FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES // MAY 2021
IN PRINT
President Scott D. Miller serves as Executive Editor (along with Dr. Marylouise Fennell) on the presidential thought-leadership series President to President, launching the 16th year of this publication with the 2020-2021 series titled "Fostering a Culture of Innovation."
In the series, prominent higher education leaders share how they are meeting the challenges of an unprecedented era through an ongoing focus on innovation.

In the eighth chapter, “Want to be More Innovative? Ask the Right Questions,” Southern New Hampshire University President Paul LeBlanc, Ph.D., shares practical ideas for fostering innovation in higher education, detailing how campuses can pursue the creative approaches that best fit their current and future needs. He explores various levels of innovation and offers tips for clearly identifying and pursuing the types of innovation that are right for each campus. 

President Miller's daily blog, Dialogue, can be found at prezscottmiller.blogspot.com.  
PRESENTATIONS AND PANELS
Student Phoebe Murrell presented research co-authored by Elizabeth Malcolm and Maury Howard--"Problem to Product: Evaluating the Use of Stormwater Pond Algae to Bioremediate Ponds and Generate Compost" at the Virginia Water Conference.

Ben Haller presented a paper titled "Your Friendly Neighborhood Cultural Relativist Cyclops" in a panel sponsored by the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion titled "E Pluribus Unum" at the 2021 meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.

Ben Haller presented "Friendly Neighborhood Cultural Relativist Cyclops" at the Diversity and Inclusion Committee Panel of CAMWS.

Mandy Reinig presented "COVID Video Queen" as a part of the Virginia International Educator's (VIE) Spring 2021 Virtual Conference.

Mandy Reinig, with students from Antje Schwennicke's POLS 499: Immigration and Citizenship class, participated in NAFSA: Association for International Educator's Advocacy Day where she talked with representatives from Senator Kaine, Senator Warner, and Representative Luria's offices about important issues related to immigration and study abroad.

Wayne Pollock presented "A Practical Approach to Ethical Dilemmas in Recreational Therapy" at this year's virtual Southeast Recreational Therapy Symposium.

Doug Kennedy was part of a panel sponsored by the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers titled “The road to recovery 2021: Update on litigating child victims act cases.” Attended by over 800 attorneys, his portion discussed victim considerations related to ongoing national bankruptcy proceedings.
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Jessica Harrington was awarded the Certified Career Counselor (CCC) credential through the National Career Development Association.

Terry Lindvall was interviewed on "The Deep Stuff of Teaching" sponsored by the College of William and Mary Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation (April 23, 2021), to discuss his peculiar "calling" to teaching and his subsequent journey (from an inferno to a near-paradise at VWU). 
Benjamin Dobrin and April Christman attended the virtual Public Health Grand Rounds from Eastern Virginia Medical School entitled "Mental Health and COVID-19".

Mindy Gumpert and Taryn Myers are invited members of the Center for Education Research and Technology Innovation (CERTI) Advisory Council at Chesapeake Bay Academy. CERTI's mission is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate new programs and practices utilizing innovative, student-centered technology in partnership with institutions of higher education and in collaboration with select schools of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.
Faculty and staff accomplishments are celebrated each spring during Virginia Wesleyan’s annual “Feathers in Your Cap” event. Hosted by the Office of Innovative Teaching and Engaged Learning (INTEL) and Hofheimer Library, the event recognizes VWU faculty, adjunct professors and staff members for their professional endeavors throughout the year. Accomplishments include publishing books and articles, professional presentations, garnering grants and awards and designing community engagement activities and events. The event also provides an opportunity for networking and community-building. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Feathers in Your Cap event celebrating accomplishments from the 2020-2021 Academic Year was held virtually.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Elizabeth Malcolm's EES 450 Biogeochemistry students worked with horticulturalist Marisa Cousin to remove invasive species from the forest on the VWU campus.
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