Archive for March, 2020

When she came to the United States as a high school exchange student from Italy, Bianca Giorgi said she was searching for a place she would be accepted. The mechanical engineering major found that at GCU, where she has served as a multilingual academic mentor for student-athletes, volunteered as a learning advocate in the Learning Lounge, worked in the Office of Welcome Programs and much more. She also was chosen as the College of Science, Engineering and Technology’s student Commencement speaker for the spring. Although she won’t get to do that this April because of the coronavirus outbreak, she continues on her journey online with her fellow Lopes, as she thinks of her family back in Italy at the epicenter of the outbreak there.

Dr. Enrique Lopezlira, Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance in the Colangelo College of Business, teaches a subject that always has great relevance in our everyday life and is even more front-and-center during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is fascinated about how, in his words, “the economic way of thinking continues to improve our understanding of human behavior.”

Dr. Jean Mandernach has dug deep into the methods of online learning for nearly two decades. Now her expertise is in demand across the country as teachers at all levels seek out her advice on how to teach remotely during the COVID-19 crisis. She says while it can be boiled down into some basic principles during an emergency, this crisis may have a positive impact on the future of teaching that could make it more interactive and engaging.

Six GCU graduates from the last decade have one thing in common: They see the value of their time at the University. Several still are getting value in other ways. Maya Hinojos struck a deal with GCU to sell more than 6,300 beds from her family’s mattress company, and three are employed by the University. Reprinted from the February issue of GCU Magazine.

A group of seniors in the Dance Department felt blessed to have been at the American College Dance Association’s West Conference when they found out about the cancellation of their final Spring Dance Concert. They got to perform together one last time after being chosen for the conference’s gala. “The seniors in the cast, knowing it was their last performance as members of GCU’s Ethington Dance Ensemble, gave their most heartfelt performances to date. It was a bittersweet moment, to be sure,” said Susannah Keita, Director of the Dance Department.

GCU’s partnerships with Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona, the Phoenix Police Department and other entities have paid off with a dramatic transformation of its west Phoenix neighborhood in the last 10 years. But students have benefited greatly as well. Reprinted from the February issue of GCU Magazine.

With coronavirus-prompted school closures becoming a reality, it also became an inevitability that educators would have to teach in a different way. They would have to turn to online instruction in this new era of distance learning. That’s when GCU’s K12 Educational Development Department started to think of things it could do to support teachers. “We just leaped into action and said let’s put it on a YouTube Channel; we know we can do this,” said Corinne Araza, the department’s Director of STEM Outreach and Program Development. It’s where educators can find webinars and Tip-of-the-Day videos, and where parents can find educational tips, too. The department is also supporting teachers through various social media outlets.

Guest writer Kayla Nelson, Student Fitness Coordinator for the Campus Recreation Department, shares some fitness tips for working from home. The main messages: Drink water and move around.

Families often get to know the GCU campus through live, in-person tours. But not everyone can make it to campus, and that’s where the GCU Live team comes in. GCU Live conducts full, interactive, live virtual tours that are streamed online for those who might not have the opportunity to visit the University. These virtual tours have become the best way to get to know the campus as social distancing has changed the way we interact.

Dr. Christian Wilder, an Online Full Time Faculty member for the College of Theology, has an innovative way of making online students feel more connected to the campus. He also some interesting thoughts about the Old Testament.