College of Humanities and Social Sciences

A diverse group of child welfare professionals from across Arizona tackled goals to improve foster care in Arizona on Thursday at the Foster Care Summit at GCU. Arizona first lady Angela Ducey and Director of the Department of Child Safety Mike Faust challenged the group, with representatives from nonprofits, churches and government agencies, to place more children with kin. ““The state does not make good parents,” Ducey said.

She was in third grade, and all her immigrant parents wanted for her someday was a job out of the heat. But after Erika Delgado Valadez and her 83 classmates at an Avondale elementary school were promised a full scholarship by the Rosztoczy Foundation, the dreams became bigger. Valadez and four others in that class 10 years ago are living out their dreams at GCU. After the foundation looked at the results of the scholarship on the class, it announced more promises to third graders in Phoenix and put Erika and the program in the national spotlight.

Professors step up in the classroom with lectures, PowerPoint presentations and the like. But they also encourage and mentor students in their undergraduate research, link students to startups or use their connections from their time in industry to help students get jobs. Strategic Employer Initiatives & Internships recently recognized 13 faculty members across seven colleges for their efforts to champion the career success of their students.

Isaac Duh Nei Lian immigrated to the United States from Burma when he was just 11 years old and is now headed for infantry training as an officer in the Army. He was among nine cadets appointed to lead enlisted personnel as second lieutenants during the University’s Army ROTC Thunder Battalion Commissioning Ceremony on Friday. “This is my privilege to give back to the country,” he said.

By Rick Vacek GCU News Bureau Dr. Hank Radda is retiring after 12 years as Provost of Grand Canyon University, effective July 15. That’s the headline. But there is so much more to the story. To fully understand what Radda has witnessed, you would have had to been there with him as he walked around the campus for the first time on the day before Thanksgiving in 2010. It led to one of the coolest experiences of his life, but what he saw didn’t look so hot. Radda, who had come to interview for dean of the newly created College of Doctoral Studies, was taken aback by the sight of so many small, dated buildings. There was only one new structure – the two-story Education Building. GCU Arena was identifiable only by the steel framework that had been erected. “Everything else was still flat and asphalt and broken down,” he said. Then it happened. He saw the University’s energetic new president, Brian Mueller, whom he had worked for at the University of Phoenix. Mueller cheerfully volunteered to show him around and started talking about his plan to turn a decrepit campus into a beacon for higher education. “We want to […]

By Rick Vacek GCU News Bureau Dr. Randy Gibb learned an important lesson during his 26 years in the Air Force. “Every two to three years we moved to a different base in a new airplane, a different mission and part of a new team,” he said. “You would learn to assess an organization and create a template to get acclimated and determine how to contribute.” He has been assessing and contributing for eight years as Dean of the Colangelo College of Business (CCOB) at Grand Canyon University. Now Gibb is embarking on a new mission: He is GCU’s new Provost, replacing Dr. Hank Radda, who will retire in July. “Dr. Gibb very much fits the mold of Dr. Radda in that he is accomplished academically but also understands the operational part to be able to build on what Hank has done,” said GCU President Brian Mueller. “A big part of that comes from his military background and his ability to lead a team. That is evident in everything he has accomplished as dean of one of the fastest-growing business colleges in the country.” Just as Radda has overseen GCU’s dramatic rise from less than 1,000 traditional students to more […]

By Rick Vacek GCU News Bureau Dr. Jennifer Lech’s new title as Vice Provost at Grand Canyon University is much simpler than her old one: Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and University Registrar, Accreditation Liaison Officer. But her involvement will continue to be just as complex – and extremely important – to the new Provost, Dr. Randy Gibb, as they take over for Dr. Hank Radda, who will retire as Provost in July. Lech describes her role as the “problem solver of University conundrums and mysteries.” But maybe the biggest mystery is how one person could do all this: Accreditation: Ensure GCU’s institutional accreditation is maintained as well as project manage and assist the colleges with programmatic accreditations. State compliance: Ensure GCU is authorized as needed in any state in which the University has students. Office of Academic Records/Registrar: Keep the official student record for each student, including all documentation, academic processes and policies. Policy and program management: Promote academic governance in the creation of policy and oversee the management and implementation of policies and programs throughout the lifecycle, through collaboration with the colleges and Curriculum Design and Development. Articulation agreements: Review and approve articulation agreements with other higher […]

Michael Feather felt lucky he could work from home during the pandemic. But the GCU online English instructor also felt the shadow of isolation. “I was really struggling – I don’t know if this was true for you,” said Feather. That’s when one of his friends asked him if he ever thought about returning to drawing. Eventually, he picked up some paints just to see what would happen. Now Feather, who originally moved to the Phoenix area to pursue his love of animation, draws and paints just about every day as part of a global community of artists called Urban Sketchers, who are dedicated to the practice of on-location drawing. Feather has churned out ink-and-watercolor street-corner restaurant scenes, the hustle and bustle of sidewalks, people as they gather for lunch, and even scenes of GCU Arena and the men’s basketball games.

It was a long journey for many dedicated online students to make it to their final destination: graduation. Thousands of online students earned their degrees and walked the GCU Arena stage this week for Commencement, many with inspirational stories to tell: moms and dads who struggled to do their homework in between taking care of children and full-time jobs, those who lived through hurricanes and illnesses, and those who didn’t let a disability stand in the way of their academic goals. They celebrated with family and friends, and with us, through their social media posts, a few of which we’ve compiled here.

The success of the 11 Spring Commencement ceremonies wouldn’t have been possible without the behind-the-scenes work by the Event Services team and the dedicated volunteers from other departments. But the workers have a secret for you: They enjoy themselves as much as the graduates and their guests. Here are six anecdotes that demonstrate the joy that filled GCU Arena for six days.