Academics

You’ll often find Grand Canyon University Costume Designer Nola Yergen and Assistant Costume Designer Sarah Levinson in their rabbit hole — GCU’s Costume Shop on the second floor of the Media Arts Complex. They’re gearing up to start work on “Ring Round the Moon,” the theater department’s first play for the 2018-19 academic year. But they also ventured to Costume-Con this summer, winning two Best in Show awards for their “Alice in Wonderland”-themed costumes and their catacomb saints entry.

If you sign up for GCU’s Summer Dance Intensive, you better be prepared to dance. The 40-plus students who are part of this year’s immersive weeklong series of classes taught by GCU instructors are in the studio for more than six hours a day learning everything from contemporary and world dance to improv, ballet and hip hop.

The terminology might sound the same, but when it comes to “nonprofit” and “not-for-profit,” there are subtle differences between the two. So when it comes to referring to Grand Canyon University, it’s important to use the correct terminology: We are a nonprofit.

Members of the GCU community — a student, a faculty member, an online staff member, a campus staff member and an academic leader — reflect on the meaning of Independence Day and describe how they will celebrate with family and friends.

Under the terms of a transaction that closed on July 1, 2018, Grand Canyon Education sold Grand Canyon University to a nonprofit entity that will retain the GCU name. The transaction returns GCU to its historical roots as a nonprofit university and ensures the long-term legacy of both GCU and GCE.

The story of Grand Canyon University’s growth and accomplishments added a new chapter this week when its chapter in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars earned Platinum Star Status and was deemed the largest in the country. Here’s the catch: The chapter was formed only four years ago.

If you want to get the most out of exercising, it seems that exercising every day makes a difference. Dr. Zachary Zeigler and a team of GCU students looked into the impact of daily exercise versus skipping a day of exercise in men with high blood pressure. Their research was published recently in the academic journal Exercise Medicine. Here’s the skinny on what they found: Don’t skip a day — it appears that daily exercise may be good for your blood pressure.

Professors Crystal McCabe and Lynn Basko are accustomed to teaching future teachers in GCU’s College of Education, but teaching high school students who aspire to be teachers is a fairly infrequent experience, yet one they passionately embrace. Including McCabe and Basko, six GCU professors travel to Orlando this week for the 2018 Educators Rising National Conference, a gathering of over 1,000 high school students who are interested in teaching careers.

Story by Theresa Smith Photos by David Kadlubowski   GCU News Bureau With teacher shortages in several parts of the country and the spotlight on low teacher pay, including the #RedforEd movement in Arizona, it is heartwarming for Grand Canyon University College of Education leaders to make an impact on the newest generation of potential teachers. COE Dean Dr. Kimberly LaPrade and Dr. Marjaneh Gilpatrick, COE’s Executive Director of Educational Outreach, will be working with teenaged prospective educators at the 2018 Educators Rising National Conference on Thursday-Sunday in Orlando, Fla. Both GCU stalwarts were selected as judges of the national competition that will take place at the conference. High school students from all across the country won state competitions in order to qualify for nationals. “It is uplifting for educator leaders to see young people who know they want to be teachers,’’ Gilpatrick said. “They have already demonstrated excellence at the state level, so the entries at the national level are usually quite impressive.’’ There are 19 high school competition categories, including children’s literature, creative lecture TED Talk, ethical dilemma, impromptu lesson, lesson planning and leadership in action. Dr. LaPrade is judging the ethical dilemma category in which students log numerous preparation hours […]

A group of Honors College students had high hopes of worship and career development on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. The students hit their expected goals. But what enlightened them to the core was what they didn’t expect — love.