Shenandoah Firsts
The university, in partnership with Wesley Theological Seminary and the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, has received a $600,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish the Shenandoah University Youth Theology Institute. The program is part of Lilly Endowment’s High School Youth Theology Institutes initiative, which seeks to encourage young people to explore theological traditions, ask questions about the moral dimensions of contemporary issues and examine how their faith calls them to lives of service.
Rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible for the university’s institute, which will begin in July 2017. The students will be taught by Shenandoah University and Wesley Theological Seminary faculty and will be awarded three hours of college credit upon completion of a final project in their home church. Shenandoah University will hire a director for the institute by July 2016 in order to begin planning for the 2017 institute.
Additional information regarding the application process and other details will be released later in 2016. Shenandoah University is one of 82 schools participating in the initiative; participating schools are located in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Although some schools are independent, many reflect the religious heritage of their founding traditions. These traditions include Baptist, Brethren, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches, as well as Roman Catholic, non-denominational, Pentecostal and historic African-American Christian communities.
Shenandoah News
Shenandoah University’s Board of Trustees approved plans in October for new, on-campus housing for upperclass students. The Village comprises five buildings that will house a total of 120 students. Groundbreaking occurred Nov. 16 for the first two buildings.
We’ve been dreaming of having this type of housing opportunity on our main campus,” said President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. “Now more than ever, our students want to remain on campus beyond the freshman and sophomore year residency requirement. Our campus housing has moved from a ‘have to’ for your first two years at Shenandoah to a ‘get to’ beyond that.”
The first building will be named “Caruthers House,” in honor of Preston C. Caruthers and the late Jeanne Caruthers for their longtime support and commitment to the students of Shenandoah University. Caruthers House is slated to open in August 2016, with the second building ready for occupancy in late fall 2016. The Village is designed by Earl Swensson Associates (ESa) of Nashville, Tennessee, which also designed the university’s Health & Life Sciences Building, which opened in fall 2014.
We are grateful to the entire Caruthers Family for recognizing the impact that living on campus has on a student’s overall educational experience, and are humbled at their generosity in providing the lead gift to pave the way for this housing initiative,” said President Fitzsimmons. “Their gift will allow the university to attract, retain and reward quality students.”
The Village will be constructed by OakCrest Companies and will be located behind Goodson Chapel and the Aikens Athletic Center. The three-floor buildings are composed of two apartments per floor for a total of six apartments. Each apartment will have access to its own outdoor space – a patio for ground-level apartments, a veranda for the second floor and screened porches for the third floor.
Each apartment is approximately 1,600 square feet, and includes four single-occupancy bedrooms with extra long twin beds; two bathrooms; a fully-equipped kitchen with refrigerator, dishwasher and range/stove; living and dining spaces; laundry; and an entryway coat closet. First-floor apartments in Caruthers House are ADA compliant and feature a handicap accessible bedroom and bathroom. Community amenities for The Village include a sand volleyball court, outdoor grill and fire pit.
Robert L. “Bob” Keasler Jr., vice president for finance and treasurer at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, has been named the new vice president for administration and finance at Shenandoah University. A native of Altavista, Virginia, he replaces Richard C. Shickle, who retired Sept. 1, after serving in the post for 31 years. Keasler began his new position Dec. 1.
Bob’s depth of experience and commitment to innovation truly distinguished him in a pool of talented applicants,” said President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. “He has a great understanding of administrative and financial affairs at smaller colleges and universities, which makes him an excellent fit for Shenandoah. We’re excited for him to use his abundant abilities in the service of maintaining the university’s financial stability and supporting its continued growth.”
I was attracted to how Shenandoah combines the best of a liberal arts education with professional and pre-professional studies, as well as its institutional agility to both enhance existing programs and develop new ones based on student interests and needs,” Keasler said. “Shenandoah is a place on the move.”
Shenandoah’s Office of Administration & Finance oversees the administrative, financial and budgetary functions of the university and coordinates its student employment, legal services and insurance programs. Areas handled by the office include auxiliary services, financial aid, human resources, institutional computing, physical plant and student accounts. It’s all extremely familiar territory for Keasler. In his duties at Centre, which began in July 2012, he was responsible for all business activities of the college, including treasury activities from working capital to long term endowment investments, as well as operations of the physical plant, capital projects, sustainability, and risk management.
A certified public accountant (CPA), Keasler earned a Master of Professional Accountancy degree (MPAcc) from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, in 1996. He worked at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, from 2002 until 2012, where he began his tenure as chief financial officer and treasurer, but was promoted to senior vice president of operations and finance in early 2006. Prior to Wofford, Keasler served from 1989 to 2002 Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina, where he was promoted from controller to vice president for business affairs in May 1993. His title then changed two years later to vice president for administration when new responsibilities were added to the position.
- Marjorie S. Lewis ’81, board chair
- John D. Stokely Jr., vice chair
- Harry S. Smith, treasurer
- Mark E. Stavish, secretary
The board also added four new members:
- J. Gregory Bennett, PT, DSc, M.S. Dr. Bennett is a physical therapist internationally recognized for clinical, administrative, and teaching expertise. He currently serves as executive vice president of Strategic Services and Development at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute. He started his career as a physical therapist in the U.S. Army then founded several integrated private practices. Bennett has more than 35 years of clinical experience, and has provided rehabilitation for numerous professional sports, including athletes from 12 NFL teams, the NBA, PGA, Major League Baseball, and the United States Tennis Association as well as numerous university, club, and youth athletic teams. He served as a physical therapy consultant to the Washington Redskins for seventeen years. He serves as an adjunct professor of orthopedics at Marymount University, has worked extensively with Shenandoah physical therapy and occupational therapy students on clinical rotation in Haiti, and has provided clinical rotation slots for physical therapy students here in the United States.
- Bruce E. Hunter Hunter is the former senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of GXS Inc., a global provider of business-to-business electronic commerce services and systems. Prior to this position, he was with the legal staff of the General Electric Company for 29 years. He currently serves as an independent mediator in the Civil Division of Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Hunter has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Treatment and Learning Centers (TLC) in Rockville, Maryland, since 2003 and has served both as president (2010-2014) and treasurer (2007-2009). In 2013 he received the Colston Award for outstanding contributions to TLC’s Board. He is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and Albany Law School. He lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife, Julie. They have one daughter, Annabel, who is a 2014 graduate of the Shenandoah Conservatory.
- Rebecca A. “Becky” Merriner, MBA, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPLP Becky Merriner is the director of training and development for Valley Proteins, Inc., where she directs the design, planning, and implementation of corporate training programs, policies, and procedures. Prior to joining Valley Proteins, Inc., Merriner was the Corporate Human Resources Business Partner for American Woodmark Corporation. She is also an adjunct professor for Lord Fairfax Community College and serves as president of the Shenandoah University Alumni Board of Directors. She is a community board member for Valley Health Systems, member of the board of directors for the Shenandoah Arts Council and is a member of the National Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Winchester Area SHRM, and the Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD). Merriner has earned the credentials of Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from HRCI and SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) from SHRM; Certified Professional in Learning & Performance (CPLP) from ASTD; Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Qualification with the Center for Applications and Psychological Type and Consulting Psychologists Press. She holds a bachelor of science in management and organizational development from Eastern Mennonite University and an MBA from Shenandoah University. Merriner lives with her husband, Jay, and son, Adam, in Frederick County Virginia.
- M. Yaqub Mirza Dr. Mirza is president and CEO of Sterling Management Group, Inc. and the author of “Five Pillars of Prosperity,” published in 2014 by White Cloud Press. Mirza is a member and chairman of the board of trustees of Amana Mutual Funds (with assets of $3.5 billion) and serves on their Governance and Nomination Committee and Audit and Compliance Committee. He also serves as a member and vice chairman of the board of directors of Mar-Jac Poultry Complexes in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, which produce about 4.2 million chickens per week. In addition, he is a member of the board of directors of the University Islamic Financial Corporation (UIF), a banking subsidiary of University Bank. Mirza holds a master of science from the University of Karachi, a Ph.D. in physics, and a master of arts in teaching science from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is a member of the board of trustees of the George Mason University Foundation, Inc., and also serves on the board of advisors for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences there. At Shenandoah University, Mirza has served on the Board of Trustees Investment and Endowment Committee and the board of advisors of the Byrd School of Business. Yaqub and his wife Tanveer live in Herndon, Virginia.
Sixty-one members of the campus community – undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff members, and five university trustees – have been divided into the following five groups:
- Norway, led by Jonathan Flom – Laurel Rodgers, Brianna Humphries, Amy Willison, Ivanna Mendez, Colt Scott, Holly Howe, Katie Gilmour, Thomas Whalen, Bethany Cales, Tyler King and Marjorie Lewis
- Ecuador, led by Andrea Smith and Jennifer Barrionuevo – Barry Parker, Whitney Nelsen, Anthony Cornet, Ashley Foster, Sydney Vonada, Alexandra Lapp, Kelsey Stillwagen, Danielle Coffinbarger, Madeline Funke, Phillip Osborn and Debbie Orbacz
- Dominican Republic, led by Ann Lesman – Meredith Minister, Kerri Mariano, Spencer Blohowiak, Ha Thiet, Alexander Haley, Tulsi Shah, Anna Wilson, Samantha Pyne, Morgan Miller and Nicholas Seymour
- Botswana, led by Liz England – Byron Jones, Amy Scott, Dania Segura, Kelly James, Rodrigo Casteriana, Corrine Wernie, Morgan Neal, Lauren Mitchell, Brian McConkey, Peyton Massad and Bruce Hunter
- Bhutan, led by Mary Shockey – Ryan Romine, Jana Mangubat, Brandon Adams, Samantha Cartmell, Victoria Finney, Thomas Bloom, Leanne Wonesh, Lauren Weicht, Kevin Jones, Catherine Lupien, Art Major and Tracy Fitzsimmons
The 2016 GCP selection committee — composed of university students, faculty, staff and alumni who have previously participated in GCP — thoughtfully read hundreds of essays written by applicants from across all campuses. Essays, without any identifying information, were carefully reviewed by the committee. Those individuals who were not selected this year are strongly encouraged to apply again next year. Since its inaugural year in 2005, the Global Citizenship Project has sent more than 660 members of the university community to 53 different destinations so that each person might learn more about the world and themselves.
The Shenandoah University students are: Chris Tillman, sophomore; Morgan Neal, junior; Shelby Ellis, sophomore; Emmy Jo Maguire, junior; Anne Hess, junior; Cody Wiley, senior, and Grace Giglio, senior. Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies Karen K. Schultz, Ph.D., director of the center for public service and scholarship, has overseen this project for the past four years through UVote. The group has been invited to present at the national Active Citizens Conference in February 2016.
As a result of the expansion at Scholar Plaza, the total hours of classes using video teleconferencing has increased 57% from the same period in 2014, the university’s Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology reports.
7 Schools, 1 University News
Symone Perkins ’17, a chemistry major from Sterling, Virginia, is Shenandoah University’s first recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Perkins, whose travel experiences outside of the U.S. have been limited to Canada, will travel to South Korea for the spring 2016 semester and attend Ewha Womans University in Seoul. For its spring 2016 application cycle, the Gilman Scholarship Program reviewed more than 2,900 applications. Perkins is one of more than 800 award recipients from across the country. According to its website, the Gilman Scholarship Program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go by offering awards to U.S. undergraduates who might otherwise not participate due to financial constraints. The program – sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs – is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college.
Timothy “Scott” Case, a technologist, entrepreneur and inventor, presented “Startup Shutdown: When You Do Everything Right and You Still Fail,” on Oct. 27 at the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business in Halpin-Harrison Hall’s Stimpson Auditorium. The event was part of the ongoing Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by the school of business. As chief technology officer of the “name your own price” internet travel service Priceline, Case was responsible for building the technology enabling the site’s hyper-growth as one a handful of startup companies in U.S. history to reach one billion dollars in annual sales in less than 24 months. Most recently, Case co-founded Main Street Genome, a startup focused on developing a software representation of the entire Main Street economy. In 2011, he was named founding chief executive officer of the Startup America Partnership, and now serves on the board of Up Global where he invests his energy to support high-growth startup communities in the U.S. and around the world.
The business school marked its fifth annual Entrepreneurship Week in October with the showing of the 2013 documentary film titled “Income Inequality For All” and a presentation by Eric Major called “Entrepreneurship in the Healthcare Industry: The Case of K2M.” Major, who is president, CEO and co-founder of K2M: Simplified Solutions for the Complex Spine, also received the Entrepreneur of the Year award. K2M, Inc. is a fast-growing, global medical device company focused on developing innovative surgical solutions for the most complex spinal pathologies. Major has more than 20 years of experience in the spine industry and was the 2010 recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Emerging Technologies in the greater Washington, D.C., region. He is a member of the AdvaMed CEO Advisory Council and is active in the local community, serving on the Loudoun Small Business Development Center Board of Directors, as well as the board of trustees for the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation, Inc., a local historic preservation organization. Learn more about Major and his career.
A team of three Shenandoah University undergraduates received international recognition and praise from Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Dean Miles K. Davis, Ph.D., and Associate Dean and Professor of Management R.T. Good III, Ed.D., for earning one of the top scores in an international strategy simulation. Jack Clauser-Freed ’16 (Economics and Finance), Gerald Cole ’15 (Business Administration) and Maritza Garcia-Delcid ’16 (Healthcare Management) scored the fourth-highest score in the world in the Business Strategy Game two weeks in a row. The Business Strategy Game is an integrative management simulation currently being used by approximately 14,000 students on 4,451 teams at 280 universities. Participating universities span the globe, from nearby Old Dominion to France’s INSEAD. For the computer-based simulation, teams manage a shoe company and compete for global dominance of the footwear industry. Performance on this integrative simulation is an indicator of not only students’ strategy acumen but also their ability to apply knowledge from every business discipline. In the first week, Jack, Gerald and Maritza’s score of 108 out of a possible 110 tied them with 22 other teams with only 64 teams scoring higher (110: 3 teams; 109.5: 3 teams; 109: 20 teams; 108.5: 32 teams). In the second week, the team improved to a score of 108.5, tying them with 21 other teams. Only 79 teams scored higher. This impressive accomplishment has netted the Byrd School international recognition – the names of universities with top 100 performers are sent to professors and deans around the world.
The Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business sport management program, in conjunction with the Sport Business Club, hosted “The Rise in Commercialism and Related Human Rights Issues Within Collegiate Athletics and The Academy: The Sport Management Forum,” in November. “With the escalation and continued rise in commercialism, the question of the role of academics in sport continues to be illuminated,” said Assistant Professor of Sport Management Fritz Polite, Ph.D., MPA, who served as moderator. Distinguished guest speakers included E. Newton Jackson Jr., Ph.D., professor within the Leadership, School Counseling & Sport Management unit within the University of North Florida’s College of Education & Human Services; Richard Southall, Ed.D., associate professor and director of the College Sport Research Institute at the University of South Carolina; Ellen Staurowksy, Ed.D., professor of sport management at Drexel University, and John R. Gerdy, Ph.D., an influential sports educator and former associate commissioner for compliance and academic affairs for the Southeastern Conference.
A campus-wide, month-long FIFA 15 for Xbox One student video game tournament culminated on Oct. 28 when business school student Cory Thompson beat his peers and Assistant Professor of Sport Management Joey Gawrysiak, Ph.D., to claim both bragging rights and the grand prize – free textbooks for the spring semester. Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D., established the tourney as a means to generate excitement and get students involved in extracurricular activities, using FIFA, arguably the most popular video game among Shenandoah’s students. Fifty students participated in the double elimination event. The event offered an small insight into the world of competitive video games, or eSports, a booming industry grabbing the attention of major media outlets such as ESPN and TBS. Video game play is poised to become a successful spectator sport with major economic and cultural implications. Dr. Davis and the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business provided the food and the grand prize of free textbooks. The Sport Business Club, Program Director and Assistant Professor for Sport Management Fritz Polite, Ph.D., and Press Start Video Games provided other prizes, which were raffled off. Members of the Video Game Club and Sport Business Club, under the supervision of Dr. Gawrysiak, ran the tournament.
In October, graduate student Alexander Bernstein was awarded third prize in both Verona International Piano Competition in Verona, Italy, and the Viotti International Piano Competition in Vercelli, Italy. The final round of the Verona competition took place at the prestigious Teatro Filarmonico in Verona, Italy, where Bernstein was also awarded the Special Award Junior for competing as the youngest finalist. Bernstein is currently pursuing an artist diploma (piano) and studies with Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Chair of Keyboard Division and Professor of Piano John O’Conor, Mus.D.
“27,” a piece by Andy Herring ’18, was selected as a 2016 Jazz Education Network’s (JEN) Young Composer Showcase winner. The Young Composer Showcase Session will take place Jan. 9 at the Seventh Annual JEN Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. At Shenandoah, Herring studies composition with with Director of Composition and Coordinator of New Music Jonathan Newman, M.M., and jazz arranging with Jazz Composer-in-Residence and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies Alan Baylock, M.M.
Junior jazz studies majors Michael Christie, trumpet, and Nathan Davis, trombone, were chosen as members of the highly competitive 2016 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Orchestra. Undergraduate students from institutions like Eastman, University of Maryland, Duquesne are part of the orchestra, which convenes for two concerts and related rehearsals. The first is Jan. 3-4 at the famed Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center in New York City. Ted Nash, a saxophonist in the Jazz at Lincoln Center band (Wynton Marsalis, leader), is the guest conductor. The second performance will be April 8-9 in Cumberland, Maryland, in celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month.
Junior clarinet performance major Jacob Moyer won the Young Artists Woodwind category at the Virginia State Competition hosted by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and Virginia Music Teachers Association on Oct. 29 at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Moyer now advances to the Southern Division Competition in Tampa, Florida, at the University of South Florida, in January 2016. This marks the seventh consecutive year a clarinetist from Shenandoah Conservatory has won in either the Young Artists or Senior Artists Woodwind categories at the Virginia State Competition of the MTNA Annual Competition. Moyer previously placed second at the MTNA National Competition in the Senior Artist category in 2013. Moyer currently studies with Anna Lee Van Buren Chair in Clarinet, Coordinator of Winds and Percussion, and Associate Professor of Clarinet, Garrick Zoeter, M.M.
Junior jazz studies major Michael Christie won the Young Artists Brass category at the Virginia State Competition hosted by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and Virginia Music Teachers Association on Oct. 29 at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Christie now advances to the Southern Division Competition in Tampa, Florida, at the University of South Florida in January 2016. Christie is currently pursuing a bachelor of music in jazz studies and studies trumpet with Professor of Trumpet and Conducting, Scott Nelson, D.M.A.
Shenandoah Conservatory was well represented at the 36th Annual Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) Professional Development Conference hosted in Norfolk, Virginia in November. Fifty music education majors from Shenandoah Conservatory attended numerous workshops, performances, demonstrations and networking opportunities during the event. Several Shenandoah Conservatory faculty members presented at this year’s conference. Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting Timothy J. Robblee, Ph.D., presented a session on “Improving Conductor-Ensemble Communication through Warm-Ups,” which focused on using daily warm-up time to improve non-verbal communication between the conductor and ensemble. Chair of Conservatory Academics Division and Professor of Music Education David Zerull, Ph.D., challenged attendees to be creative in their lessons in his workshop titled, “Getting the Best ‘Outcome’: Creating Proper ‘Objectives’ for Teaching the Art of Music in Band and Orchestra.” Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Education Lynn Rechel, Ph.D., led an Elementary Choral Reading Session that included selections of unison songs, canons, partner songs and more for treble choirs. Alumna Alice M. Hammel ’87, ’99 presented a fun and inspiring session titled, “Assessing Students Who Learn Differently.” Her interactive presentation introduced several games and tools to engage and assess students with individualized needs. The Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra performed a concert featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, op. 67, Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” Suite No. 2, op. 64-ter and Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture,” op. 84, followed by an encore piece. The 2015 VMEA Professional Development Conference was coordinated by Assistant Dean for Student Learning; Charlotte A. & Verne E. Collins Endowed Professorship; Director of Music Education; and Associate Professor of Music Education Jeffrey Marlatt, Ph.D. This year’s successful event welcomed approximately 1,350 public school music teachers, over 1,000 k-16 student performers and 75 music vendors. Next year’s conference will be held Nov. 17 through Nov. 19, 2016 in Hot Springs, Virginia.
The first-ever Shenandoah Conservatory High School Jazz Soloist Competition selected four finalists to compete in October at Armstrong Concert Hall. The finalists were chosen by a panel of Shenandoah Conservatory faculty judges, who made selections based on video applications. Jan Knutson, a guitarist from Berwyn Heights, Maryland, won first prize, and second prize went to Geoffrey Gallante, a sophomore trumpet player from Alexandria, Virginia. The first- and second-place winners received a cash prize and a scholarship offer, and all four finalists performed with The U.S. Army Blues during the ensemble’s concert at Shenandoah Conservatory.
For its 2016 season, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre (SSMT) will present four Broadway musicals on the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre stage — “My Fair Lady,” “Sweeney Todd,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” All are classics. Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” will run June 16 through June 26; Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd,” runs June 30 through July 10; Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” runs July 14 through July 24 and Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s “Little Shop of Horrors” runs July 28 through Aug. 7. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and matinee performances are at 2:30 p.m. every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday (Wednesday, June 22, “My Fair Lady;” Wednesday, July 6, “Sweeney Todd;” Wednesday, July 20, “The Pirates of Penzance;” and Wednesday, Aug. 3, “Little Shop of Horrors”). Learn more about tickets and ticket options.
The Theatre Division’s senior class hosted a Nov. 14 fundraiser gala in Glaize Studio Theatre. The gala, which featured a silent auction and cabaret performance showcasing the talents of some of the members of the class of 2016, raised funds to bring casting directors and agents from New York to campus for workshops during the spring semester.
Dance majors had the opportunity to learn from Dance Magazine’s 2011 “breakout artist,” Christopher K. Morgan, Artistic Director of Christopher K. Morgan & Artists (CKM&A), a contemporary modern dance company, on November 17. In his diverse modern dance career, Morgan has performed across the globe, and presented his works in over 18 countries, with his work netting multiple awards and recognitions.
Most recently, he received the Outstanding Artist Award at the 14th Annual Montgomery County Executive’s Awards for Excellence in Arts and Humanities, presented by Shenandoah’s own Assistant Professor of Jazz Dance Tiffanie Carson, M.F.A., who is also assistant director of CKM&A.
Morgan’s intellectual, unique viewpoint is expressed in his choreography, allowing the dancers to explore the raw emotions within his work, and dive deeper into creating their artistic voices. Students described his class as “exhilarating” since it allowed them to embody a full physical awareness within the technical work and enabled them to explore their personal adaptations of the phrase work.
Members of Company E, a contemporary repertory dance company, visited the dance majors of Shenandoah University on Nov. 9. Washington D.C.-based Company E emphasizes dance education, dance performance, and international collaborations with other artists at work today. Co-founders and artistic directors Paul Gordon Emerson and Kathryn Pilkington brought along dancers Gavin Stewart, Robert J. Priore, and former Shenandoah dance student Alicia Canterna to teach class. The class focused on taking chances and exploring the concepts of maintaining control even when you are free with your body. After the masterclasses, students engaged with the company on their experiences working internationally, discussing experiences, and observing dance films that the company created. Emerson emphasized the importance of traveling and making connections with other cultures to complement class study. Students were inspired by the prospect of positive interactions with foreign cultures, and their artists.
Several Music Production and Recording Technology (MPRT) students and professors traveled to New York City for the Audio Engineering Society conference in October. The university was well-represented with presentations by Adjunct Instructor of MPRT Mike Sokol A.A., and Shenandoah alumnus and Adjunct Assistant Professor of MPRT Daniel Shores, B.M., ’99. The conference was abundant with panel discussions, seminars and recording studio and theatre tours. (PHOTO: Golder O’Neill)
Emmy Award-winning re-recording mixer Carlos Sanches was on campus in October, working with Music Production & Recording Technology students to impart his sound mixing wisdom. Sanches currently works for Warner Bros. Sound Studios Audio Circus. He’s also worked for DreamWorks Animation. Sanches recently won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Animation. His credits include “Ben 10: Omniverse,” “Dragons: Riders of Berk,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Young Justice,” “Thundercats,” “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “MAD,” “Transformers: Animated,” “Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed,” “GI Joe: Resolute,” “Why We Ride,” and WB’s new “Looney Tunes” theatrical shorts.
On Sept. 21, Kamal Chemali, M.D., neurologist & medical director of the Sentara Center for Music and Medicine, presented a lecture on “Music and the Brain: When Music Sings, the Brain Listens and the Heart Modulates,” followed by a piano recital by French pianist Prisca Benoit and a panel discussion that included (from left to right) Benoit; Neurological Physical Therapist Tracy Bowdish; Dr. Chemali; and Shenandoah Conservatory Music Therapy faculty members Anthony Meadows, Ph.D.; Hakeem Leonard, Ph.D., and Daniel Tague, Ph.D. The event was preceded by a lecture from Bowdish, who shared how music therapy can help “restart” areas of the brain damaged by disease, increase a patient’s motivation to become engaged in their treatment, and provide an outlet for expressing feelings while improving attention, cognition and retention. The Sentara Center incorporates music into its clinical practice as a therapy to manage mood, reduce anxiety, manage pain, and bring about medical benefits.
More than 100 students and new professionals participated in Passages, an Oct. 24 one-day conference hosted the Shenandoah Conservatory music therapy program for emerging music therapy professionals.
On November 12, Adjunct Professor of Music Therapy Thomas Sweitzer ’94, ’10 (master’s certificate in music therapy), several alumni, and students led the Same Sky Project performance at the national conference for the American Music Therapy Association. The Same Sky Project is based at Sweitzer’s Middleburg, Virginia music therapy practice, A Place to Be. The project’s 40-minute show is written by and performed by young people living with challenges like autism, ADD, anxiety, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, depression, and other medical/life issues, with a goal of teaching people to see beyond diagnosis, beyond labels, and into human beings. Sweitzer said the 12 young performers, aged 13 to 22 years old, loved performing at the conference. “They felt they were rock stars. They are all clients of music therapy and love sharing their stories.” The Same Sky Project, which began five years ago, has performed for more than 25,000 people and is set to be a keynote address at the NIH National Conference in 2016. The project is special and important, Sweitzer said, because “each person gets to have their voice heard and through the process forms a family.”
Associate Professor of Bassoon and Music Theory Ryan Romine, D.M.A., and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Oboe Stephen Key, Performance Diploma, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, hosted the fifth annual Double Reed Day on Nov. 8, with special guest Nicholas Stovall (Principal Oboe of the National Symphony Orchestra). Participants included 23 bassoonists and 45 oboists, 11 current double reed students, 25 parents attending parent sessions, four vendors, four rehearsals, six classes, two masterclasses and concerts, and 11 pieces of music.
The harp program at Shenandoah University was selected to participate in a new harp string trial being conducted by the Virginia Harp Center in Richmond for Camac, the French harp maker. The program is using a Carmac-provided complementary set of gut strings valued at $500 and will complete a survey tracking satisfaction in areas such as durability and tone. Harp students also recently attended a masterclass hosted by the University of Virginia where they played for and received coaching on major repertoire from Joan Holland, harp professor at the University of Michigan and at Interlochen Arts Academy.
Students in the Advanced Research and Writing course taught by Graduate Programs Librarian and Adjunct Professor of Conservatory Academics Rosemary Green, Ph.D., traveled to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. with Dr. Green on November 6. They toured the Jefferson Building, met with music librarians in the performing arts and recorded sound collections, and conducted research. Participants included Green, Catalin Dima, Abby Yochelson (LC librarian), Katie DeFiglio, Yongsook Baber, Loren Forna, Curtis Moody, Nate Hussell, Marjorie Barrow, Nessyah Buder.
In May 2016, a team from Shenandoah University will embark on the 10th annual Interprofessional Medical Mission Trip to Nicaragua. Students and faculty from the School of Health Professions (representing the physical therapy, physician assistant studies and occupational therapy programs), as well as students from the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy and the Office of Spiritual Life will travel to Leon, Nicaragua. 2016 team members include: Robin Allen, Sri Lekha Anne, Amber Beckman, Ashley Cheppa, Adriana Choi, Kristina Clinton, Jenna Crozier, Janie Ehle, Julia Falkenklous, Megan Freismidl, Kaity Garnett, Laura Giambra, Colleen Grassley, Lauren Hawes, Derrick Holladay, Alyssa Hopun, Elizabeth Howell, Terria Trana Jones, Shiama Kheiri, Kelli Kunert, Reed Larson, Sam Leahy, Kelly LeDoux, Darja Lee, So Lee, Samantha McCormick, Katherine McSweeney, Naureen Mehdi, Ivanna Mendez, Veronica Mendez, Catherine Meyer, Tony Moulder, Taylor Nask, Su Ngo, Charle Quist, Chelsea Reuda, Aurielle Rowe, Sharmeen Shrestha, Stephanie Smith, Tori Vives and Rachel Witowski.
Sierra Dickman Cuppett ’15, PA-S, was invited by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) to be a student representative on a panel about interprofessional health education. Other panelists were Jay A. Perman, M.D., president of University of Maryland, Baltimore and Linda McCauley, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FAAOHN, dean of Emory University School of Nursing. Stephen C. Shannon, MPH, D.O., president of American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, served as the moderator. The goal of the panel was to raise visibility on Capitol Hill and among stakeholders by providing attendees with an understanding of the importance of collaborative practice and its impact on increasing health care quality. Interprofessional health education has been a fluctuating topic of importance for many years, and with continued emphasis placed on Patient Centered Medical Homes, it is once again at the forefront of future health care education programs. Cuppett said it was exciting and exhilarating to talk about something that she sees as a vital issue for the future of health care. She also had the invigorating and eye-opening experience of advocating directly with the offices of Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Timothy Kaine, both of Virginia, her local congressional representative, and other congressmen and women. By the end of the day, she said she was inspired and wanted to do more.
Physician assistant (PA) program students Jillian Goles and Sierra Dickman Cuppett recently participated in the Physician Assistant Education Association’s (PAEA) Student Health Policy Fellowship held in Washington, D.C. They were two of 14 PA students from across the country selected for the fully funded program, designed to foster leadership and advocacy skills. During three days, the students met with multiple advocacy experts to learn about health policy, higher education issues and how to engage Congress. They had the opportunity to immediately put into practice what they had learned during visits to elected officials and congressional staff on Capitol Hill. Over the next year, fellows will continue to hone their skills through individual projects. Cuppett’s project will focus on the importance of interprofessional education clinical rotations, and Goles will work to increase mental health training for PA students.
An article by physician assistant studies graduate student Jillian Goles ’16 has been published in the fall 2015 volume of the VA Engage Journal, an engaged scholarship project of the VA Engage Network. Goles’ journal article, “The Inclusion of Women’s Health in Sustainable Medical Mission Trip Models: A PA Student’s Perspective,” examines sustainable medical mission models while illuminating the importance of women’s health teams and their role in the prevention of cervical cancer in Nicaragua. “As a PA student with growing interests in global and public health, I was compelled to share my experiences in Nicaragua,” said Goles. “It is my hope that medical mission teams across the nation will adopt a similar model that includes women’s health.” The VA Engage Journal promotes engaged scholarship by undergraduate, professional, and graduate students. The journal provides a forum for students to publish research studies (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods), reflection essays, and reviews of current literature and engagement practice, all with guidance and mentorship from engaged faculty and staff. Any undergraduate or graduate student enrolled full- or part-time at a two- or four-year college or university in Virginia is eligible to submit an article. Submissions with multiple authors are welcome. The VA Engage Journal is published once annually. The submission deadline for the next journal volume is June 1, 2016.
The Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2016 donated $6,000 to the Winchester Medical Center Cancer Center campaign. This money was raised through the group’s Gala Fundraiser.
A local team from the American Woodmark Foundation met with Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Bonnie Riley, O.T.D., (front, left) and Dean of the School of Health Professions Tim Ford, Ph.D., (front, right) on Nov. 6. The team delivered a check and news of a grant supporting Shenandoah University’s inaugural AmTryke Road Show events to be held Monday, Jan. 18, and Saturday, April 2. The American Woodmark Foundation’s contribution will help make it possible for occupational therapy and physical therapy students to purchase adaptive tricycles for local children with disabilities. American Woodmark Foundation team members pictured include Kevin Dunbar, Becky Sine, Jeff Bycynski, Christy Foltz, Jennifer Frye, Denny Baker and board member John Sweet. (PHOTO: Jenny Bousquet)
Third-year physical therapy students presented their research at John’s Hopkins Clinical Showcase on October 28. They presented “The Immediate Effects of Thoracic Spine Manipulation on the Upper Limb Tension Test and Seated Slump Test,” authored by Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Aaron Hartstein, M.P.T.; Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy A.J. Lievre, D.P.T.; Rachel Bell; Justin Bittner; Kathryn Dolinar; Dorothy Earner; Colleen Johnson; Victoria Miller and Associate Director of the Northern Virginia Campus and Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Ruth Maher, D.P.T., Ph.D..
Five first-year physical therapy students attended the Virginia Physical Therapy Association Blue Ridge District meeting at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences in Fishersville, Virginia on Nov. 5. At the meeting, two surgeons spoke on reverse total shoulder and hip replacements. This meeting allowed physical therapy students to collaborate with each other in a professional setting, meet practicing physical therapists, and learn about surgical procedures from a physician’s perspective.
Since Project FIRST launched in August 2015, students from Shenandoah University’s Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing have volunteered with the 12-month screening and treatment program, coordinated by Winchester’s Free Medical Clinic (FMC), that is working to detect and treat chronic diseases in the local community. FIRST stands for Free Individual Risk Factor Screening & Treatment, and the community outreach program serves uninsured and underserved members of Winchester and Clarke and Frederick counties who are at risk of developing or living with chronic diseases. Screenings provided by FMC include cholesterol, body mass index, blood pressure and blood glucose testing. The program’s goal is to reach 2,000 individuals through its community screening efforts, increasing opportunities for the diagnosis of diseases like diabetes and hypertension and bringing at-risk individuals into the continuum of care for treatment. Shenandoah students, across multiple disciplines, have also been involved with the FMC in many other ways throughout the years, via clinical rotations, bone density screenings, smoking cessation efforts, and pharmacy and mental health clinic support. In addition, Director of Shenandoah University’s Division of Physical Therapy Karen Abraham, Ph.D., recently launched a physical therapy clinic at FMC. The clinic also hopes to bring public health and business students into the fold as well. Learn more.
The Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing held a November career fair for nursing students to speak with recruiters and future employers. Seven health care organizations were represented, and approximately 60 nursing students attended the event. Many students with resumes in hand were offered interview appointments that day. The event was organized by Career Services, which can answer questions from all university students related to career and major exploration; experiential learning through internships; volunteer, summer and part-time opportunities; resume building and interview skills workshops, as well as provide assistance with graduate school and job searches. (PHOTO: Rick Foster)
The Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy is working to help expand pharmacy residency programs to include two new collaborative partners: Evolent Health in Arlington, Virginia, for PGY1 Managed Care (1 resident) and Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia, for PGY1 (2 residents). These new residencies will begin July 2016.
For October’s National Pharmacy Month, pharmacy school faculty and students engaged in a number of outreach programs and services designed around the “Know Your Pharmacist, Know Your Medicines” campaign. Numerous events and programs were conducted in October and November, including: giving influenza vaccinations for nearly one hundred teachers, staff, and administrators in Brambleton, Virginia, in conjunction with Broadlands Family Practice; giving flu shots at the Free Medical Clinic in Winchester; serving lunch and administering flu shots at Jubilee Kitchen in Winchester, attending an APhA Capitol Hill Health Fair, and taking part in a health fair at Loudoun Interfaith Campus with Loudoun Interfaith Relief where students and faculty provided health screenings for blood glucose levels, bone density screenings for osteoporosis, and counseling about prescription medications. The Hill Health Fair, hosted by American Pharmacists Association, also offered bone density, glucose and cholesterol screenings, as well as influenza vaccinations by other student pharmacists from various schools of pharmacy in the area. In the photo above, third-year pharmacy student Spencer Blohowiak (left) counsels Georgia Representative Buddy Carter on how to maintain a healthy blood pressure through diet and exercise. Rep. Carter, the only pharmacist in Congress, is one of 240 legislators to co-sponsor the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (H.R. 592/S.314) – a bill that will recognize pharmacists as health care professionals. (PHOTO: Gina Fu)
Two Shenandoah students are helming the university’s newly created Student Virginia Education Association (SVEA) chapter. “We want to create a community of future educators who can share and learn from each other,” said SVEA Vice President and university studies major Christy Daily Linaburg ’17, who is studying elementary education and overseeing the chapter with fellow university studies/elementary education student Tara Lockhart ’17. Members of the Shenandoah SVEA chapter will participate in professional development activities, have access to guest speakers, engage in social networking and have the opportunity to interface with political leaders. The group also hopes to adopt a school in the Winchester community in order to volunteer for various activities and support the students, teachers and staff.
Hornet Athletics News