The Crow's Nest Update - September 4, 2024
Park University's 2024-25 Season Kicks Off with Exciting Events
Park University is gearing up for an exciting 2024-25 season, filled with a variety of events that cater to diverse interests.
The season will commence with a concert in collaboration with Overland Park, Kan.-based NAVO Arts, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Mo. The event promises to be a musical extravaganza, and registration is required for those who wish to attend.
Ricky Godbolt, '93, Ed.D., has been honoured with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, a testament to his significant contributions to the University and beyond.
The University has also been recognised by Niche, ranking No. 100 on its 2024 "Safest College Campuses in America" list and No. 1 on the "Safest College Campuses in Missouri" list. This accolade underscores Park University's commitment to providing a secure environment for its students.
The upcoming events at Park University include an art exhibit, a music recital, a commencement ceremony, a white coat ceremony, an enrollment and student services conference, a distinguished guest lecture, International Talk Like A Pirate Day, a board of trustees meeting, several concerts and lectures, homecoming and parents weekend, a service award ceremony, an alumni association awards ceremony, a wall of honor unveiling, and more.
Donald Moynihan, Ph.D. will be the speaker for the 32nd annual Dr. Jerzy Hauptmann Distinguished Guest Lecture Series event, focusing on "Administrative Burdens: A Framework for Improving Government." The lecture will be livestreamed, and registration is required.
Park University has also implemented a mass notification system called ParkAlert for urgent/emergency messages and weather alerts. To register for ParkAlert, visit Park University's website. It is recommended to register an email address that is not a Park University account for ParkAlert.
The Campanella Gallery at Park University has opened its 2024-25 season with an exhibit of illustrations and paintings by Cody Page. The summer/fall 2024 issue of The Archives magazine has also been published.
The Park University Golf Scramble, a four-person tournament that benefits the University's Parkville Campus athletics programs, is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 14, at The National Golf Club of Kansas City.
Cassie Werle, assistant teaching professor of nursing, earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Regis College in Massachusetts in August. Tim Westcott, Ph.D., professor of history, authored an article related to University's Nisei students during World War II.
Ilya Shmukler, graduate student in Park University's International Center for Music, participated in a two-part, 18-minute interview that aired on K297BI / WFUN-FM-HD2 in St. Louis.
The Park University Parkville Campus women's volleyball program began the 2024 season as the No. 8 team in the country. Martha Linscott, Park University Parkville (Mo.) Campus men's and women's golf head coach, competed in the 2024 U.S. Senior Women's Open.
Master Sgt. Corey Holt, '19, MPA '22 is the recipient of the Park Promising Young Professional Award. John Hamilton, Ph.D. is the recipient of the 2024 Paul H. Gault Service Award. The ceremony recognising the recipients will be held on Friday, Sept. 27, starting at 3 p.m. in Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel on the University's flagship Parkville Campus.
Park University has been named to Money magazine's "Best Colleges for Online Bachelor's Degree Programs." Money magazine and College Factual determine the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor's Degree Programs using different sets of criteria, focusing on factors relevant to online education quality and outcomes.
In summary, while College Factual focuses more explicitly on measurable outcomes like graduate numbers, cost, and median salary, Money magazine’s rankings tend to blend those with broader educational quality and value factors, all aimed at helping prospective online students identify programs that are both reputable and cost-effective.
Park University is the only college/university in the Kansas City region on the Money list. The University ranked 18th on estimated annual price and 20th on average early career salaries in the mentioned list.
Park University has also recognised several of its esteemed members. Aubrie (Burkhalter) Harris, '23, was featured in a story that aired on KSHB-TV on Aug. 20. Jack Satter, '71 is the recipient of the Marlowe Sherwood Memorial Service Award. Merideth Rose, '06, MPA '08, and a member of Park University's Board of Trustees, was recognised by the Kansas City Business Journal on its 2024 list of "Women Who Mean Business" on Aug. 23.
Bob Kendrick, '85, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, appeared on the "In the Front Row with Mike Vaccaro" podcast. Kay Barnes, who recently retired from Park University as senior director of university engagement, participated in a 50-plus minute conversation on Danny Clinkscale's "Reasonably Irreverent" podcast.
Luis Gonzalez and Gilberto Torres, Park University baseball players, were selected by the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation as members of the national U-23 team for the Baseball World Cup.
Wen Hsin, Ph.D., professor of information and computer science, presented a paper on fostering creativity and engagement through applied problem solving in online discrete mathematics course. Amber Dailey-Hebert, Ph.D., was invited by Coursera to serve as a subject matter expert and develop a series of content for a short course on "Fostering Psychological Safety."
[1] Money Magazine criteria: https://money.com/best-colleges/online/ [2] College Factual criteria: https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/rankings/best-online-education-degrees/methodology/
The upcoming events at Park University not only include sporting events, such as the Park University Golf Scramble and the performance of the Park University Parkville Campus women's volleyball team, but also offer a variety of educational and self-development opportunities, like Ricky Godbolt's Distinguished Alumnus Award ceremony, Donald Moynihan's lecture on "Administrative Burdens," and Cassie Werle's accomplishment of earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Furthermore, the season will provide entertaining experiences, such as concerts in collaboration with NAVO Arts and the Nisei students during World War II-related lecture by Tim Westcott, as well as general news and updates through ParkAlert, the university's mass notification system.
