanghai, as well as Serene Qui from the Shenzhen campus. "Their work takes a lot of organization," Moore says. "It was fascinating watching Nelly fill out receipts and other paperwork in Chinese script. She showed me how they manually keep track of the block of classes, office visits and travel arrangements for students and staff."

In Shanghai, Moore taught a workshop, "Achieving Your Highest Priorities" to the Global MBA students. She first presented the workshop as part of the St. Louis Campus March 11 staff professional development day program.

DESTINATION: LEIDEN
Billi Brickey's mission in Leiden was to provide assistance—using the CARS program—on processing and retrieving student information concerning enrollments, registrations, financial aid, tuition adjustments and other areas.

"I hope Leiden benefited as much as I feel I have," Brickey says. "I tried to offer everything possible relating to our practices and procedures that they might possibly be able to use."

Brickey's powerpoint and comments detail her Leiden visit.

PARTING THOUGHTS
Moore and Brickey enjoyed the experience of being immersed in another culture: trying out local cuisine, walking much farther than they were accustomed to, and riding buses or trains instead of driving a car.

"The use of automobiles is the exception and not the rule in Leiden," says Brickey. "Their fantastic transportation system includes buses, trains, metro trains and bicycle pathways."

Both enjoyed their local cuisine. Brickey especially enjoyed the stroopwafels (waffles) in Leiden. "The food in China was interesting, to say the least," says Moore with a smile. "They eat a lot of vegetables and serve green beans with every meal. I have to say they were very good."

"Everyone should have this opportunity," says Brickey. "As an international school, everyone could benefit personally and professionally from learning about our international sites and cultures."

Moore agrees. "It was a great experience. If I didn't work here, I would never have been able to go. As chair of Webster Staff Alliance (WSA), I encourage all staff members to participate in this program. Even if they think they work in an office that doesn't directly relate to the international campuses, they can find a niche where they will fit into Webster's world."

For information on participating in the Global Staff Exchange, contact the Human Resources Office. Click here to download application forms.

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The Business Office sponsored a fundraising event July 23 to benefit two worthy recipients: the St. Louis Area Foodbank and Webster's own Sara Stoltz.

Organizers Judy Helfrich and Janet Babinsky get ready for the bake sale.

Judy Helfrich, accounting assistant, and Janet Babinsky, coordinator, both with the Bursar/Cashier Office, organized a bake sale to raise funds and canned goods in conjunction with St. Louis radio station KEZK-FM's "Christmas in July" food drive to benefit the St. Louis Area Foodbank.

When they learned that public safety officer Sara Stoltz's two-year-old daughter would be undergoing treatment for a recently diagnosed neuroblastoma, they decided to also accept donations to provide Time for Dinner meals for Stoltz's family during this difficult and busy time.

The event was successful in raising $400 for the Stoltz family and $180 and 103 canned goods for the Foodbank. Babinsky thanks everyone for their generosity.

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Automorphosis

The Webster University Film Series presents Automorphosis Aug. 21-23 at 7:30 p.m.

Automorphosis looks into the minds and hearts of a delightful collection of eccentrics, visionaries and just plain folks who have transformed their automobiles into artworks. On a humorous and touching journey, we discover what drives the creative process for these unconventional characters and perhaps discover that an art car has the power to alter our view of our increasingly homogeneous world.

Director and art car emprisario Harrod Blank will attend the screening each night for a Q&A session. For more information, call 246-7525.

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MAY 2009

Jennifer Violett, assistant director, University Center and Student Activities, and Kathy Erickson, campus manager (representative), St. Petersburg Metropolitan Campus, Fla., share the Employee Spotlight Award honors for May.

Jennifer Violett

As the front-line person for the University Center, Jennifer Violett works in a high-stress environment. In spite of that, her nominator says she consistently provides excellent service to her student employee staff, Webster staff and faculty and the surrounding community.

In addition to her on-going responsibilities, Violett recently completed two major projects for the University Center. First, she accepted the position of advisor to the newly formed Commuter Counsel, an organization to help commuter students stay connected to University. "Jennifer organized an initial group of students to develop by-laws and set things in motion for a self-sustaining organization," says her nominator.

Violett also initiated an online reservations form to be used to request reservations for University Center rooms and locations. Working with the Marketing Office, she outlined the specific information needed in the form, which is now available on the Web site. This online form saves time for users and the University Center staff.

Violett's career with Webster began January 2005 when she was hired as reservations coordinator for the University Center. She says working with the students keeps her young. "It's so rewarding to see the students grow and go on to do such amazing things after they graduate," Violett says. "It means a lot to me when I hear what an impact I've had in their lives, because they certainly have impacted mine."

Violett chose a day off as her prize.

Kathy Erickson

Kathy Erickson has been the campus manager at the St. Petersburg campus for two years. Erickson's colleagues value the positive and inclusive work environment she creates at the campus. "We appreciate Kathy's can-do attitude and can't imagine our thriving campus without her," says her nominator.

Erickson is valued for her ability to communicate complex information to the students and faculty she works with, a skill that helps alleviate potential problems. Recently she created a new student handbook with information that helps students ease into their graduate classes with Webster University.

Erickson enjoys working with the students and the team atmosphere her campus shares with other campuses in their region. She says small things can matter when you work closely with students. "Recently a student told me how much she appreciated me and my help, and it really made my day and week."

Erickson chose a day off as her prize.

JUNE 2009

Mike Padilla

Mike Padilla, assistant site manager (department associate), Orlando South Metropolitan Campus, Fla., is the June winner of the Employee Spotlight.

Padilla has held the position of assistant site manager in Student Services for three years. He is valued at the Orlando South campus for his friendly, courteous and helpful manner toward students, faculty and staff.

"Students are welcomed as they walk through the front door of our campus with Mike acknowledging them by first name," says Padilla's nominator. "This key act reinforces Webster's reputation for treating students as individuals."

Padilla's nominator says he moved seamlessly from the position of department associate to assistant manager. "He then stepped into the position of assistant site manager as if it were made for him.

"Mike is the epitome of what a Webster a employee should be."

Padilla enjoys working with the students and helping them stay focused on their goal of graduating. "I've been very fortunate since I began working at Webster to be blessed with many moments that have brought me great joy," Padilla says.

One of those moments was receiving a letter from a student who had wanted to withdraw from her statistics class and discontinue her pursuit of an MBA. Padilla told her it was too late to withdraw and convinced her to keep trying.

An excerpt from the student's letter:

"I would not have been back to finish my MBA if you were not working that night… You may not recall helping me because you are equally encouraging and helpful to all of the students, but I want you to know that your kindness, encouragement and understanding helped change my future. You are the best!"

Mike chose a day off as his prize.

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Tyron Woodard, adjunct professor, and Marsha Sands, director, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., were inducted May 7 as honorary members of the International Delta Mu Delta Honor Society during a ceremony for five graduate students from the Hunter campus.

Barry Hufker, professor, Electronic and Photographic Media, recorded "Maclean and Monteverdi," performed by the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus at Christ the King Church in University City, Mo. Australian composer Clare Maclean traveled to the U.S. to hear the performance of her compositions, including the world premiere "Psalm 137," a work Chamber Chorus commissioned. Hufker also recorded three days of jazz sessions featuring compositions by Paul DeMarinis, associate professor, Music, for a soon-to-be-released CD. Musicians included: DeMarinis on saxophone; Debby Lennon, adjunct professor, Community Music School, on vocals; Nick Schlueter on piano; Kyle Hunnicutt on drums; Ben Wheeler, adjunct faculty, Music, on bass; and Dave Black, adjunct professor, Community Music School, on guitar.

Tamara Gegg-LaPlume, director, Career Services, was chosen president-elect by the Gateway Career Services Association for the term beginning July 2009.

Rashida Manjoo, E. Desmond Lee Visiting Scholar In Global Awareness, has been appointed United Nations "Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women," making her the principal person authorized by the United Nation's Human Rights Council to investigate charges of violence against women, file annual reports on women's human rights in individual countries, and place international pressure on governments that fail to adequately address violence against women. The human rights activist, academic and lawyer, taught three courses on human rights at Webster and lead a conference on American exceptionalism. In June, Manjoo discussed truth commissions on the "Saint Louis on the Air" program on KWMU-FM 90.7 (NPR).

Harriet Browning, adjunct professor, Memphis Naval Support Activity, has been appointed to the 2009 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The board is composed of approximately 500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and health care organizations and government. As an examiner, Browning is responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the award.

Jon Rogers, adjunct professor, Greenville Metropolitan Campus, S.C., recently achieved Court of the Table status of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), the Premier Association Of Financial Professionals. The status places Rogers among the top professionals in the global life insurance and financial services industry and recognizes his exceptional professional knowledge, outstanding client service and ethical conduct. A 23-year member of MDRT, Rogers is with Rogers Financial Group in Greenville.

Keith Penny and Thurston Shrader, adjunct professors with the Memphis Naval Support Activity, are the Spring II winners of The Gorlok Award, presented each term to Memphis faculty who have demonstrated exceptional performance in support of the Memphis student body.

Johanna Posset, adjunct professor, who teaches German at the Vienna Campus, as well as Czech at the Business University Vienna, recently translated the book, Brunner Erzahlungen (Stories from Bruenna), by Jiri Kratochvil, from Czech into German. Czech writer Milan Kundera (author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being), considers Brunner Erzahlungen the most important book in Czech literature after 1989.

John Buck, associate dean of students and director, Housing and Residential Life, was quoted in a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education about his doctoral research on how campus housing administrators make decisions during crises.

Tracy Rogers, director, Ocala Metropolitan Campus, received the 2008-09 Webster University Central Florida Award for Excellence from Tom Janke, regional director, at the spring graduation ceremony. Rogers was honored for her outstanding dedication to Ocala and its programs during her first year as director.

Beth Russell, associate vice president, Academic Affairs, was elected to serve a second 3-year term on the Downtown St. Louis Community Improvement District (CID). Managed by The Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, the CID’s mission is to provide enhanced services to make downtown St. Louis a cleaner, safer and more vibrant place.

The School of Business & Technology was formally recognized June 28 at the annual conference of the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) in San Antonio, Texas, for achieving official ACBSP accreditation this year. Benjamin Akande, dean, and Pat Masidonski, associate dean, were in attendance. Also attending were Brad Scott, associate professor, School of Business & Technology, and Roy Tamashiro, professor, School of Education, who presented "Promoting Global and Collaborative Learning with New Web Technologies" at the conference.

Paula Hanssen, assistant professor and coordinator of German studies, International Languages & Cultures; Brad Scott, associate professor, School of Business & Technology; Roy Tamashiro, professor, School of Education; and Dan Viele, associate vice president and director, Online Learning Center, participated in the panel discussion, "Global Citizenship: Challenges and Opportunities for Online Learning Systems and Universities," July 15 at the Blackboard World (BbWorld) 2009 Conference in Washington, D.C.

The School of Business & Technology's first Global MBA class celebrated commencement July 18 at the State Audit Office of Hungary in Budapest. Commencement speakers included the Hon. Dr. Peter Medgyessy, former Hungarian Prime Minister, and Dr. Janos Horvath, a member of Hungary’s Parliament. Special guests included members of Hungary’s Parliament and Chamber of Congress; U. S. Embassy representatives; George Walker III, former U. S. Ambassador to Hungary and Webster University life trustee; and Benjamin Akande, dean, School of Business & Technology.

Dana Turkovic, adjunct professor, Art, and coordinator for the Cecille R. Hunt Gallery, received an award from the Santo Foundation recognizing her curatorial excellence and contributions to the St. Louis art scene over the past few years. The award was presented at the opening of an exhibition curated by Turkovic at the Schmidt Contemporary Art Gallery in St. Louis. The Santo Foundation was established to recognize and assist the careers of individual visual artists by providing grants, travel stipends and artist-in-residence/studio exchanges in major cultural centers.

Dawn Glasmeier, department associate, Memphis Naval Support Activity, Tenn., completed courses July 13-14 on Introduction to the Incident Command System and National Incident Management System, as part of the Tennessee Mobilization Unit. Glasmeier is now a Medical Corps Volunteer with the state of Tennessee and can assist public health staff in the event of an emergency health situation.

The Community Music School of Webster University received a surprise donation of $1,000 from the Phish band, during their Summer 2009 tour. Phish contributed $19,000 in grants during the tour in an effort to encourage support for music education and generate publicity about that support in the communities where they performed.

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:

JUNE 2009

Kathleen Bonine, director, Edwards Air Force Base, Okla., 5 years

Brenda Glass, representative, Fort Leavenworth, Kans., 5 years

Shane Jones, coordinator, Networking and Technical Services, 5 years

Valeri Reynolds, coordinator, Graduate and Evening Admissions Center, 5 years

Jennifer Gammage, writer-editor, Office of Marketing, 10 years

Terri Jones, director, Information Services, 10 years

Brooke Morgan, director, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., 10 years

Patrick Rishe, associate professor, Business Department, 10 years

Ruth Sprous, representative, Orlando Metropolitan Campus, Fla., 10 years

Janet Kourik, associate professor, Math and Computer Science, 15 Years

James Wolz, service clerk, Media Center, 15 Years

Gary Ford, assistant professor, Communications and Journalism, 20 Years

JULY 2009

Jeffrey David, faculty, Electronic and Photographic Media, 5 years

Debra Ingles, director, Brooks Air Force Base Campus, Texas, 5 years

Herman Lovett, academic advisor, Kansas City Metropolitan Campus, Mo., 5 years

Brian Merkel, course developer team leader, Online Learning Center, 5 years

Cynthia Ochonicky, academic advisor, Academic Advising Center, 5 years

Yvonne Petite, adjunct professor and academic advisor, Kansas City Metropolitan Campus, Mo., 5 years

Mary Ryan, assistant director, User Services, 5 years

Nermina Sinanovic, computer technican - desktop services, User Services, 5 years

Gwendolyn Spicer, communications dispatcher, Public Safety, 5 years

Sara Stoltz, public safety officer, Public Safety, 5 years

Lilo Whitner-Fey, admissions representative, Office of Admissions, 5 years

Debbie Grimes, department assistant, Charleston Metropolitan Campus, S.C., 10 years

Daniel Duggan, senior director, Hunter Army Airfield and Fort Stewart, 15 years

Diane Conrad, database programmer/analyst, Enterprise Information Systems, 20 years

Michelle Alex, supervisor, Fort Sam Houston Metropolitan Campus, Texas, 25 years

Tamara Rhomberg, adjunct professor, School of Education, 25 years

Charles Beech, associate vice president, International Recruitment, Geneva Campus, 35 years

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

APRIL 2009

Rebecca Rathburn, General Clerk, Sarasota Metropolitan Campus, Fla., 941-358-3840.

Natalie Smittle, representative, Fort Smith Metropolitan Campus, Ark., 479-484-7747.

MAY 2009

Margaret Lawrence, accounting assistant, Collections, 314-968-7417, replaces Tammy Schular.

JUNE 2009

Tabitha Fowler, department associate, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, 210-674-0014, replaces Shannetta Cross.

Holley Gray, representative, Fort Sill, Okla., 580-353-5766, replaces Pat Hale.

Jane Zyk, department assistant, Financial Aid Office, 314-246-8043, replaces Julie Neidenbach.

Gwendolyn Hunt, representative, Little Rock Metropolitan Campus, Ark., 501-375-1511, replaces April Simmons.

Anna Lavender, department associate, Colorado Springs Metropolitan Campus, Colo., 719-590-7343, replaces Tifany Noe.

Denise Diehl, representative, Registrar's Office, 314-246-7506, replaces Yin Yin Htun.

Janice O'Keeffe, department associate, Ocala Metropolitan Campus, Fla., 352-861-9330, replaces Carole Haas.

William Fenlon,, department assistant, Registrar's Office, 314-968-7448, replaces Carrie Leinicke.

Deborah Josefson, department assistant, Greenville Metropolitan Campus, S.C., 864-676-9002, replaces Kathy Childress.

Mark Longbrake, visiting assistant professor, Business Department, 314-961-2660, replaces Don Westerfield.

Larry Granda, assistant professor, Math and Computer Science, 314-246-7699, replaces Barbara Sakurai.

Janka Hrevusova-Ribando, admissions associate, Office of Admissions, 314-961-2660, replaces Maureen Hamed.

JULY 2009

Elizabeth Stroble, president, Executive Office, 314-968-6996.

Ece Tuncel, visiting assistant professor, Management, 314-961-2660.

Heather Arora, special events coordinator, Special Events, 314-968-5986, replaces Jennifer Willis.

Jennifer McQuay, admissions associate, Office of Admissions, 314-961-2660, replaces Krista Maring.

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

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The University extends sympathies to Kathie Ayers, Office of Development and Alumni, on the loss of her father; Christine Arteaga, User Services, on the loss of her father; Vicki Turner, Math and Computer Science Department, on the loss of her mother; Dan Perkins, Office of Marketing, on the loss of his grandmother; Tracy Winka, Public Safety Office, on the loss of his wife; and Betsy Schmutz, Human Resources Office, on the loss of her sister.

Sympathies are also extended to the colleagues, friends and family of Alice Cochran, professor emeritus since 1995, who taught history at Webster for 37 years; and Vito Capobianco, adjunct professor with the Albuquerque Metropolitan Campus for eight years.

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EDITOR
Marianne Kirk, Editor & Photographer
Office of Marketing

MARKETING OFFICE CONTRIBUTORS
Claudia Burris, Sr. Editor & Photojournalist
Casey Conroy, Graphic Designer
Jennifer Gammage, Writer/Editor
Dominik Jansky, Writer/Editor
Patrick Powers, Writer/Editor
Pete McEwen, Technical Advisor

HUMAN RESOURCES CONTRIBUTORS
Betsy Schmutz
Paula Eschmann
Amy Kettlebach
Lisa Scott