Achievements from our Students
Paulette Crosby is a student in GCU's Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and will graduate in July of 2012. Paulette is also the Founder and President of Reading Star Academy of Excellence Charter School which opened in August 2011 in Volusia County, Florida. This is the first dual language school to open in Volusia County and caters to students whose primary language is Spanish. Paulette has been able to tie the information she's learning in her doctoral classes and in writing her dissertation directly to her proposal and development for the charter school.
Achievements from our Alumni
Nicholas Markette was the first student to graduate from one of GCU's doctoral programs. Nicholas earned his Ed.D. in May 2011 after successfully defending his dissertation "A Case Study of the Structures and Conditions of Public High School Administrations as Teams." His study was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Dissertation Award from the Arizona Professors of Education Administration.
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Brenda Combs graduated in May 2011 with her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership. Her dissertation topic was "A Study of the Success Factors and Strategies that Enabled Women to Overcome Homelessness." Brenda is GCU's Ambassador and in this role she shares her story of overcoming 10 years of addiction and homelessness and how education was a key factor that enabled her to get back into society and successfully reach her dreams. Brenda presented her dissertation findings on May 11-13 at the United Way in Rhode Island and has also shared her story all over the country, including on CNN and The Today Show.
Achievements from our Faculty
On Wednesday evening, April 26, over 80 Masters and Doctoral students gathered in McKinley Hall to hear Dr Gerry Tirozzi's presentation on Current Issues Facing American Education. In his presentation, Dr Tirozzi outlined that school reform, performance-based pay for teachers, and compulsory preschool are several of the issues facing the American school system. He acknowledged that there is no easy solution to any of these but that how they are addressed will impact the effectiveness of American schools for some time to come.
Dr Tirozzi's distinguished educational career includes serving as the Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education at the US Department of Education during the Clinton administration, being the Executive Director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Director of the National Honor Society, and the Commissioner of Education for the State of Connecticut. Dr Tirozzi currently serves as Visiting Professor at Grand Canyon University.
Achievements from our Students
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Jancie Grover Receives Scripps and Grand Canyon University Scholarship for Leaders Jancie Grover, patient care manager at Scripps Green Hospital's gastrointestinal laboratory, has been awarded the Scripps and Grand Canyon University Scholarship for Leaders. The scholarship is a product of Scripps' ongoing academic partnership with Grand Canyon University; the university offers tuition discounts to Scripps employees who enroll in health care-related degree programs. |
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Based on this successful partnership, the university offered Scripps a one-time tuition scholarship for a graduate-level program. The scholarship will help support leadership development at Scripps through advanced studies and performance excellence. Dr. Anne McNamara, Dean of Grand Canyon University's College of Nursing, presented the scholarship to Grover at a ceremony on May 9, 2012 at Scripps' administrative offices. "I am so pleased that Grand Canyon University was able to offer this scholarship to Jancie," said Dr. McNamara. "In meeting and talking with her, it was evident that she is highly motivated and very passionate about the field of nursing. I am excited for her and I will be rooting her on as she takes this big step in her educational journey and career." |
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Kristy A. Bowen, a full-time Registered Nurse in Blythe, CA was one week away from starting a program at another college until GCU paid a visit to her workplace of Palo Verde Hospital. Kristy was so impressed with GCU's RN to BSN program that she made an immediate decision to attend Grand Canyon University instead and began her program just weeks later! We are proud to announce that Kristy graduated with her BSN on May 4, 2012. Congratulations Kristy.
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Tarah Gramza is the President of GCU's Student Nurses Association (SNA) and sits on the Arizona Student Nurses Board (SNAAZ). Tarah has been devoted to working closely with the new GCU simulation center to assist new students in learning about becoming nurses. She has a background in business and is pursuing a future as a nurse leader.
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Brian Bearese is the Vice President of the GCU Student Nurses Association. Though born in America, Brian grew up abroad and is therefore interested in world health and safety. He worked with Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together to assist in providing safe and healthy homes for low-income families. He currently plans to move back to the Middle East, where he grew up, after graduating.
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Cari Anderson is Director of Communications for the GCU Student Nurses Association. Cari has booked interesting and intelligent guest speakers to provide students with insight into different parts of nursing and allied health. She also organizes the GCU team for the Arizona Heart Walk. Cari is interested in pursuing trauma nursing.
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Meghan Hartmann is Director of Community Service for the GCU Student Nurses Association. She has developed a service project for students to travel to Mexico and serve the needs of those living in poverty. Meghan is also involved in a program called Team of Physicians for Students (TOPS) that allows GCU nursing students to take vitals at local high schools.
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Tarah Gramza and Brian Bearese both served as delegates for the National Student Nurses Association.
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Tarah Gramza, Brian Bearese and Cari Anderson were invited and participated in the 2011 Promise of Nursing Event in Phoenix, Arizona.
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In the 2010-2011 school year, the GCU's Student Nurses Association:
Achievements from our Faculty
Grand Canyon University's very own LeAnne Prenovost has been named BestCollegesOnline.com's 2012 Online College Professor of the Year! Each year, this significant award recognizes forward-thinking online college professors who utilize new technologies to connect with distance students and enhance their learning experience. LeAnne was named as one of ten total finalists before receiving the highest number of votes during the voting period.
LeAnne Prenovost comes from over 25 years or nursing experience and 5 years teaching online classes in nursing, health care, and business administration. She is truly an outstanding choice for this particular distinction because LeAnne earned her BA, MBA, and a dual Master's Degree through online programs. LeAnne's students rave about her ability to establish impactful relationships and cultivate a strong online learning community.
Along with being featured on BestCollegesOnline.com's contest page, LeAnne will be presented with a $1,000 award for her outstanding achievement. A passionate supporter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, LeAnne plans to donate the award to Ovarian Cancer research in memory of her sister, Lisa Wilkinson.
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Dr. Anne McNamara, Dean of the College of Nursing, won Nursing Advocate of the Year at 2012's Arizona Healthcare Leadership Awards. Through Dr. McNamara's leadership, GCU's College of Nursing graduates have been actively recruited by Arizona's leading healthcare providers. It is this continued excellence in preparing quality nurses for the professional environment, coupled with a dedication to performing volunteer work throughout the community that has earned Dean Anne McNamara and GCU this prestigious distinction.
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Two members of GCU's Tucson faculty were honored recently at the Tucson Fabulous 50 Nurses Gala. The winners were selected from more than 150 applications based on professionalism, education, research and personal vitality. Chosen from GCU were Kay Lehman and Anita Gallardo. Lehman, a nurse for 25 years, is the skills lab coordinator for our Tucson campus. Gallardo is a full-time family nurse practitioner for the University of Arizona Family and Community Medicine Mobile Health Program. She is teaching in the Tucson FNP program this summer.
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College of Nursing Dean Anne McNamara has been appointed to a two-year term on the 10-member board of directors of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The ANCC certifies nurses in specialty healthcare areas such as cardiac rehabilitation and gerontological nursing.
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International Exchange with China: Four College of Nursing faculty members, including Dr. Cheryl Roat, Dr. Kay Turk, Jennifer Brody, and Anne Wendt, along with 11 graduate students, will be traveling to China from June 24-July 11, 2011. Faculty members and students will be making formal presentations in conferences to nurses and student nurses in the Beijing area and at Changchun Medical College in Changchun. GCU graduate students will be working in clinics alongside Chinese physicians to complete a total of 80 clinical hours toward their Family Nurse Practitioner clinical education. At the same time, the four nursing faculty members will be lecturing to Chinese undergraduate nursing students. This exchange experience will allow faculty and students the opportunity to learn about primary care and the nursing education system in the People's Republic of China in a direct way as they work with healthcare providers. GCU is excited to partner with Changchun Medical College with plans for an ongoing exchange for years to come.
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As an Assistant Professor for GCU's College of Nursing, Debra Haber is pursuing a post master's Adult and Geriatric Nurse Practitioner degree at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Debra is currently in the Primary Care of the Adult clinical rotation with a Family Practice Physician and a Pulmonary Nurse Practitioner. She will graduate with the ANP/GNP in 2012 but will still be taking classes toward her DNP. By furthering her education, Debra is taking the next progression in her nursing practice, which improves her ability as a professor in the pre-licensure program.
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As a GCU Assistant Professor of Nursing, Linda Hemmila is currently working on her Ed.D. from Walden University and is scheduled to graduate in January 2012. Linda's doctoral project will involve exploring students' test taking experiences in lower-level nursing courses and how it affects their academic success or failure. Part of the project will include a plan to develop a remediation program specifically for students who are at risk for academic failure on the first two levels of the nursing program. The ultimate goal would be to improve retention rates and provide students with the guidance they need to be successful. Linda is passionate about this topic because of her experiences with nursing students at a higher cognitive level who have experienced difficulty with multiple-choice test questions.
Achievements from our Alumni
Crystal Ericksen graduated from GCU in May 2010 with a degree in nursing. While at GCU, Crystal was an active member of the Student Nurses Association, serving as treasurer for a year and then becoming a student mentor her senior year. Crystal also worked at Mayo Clinic as a student assistant while in school for a year. After graduating from GCU with her nursing degree, Crystal moved with her husband to Joplin, Missouri where she worked on a Cardiology floor of a hospital. Crystal was in Joplin during the time of the catastrophic tornado in May of 2011.
According to Crystal, "Some say your training leaves you when a crisis happens and others find out where their strength is and determine that they are in the right calling. I found my calling that evening [of the tornado] and know that God moved my husband and I to Joplin because that was where he was going to use us."
Achievements from our Students
All-American basketball player Samantha Murphy has been named the Pacific West Conference Women's Athlete of the Year. Murphy was the NCAA Division II scoring leader in 2010-11 with an average of 24.6 points per game. She scored 2,147 points in her four-year career at GCU. Murphy and Coach Trent May recently helped put on a mini-camp for more than a dozen children who are battling cancer.
Achievements from our Faculty
Danae Farrell has been appointed to the 2012 President of the Arizona Health Care Executives (AHE), the Arizona Chapter of the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE). This group is a network of healthcare professionals dedicated to the career development of its membership. Danae Farrell is an assistant professor of Health Care Administration in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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Ginger L. McPherson, an instructor of English and Christian Worldview, has successfully defended her dissertation, the final step in earning her Ph.D. in English from Baylor University. Her dissertation is entitled "Serialization and 'The Book of Mrs. Eddy': A Rereading of Mark Twain's Christian Science Materials." In addition, Dr. McPherson has also been invited to join the prestigious national academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. She will celebrate her doctoral graduation in May 2011.
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Dr. Sammy Alfaro, Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, has had his most recent book published last October (2010) by Pickwick Publishers. The title is Divino Compañero: Toward a Hispanic Pentecostal Christology. The book aims to develop a methodology for constructing a Christology from a Hispanic Pentecostal perspective. The book has recently won the HTI annual book prize. Dr. Alfaro recently gave a talk on his book at Princeton.
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Ruth Douthitt, lead curriculum developer for our colleges of Arts and Sciences and Fine Arts and Production, has written her first book. It's called "The Dragon Forest," and it tells the fictional story of a prince who sets out to save his father's kingdom.
Achievements from our Alumni
Paul Barker (2011) is a recent graduate from GCU's pre-med program who was recently accepted to attend the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee beginning in the Fall 2012 semester.
Achievements from our Staff
David Spilker is the administrative assistant for the College of Arts and Sciences and he recently graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Master's of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
Student Achievements
Senior Christina Cullers has gained entrance to OperaWorks, an intensive and distinguished performance training program for young, talented performers which is held in the summer.
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Voice students recently sang at the National Association of Teachers of Singing classical auditions on the campus of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Five GCU students received outstanding scores of 90 or above from all of the judges!
The 21st Annual AriZoni Theatre Awards of Excellence
Grand Canyon University won two AriZoni Awards. Congratulations to:
Grand Canyon University has been honored with 11 nominations. Congratulations to:
Faculty Achievements
Rachel Velarde, adjunct voice and diction instructor, has been awarded an honorable mention for the Van L. Lawrence Voice Foundation/National Association for Teachers of Singing fellowship in vocal pedagogy. Rachel will attend an annual symposium in Philadelphia.
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In 2011, digital design instructor Cheryl Christensen's paper, "An Educational Evolution: From Conventional Learning, to E-Learning, to Game-based Learning," was accepted for presentation at the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Convention in Jacksonville, Florida.
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Director of Dance, Susannah Keita, participated as a panelist at the National Dance Education Organization annual conference in October 2010.
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Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Production Claude N. Pensis won an ariZoni Award for Excellence in Lighting for The Turn of the Screw in 2009-2010. Claude has been a faculty member at Grand Canyon University since 1982 during which time he has also been Theatre Chair and Artistic Director.
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William H. Symington V, an instructor for the College of Fine Arts and Production, received an AriZoni Award for Theatre Excellence in Best Scenic Design for Don Pasquale, Lyric Opera Theatre in 2009-2010.
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Instructor for the College of Fine Arts and Production Michael Kary created, wrote, directed and produced "Little League," a spec pilot and official selection for the Independent Television Festival (ITVF) in Los Angeles (2008).
Achievements from our Students
Austin Garnett, an undergraduate student in the Ken Blanchard College of Business, was one of seven GCU students who competed at the 51st annual International Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah in April 2012. The conference is sponsored by DECA, an organization dedicated to preparing students for careers in business, and hosts competitions amongst college and university students across North America. Going up against 50 competitors, Austin took home first-place in the retail-management category. When asked to comment on his award, Austin said:
"Things I've learned at GCU really applied to this and were big keys," he says. "I used the professionalism I've been taught. This (award) speaks well of our business school."
Achievements from our Faculty
Donna DeMilia, professor in the Ken Blanchard College of Business, recently completed her Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in financial management from North Central University (Prescott Valley, AZ). Dr. DeMilia successfully defended her dissertation titled "Exploring the Effects of Generation X on the Gender Wealth Gap in the United States."
"Completing and defending my dissertation was an incredible learning experience. Throughout this process, I have learned to more effectively research, provide substantiation for my claims, and write more succinctly. This experience has impacted my job approach in several ways. First, I understand the commitment required to manage working full time and completing a degree program. I have always enjoyed teaching working adults, and this has furthered my interest in assisting these individuals in achieving their educational goals. Secondly, I have taken away ideas about what does and does not work in promoting an effective learning environment through the online modality. I hope to use my own experiences to enhance our classrooms here at KBCOB."
Achievements from our Students
On April 21st, 2011, 11 of Assistant Professor Dr. Sherman Elliott's traditional College of Education students participated as portfolio judges for the state finals of Project Citizen at Phoenix City Hall.
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For the 2010-2011 school year, 57 undergraduate and graduate learners were inducted into Alpha Epsilon Gamma, the GCU Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education.
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Teacher candidates, Anthony Perez and David Coates, were selected as GCU's Rodel Promising Student Teachers for spring 2011 semester.
Achievements from our Alumni
Anthony Perez, GCU College of Education alum and second-grade teacher at Glenn F. Burton Elementary School, is making a tremendous impact on his students. Anthony earned his master's in education from GCU and soon began teaching English Language Development to a class of 23 second-grade students of which only 6 could read at or above their grade level. Today, that number has improved to an astounding 19 students! Anthony's passion and ability to design lessons around each student's needs and learning styles has been credited as the key to this remarkable achievement. The Glendale school district has also taken notice and honored Anthony as a "Rookie Teacher of the Year" and invited him to serve on the English Language Development Committee - the only first-year teacher who was asked.
Anthony credits much of his success to his personalized education at GCU as well as the mentoring program of the Rodel Foundation of Arizona. While a student at GCU, Anthony was named a Rodel Promising Teacher which gave him the opportunity to be mentored by Rodel Exemplary Teacher, Raquel Mendoza. This partnership was instrumental in landing Anthony his teaching job over at Burton Elementary School.
"He (Anthony Perez) is all about wanting to make sure he is delivering the information and designing the lessons according to each student's needs and learning styles," said Dr. Marjaneh Gilpatrick, executive director of outreach for GCU's College of Education.
Dr. Gilpatrick added, "It's phenomenal what he's been able to do."
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In July 2011, a national panel selected five educators as the 2012 recipients of The Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence. Lisa Esquibel, a graduate of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree program at Grand Canyon University, was selected as a recipient of this prestigious award. Lisa is a kindergarten teacher at Davis Elementary School in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As a Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence recipient, Lisa is also a finalist for the $25,000 National Education Association's Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence, the event's top honor, which will be awarded at 2012's gala event.
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Atlanta Public Schools (APS) has named Elisha R. Gray as "APS Teacher of the Year" for 2011-2012. Elisha earned her Master's degree in Special Education from Grand Canyon University. She teaches students with significant cognitive disabilities at Jackson High School in South Atlanta, GA. As APS Teacher of the Year for 2011-2012, Ms. Gray automatically becomes a candidate for Georgia Teacher of the Year, which will be decided later in the school year.
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East Clayton Elementary School in Ellenwood, GA has awarded Ashley Nelson the "2011-2012 Teacher of the Year" distinction. Ms. Nelson received a Master's of Art in Teaching from Grand Canyon University before accepting a position teaching 5th grade at East Clayton Elementary School.
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The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) named Ronald Michael Geist a "2011 Teacher of the Year" for excellence in teaching at the Okinawa District in Japan. Ronald completed his Master's Degree in Educational Technology and Curriculum from Grand Canyon University. He currently serves as the vocal and instrumental instructor at Kubasaki High School in Okinawa.
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The Arizona Department of Education conducted a survey of Arizona principals asking for input on first-year teachers. GCU's College of Education had 39 of its teacher graduates evaluated and they outperformed the state average for "Exceeds Expectations of a Beginning Teacher".
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Sakeenah Smith, a GCU College of Education graduate who is now a third grade teacher at the Alhambra Elementary School District, was named an Exemplary Teacher by the Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona. When asked about a teacher that changed her life, she said, "A teacher in my past that changed my life is Dr. Betz Frederick who was my Math Methods instructor at Grand Canyon University. She is an innovative teacher who is very passionate about her students and the field of mathematics."
Achievements from our Faculty
Dr. Sherman Elliot's paper on Teaching Islam has been accepted by the National Social Science Association for presentation during their Spring 2012 conference. Dr. Elliott's presentation has two main objectives: to learn about the benefits of narrative case studies in teaching about Islam in a social studies classroom and to understand the research that supports such benefits to the learner.
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Dr. Lisa Aaroe has been named to the Board of Directors for AZ Raising Special Kids. Having been a member of the organization for 2 years, Dr. Aaroe will now be involved in programmatic decision making, funding, and other management/business decisions which impact the organization. Dr. Aaroe is also a member of the AZ Special Education Advisory Panel.
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College of Education Assistant Dean Dr. Carlyn Ludlow presented at the National Conference on the Learning Environment on the topic of "Conversations about Collaboration - Building Bridges."
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College of Education Assistant Professor Dr. Sherman Elliott recently learned that Middle Ground Magazine will publish an article he wrote about developing and implementing a civics education program.
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For GCU's Scholastic webinar series, Dr. Kay Hansen, Chair of Curriculum and Instruction, presented on the topic of "Summer Reading: How to Motivate Boys to Read" on May 2, 2011 and Dr. Marjaneh Gilpatrick, College of Education Assistant Dean, presented on the topic of "Fostering Vocabulary Development of English Language Learners" on April 15, 2011.
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College of Education Professor Dr. Casey Reason was honored in April of 2011 as a Distinguished Alumnus Colloquium speaker at The University of Toledo where he led a lecture and training session with graduate students, area principals and teachers on the topic of leading a learning organization.
College's Outreach Program
The College of Education's Outreach Service program, Lopes for Literacy, launched its reading incentive program during the 2010-2011 school year. Dr. Gilpatrick, Assistant Dean, presented the winner's class with brand new books from Scholastic. Their teacher reported that the children were so excited about their books that they begged to stay in during recess to read them.
