FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES // March 2020
IN PRINT
“Teachable Moment: Fostering Communities of Practice in Student Newsrooms" was published in the 2019 World Journalism Education Conference Proceedings, written by Lisa Lyon Payne and three co-authors. The study explores the roles that college media advisers play in helping student journalists learn.

President Scott D. Miller  authors a higher education column for  The Virginian-Pilot , including the most recent " Regional brand boasts great potential " (February 2020). An article Dr. Miller authored recently appeared in  University Business : " Will your institution hold on through 2020? " (January 2020). He regularly contributes to Enrollment Manager (" Promoting Your Brand ," December 2019) and also edits the presidential thought series President to President (" The Digital Transformation Age Means Personalized Learning for All ," March 2020). His daily blog about campus life can be found at   prezscottmiller.blogspot.com .    
PRESENTATIONS AND PANELS
Ten members of the VWU faculty attended the Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy (CHEP) in February. In addition to VWU faculty presenters, Modupe Oshikoya also attended. Session titles and presenters included:

  • “Creating Campus Escape Classrooms to Enhance Student Engagement,” presented by Denise Wilkinson, Amber Gruszeckzka, and Kathy Stolley;
  • “Student Centered Learning with POGIL Pedagogy,” presented by Joyce Easter;
  • “Spark a fire: Promoting active learning via peer instruction,” and “Practice What you preach: Scaffolding the synthesis of research literature,” presented by Gabi Martorell;
  • “Student Performance in Online vs. Traditionally Taught Principles of Accounting,” presented by Nadia Nafar;
  • “E-portfolios + LMS + SLO rubrics = Programmatic Assessment,” presented by Paul Ewell, Sandra Ewell and Robin Takacs.
April Christman presented on mental health and its implications for public health at Eastern Virginia Medical School's Master of Public Health Program's capstone course.

Jill Sturts gave a presentation titled "Teaching, Engaging, and Supporting First Generation Students" at The Academy of Leisure Sciences (TALS) conference held at the University of Illinois. She was also recognized for her contributions to the Board of Directors as she completed a three-year term.
Ben Haller presented a paper entitled "Childe Asimov's Pilgrimage: Freedom, Fate, and Byronic Outlaw Heroes in 'The Stars, Like Dust'" at the Southwest Popular and American Culture Association in Albuquerque. Ben also serves as SWPACA Area Chair for the Classical Representations in Popular Culture Area, which had an unprecedented six panels of papers this year.

Michelle Albert Vachris gave a talk, "Pride and Profit: The Intersection of Jane Austen and Adam Smith" at Hampden-Sydney College.

Annette Clayton presented an e-poster titled "What is the Relationship Between Support from Others and African American High School Seniors' Success in School?" at the 24th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference in Washington D.C..
Elizabeth Malcolm and Maynard Schaus led a series of panel discussions entitled "Leveraging Sustainability Initiatives on Campus to Boost Undergraduate Enrollment and Retention" at the 2020 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in Atlanta. The sessions were presented with Karin Warren of Randolph College.
Soraya Bartol presented a poster with biology student researcher Annika Christenson titled "Analysis of Survivability of Sea Turtles with Carapace Trauma from Vessel Strikes" at the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting in Corpus Christi. Annika won first place for student poster at this conference.
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
April Christman and Loren Loving Marquez accompanied the VWU Ethics Bowl Team as acting faculty coordinators to the 2020 VFIC Ethics Bowl . Kathy Merlock Jackson prepared the team consisting of Alex Powers, Anitra Howard, and Criofan Shaw, in the months leading up to the event. The team went undefeated and won the 2020 VFIC competition.


Susan Wansink received a certificate and made an Honorary Membership from The National Society of Leadership and Success for having made a "valuable contribution to The National Society of Leadership and Success by exemplifying a commitment to excellence in developing student leaders."

Taryn Myers was quoted in an article on the website "The Week" about " Raising Feminist Boys ." 
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Through the strong leadership of Brian Kurisky , the director of VWU's Wesleyan Engaged, VWU received the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification . The University was one of 243 institutions (and only 1 of 52 private institutions) to receive the designation in 2020. Of the 3,466 accredited higher education institutions in the United States, only 7% received this classification this year.
VWU faculty and staff, Maynard Schaus and Sue Larkin, along with VWU students, volunteered through Brian Kurisky and Wesleyan Engaged for the Bernie Sanders (Democratic candidate for the Presidential nomination) event. Sara Sewell, Michael Hall and Soraya Bartol, along with their guests, were able to be on the stage behind Sanders along at the event.
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