College of Doctoral Studies

In all her years in academics, Ophelia Brown’s love of knowledge never has dwindled. The 75-year-old doctoral learner and retired geriatric nurse practitioner has completed a number of different degree and certification programs in her career and ranks her GCU experience at the top of her list. “In all my academic environments, this is one of the best environments,” she said. “They’re supportive, the religious foundation is good but not overwhelming and I haven’t had one professor that I thought that I couldn’t talk to.” Third in a series highlighting learners in the College of Doctoral Studies. 

As a single mother and attorney, Shaina Thompson is no stranger to the struggle of juggling multiple roles. She is seeking a doctoral degree from GCU because she hopes to establish more family-friendly policies in nonprofit law firms. “It’s difficult to have a place that understands that everyone’s life is not very cookie cutter, and finding an institute that will provide support for that and encouragement is very important,” she said. Second in a series highlighting learners in the College of Doctoral Studies. 

Many 25-year-olds still are trying to figure out what to do with their lives. But for Mireille Mukiza, her pursuit of a doctoral degree from GCU is just one impressive accomplishment she can add to her resumé. Her education is an inspiration to her family back home in Congo, where women are not encouraged to pursue higher education. “I’m a woman and I can do it,” she said. “I know my degree will have my name on it, but it kind of feels like a family achievement.” First in a series highlighting learners in the College of Doctoral Studies. 

The virtual Commencement ceremony for online students Saturday was actually eight prerecorded ceremonies — one for each college, with a promise of more ceremonies this fall for graduates who would like the in-person experience. But the acknowledgment of their accomplishments amid the pandemic couldn’t wait. “What you have accomplished is remarkable, and we are celebrating it today,” GCU President Brian Mueller said.

Dr. Araxi Hovhannessian, Senior Adjunct Professor and Dissertation Chair in the College of Doctoral Studies, was delighted to see three of her learners earn their doctorates in the last year, and she also gets a kick out of watching them become even better teachers than she considers herself. When not coaching dissertations, she likes to travel to faraway lands.

There were innovations aplenty as GCU dealt with the pandemic. But none of the required alterations were more visible than the cutouts in GCU Arena, where the basketball environment still was plenty loud enough to be noticed by visiting coaches. Reprinted from the February issue of GCU Magazine.

GCU online student Lanna Thompson faced a dilemma. Both she and husband Kyle are GCU online students. But they live in Iowa, home to the Iowa Hawkeyes, GCU’s opponent in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Saturday. Not only that, her late father-in-law was a Hawkeye booster known across the state. Which team to cheer for? It seemed obvious for a family that “bleeds black and gold.” Not so fast — they’re Lopes fans now.

It’s been almost a full year since the pandemic forced the College of Doctoral Studies to halt on-campus residencies. Now, after months of holding residencies at off-campus venues, learners were welcomed back to campus with open arms this week as extensive safety measure ensured a comfortable return. An added bonus: They got to see the University’s vaccine Point of Dispensing site at 27th Avenue, providing tangible evidence of the GCU community involvement they have heard so much about.

The doctoral journey is never easy, but the obstacles Dr. David Butler overcame make his story that much more inspiring. Butler, who graduated in the fall with his Ph.D. in Performance Psychology, took seven years to earn his degree because he went through two rounds of battling Stage 4 prostate cancer and also underwent open heart surgery and a hip replacement — besides having his data collection turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. But those life experiences also shaped his dissertation.

Dr. Mufasa Moyenda got the ball rolling in GCU’s College of Doctoral Studies, and a whole group of suddenly tech-savvy counseling professors in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences joined the team to move it forward until a new website was created that focuses on uniting counseling students and faculty in three programs and two colleges. The Counseling Community Connection, those involved said, could be a model for many academic programs to copy.