Dear Bellarmine Students, Faculty and Staff,
The clock is ticking down to the end of the semester and the beginning of a well-deserved break, but there is always time to celebrate the good work and scholarship of our faculty and staff.
I wish you a blessed holiday season filled with peace and renewal, and I look forward to a New Year of promise and progress.
New Knight’s Pantry initiative off to a strong start
Service is a strong component of the Bellarmine experience, and that includes service within our own campus community. Since the start of the Knight’s Pantry, in partnership with the Dare to Care food bank, on Nov. 5, we have served more than 80 students and families with supplemental food. The pantry, which is new to Bellarmine this year, is intended to help students who are experiencing food insecurity. Located on the top floor of Centro in the Treece Hallway, it is operated five days a week and is also accessible outside of operating hours in the event of an emergency. Knight’s Pantry welcomes donations of non-perishable goods and toiletries from faculty and staff. For more information, contact Ms. Natasha Begin or Ms. Theodora Hannan in the Dean of Students’ Office.
Faculty News and Achievements
Bellarmine College of Arts and Sciences
Professor Caren Cunningham’s artwork was included in Louisville Artists: Carry On, a traveling exhibition highlighting the careers of Louisville artists who have been successfully making a living as artists for more than 30 years. Venues included the Janice Mason Art Museum in Cadiz, Ky., and the gallery at Louisville Visual Art.
Dr. Perry Chang, adjunct instructor of Sociology, presented “Can’t Get Enough? Projecting Pastor Supply and Demand in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)” at the Religious Research Association Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.
Dr. Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, chair and professor of Theology, contributed a reflection on Matthew 19:16-25 entitled “Entering Life: Through the Eye of the Needle, By Moving the Molasses Quickly in January, and Finding the Little Gate” to Just Faith, a program that adopted Dr. Hinson-Hasty’s book The Problem of Wealth for its 2018-19 cycle. She also lectured on themes raised in her book at Highland Presbyterian Church’s fall educational series on stewardship. Dr. Hinson-Hasty gave a presentation on “Just and Sustainable Models of the Professoriate” for the American Academy of Religion’s Academic Labor and Contingent Faculty Committee on Nov. 19 at the annual meeting of the AAR in Denver, Colo. She also served as a reviewer of the Liberation Theologies work group.
Dr. Justin Klassen, associate professor of Theology, contributed a Dec. 1 op-ed piece on the value of liberal arts degrees to The Courier-Journal in which he cited a successful commercial realtor who hires his entry-level agents on the basis of their liberal arts degrees.
Dr. Jon Blandford, Honors Program director and associate professor of English, attended the National Collegiate Honors Council’s annual conference in Boston in November. He co-led a “Beginning in Honors Training” session for new directors from liberal arts institutions, facilitated a roundtable on “(En/Re)Visioning an Honors Curriculum,” and served on the NCHC’s Small Colleges and Diversity committee.
Ms. Flora K. Schildknecht, adjunct faculty in English and IDC, has just published her first book, Megafauna: Stories and Screenplay (Fleur-de-Lis Press, Louisville, 2018). The title story of the collection has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Other stories have appeared in Sisyphus, 2nd and Church, The Chaffin Journal, and The Louisville Review.
College of Health Professions
Dr. Linda Mefford, associate professor, Nursing, has published five chapters in a highly respected text, Porth’s Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States (10th edition): “Chapter 26: Disorders of Blood Flow and Blood Pressure Regulation” (sole author); “Chapter 32: Structure and Function of the Kidney” (primary authorship of this chapter with co-author); “Chapter 33: Disorders of Renal Function” (co-author with a colleague as the primary author); “Chapter 40: Mechanisms of Endocrine Control” (sole author); and “Chapter 41: Disorders of Endocrine Control” (sole author).
Mr. Dennis Lesch, instructor, Physical Therapy, is pleased to announce that a second resident has been recruited for the Geriatric Residency Program. Ms. Melanie Booker is an employee of KORT Rehab, representing a new collaboration between the Bellarmine Residency Program and KORT. She will begin her yearlong residency in late January.
Ms. Sarah Pehlke and Ms. Janet Vogt, instructors, Respiratory Therapy, hosted a three-hour continuing education course for respiratory therapists throughout Kentucky on Oct. 16. Approximately 60 Kentucky and Indiana RTs attended, including staff therapists, managers, and educators.
Ms. Julia Beran, instructor, Nursing, and Ms. Johanna Snyder BSN ’18 presented an interactive talk on the human body that highlighted nurses as heroes for Westport Road Middle School’s Montessori Science Unit on Nov. 30.
Dr. Thomas Wójcicki, assistant professor, Exercise Science, served on the Environmental Equity Planning Group to contribute to the development of Healthy Louisville 2025, a community health improvement plan spearheaded by the Louisville Metro Department of Public and Wellness. Work includes identification of major themes based on findings from the 2017 Community Health Needs Assessment, analysis of root causes, review of evidence-based practices, and implementation of programs and policies designed to improve the city’s health over the next seven years.
Dr. Kent Brown, associate professor, Exercise Science, and Dr. Andrew Carnes, assistant professor, Exercise Science, were awarded a Faculty Development Fellowship award for the 2019-20 academic year entitled “The comparative effects of individualized strength training versus CrossFit© programming on distance running performance.”
Dr. Laura Miller, assistant professor, Exercise Science, received a $3,000 Faculty Fellowship award for 2019-20.
Mr. Chris Webb, instructor, Nursing, and FNP director, presented “LGBTQ+ Health Disparities: Bridging the Gap” at the Kentucky Nurses Association Annual Conference, Nov. 1-2.
Dr. Christy Kane, associate professor and chair, Respiratory Therapy, and Ph.D. in Health Professions Education, and a colleague from Sullivan University presented a poster entitled “Respiratory Therapy Career Satisfaction” at the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) International Congress on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.
Dr. Kathy Hager, associate professor, Nursing, was the commencement speaker for Galen’s graduation on Oct. 19; Keynote speaker for the 12th Annual Nursing Research Conference on Nov. 7; and attended the Kentucky Nurses Association Board of Directors Retreat and KNA Leadership Retreat on Dec. 6-7 in Bardstown, Ky.
Dr. Ta’Neka Lindsay, assistant professor, Nursing, presented at the following conferences: Kentucky Nursing Association (KNA) Annual Conference, Nov. 2, “I’m Due for That!: A Review of Evidence-Based Preventative Health Guidelines”; and National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA) in Tarrytown, N.Y., Nov. 8, “Overview of Organizational Leadership.”
Dr. Kim Hawkins, associate professor and chair, Undergraduate Nursing, was selected to serve on the National Council State Board of Nursing (NCSBN) as an NCLEX Exam Item Development Panel member for 2018-20.
Dr. Keith Knapp, associate professor and chair, Health Services and Senior Living Leadership, was elected to the Board of Directors for the Foundation of the National Association of Long Term Care Administrators.
Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education
Dr. Mary Ann Cahill received a faculty development grant to pursue research on the teaching of writing in elementary schools.
Drs. Mary Ann Cahill, Winn Wheeler and David Paige have partnered with Nativity Academy in Louisville to provide help and expertise in the area of reading instruction while also studying the effects of reading interventions on middle school students.
Dr. Kristin Cook conducted a STEAM Professional Development for Middle Schools in the Jefferson County Public Schools. She was also elected by peers in the Association of Science Teacher Educators to serve on the Elections Committee for the flagship science education professional organization.
Dr. Elizabeth Dinkins presented “Sports Literacy, Engagement, and High School English” at the annual conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers in Louisville. She presented two sessions at the National Council of Teachers of English’s annual conference in Houston: “City Killer Storms, Harnessing the Wind, and Huck Finn for Climate Change” was part of the Teaching Climate Change in English session, and “Using Sports Literacy to Engage often Unheard Students in the Classroom” was a collaboration with a colleague.
Dr. Jessica Ivy co-authored a manuscript that was accepted for publication in the March 2019 issue of Computer: “Seeding cybersecurity workforce pathways with secondary education.”
Dr. Donald “DJ” Mitchell, Jr., professor of higher education leadership, and co-authors received the 2018 Dr. Charles Eberly Oracle Award for their article titled “Intersectional Value? A Pilot Study Exploring Educational Outcomes for African American Women in Historically Black Sororities versus Non-historically Black Sororities.” The award seeks to recognize outstanding written contributions to Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors.
Drs. Winn Wheeler and Christy McGee have worked with Kappa Delta Pi, a nationally recognized education honor society, to reinstate the Alpha Gamma Epsilon chapter at Bellarmine University. The first initiation for new members will occur on Jan. 13, 2019. Students must have a 3.25 grade point average to be invited. Drs. Wheeler and McGee also attended the Kappa Delta Pi Convocation on Nov. 2 in Indianapolis, where they attended sessions, met with national leaders, and learned how they might develop a presentation for next year’s conference.
Dr. Rosie Young planned and conducted the Kentucky Association of Elementary School Principals Fall Institute on Nov. 19. She participated in a CAEP accreditation visit Nov. 11-13. And she represented Bellarmine at the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative District Personnel Directors’ Meeting on Dec. 4.
W. Fielding Rubel School of Business
Dr. Sharon Kerrick, dean, was an invited featured speaker at the Health Financial Management Association (HFMA), where she discussed calibrating risks. She was also guest speaker for the second annual Women in Technology conference, held in Louisville, with more than 300 in attendance. She led the Small Business Institute’s Projects of the Year judging panels for projects from across the United States. She was also a special guest at the Kentucky World Trade Center Awards ceremony in Frankfort, where Gov. Matt Bevin and former Gov. Martha Layne Collins presented Kentucky Trade/Export Awards.
Dr. Elizabeth Payne, Endowed Chair of Accounting, helped Financial Executives International deliver two great programs as a member of the Board of Directors. In November, William S. Engelking, managing director of Prudential Capital's Chicago corporate finance office, provided an expert view on the state of today's capital markets and trends. In December, Jim Glassman, managing director and head economist for Commercial Banking at JPMorgan/Chase, shared his insights. Dr. Payne also continued her service on the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy at meetings in November and December.
Ms. Christy Burge, instructor of Accounting, invited members of the Kentucky Society of CPAs and the Institute of Managerial Accountants to visit with students to discuss career opportunities. KyCPA members allowed students to register as members of the society for free. Institute members highlighted the opportunity to take the CMA exam while completing one's undergraduate degree in accounting.
School of Communication
Ms. Stacie Shain and Mr. Gary Fogle brought Etan Thomas, a former college basketball player who also played several seasons in the NBA, to campus on Nov. 29 to speak about how athletes can use their positions in society to address social justice issues. That is the topic of his latest book, We Matter.
Dr. Michael LaRocco served on a committee that assessed the efficacy of Bellarmine's campus activities and programs in accordance to guidelines set by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education.
Dr. Wuyu (Rain) Liu and colleagues presented the following papers at the 104th National Communication Association annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. 8-11: “The Suasory Force of Sticky Messages: A Replication and Extension” and “Love Better by Fighting Smarter: Romantic Conflict Management Styles among Intercultural Couples and the Influential Factors in the Choice of the Styles.”
Dr. Michael Strawser, with Dr. Shawn Apostel, Dr. Moira O' Keefe and Ms. Crystal Simons(MAC graduate), published two articles in the November Communication Center Journal: “Life in a ‘Fishbowl’: The evolution of the communication center as a sustainable component of institutional culture” and “Life in a ‘Fishbowl’: Gathering foundational student perception data for long-term center sustainability.” Dr. Strawser also published “Applying narrative to pedagogy in a world of chaos” in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference proceedings in November.
Staff News and Achievements
Three members of the Office of Communications & Public Affairs were honored at the CASE Kentucky Conference held Dec. 6-7 in Louisville: Ms. Sam O’Brien, Grand Award in Editorial Design for Bellarmine Magazine; Ms. Carla Carlton, Award of Excellence in Feature Writing for “The Team Behind the Team: New Master’s Program Trains Professionals at the Intersection of Academic and Athletics”; and Ms. Katie Kelty, Special Merit Award in Design/Specialty Piece for the invitation to the Inauguration of Susan M. Donovan, Ph.D.
Dr. Helen-Grace Ryan, vice president for Student Affairs, was named one of the 2019 Kentucky College Personnel Association Hall of Fame inductees. She will be honored during the group’s annual meeting at Murray State University.
Dr. Paul Pearson, director and archivist of the Thomas Merton Center, wrote the Foreword to the Russian translation of Mystics and Zen Masters by Thomas Merton. (Moscow: Enigma, 2018).
Ms. Lauren Coffey, employer engagement coordinator in the Career Development Center, collaborated with Dr. Michael Strawser to publish a chapter, “Millennial Cultural Transitions: Higher Education Experience as an Expectation for Workplace Culture,” in Examining Millennials Reshaping Organizational Cultures, from Theory to Practice (Roman & Littlefield).