Colleges

Lisa Tervo, Program Chair in the College of Fine Arts and Production, is fascinated by films, so much so that — much to her surprise — she has become a screenwriter and sold a few scripts. She also loves to read (check out her favorite genre), and she has tackled a number of other hobbies for an interesting reason.

The Honors College leaders showed last year that their teamwork goes beyond their work duties — five of them earned graduate degrees. Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli finished work on her doctorate, while Program Managers Dennis Williams, Cathleen Daly and Anna Cofrancesco and Program Development Specialist Faith Beatty all received their master’s degrees. “I feel as though this story illustrates the support we have for one another both personally and professionally,” Naegeli said.

When Mike Loven’s daughter, Taleigh, decided to attend GCU four years ago, he was so impressed by the University he was inspired to finally go after his bachelor’s degree — but decided to do so without telling his wife and children. For more than four years, Loven attended online classes and did his homework in secret. Last week, he gave them a surprise they’ll never forget — his GCU diploma.

Dr. Leslie Foley, Associate Professor in the College of Education, shares her love of literacy with her students and takes special joy when they have a breakthrough moment — she says she can see in her mind the light bulbs going on above their heads. Growing up, she pictured herself filling an important role in a much different profession.

Dr. Mark Olmos, a member of the College of Theology faculty, loves to share with students the stories from his spiritual journey and never ceases to be amazed by their reactions. He also has a passion for board games, particularly because it’s a great way to meet people. Find out why he cringes every time he meets someone from a certain downstate university.

Let’s just say it — 2020 was the year every event got canceled or moved online. Here’s to hoping 2021 won’t suffer as many slings and arrows when it comes to events. Here’s a look at a few things that have been scheduled for the spring, from Mr. GCU to “Henry V” and “Misanthrope” from the Theatre Department, to that big men’s basketball game against New Mexico State.

What a year, and not in a good way for most people. But GCU didn’t back off when the pandemic struck, and its staff and students kept finding ways to be the light in a dark COVID world. As President Brian Mueller said, “We’ve got to adapt but keep moving forward,” and that’s exactly what happened. Here are 10 stories that showed that movement.

What started as a friendship between two doctoral learners turned into a business partnership with ties to two different countries. Eugene Frimpong and Kevin Abankwa, along with colleague Carlos Osofu, created data analytics company The Analytics Professionals. “It is basically business consulting, but our emphasis is in data analytics,” Abankwa said. “Most of our clients are going to be businesses who are trying to figure out and make sense of their data.”

For years, the College of Fine Arts and Production’s Mark Fearey contemplated putting together an album showcasing his piano abilities, and at long last Fearey’s Christmas album has arrived. Titled “Almost Home,” it contains a compilation of both well-known and lesser-known classics.

Photos by Mathew McGraw GCU News Bureau Graduates of the Colangelo College of Business, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, and College of Science, Engineering and Technology participated in the Saturday afternoon ceremony at Winter Commencement.