Recent News

GCU News Bureau Dr. Reagan North, adjunct faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Grand Canyon University, was delighted to meet a group of fans at a recent conference, not something an educator encounters every day. North joined Dr. Robert Pincus of Liberty University to present “Motivation in Crisis: Motivational Interviewing in Hard Times” at the American School Counselor Association Conference in Las Vegas. The lecture covered the use of Motivational Interviewing to help students and families recover from the trauma brought about by the pandemic. “Specifically, we discussed using Motivational Interviewing to help people reframe their experiences and to find the positives in otherwise difficult circumstances,” North said. After his own stint as a school counselor in the Seattle area, North found during his doctoral studies that Motivational Interviewing was a perfect method for school counselors, but no one had written a book on it. So North did. The counseling approach uses interviewing methods to help student access their motivation to improve grades, grow relationships, kick bad habits and pursue deeply meaningful lives, according to the Amazon summary of his book “Motivational Interviewing for School Counselors.” For the past four years, he has trained school counselors […]

Nicole Jasperse brings a folksy element to Canyon Worship 2021 with “You My God,” a song about waiting on the Lord that was inspired by the uncertainty of the pandemic. It’s her first time on the album, but songwriting is nothing new for her — she estimates she has put together more than 150. “Her writing is that of a storyteller with metaphorical stylings like a poet,” said Eric Johnson, Manager of the GCU Recording Studio.

Emma Blair thought she wanted to pursue a career in education, but she discovered a love of politics after the Honors College introduced her to internships. Blair is working as a research intern for Speech First, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., that focuses on free speech on college campuses. It has given her a renewed appreciation for GCU’s emphasis on civil discourse and the First Amendment. “I think that’s one of the things that makes GCU’s campus so incredible,” she said.

It’s a season of celebration as College of Fine Arts and Production performances make their grand return to Ethington Theatre. Audiences will be welcomed back with an array of musicals, comedies and dramas as well as the return of indoor dance concerts. “I think it’s going to be just a really enjoyable season,” COFAP Assistant Dean of Theatre and Dance William Symington said. “I can’t wait to get back in the theatre and feel that energy between the cast and the audience.”

Julie Blair, Assistant Director of Academic Programs/Assistant Professor, and Dusty Sanchez, Clinical Practice Program Manager from the College of Education, recently took part in the 2021 Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) National Convening, presenting their work with the Arizona CEEDAR State Team initiatives.

Imani Steward watched enough cop and detective shows on TV to think it might be a cool job. But after learning about the law in her Justice Studies program and becoming a student worker in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the April graduate found she could help people in her new role as a court clerk. “Even though we are not on the street, we do so much just to make sure someone doesn’t break the law again,” she said.

Sun, sand and surf are all good, but Paige Petrine is challenging herself this summer in a different way. The Paradise Valley High School senior was furiously jotting down observations from her busy morning in the Biomedical Device Design and Protyping Lab, where GCU Biomedical Professor Dr. Jeff La Belle innovates, designs and protypes medical technologies. She is one of more than a dozen high school students who are part of the inaugural High School STEM Internship Program, developed by K12 Educational Development. They spend eight hours most days researching in various fields, from anatomy to biomedical engineering, software development and health and nutrition. They also sit in on professional development sessions organized by the Honors College. Said Petrine, “The lab is my happy place.”

Russell … the name sounds familiar to Canyon Worship fans. But now it’s Madison Russell, not her brother Harrison, who has two songs on the 2021 edition of the annual album. She seems made for this moment, but it’s only a recent development — she has been writing songs for only three or four years. “I think that’s an important lesson – not being afraid to try something,” she said. Sixth in a series on Canyon Worship 2021, scheduled to be released in September.

Starting any new program is difficult. Starting one during a pandemic is more difficult. Add in the importance of face-to-face conversations in the new Barnabas pastoral program, and it makes what the College of Theology pulled off that much more impressive. Students found great value in taking a deeper dive into ministry topics and learning about how various faiths compare. “I think I’ve learned more about the importance of spiritual disciplines in one semester than I did my whole life being raised as a Christian,” said Abbigale Burdett.

When Ellen Mari heard from her students that they were interested in computers, she was on it. She took a Linux course at a community college and now she’s one of 23 teachers from 17 high schools who are sharpening their cybersecurity skills at GCU’s GenCyber Summer Camp. Dr. Brandy Harris, Assistant Dean in the College of Technology, said a there’s a dire need for cybersecurity professionals in the industry. One of the ways to increase those numbers is to educate more teachers who might inspire their students to enter the field. “We want to get more students trained in cybersecurity and start filling these gaps,” she said.