Colleges

Ed Koeneman practices what he teaches in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. He and his father started a medical device company for stroke rehabilitation robots that were so innovative, a leading research-and-development magazine named them one of the 100 most innovative products for that year. His students also can relate to the conversion he’s working on for his Chevy S-10, and he has been known to dive into an interesting hobby.

It was a productive semester for students looking to attend graduate school as the Honors College wrapped up its Pre-Law and Pre-Health Professional, Academic and Career Programs. Both programs, one of which made its debut this semester, played a role in helping prepare students for what they can expect when it comes to graduate school. “From my point of view, it was very helpful and very informative,” said government student Madeline Landes, who attended all of the Pre-Law P.A.C. sessions this semester. “I would recommend this because I think it’s a very informative program.”

When the Honors Institute debuted with 59 students in 2013, no one could have known how far it would come just eight years later. As the University prepares to celebrate another graduating class, the Honors College will celebrate its own impressive accomplishment — surpassing 1,000 graduates. “It’s great that we’ve reached this milestone of 1,000 graduates, we are thrilled and ready to celebrate; but, this is definitely not the last chapter in our book,” said Honors College Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli. “There is plenty more to come, and we’re excited to keep challenging ourselves and our program to rise to the occasion.”

There was no shortage of inspirational redemption stories at Wednesday’s Phoenix Rescue Mission Signing Event as three of four scholarship recipients signed their letter of intent to attend the University in the fall. The recipients, who have completed the nonprofit’s Recovery Program, include Amanda Jaramillo, Jacqueline Mix, Brian Farretta and GCU 2019 alum Jesse Dalla Riva. “These people have had some significant challenges and they’ve taken the first step now, they’ve gone through the Phoenix Rescue Mission Program, they’ve come out of it successfully and they’ve started their new life,” said GCU President Brian Mueller. “For us to be able to offer them this opportunity to take their life now to a whole new level is a blessing.”

Sonya Berges, Assistant Professor in the College of Education, loves distance education. She especially loves it when she can reach out to adult learners who share their struggles. “While I may not be able to share the story of Christ with every student, I believe that my actions of grace and compassion, especially over the past year, model a bit of the love and grace Christ offers,” she wrote. 

While pet harnesses are already available on the market, no standard exists to test them. So GCU students designed a canine crash test dummy to help make those pet harnesses safer. Another team developed their Smart Valet to help travelers traverse the airport with ease. And a third team developed a seating system for students with disabilities. They were just a few of the 30-plus projects presented at Monday’s virtual senior Engineering Capstone Showcase.

How people communicate has changed drastically over the past several years, and anyone with a mobile phone knows just how crazy that can get. GCU will equip students for those continued changes with six new programs of study. New bachelor’s programs in Social Media and Professional Writing and three new Communications emphases will launch in the fall and highlight the ethics, civility and judgment in media and communications that are sorely needed these days.

Uriel Serna has always been intrigued by big data and knew it could be used to save lives, so he created a portable nanny camera that uses machine learning to recognize children’s faces. He wanted to help parents better monitor their children to prevent tragedies, such as children drowning in their family’s swimming pools. Shelby Clow and Kolten Spencer created an app for first-time pet owners. And Deep Contractor and Michael Stauffer designed a virtual reality chatroom where people who don’t speak the same language can communicate, despite the language barrier. Those were just a few of the 40 or so projects computer science, computer programming and information technology/cybersecurity seniors created for the senior Technology Capstone Showcase, which was virtual this year.

Jevon Jackson, Program Chair/Program Lead for the Software Engineering Program in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, is extremely accomplished in music, not just engineering. Where he performed as a 10-year-old is amazing, as is his wide range of interests. His spirit comes through in every answer of what he submitted for Faculty Focus.

Before seniors Morgan McCall, Ryan Ardelt and Alex Cavanaugh walk the Commencement stage later this month, the trio of friends had one more project up their sleeves. What started as an original submission to a 24-hour playwriting festival was adapted to an audio broadcast performance scheduled to premiere at 7 p.m. today. “It feels like coming home,” said McCall, the director. “It’s all amounted to this. All of us have worked really hard in this program, and our friendship has led up to this moment and all of our skills have led up to this moment.”