Colleges

The hits keep on coming for a winning combination of GCU faculty members from the College of Education. Emily Pottinger and Dr. Meredith Critchfield’s “Top of the Class” podcast has been given top ratings by all of its iTune reviewers so far. And the first audio drop of the year on civil discussion in the classroom is one hint why.

College of Science, Engineering and Technology Assistant Dean Dr. Jon Valla and Sciences Program Director Dr. Bina Vanmali knew their college needed a course that honed students’ critical thinking and analysis skills. So they tasked the faculty with doing just that. More than a dozen faculty from across disciplines, led by Andrea Strock and Dr. Brian Sillanpaa, went into think-tank mode and redesigned Science 150. About 1,000 prehealth and forensic science students took the hands-on, project-based course in the fall. The neat thing about SCI-150? It teaches science concepts through music-based projects, including students building their own musical instruments and Rube Goldberg machines.

Dr. Stephanie Nilsen, Assistant Professor in the College of Education, has a doctorate in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis in Mental Health and Developmental Disorders and says she is “a firm believer in social and emotional approaches to education that take into account trauma, mental health and exceptionalities.” But she also is a skilled musician — check out how many instruments she can play.

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.

Run to Fight Children’s Cancer looks a little different this year — the Children’s Cancer Network signature event is moving from the GCU campus to Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. But what remains the same is the University’s continued partnership with CCN, which continues to evolve as that relationship further aligns with GCU’s mission. Another aspect that remains the same is Run to Fight Night at the men’s basketball game Saturday night at GCU Arena, when 200-300 cancer-fighting superhero families will be celebrated.

Dr. Kathy Archer, Associate Professor of Economics in the Colangelo College of Business, has an interesting take on the role of economics in our lives. It’s one of the many things she is curious about, which is what makes her online classroom so vibrant. One thing that has a lot to do with it: where she spent her high school years.

Teen archery phenomenon and GCU nursing and psychology student Alexis Ruiz has had a phenomenal rookie year on the international circuit. She was the only archer, male or female, to medal in all four stages of the Archery World Cup and now has been nominated for World Archery’s Athlete of the Year.

One of the most high-profile faculty members of the College of Fine Arts and Production is Michael Kary, mainly for his considerable teaching ability. But Kary also is well known to audiences around the Valley for his work as an actor. Find out more about what drives him to perform.

Great writing can change the world. Students Kyla Hansen and Jen Gutierrez didn’t know how much until they plunged into GCU’s new opportunities in grant writing. They were new to it but helped the Glendale Union High School District land a grant that could change the lives of underprivileged students.

Every year, we get a few heartwarming stories that make you shake your head when you realize what people do to make the world a better place for their families and their communities. GCU Today picked 10 from the last year that stood out in our minds. Here’s an opportunity to catch up on the ones you missed … or maybe enjoy them again.