Leah Nixon
LeahNixon@ferris.edu
Asst. Director of News Services 420 Oak St
Prakken Bldg 108-D
231-591-5604
FYI Recent Stories
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Do you know what your colleagues and friends have been up to? Check out the FYI Notables to find out about the accomplishments and work of faculty and staff throughout the University. This week, read about Dr. Anita Fagerman’s appointment to the 2008 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award or Jack Hanford’s grant. Dr. Anita Fagerman, (right) associate professor of Management, was appointed by Dr. James M. Turner, acting director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to the 2008 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive. As an examiner, Fagerman is responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the award. The board is composed of approximately 500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and health care organizations and government. Deb Cox, department head of Educational and Career Counseling, Rosemarie Van Ham, educational counselor, and Julie Rudolph, educational counselor, recently presented at the 2008 National Academic Advising Association Region V Conference in Grand Rapids. The presentation was titled “Career Exploration and Advising Students with Disabilities.” The workshop explored tools for career exploration, academic preparation for a major, resources and utilized case studies to talk about unique challenges when advising students with disabilities. Douglas Haneline, professor of English, recently served on a Higher Learning Commission PEAQ Site Visit Team to review the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for its decennial accreditation. PEAQ is one of the two processes through which institutions can pursue HLC accreditation. Jack Hanford, Arts and Sciences professor emeritus, received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to study ethics in health care in the Appalachian Region during the summer of 2008. The grant was possible through the support of Arts and Sciences Dean Matthew Klein and President David Eisler. Are you presenting at a conference, showing art in a gallery or receiving a professional award? Let us know, but remember to keep submissions to 75 words or less. E-mail FYI Editor Leah Nixon at leahnixon@ferris.edu.
15 May 2008
Sign up for Summer University now BIG RAPIDS – June is just around the corner, so sign up now for Summer University 2008. This year’s schedule of events will run June 2 through 4. Summer University 2008 kicks off on Monday, June 2, with keynote speaker Mary Jane Pories of Fishladder, Inc. Her presentation will explore the importance of living out the mission of the University. Using the tools of improvisation as a springboard, she will help the audience explore how the University’s mission can provide the Ferris community with a common focus that impacts daily choices. Keynote presenters on Tuesday, June 3, include former FBI members Gene Rugala and Steve Romano. They will address campus shootings and the question “What would I do if it happened here?” Summer University will conclude with a picnic on the Campus Quad at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 4. Sign up now for Summer University at www.ferris.edu/ferrissummeruniversity.
15 May 2008
Police Memorial honors fallen officers
More than 100 members of the Ferris State University and Big Rapids communities gathered in front of the University’s FLITE building Tuesday morning (May 13) for the Police Memorial. An annual event, the memorial recognizes the dedicated service of the men and women who risk their lives in the line of duty as law enforcement officers. Speakers during the event included Ferris Department of Public Safety Chief Martin Bledsoe, President Eisler, Mecosta County Prosecuting Attorney Peter Jaklevic and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brian Thede.
15 May 2008
Ferris students create scholarship for incoming freshmen BIG RAPIDS – Ferris State University greek honors society Order of Omega was inspired to help incoming freshmen, so the group created a $500 scholarship for Big Rapids High School students who will be attending Ferris. What they didn’t expect was to inspire University officials to match the scholarship, allowing two students to receive funds. Order of Omega began raising money for the scholarship in September 2007. According to President Rachel Paternoster choosing just one recipient was nearly impossible. “We received two submissions that were almost identical. Both students were very involved and had a high GPA. We decided to ask the Scholarship Office for their help.” Instead of helping the students choose just one candidate, the Ferris Scholarship Office also decided both students were worthy recipients, and donated an additional $500 so both students could receive a scholarship. “We created this scholarship to help the future leaders of Ferris,” Paternoster said. “Thanks to the gracious donation from the Scholarship Office, we were able to help two deserving students.” Normally, the legal paperwork needed for a scholarship to be approved is a long process, and the group began to think it would have to be awarded next year, she said. However, with the help of Yolonda Barnes, major gift officer for the College of Arts and Sciences, the process took less than a month. “Everyone involved really wanted to help an incoming freshman as soon as possible. With the help of Yolonda, we flew through the process and were able to award the scholarships at Big Rapids High School’s senior awards ceremony,” Paternoster added. “We are so happy with and proud of all of our students,” Barnes said. “It is a delight to see our students take part in philanthropy and give back to those in need. It is especially exciting for me, in my role of raising funds, to enable students to attend Ferris, but it is even more exciting and even more worthwhile to see current students, by their giving, reach out and help future students begin their college adventure.” Order of Omega was founded at the University of Miami in the fall of 1959 by a group of fraternity men, who felt that individuals in the greek community should be recognized for their service to the fraternity system and the university. Today, there are more than 300 chapters in the United States. The goals of the organization are to recognize fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in interfraternity activities, to encourage them to continue along this line and to inspire others to strive for similar conspicuous attainment. They further focus on bringing together members of the faculty, alumni and student members of the institution’s fraternities and sororities on a basis of mutual interest, understanding and helpfulness.
08 May 2008
Ferris students raise funds for Jim Crow Museum Campaign BIG RAPIDS – Students at Ferris State University recently took an active role in helping enhance the University’s educational environment by participating in the Jim Crow Museum Campaign. Students from 18 registered student organizations raised nearly $1,000. Founded in 1996, the museum is housed in a 500 square-foot room that allows approximately 16 to 18 visitors at a time to view more than 4,000 racist artifacts. With the goal of using items of intolerance to teach tolerance, the nation’s largest and publicly accessible collection of racist artifacts needs a larger home, which is the goal of the fund-raising campaign – to raise $1.2 million for expansion of the museum into a 2,100 square-foot space. While some organizations donated money, others such as the Sociology and Anthropology Student Organization, raised funds and awareness by hosting events. Elizabeth Rivard, vice president of SASO, said the group was inspired to help the campaign because of the museum’s mission statement: “Promote racial tolerance by helping people understand the historical and contemporary expressions of intolerance.” “SASO was looking for a way to give back to the community,” said Rivard, a senior studying Sociology and Criminal Justice Corrections. “We agreed that helping the Jim Crow Museum move into its new home was something that is a valuable educational tool that betters the Ferris community.” For two days, the organization sold $1 anti-racism buttons that sported slogans such as “Celebrate Diversity” and “Fight Racism.” With the buttons, literature about the museum was handed out to educate people about the plans for the new museum. The group had enough supplies for 40 buttons, which sold out quickly during the two-day fundraiser. “We plan to make and sell more in the next few weeks,” Rivard said. “Students and faculty loved the buttons and many students told us that their organizations had donated to the museum, as well. It’s encouraging to see others believing in the museum like we do.” For more information or to make a gift to Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum Campaign, please contact The Ferris Foundation at (231) 591-2365 or fsufdn@ferris.edu. Details about establishing scholarships or endowments may be obtained from the Advancement Office at (231) 591-3825.
08 May 2008 |
