Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and Departmental News 6/14/17

In this issue we celebrate accomplishments of faculty and staff from the departments of art, English, marketing, religious and ethical studies, and the office of the president. We also recognize faculty members who have been approved for promotions or tenure, and provide an update on the General Education program.

President Jo Allen was a featured speaker at Raleigh’s spring 2017 TEDx, held April 22 at Lincoln Theatre. Watch her TEDx talk here: https://youtu.be/11gl-qXYKt0

Assistant Professor of Religious and Ethical Studies Steven Benko was quoted in The Christian Science Monitor’s story, “Is Edgier Political Comedy Making America Worse?” The article was also published by Yahoo News.

Executive Director of Marketing Kristi Eaves-McLennan has written two articles that were recently published in higher education media outlets. A piece about how marketing and institutional advancement can best work together by was published in Inside Higher Ed on May 16, and article about trademark licensing lessons for smaller colleges was published by University Business in their May 22 Professional Opinion column.

Instructor of Art Holly Fischer had five sculptures selected for Gendered, a national juried exhibition that will be on display at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C., from June 12 – July 21, 2017. The opening reception is on June 16 from 7-10 p.m., and an Artist Panel discussing the theme and works in the show will be held on June 28 from 6-8 p.m.

Associate Professor of Art Shannon Johnstone’s new work “Stardust and Ashes” is featured in Cyanotypes: Beyond the Blue online gallery through Don’t Take Pictures magazine. Fifty photographs by photographers from across the globe were selected for display on the website through August 22. To view the work, go to donttakepictures.com/cyanotypes and click on the thumbnail image to enlarge the photograph (hover over the enlarged image to display image information).

Instructor of English Jason Newport co-moderated a session called “Voices Through Art,” for 16 Hungarian attendees of Conversation Club with a Native Speaker of English, discussing the way exiles create art that represents their homeland, on May 17, at the American Corner in Pécs, a U.S. State Department-sponsored initiative to highlight American culture.

Instructor of English Tina Romanelli has a book review appearing in the next edition of South Atlantic Review (82,2). The review is of Stephen Dobranski’s Milton’s Visual Imagination: Imagery in Paradise Lost.  

Faculty Promotions and Tenure
Meredith’s Board of Trustees approved the following promotions and tenure during their spring meeting.

• Promoted to full Professor: Jennifer Olson, Department of Education, and Anne York, School of Business
• Promoted to Associate Professor and Tenure: Courtney George, Department of Education, and Stephanie Little, Department of Nutrition, Health, and Human Performance
• Tenure: Woody Holliman, Department of Art
• Promoted to Associate Professor: Steven Benko, Department of Religious and Ethical Studies

Departmental News

General Education Program Update
The General Education program is continuing to revise its proposal for changes to the program’s mission and values statements, student learning outcomes, requirements, and development of a comprehensive assessment system. We are following closely the recommendations from the Gen Ed program review completed in February 2016. Professor of English Rebecca Duncan and Assistant Professor of Geoscience Matthew Stutz are the General Education Committee members who have agreed to continue work on the proposal during the summer. Their assistance with revising the proposal comes with support from a mini grant provided by Research, Planning, and Assessment (RPA). Paul Winterhoff, Director of General Education, and Dianne Raubenheimer, Director of RPA are formulating the assessment plan. The General Education Committee will have a final version of their proposal ready to present to the college community early in the Fall semester. –Submitted by Ashley Pearson, Administrative Assistant, Academic Special Programs