Archive for January, 2021

Dr. Brandon Juarez, Associate Professor in the College of Education, loves to teach students how to teach. He uses practical applications, such as simulations, role playing and scenarios, to prepare them for the classroom and has shared his ideas with other educators in articles and at conferences. He also finds magic in fresh snow in the West and Canada.

After hospitals and other health care facilities paused their clinical rotations last spring, the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions scrambled to fill the gap with virtual clinicals. But as hospitals have opened back up and are offering a limited number of clinicals, students have returned to where they belong. Almost 20 GCU nursing students at Banner Del E. Webb and Banner Boswell worked at the hospital system’s northwest COVID vaccination site on Thursday.

Kevin Walling saw the need in Washington state, and he saw it here. Some students who live in public housing need help with their school work. That’s why the chair of Justice Studies, Government and History rang College of Education Associate Dean Dr. Marjaneh Gilpatrick, and they devised a plan to partner with City of Phoenix Housing on a tutoring program that is expected to start by late February. “GCU students have a strong commitment to service leadership, so our students would make excellent tutors to children in need,” Walling said.

Grand Canyon University is stepping up to assist with COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Arizona by becoming a public Point of Dispensing (POD) site for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH). This endeavor mirrors the values and mission of GCU to care for those in our community and is part of a broader University initiative to positively impact the neighborhood in which it resides.

Sylvester Thomas doesn’t have a computer at home and had trouble navigating the process to get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. He was thrilled when GCU volunteers helped him secure his place in line. He received his first dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine at the walk-through area of the the University’s new vaccine dispensing site at 27th Avenue on Tuesday, the opening day for the site.

Dr. John Wooll, an instructor in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, teaches biology to students by getting them to look at it like a cartoon picture. “It is beyond fascinating,” he said, “and my job is to infuse them with that excitement.” He also gets excited about watching classic old movies and wouldn’t mind a conversation with people who have the same proclivity.

Kayla Hartson shares another good workout but also has exciting news: A new fitness class is starting in the Antelope Fitness Center.

In this week’s Fitness Facts on physical health, Connie Colbert answers the questions on everyone’s mind: Can you get COVID-19 from the vaccine, will you test positive after getting the shot and should you get vaccinated if you’ve already had the virus?

In this week’s #Askingforafriend column on mental health, Kristin Wyse provides eight steps that, if followed properly, can help to resolve conflict in a relationship. Before that, though, you must connect with yourself and with others.

It took just 10 days — 10 days — for GCU to create a regional COVID-19 vaccination site, one unique in that it is the only point-of-dispensing site, or POD, in Maricopa County that offers a walk-through option. The goal is to administer between 800 to 1,000 vaccinations each day it is open to various community populations by appointment, depending on vaccine availability. “We’re doing it because this is part of our mission. This is part of our values to serve the community in this regard,” said Emergency Preparedness Manager Marcus Castle of the site, which opened today.