Local Political Upheaval: April 6, 2023 Edition

Local Political Upheaval: April 6, 2023 Edition

Park University, located in Parkville, Missouri, is buzzing with activities this spring season. From academic achievements to sports victories and community events, the university is thriving with a spirit of excellence.

Cristian Maciel and Marco Rabello, alumni from the Class of 2007, are making headlines as the owners of Taste of Brazil restaurant, which recently garnered attention on KCTV in Kansas City. Meanwhile, Casi Joy (McCall) Lankford, a Class of 2012 alumna, has been featured in an interview on Entertainment Focus, a United Kingdom-based entertainment website.

In the realm of academia, Sarah Moran, Ph.D., will present a lecture on "Strange New Worlds: Exoplanet Atmospheres Through the Eyes of the James Webb Space Telescope." This captivating talk is set to take place at an undisclosed location and date. Abhijit Mazumdar, Ph.D., and Zahra Mansoursharifloo, MACL '22, have also made waves with their publication on "U.S. Foreign Policy and Indexing Theory: A Study of U.S. Press Coverage of the Taliban and ISIS" in the International Communication Research Journal.

The university's sports teams are also making a splash. The National Premier Soccer League has announced that the Kansas City Sol has joined the league as an expansion team, with home matches scheduled to take place on Park University's flagship Parkville campus at Julian Field beginning this summer. The Parkville Campus men's volleyball team has earned the No. 4 seed in the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship Tournament, starting April 11, and is seeking its sixth men's volleyball national title in the tournament.

In addition, the Gilbert Campus is adding a men's ice hockey club program starting in the 2023-24 academic year, and Park University's athletic programs will move to the Golden State Athletic Conference, effective with the 2024-25 academic year.

Academic achievements have not been overlooked. Kathy Howe, Ph.D., co-presented a paper on "Modeling Innovative Technology Use in Teacher Education and Professional Development" at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education annual conference. Stephen David Grover, Ph.D., presented a webinar on "Blurring the Edges: Using Slack to Enable and Extend Class Interactions" for the Global Society of Online Literacy Educators. Lacey Finley, Ph.D., co-authored the article "Using Design Thinking to Develop a Career Development Plan SWOT Analysis" that was published on Faculty Focus.

The university's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which will consist of three schools and seven departments, is set to welcome back the Hauptmann School of Public Affairs and the sociology program, effective with the 2023-24 academic year. However, due to the lack of detailed information in the available search results, the exact organizational structure of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences remains to be confirmed.

Park University's community engagement is also noteworthy. The Department of Nursing will host a community health fair on April 13, providing an opportunity for the university's nursing students to showcase what they have learned in community health. An exhibit of ceramics, "Aura," by Elaina Michalski, is featured in the University's Campanella Gallery through April 21.

Furthermore, Michelle Myers, Ed.D., provost, provided comments for a story on "Shared Pain in the C-Suite and on Campus" that appeared in the February edition of Ingram's. Dianna Carmenaty, Ph.D., was interviewed for stories related to a Social Security Administration investigation of a body being found in a home after having been deceased for six years. John Hamilton, Ph.D., professor emeritus of criminal justice administration, was interviewed for stories related to the process of executing search warrants and an increase of hoax calls of active shooters at area schools.

In the realm of public service, Col. Lewis Millett, '63, was featured in a "Medal of Honor Monday" article posted on the U.S. Department of Defense website. Vince Clark, chair of Park University's Board of Trustees, Scott Hall, a member of Park's Civic Advisory Council, and Gloria Jackson-Leathers, '91, were panelists at the #C3KC event hosted by the Junior League of Kansas City, Mo. Steve Youngblood, associate professor of communication arts and director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism, authored an article on "Misinformation, Democracy and the Peace Journalism Solution" that appeared in The Loop.

Lastly, the university's Johnson Family Lecture Series in Science will focus on exoplanets on April 24, 2023. Upcoming events also include the Dr. Doris A. Howell Leadership Awards, Community Health Fair, Blood Drive, Honors Convocation, Grand Forks (N.D.) Air Force Base Campus Commencement, Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium, Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus Commencement Ceremony, International Center for Music Concerts featuring Kyoshiro Hirama Graduate Piano Recital, ICM Orchestra, Christian Dos Santos Undergraduate Viola Recital, James Farquhar Graduate Cello Recital, Jordan Proctor Undergraduate Cello Concert, Ellen Finley Earhart Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony, International Sash Ceremony, Kansas City Area Commencement Ceremony, Maymester Begins, International Center for Music Concert: Anastasia Vorotnaya Graduate Piano Recital, International Center for Music Concert: Pianist Behzod Abduraimov, Park University Founders Day (148th Anniversary), Board of Trustees Meeting, Maymester Ends, and Memorial Day Holiday (all University offices closed).

In summary, Park University is a vibrant hub of academic, athletic, and community activities. With a plethora of events and achievements taking place, the university continues to uphold its commitment to excellence and community engagement.

1. The university's athletic programs, such as the National Premier Soccer League's expansion team, the Kansas City Sol, and the men's volleyball team's pursuit of a national title, are a testament to the integration of sports within education-and-self-development at Park University.
2. Not only does Park University excel in sports and academics, but also in science, as evident in Dr. Sarah Moran's upcoming lecture on "Strange New Worlds: Exoplanet Atmospheres Through the Eyes of the James Webb Space Telescope." This event underscores the university's commitment to science education and research.

Read also: