Colleges

Launch Week, the Honors College’s orientation, had to be online because of the pandemic, but Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli was impressed by the incoming students’ positive participation. “They’re ready to get engaged, and they genuinely don’t care if meeting people is strictly virtual,” she said. Expanding it to two weeks for the first time also proved to be a good move.

Paul Danuser is widely known on campus as an exuberant public address announcer for GCU Athletics. But in his other life as an Assistant Professor and student, he was playing the long game of completing his doctoral degree. In August, he finally won. Dr. Paul Danuser shared what the experience was like, the importance of being a lifelong learner and what he hopes to do next.

In just one year, the College of Science, Engineering and Technology’s new Nutritional Sciences program has grown to include almost 100 students, and the college is anticipating that growth to continue. It will open a new Nutritional Sciences Lab this fall and added a new faculty lead in Courtney Baker, who worked for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health before starting her new job at GCU.

Deborah Haralson, IT and IT/cyber faculty lead, wore virtual pink hair and asked students to fill out an online poll about the RAM on their computers. Mechanical Engineering Technology instructor Dina Higgins hit play on her first “Safety Minute” segment. College of Education Assistant Professor Dr. Brandon Juarez started class with a prayer and said he would help students look into how they can become great classroom teachers. Professors and students navigated the first day of class online in the COVID-19 world while looking forward to Sept. 28, when they’ll see each other in person for the first day of on-campus instruction. “While not under the best circumstances, it was a great first day overall,” said technology student Alex Schaeffer.

Dr. Debbie Rickey was known to have an open door in GCU’s College of Education, ready to listen to new ideas for growth and to offer personal support to colleagues. On Monday, she retires after four decades in education and was honored with a retirement parade to her Phoenix home. She leaves an important legacy with countless students who learned from her, teachers she helped mold and with GCU, where she helped lead the effort to the COE’s national accreditation.

Phoenix has become a hub for technology, IT and software companies in the last decade, so much so that publications have pondered whether it is becoming the next Silicon Valley. Wrapped in all that technology is an interest in artificial intelligence — a subject Dr. Dwight Farris, an instructor in IT and Cybersecurity in GCU’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology, knows a lot about. He will be one of the thought leaders featured in the latest AZ TechTalk, a virtual event, beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Dr. Jason Hiles, Dean of the College of Theology, wanted to build a website that would benefit students but also churches, Christian schools and the general public. His vision has resulted in theologycommons.org, which features an audiobook as well as an ebook. “We’re trying to offer some resources to people who want to go a little deeper,” Hiles said.

Beverly Galbreath gave up a chance at higher education because she was raising her family, but she was determined that her only daughter wouldn’t suffer the same fate. Now she can look proudly at Dr. Trish Galbreath-Varner, who not only is the family’s first college graduate — she has earned her doctorate.

The M.S. degrees in Business Analytics and Information Technology Management in the Colangelo College of Business have an important new designation: STEM. The change was coordinated in collaboration with the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, which now has a master’s in Data Science. “It’s a great example of how we work together in the two colleges,” said Dr. Randy Gibb, the CCOB Dean.

The Honors College’s Student Advisory Board, which works as a bridge between faculty and students to put together Honors activities, has even more members this year. It’s quality as well as quantity. Program Manager Dennis Williams calls it “the most phenomenal group we’ve ever had.” Eighth in a nine-part series on each college as the semester begins.