Colleges

This is getting to be a habit: For the third straight year, a Grand Canyon team won the University division of the Stock Market Challenge, an annual fundraiser in which teams build a fictitious portfolio by reacting to market news and fluctuations. But this time the GCU teams finished 1-2 in the event.

The Technology Capstone Showcase was an opportunity to see what computer science and computer programming students have been learning — and it clearly is a lot. They showed industry professionals, faculty and other students projects that encompass data analytics, data analysis, artificial intelligence and an interesting game called “3D Beat-‘Em Up!”

The Leap to Teach & Lead Career Expo and Networking Event, a collaborative effort by Grand Canyon University’s College of Education, Career IMPACT Center and Strategic Educational Alliances was mutually beneficial. “Lopes Leap to Teach is a win-win for both our students and the school districts,” said Dean of the COE, Dr. Kimberly LaPrade as she walked among dozens of employers and potential employees along the Promenade.

Job fairs at GCU have shifted toward smaller, more intimate settings with industry-specific focuses, and that worked well for the Colangelo College of Business on Monday afternoon. It staged a job fair for finance, banking and insurance professionals in the courtyard of its new building.

The growth of the Educators Rising Arizona Fall Leadership Conference was evident last week when high school students joined their college brethren on campus, attending opening remarks and the keynote speech, along with breakout sessions between dining on Lopes Way and in the Student Union. With 641 attendees, participation has doubled in less than three years.

A GCU technology team spent two days at Opportunity Hack 2018 developing an app to help three nonprofits with a pressing tech problem. They also brought home a big prize — a Statement of Work contract sponsored by Repay for a combined award of $5,000. GCU Computer Science program lead Dr. Isac Artzi said the win is “another validation of the strength of our Computer Science with Big Data and Analytics program.”

The mission? Meet movers and shakers who can assist with the deeper mission: aiding impoverished Peruvian coffee farmers. For GCU students Noah Wolfe, Aly Halbakken and Tim McGill, the Clinton Global Initiative University proved to be a mission accomplished.

Jerry Colangelo visited campus yesterday for his 4th annual discussion with FOX10 sports anchor Jude LaCava. Colangelo and LaCava talked private and public funding of sports arenas in front of a too-large-to-count crowd packed into the second floor of the Student Union. Colangelo let out some insiders along the way, including how the Scorpions — scratch that — the Diamondbacks, came to be.

Why I write was the question. The array of answers demonstrated the need for the question: “To relieve my stress and reconnect with myself” was one reply, along with “To show others that they are not alone.’’ The GCU community offered hundreds of answers at the National Day of Writing Celebration near the Promenade. Faculty and students, including the campus chapter of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Friends of the Pen, and the Professional Writing Workshop sponsored the event.

Graduates of the online program at Grand Canyon University always have inspirational stories to tell, and this year they were equally inspired by keynote speaker Gian-Paul Gonzalez’s talk — and by the celebration that is a GCU commencement ceremony.