Crow's Nest Newsbriefing - October 4, 2024
Park University Achievements Showcased in Various Events and Publications
Park University, located in Parkville, Missouri, has been making headlines recently for a variety of reasons. On October 16, 2024, the Fishburn Archives at the university will host an open house for students, faculty, and staff, inviting them to explore the archives from 10 a.m. to noon at the Jenkin and Barbara David Theater within Alumni Hall on the Parkville Campus.
Academically, Park University's athletic teams have been excelling. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) recognised Park University athletic teams from both the Parkville (Mo.) Campus and Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus on Sept. 16, 2023. However, despite having a record 88 Heart Scholar-Athletes recognised by the Heart of America Athletic Conference for the 2024-25 year, the search results do not confirm any 2024-25 NAIA Scholar Team Awards for Park University.
The women's volleyball team from the Parkville Campus boasted a combined grade point average (GPA) of 3.55, while the women's cross country team led all Parkville teams with a GPA of 3.67. The women's outdoor track and field team from the Gilbert Campus also had a strong GPA of 3.67.
In the realm of research, Dr. Hank Roehrich, a professor of management and marketing, presented a paper at the Marketing Management Association's fall conference. Dr. Julie Grabanski, Ph.D., and Nicolas Miceli, Ph.D., co-authored a paper titled "Strategic Approach to Confronting the Challenges in Overcoming Faculty Burnout and Fatigue."
Park University's political science experts will hold a discussion on "The 2024 U.S. General Election: Public Policy Implications" on Oct. 30, 2024.
Outside of academia, Park University alumni have been making waves. Adam Shirley, '15, was named the Blue KC Sporting Samaritan for September. Sebastian James (Anderson), '16, MBA '18, is launching a solo career with his debut album, "Old School Cool," set to be released on Oct. 4. Ricky Godbolt, '93, was featured in the Magnolia (Ark.) Banner-News on Sept. 7 related to his award.
Yumi Hernandez-Hohm, '02, was appointed as the senior marketing coordinator at the St. Louis headquarters of KAI, a planning, engineering and construction firm. ECCO Select, an IT talent acquisition and advisory consulting company, was ranked No. 7 on the Kansas City Business Journal's list of top Kansas City area women-owned businesses. ECCO Select also ranked No. 5 on Ingram's, a Kansas City business magazine, list of top Kansas City area minority-owned businesses.
Several Park University faculty members have been featured in media interviews. Matt Harris, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, participated in a discussion on KCUR-FM's "Up To Date" in Kansas City on Sept. 11. Harris was also interviewed for stories that aired on KCTV in Kansas City on Sept. 11 related to celebrity political endorsements and if they make a difference. He was also interviewed for stories that aired on WDAF-TV in Kansas City on Sept. 17 related to opposition forming on a sports wagering measure that will be on the ballot in Missouri in November. Harris was also interviewed by RTVI, a Russian-language television network based in New York City, about new voter registration.
Ilya Shmukler, a Park University International Center for Music graduate student, had a performance of Igor Stravinsky's "Three Movements from Petrushka" aired on American Public Media's "Performance Today" program. A feature story on pianist Behzod Abduraimov and Shah Sadikov was published in the September/October edition of KC Studio magazine. Abduraimov participated in an interview that aired on KWJC-FM (Classical KC) in Kansas City on Sept. 20.
A story about Sadikov and NAVO Arts was published in The Independent, Kansas City's journal of society, on Sept. 25. Hank Roehrich was also a panelist for the session on "First Time Teaching Tips."
Lastly, Park University hosted a poverty simulation event, which was featured on KSHB-TV in Kansas City on Sept. 16. Harris was interviewed for a story that was published in The Kansas City Star on Sept. 30 related to the race for sheriff in Johnson County, Kan., as the county has not elected a Democratic sheriff in 96 years.
The educational and self-development achievements of Park University are not limited to academics. Research and extracurricular activities have also been spotlighted in general news, such as Dr. Hank Roehrich's presentation at the Marketing Management Association's fall conference, Ilya Shmukler's performance on American Public Media's "Performance Today" program, and Yumi Hernandez-Hohm's appointment as senior marketing coordinator at KAI.
In addition, sports news has highlighted the success of Park University's athletic teams. The women's volleyball team from the Parkville Campus and the women's cross country team, along with the women's outdoor track and field team from the Gilbert Campus, have shown outstanding academic performances. Furthermore, alumni Adam Shirley and Sebastian James have made headlines for their achievements, with Shirley being named the Blue KC Sporting Samaritan for September and James launching a solo career with his debut album, "Old School Cool."
