Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and News Briefs 4/10/24

In this issue, we celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff in music, political science, and the School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. We also share a Bark in the Park event announcement from Meredith Softball and the Alumnae Office.

Lisa Liske, cellist and adjunct faculty member in the music department, presented at the national joint conference of the American String Teachers Association and the Suzuki Association of the Americas on March 20 in Louisville. Her topic was “Making Music Move: Beginning with the Seeds of Musical Artistry.”

Associate Professor of Political Science Whitney Ross Manzo and Professor of Political Science David McLennan attended the North Carolina Political Science Association annual meeting on March 21-23, 2024, at Western Carolina University’s campus in Biltmore Park. 

Manzo moderated a roundtable about election polling ahead of the 2024 election cycle. McLennan was a panelist on this roundtable along with pollsters from Elon, High Point, East Carolina, and Cygnal. Manzo and McLennan presented a paper “Much Ado About Nothing: The Birth of the No Labels Party and the Party Ecosystem in North Carolina,” written with Michael Bitzer (Catawba College), Chris Cooper (WCU), and Susan Roberts (Davidson). Using Meredith Poll and voter registration data, they found that not many North Carolinians know about or intend to vote for No Labels. The groups most likely to prefer No Labels are younger, male, and non-White. Manzo also spoke on a roundtable examining abortion policy post-Dobbs in the South. She shared Meredith Poll data that demonstrated that most North Carolinians did not approve of the Dobbs decision and are sharply divided on North Carolina’s 12-week law.

For the next year, McLennan will serve as the association’s president-elect. Manzo was re-elected treasurer. The organization’s 2025 conference will be held at Meredith. 

Professor of Political Science David McLennan published an op-ed in The News & Observer on the electability of Republican nominee for governor Mark Robinson. The piece was published on March 13, 2024.

Dr. Janey Sturtz McMillen, director of sponsored programs, Dr. Maria Pickering, associate professor of biological sciences, Dr. Walda Powell, professor of chemistry, Dr. Andrea Allgood Carter, assistant professor of chemistry, and Dr. Jennifer Hontz, professor of mathematics, presented at the SoTL Commons Conference in Savannah, Ga., on February 29, 2024. Their presentation, Effectiveness of a scholarship and enrichment program in improving recruitment, retention, and success of female students in STEM fields, was about the Advancing Women’s Education in STEM (AWE-STEM) program at Meredith College, which has provided scholarships and enriched experiences for academically talented women with demonstrated financial need since 2018.

News Briefs

Bark in the Park Event for Meredith Softball
Meredith Avenging Angels Softball and the Office of Alumnae Relations invite the campus community to Bark in the Park, on Saturday, April 13. Game times are 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Meredith’s softball field. Grab your pets and come see the Avenging Angels take on Southern Virginia University.

The Bark in the Park event will include hot dogs, Sunset Slush, and a giveaway for the four-legged friends in attendance. There is no fee to attend but there will be a small cost to those who choose to purchase food. 

Register online