Unveiled Secrets: Insights from The Crow's Nest on August 3, 2020

Park University Makes Strides in Various Fields

Park University has recently made several notable announcements and achievements across various departments.

New Leadership at the International Center for Music

On July 13, Lisa Hickok was appointed as the executive director of Park University's International Center for Music. While specific details about her focus in this role are not explicitly available, executive directors at similar music centres often oversee programs, promote international collaborations, organize events and performances, and support music education initiatives.

Upcoming Events and Achievements

The 2020 Park University Golf Scramble is scheduled for October 12 at The National Golf Club of Kansas City. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tournament will be limited to 25 teams. Registration fees are $225 per golfer or $900 per four-person team, and sponsorship packages range from $1,400 to $5,000. The event benefits the University's Parkville Campus athletics programs.
Naval Support Activity Mid-South Millington (Tenn.) Campus Commencement is set for September 18. The Fort Irwin (Calif.) Campus Commencement has been tentatively rescheduled for an unknown date in January 2021.
Hill Air Force Base (Utah) Campus Commencement is scheduled for July 31, while the El Paso (Texas) Campus / Fort Bliss (Texas) Campus / Holloman Air Force Base (N.M.) Campus Commencement has been rescheduled for January 30, 2021.
The River Read Children's Literature Festival is scheduled for October 13.

Academic Recognition

EdSmart.org ranked Park University No. 28 on its "Best Online Computer Science Degree Programs" list. BestMastersPrograms.org ranked Park No. 12 on its "25 Best Online Executive MBA for 2020" list, and Learn.org ranked Park No. 31 on its "Best Online Bachelor's Degree Programs" list.

Achievements and Recognition for Faculty and Staff

Brad Kleindl, Ph.D., was elected to serve on ACBSP's Accreditation Governance Board.
Mohamed Abualhaija, D.B.A., associate professor of accounting, provided comments for a story on "Credit Card Consolidation Loan Offers" that appeared on WalletHub.com on July 7.
Steve Youngblood, associate professor of communication arts and director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism, was featured in the Platte County (Mo.) Citizen on July 8.
Pamela Stewart, '88, M.D., was featured in a story that appeared in the Garden City (Kan.) Telegram on July 7.
Jack MacLennan, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, appeared in a live, 22-minute interview segment on "Up To Date" on KCUR-FM in Kansas City on July 7.
Gina Chambers, Ph.D., and Suzanne Tiemann, Ph.D., assistant professors of education, were both interviewed for a story that aired on KSHB-TV in Kansas City on July 16.
Alla Adams, Ph.D., and Harold Griffin, Ph.D., presented an article at the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs Conference.

Notable Features and Articles

Park University's First Family was featured in a cover story in the July issue of Northland Neighbors magazine.
A feature story on Kailei Edwards, who recently signed to be a student-athlete at Park University's Gilbert Campus as a member of the women's basketball team, appeared in her hometown newspaper, The Independent, in Moriarty, N.M., on July 29.
A feature story on Mario Segura, who recently signed to be a student-athlete at Park University's Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus as a member of the baseball team, appeared in the San Tan Valley (Ariz.) Sentinel on July 14.
A story about Jefferson Roblee, '95, being appointed the women's soccer assistant coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College appeared on the Wyandotte (County, Kan.) Daily website on July 24.
Alissia Canady, '08, a former member of the Kansas City, Mo., City Council and a 2020 candidate for Missouri lieutenant governor, was featured in Essence magazine on July 24.

University Response to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Announcement

Stories about Park University's response to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announcement that international students would have to leave the country or risk deportation if colleges switch to online-only courses (as a result of the coronavirus pandemic) aired on Kansas City area media outlets on July 8-9.

Letter in Support of Social Justice

Park University President Greg Gunderson wrote a letter in support of social justice on July 16.

Rankings and Recognition

Park University received the following rankings:

The Kansas City Business Journal ranked Park No. 76 on its list of "Private-Sector Employees in the July 17 edition. The ranking was based on the number of full-time equivalent employees in the Kansas City area as of June.
BestMastersPrograms.org ranked Park No. 12 on its "25 Best Online Executive MBA for 2020" list.
Learn.org ranked Park No. 31 on its "Best Online Bachelor's Degree Programs" list.
EdSmart.org ranked Park No. 28 on its "Best Online Computer Science Degree Programs" list.

[1] The search results do not contain specific information regarding Lisa Hickok's focus as the executive director of Park University's International Center for Music. The only mention of Lisa Hickok relates to gratitude for her support at the Center, without details about her role or focus.

The appointment of Lisa Hickok as the executive director of Park University's International Center for Music could potentially expand the center's involvement in education-and-self-development activities, as executive directors at similar music centres often oversee music education initiatives.
General news outlets may cover sports events such as the 2020 Park University Golf Scramble, which could provide opportunities for audience engagement and discussions, falling under the category of general news and sports.