Online Life

By Paige Morris I am on a mission to obtain an education. And I am on a mission to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. On this journey, I discovered a peculiar scholarship for vegetarianism, established by the Vegetarian Resource Group. The scholarship requires that I promote vegetarianism in the community and write an essay documenting my success, challenges and experience. My name is Paige Morris; I’m 17 and a vegetarian. I am also an online student at Grand Canyon University. I plan to obtain a bachelor of science in nursing, specializing in pediatric oncology.  Sedona, Ariz., is a small community that caters to tourists, so one of my first stops was the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, where I had an appointment with Jennifer Wesselhoff, the president of the chamber. She listened to my desire of sponsoring vegetarianism in our community. She helped me map out promotional options in detail. A friend, Rick Wesselhoff, donated the domain name and helped me create www.sedonavegetarians.com. The website became complete with photos, recipes, restaurants, articles and a link to my favorite book, “The China Study,” which inspired my conversion to vegetarianism. The blog took on a life of its own, expanding into Facebook and Twitter […]

The GCU Library is now available directly from ANGEL and allows students to conduct research through online journals, articles, books and databases. The online library also offers a special tool called OneSearch that allows students to search all databases and online books with a single search. The library databases are now easier than ever to access. Over the next two weeks changes will be implemented so students will no longer need an additional password to access the library databases. Once students have logged into MyGCU, they will have direct access to search all of the databases without logging in again. The library is committed to student success and now offers a chat service that has librarians available to answer library specific-questions Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visit the library homepage at http://library.gcu.edu and click on the link in the upper left corner.

Leigh Darby Sloan, currently a Master’s in Educational Leadership student at GCU, was selected as Teacher of the Year for Dillon School District Three, Dillon, South Carolina. According to the Dillon Herald, Sloan is a native of West Columbia but presently resides in Hamer, SC. She has been employed by Dillon School District Three for the last six years. She moved into the position of Guidance Counselor of Latta Middle School during the 2003-04 school year. Mrs. Sloan received a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 1989. Since that time, she has received a Master’s Degree in Secondary Counseling and an Educational Specialist’s Degree in Elementary Counseling. Presently, she is pursuing a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. Being selected as District Teacher of Year qualifies Mrs. Sloan as a participant in the selection of South Carolina Teacher of the Year. The South Carolina Teacher of the Year Program is coordinated via the Division of Educator Quality & Leadership and is designed to honor those who are representative of the state’s many exceptional teachers. Sloan is married to Roger M. Sloan. They are the proud parents of three children; Darby, Maggie, and Carson.

Brian Mueller presented GCU alumni and Georgia teacher Tracey Harmon with a $15,000 doctoral scholarship at the University’s Quarterly Meeting December 18. The GCU master’s in education graduate and Jamestown Elementary “Teacher of the Year” shared with GCU faculty and staff how she had overcome a difficult background to earn her degree and persevere to provide a better life for herself and her daughter. Tracey also acknowledged the support of her GCU counselors, who helped contribute to her success and desire to pursue a doctoral degree.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) – a public awareness campaign to encourage safe and secure computer use. According to the organizers of NCSAM, the security of our nation’s cyber infrastructure is only as strong as its weakest link. Everyone has a responsibility to keep their section of cyberspace secure and protected. The GCU Information Security department recommends a few simple steps that will protect the University’s networks, your computer and yourself. Protect your passwords. Do not share your passwords, and if you must write them down, keep them in a secure place. Beware of free downloadable software. Reputable companies such as Adobe and Microsoft offer free downloadable software, but many more companies that are disreputable offer malware of spyware posing as software. Malware is malicious software that attacks your computer system; spyware is software that steals your private information. Beware of fake anti-virus software. Malicious software often “scares” the computer user into downloading it. Be cautious with the type of information you post on social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. The continued use and popularity of these sites also makes them targets for cyber attack. Learn about the privacy settings of these sites and use […]

When US Airways Flight 1549 went into the Hudson River in January, Sherri Shamblin had every excuse to quit her pursuit of her advanced degree. After all, she was responsible for the training, policy and procedures for 8,000 flight attendants with the airline and she was just burdened with reassuring this corps of professionals, as well as the 1549 flight crew, in the aftermath of the near-disaster. However, Shamblin was able to immediately incorporate lessons learned from her executive MBA classes into her current situation. “I had to lead by serving them, and surprisingly enough, that’s what many executives tend to forget. Rather than being a self-serving leader, you need to be a serving leader,” Shamblin says. Shamblin was one of a class of 12 in the Ken Blanchard Executive MBA (EMBA) program at Grand Canyon University, a 12-month program that is unique with its emphasis on servant leadership – or the idea of leading by serving your key constituents. In today’s economy, an EMBA degree can be a major advantage for job seekers and professionals looking to advance within their organizations, and often employers will provide a stipend for continuing education. According to the nonprofit Executive MBA Council’s most […]

The 2009 ANGEL IMPACT Awards recognize universities and colleges that take the ANGEL online classroom environment…

The Colorado Society for Respiratory Care honored Derrick Davis as its Practitioner of the Year.