College of Doctoral Studies

Dr. Jason Ward, Faculty Manager for the College of Doctoral Studies, knows his way around the world — and around its languages, too. Check out how many continents, countries and states he has visited and how many languages he has studied. He also has a long list of scholarly presentations. But the key to his classroom presence, he says, is humor.

Dr. Jimmy Brown, Academic Quality Reviewer and Dissertation Chair for the College of Doctoral Studies, hasn’t just worked for a lot of different companies and organizations; his career has taken him to places all around the United States and beyond. Check out how many cities, states/provinces/prefectures and countries he has been employed in. But being at home with his family still is his favorite activity.

The February 2020 issue of GCU Magazine will be a keepsake for students, faculty, staff and alumni. The special dedication to GCU’s stunning transformation in the last 10 years includes stories, photos and videos covering every aspect of this remarkable story — academics, spiritual life, campus life, community outreach, athletics, online education and alumni — plus President Brian Mueller’s personal thoughts about what it has meant to him. Here’s the digital version.

The story of GCU’s ascent in the last decade is one of determination, discovery and bit of defiance. “We do what others say can’t be done,” said Will Gonzalez, Chairman of the GCU Board of Trustees, “and we do it every … single … day.” The cover story of the February issue of GCU Magazine tells how it unfolded, through the eyes of the people who saw it through.

There’s a lot more to Jay Harrison than his National Hockey League career, which spanned 2005 to 2015. He operates a consulting practice for athletes, and he’s pursuing his Ph.D. in Performance Psychology through GCU’s College of Doctoral Studies. “Education actually allowed me to be the best player I could be,” he said.

There’s nothing quite like sharing your passion with others, and that’s exactly what Doctoral Learner Eugene Frimpong did as he returned to his alma mater in Ghana West Africa to give a seminar. He hoped to preach and excite his audience with the topic of data analytics.

Running is an outlet for doctoral learner Debra Bartkowski, but last year she stepped up to the next level — the 250-mile level. Surviving the “3 Days at the Fair” ultra-marathon has sparked her drive to complete her degree. “My takeaway from all this is that you can do anything that you set your mind to,” she said.

GCU News Bureau A special edition of the Journal of Instructional Research features several articles from Grand Canyon University faculty. JIR features theoretical and empirically-based research articles, critical reflection pieces, case studies and classroom innovations relevant to best practices in post-secondary instruction (including teaching, learning and assessment). The articles listed below are available here: “Defining Effective Online Pedagogy,” John Steele, Rick Holbeck, Jean Mendernach Ten Strategic Points: A Framework for Doctoral Dissertations Students to Conceptualize their Research Design in a Doctoral Residency Program,” Cynthia Bainbridge, Christie McClendon, June Maul “The Goldilocks Paradox: The Need for Instructor Presence but Not Too Much in an Online Discussion Forum,” Elizabeth Larson, Jacob Aroz, Eric Nordin “Virtual Professional Communities: Integrative Faculty Support to Foster Effective Teaching,” Katie Sprute, Crystal McCabe, Lynn Basko, Paul Danuser “Exploring Quiz-Style PowerPoint Games as an Innovative e-Learning and Teaching Pedagogy,” Nikki Squire “Reflective Practice through Mentorship: A Program Reflection,” Emily Pottinger, Rebekah Dyer and Jena Akard “Using OBS to Create Video Lectures for Online Counseling Students,” Daniel A. Kauffman “Active Classrooms: Great for Academic Performance, but can They Improve Student Health? A Critical Literature Review,” Mike Swoboda The Intersection of Theory and Practice in Teacher Preparation Courses,” Brandon Juarez “Alternative Mentoring for Psychology Students,” […]

Katia Cheetany, didn’t let the language barrier stop her when she immigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon 26 years ago. Now she refuses to allow the obstacles that have come up throughout her doctoral journey keep her from furthering her education and achieving her goal. “From every professor I learn something. At the end of every class I walked out with something,” She said. “To me I feel like every single class gave me an opportunity to grow academically and personally.”

Saturday was a day of celebration as Grand Canyon University’s Alpha Chi chapter inducted 1,212 new members into the prestigious honors society. Only students within the top 10% of their graduating class in each of their individual colleges are eligible. “GCU does attract a lot of exceptional learners,” Honors College Associate Dean Breanna Naegeli said.