Academics

When Brian Mucyo was 6, his parents had to send their son to a country more medically equipped to care for the deterioration of his vision. With only 10% visibility left in his left eye and a prosthetic eye for his right, Mucyo lived in Belgium for several years before moving to America to complete high school and eventually enroll at GCU. Now he’s an Honors College student and uses the skills he has developed in his travels (specifically, the four languages he now speaks fluently) to help other international students create the confidence to speak and learn English.

Tim Kelley never stops learning — that’s why he applied for a special summer program at the London School of Economics. But once program organizers saw how much the Assistant Professor for Entrepreneurship and Economics in the Colangelo College of Business knows about angel investing, he actually was asked to speak to the class about it. It’s another sign that GCU’s program is “right on target and on the cutting edge,” Kelley said.

“We’re the better neurons!” one student declared at GCU’s Biovision Day Camp after playing a few rounds of the Neuron Game. Sixth through ninth graders not only made like neurons but were wowed by the colors of light streaming through spectroscopes, gandered at 3D printers and more at the camp. It was just one of a quartet of STEM-savvy Thunder Vision offerings, with a different science and tech focus each day (Robovision, Ecovision and Cybervision among them) offered by the University’s K12 Educational Development. More than 500 students are attending the one-day camps, which wrap up today.

GCU’s professors stepped away from the whiteboards and threw themselves into the world of Harry Potter, “Game of Thrones,” “Pokemon,” “Star Wars and the like as they infiltrated Phoenix Fan Fusion as guest panelists over Memorial Day weekend. They delved into everything from the science of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” to the biology in the film “Bird Box” to the ethics behind integrating technology and the brain in the film “Ghost in the Shell.” “The audience engagement – that’s the best part about it – and really communicating science with the public in a more fun and entertaining and engaging way,” said biology professor Dr. Darien Hall.

After being a stay-at-home mom for most of her four children’s lives, Chalise Williams was inspired to go back to college after watching her children get their degrees. Williams traveled from New Jersey to Arizona to attend Friday morning’s online commencement ceremony, where she received her bachelor’s degree in behavioral health.

Isaiah Slemons spent much of his childhood in and out of hospitals, so he knew what he wanted to do with his life — help others as others helped him through his medical challenges. He graduated Thursday with his Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering and is one of about 40 biomedical, electrical and mechanical engineering scholars who became GCU’s first engineering graduating class.

Two days before commencement, 57 design students filled four classrooms in the College of Fine Arts and Production Building on Tuesday to display their portfolios for their peers and families at the Senior Design Showcase. Animations, photography, marketing designs and numerous other forms of artwork allowed viewers to get a better idea of who these students are. “Everyone’s setup is their own,” Elizabeth Segura said. “Every year you have something different. There’s different people, different things that they have to offer. I think it’s pretty cool every year to see the variety.”

Adriana Quintanares moved to the United States when she was 4 years old, not speaking a word of English. She remembers her immigrant parents buying her a dictionary and looking up every word — every single word — to help her understand her homework. “My family, of course — and God — have kept me going,” said the GCU biology junior. Juan Colorado-Alvarez spoke about those school lunches no one seemed to like very much. He looked forward to them; sometimes those school lunches were the only meals he would eat. His immigrant parents, who worked two jobs each, constantly struggled to make it paycheck to paycheck. Quintanares and Colorado-Alvarez, a junior accounting major, reached deep and shared their hardships and how the Students Inspiring Students scholarship changed their lives at Tuesday’s SIS scholarship reception.

Honors College students gathered in GCU Arena on Saturday night to celebrate all of their achievements during the 2018-19 academic year. Assistant Dean Breanna Naegeli said the Honors banquet is one of her favorite events of the year. “It allows us all an opportunity to take a moment to reflect upon and acknowledge all the exceptional work and efforts of our students. These students not only take Honors courses and commit to the rigor in the classroom, but they continually go above and beyond outside of the classroom as well,” she said.

Students and faculty made their way to the Colangelo College of Business lobby Friday to watch the inauguration of ASGCU’s new leadership, led by President Samuel Yonan and Executive Vice President Bret Malkin, and bid farewell to 2018-19 President Noah Wolfe. “I’m excited for what they’re going to do. They’re going to do a great job,” Wolfe said. “We’ve had a great run and got a lot of stuff done, so I feel confident to hand the baton off to some wonderful people. I’m looking forward to what’s in the future.”