Colleges

Emma Mondello had never had a song on Canyon Worship before — because she never had submitted one. But she decided to give it a go before she graduated in April, and “In Brokenness” was chosen for the 2021 album. It’s the perfect finish to her time at GCU, which was marked by personal growth and remarkable friendships. “I’ve made some friends for a lifetime and experienced some things that are going to live with me forever,” she said.

Dr. Kimberly LaPrade retired as Dean of GCU’s College of Education Monday after leading it through a decade of growth, innovation and national accreditation. Now, she and husband Larry are going to sail the world for six years. Her thoughts, as always, were with her colleagues as she departed: “It’s been more than a job because of all of you.”

Dr. Julia Langdal-Sittu was named the new psychology department chair at GCU at any interesting time to study human behavior, considering the challenges of the past year. As such, she hopes to emphasize empathy and lead her department to more volunteer opportunities. “That is the cornerstone of our field — understanding, empathy and compassion for the people we work with. And that means we look at everyone and try to understand where they are coming from as people,” she said.

Dr. Shakta Man Ghale literally climbed mountains to finally get his Doctor of Business Administration degree. During his doctoral journey, the Nepal native had to overcome internet and electricity issues, an earthquake, days of travel up and down steep mountains by foot and even encounters with Nepali leeches. But this summer, Ghale’s years of persistence finally paid off with the signing of his dissertation. “I definitely feel proud,” he said. “I really appreciate the GCU team and the opportunity that GCU has given me.”

GCU News Bureau Dr. Reagan North, adjunct faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Grand Canyon University, was delighted to meet a group of fans at a recent conference, not something an educator encounters every day. North joined Dr. Robert Pincus of Liberty University to present “Motivation in Crisis: Motivational Interviewing in Hard Times” at the American School Counselor Association Conference in Las Vegas. The lecture covered the use of Motivational Interviewing to help students and families recover from the trauma brought about by the pandemic. “Specifically, we discussed using Motivational Interviewing to help people reframe their experiences and to find the positives in otherwise difficult circumstances,” North said. After his own stint as a school counselor in the Seattle area, North found during his doctoral studies that Motivational Interviewing was a perfect method for school counselors, but no one had written a book on it. So North did. The counseling approach uses interviewing methods to help student access their motivation to improve grades, grow relationships, kick bad habits and pursue deeply meaningful lives, according to the Amazon summary of his book “Motivational Interviewing for School Counselors.” For the past four years, he has trained school counselors […]

GCU marketing and advertising major Tayler Alonzo-Taggart grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, but found herself touting the wonders of Phoenix as an intern at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, where she is in charge of the organization’s blog, “What Makes Greater Phoenix So Great,” among other duties. Fellow senior James Fritz also interned at GPEC this summer and had a lot of free reign on his projects. The computer science major with an emphasis in big data developed an alert app for the GPEC team and put together market sentiment analyses. “It’s been a really nice environment to work in,” he said.

The Master of Education in School Counseling program’s fivefold increase in enrollment over two years in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences includes its first cohort of students, which is wrapping up the program in August. Cherrise Smith and Kristie Tacadina saw the anxiety in students during COVID and wanted to help. They’ve already secured jobs. “We are proud of them paving the way,” said Dr. Kimberly Grigg, Program Chair of School Counseling. “They are pioneers of our program.”

Nicole Jasperse brings a folksy element to Canyon Worship 2021 with “You My God,” a song about waiting on the Lord that was inspired by the uncertainty of the pandemic. It’s her first time on the album, but songwriting is nothing new for her — she estimates she has put together more than 150. “Her writing is that of a storyteller with metaphorical stylings like a poet,” said Eric Johnson, Manager of the GCU Recording Studio.

Emma Blair thought she wanted to pursue a career in education, but she discovered a love of politics after the Honors College introduced her to internships. Blair is working as a research intern for Speech First, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., that focuses on free speech on college campuses. It has given her a renewed appreciation for GCU’s emphasis on civil discourse and the First Amendment. “I think that’s one of the things that makes GCU’s campus so incredible,” she said.

It’s a season of celebration as College of Fine Arts and Production performances make their grand return to Ethington Theatre. Audiences will be welcomed back with an array of musicals, comedies and dramas as well as the return of indoor dance concerts. “I think it’s going to be just a really enjoyable season,” COFAP Assistant Dean of Theatre and Dance William Symington said. “I can’t wait to get back in the theatre and feel that energy between the cast and the audience.”