FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES // October 2023
IN PRINT
Kathy Merlock Jackson published a review of "The Biopic and Beyond: Celebrities as Characters in Screen Media" by Melanie Piper in The Journal of American Culture, September 2023, 46: 3.
Sara Sewell published “The whole language was a scream.: The German Language during the Seizures of Jews,” in A Companion to Sound Studies in German-Speaking Cultures, ed. Rolf Goebel, Camden House, 2023, 133-47.

Alain Gabon wrote a series of op-eds on geopolitics, international relations, and Muslims in France for the Middle East Eye, French and British editions.

President Scott D. Miller's opinion piece, "The liberal arts illuminate Coastal Virginia’s future," appeared in The Virginian-Pilot on September 5, 2023. He serves as executive editor for the President to President thought leadership series, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. This year's series, "Sustainable Futures for Higher Education," begins with a foreword written by Sean Creighton, Ph.D., president of the New American Colleges & Universities and the Washington Internship Institute. In the first chapter of the series, "Leading in a Digital World," University of Nevada, Las Vegas President Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D., examines how digital technology supports the long-term sustainability of the higher education industry. President Miller's daily blog, Dialogue, can be found at prezscottmiller.blogspot.com
PRESENTATIONS AND PANELS
Michelle Albert Vachris presented her paper, "Adam Smith's Sympathetic Persuasion and Innovation," at the meetings of the International Adam Smith Society in St. Andrews, Scotland.

The film, "Hollywood, Teach Us to Pray" by Stu Minnis, director, and Terry Lindvall, producer, had its Washington D.C. premiere at the Angelika Film Center in the Mosaic District with a sold-out crowd.
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Doug Kennedy was featured in the Netflix documentary "Scouts Honor" detailing the history of abuse and current bankruptcy of the Boy Scouts. He also appeared on the "Heroes and Patriots" program, a part of Oregon Public Radio.
The Museum of the Bible invited Terry Lindvall as the film respondent for the Washington premiere of Serbian filmmaker Yelena Popovic's "Man of God," about the Greek Orthodox saint, Nektarios of Aegina.

Mindy Gumpert is an invited member of the National Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning AI Workgroup whose mission is to provide a framework for the field of special education for best practice in the use of artificial intelligence as related to personnel preparation and research. Twenty-five university faculty from across the United States will participate in the AI work group.
Mindy Gumpert attended the Virginia Women's Conference with scholars from First Star Academy. The scholars are foster youth from the Tidewater area. The group met with the keynote speaker, Captain Janet Days, the first Black woman commanding officer of the world's largest naval base, Naval Station Norfolk. As a former foster child, Days' conversation with the scholars was inspirational. 
The VWU Education Department received the 2023 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition Award for Continuous Improvement from CAEP, the department's accrediting body. The department recently achieved accreditation with no stipulations or areas for improvement, which is rare. Awardees advance equity and excellence through purposeful use of self-study procedures and evidence-based reporting that assure quality and continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 learning. 
GRANTS
VWU received a Strengthening Institutions Program grant, totaling $1,921,806.41 over the next five years from the U.S. Department of Education. This grant will be used to address VWU's commitment to academic excellence, institutional management, and fiscal stability, with a focus on serving low-income and first-generation students. Loren Marquez, Sue Larkin and David Black were the main authors of the grant.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The "Animals and Criminal Justice" class, taught by Kathy Stolley, toured the Virginia Beach Police Mounted Patrol stables. The class has also visited the Norfolk K9 training facility. Throughout the semester, they will host a series of guest speakers addressing the complex interweaving of nonhuman animals throughout the criminal justice system.
Students in Bill McConnell's EDUC 329 and SPED 384 methods courses were excited to participate another year in the STEM Outdoor Laboratory at the 2023 NAS Oceana Air show. Over 6,500 fifth grade students from Virginia Beach and Chesapeake attended the event. VWU preservice teachers led hands-on learning sessions about science and engineering at two different access points.
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