BAIRD NAMED ECU ENTREPRENEUR OF YEAR; TO DELIVER LIMES LECTURE ON FEB. 15

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Photo by Richard Barron of the Ada News

Jeff Baird, who has crafted inventions for the energy, oil and gas and plumbing industries, will be honored as East Central University’s 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year and will deliver the Leonard Limes Endowed Lecture at noon Friday, Feb. 15, at the Stanley Wagner Ballroom in the Memorial Student Union.

Among Baird’s inventions is the no-clog, self-cleaning drain p-trap, called PermaFlow, in the plumbing industry and electromagnetic generator for the energy industry.

Baird’s no-clog drain trap was named one of 100 best inventions of the year, which appeared in the December 2008 edition of Popular Science Magazine. In fact, it was one of 10 pictured on the front cover.

The PermaFlow has a knob on the outside of the drain and a flexible rubber paddle on the inside which rotates through the trap to push clogs downstream. PermaFlow also helps keep glop from gathering in the first place with a subtle angle in the incoming pipe which generates turbulence to carry it away. If something does get stuck, turning the paddle to nine o’clock creates a bypass through the top of the circle. Six gaskets protect the seal where the nob enters the trap, a redundancy that kept it watertight in test for up to 31,000 rotations.

The curious Baird always had the knack for inventing and much of his inspiration came from his great aunt and uncle, Neda and Harry Martin, and his grandfather Cecil Baird.

“My great aunt and uncle lived on a farm (near Elmore City), I started making stuff when I was 10-11 years old. They didn’t have any kids so I stayed there quite a bit and they encouraged me,” Jeff Baird said. “My grandfather made a lot of his own stuff. They all encouraged me and let me use all their material. I used a lot of wood and nails and wasted a lot of material.”

Baird’s trial-and-error testing methods eventually paid off as it has led to patents on around 20 items.

His first was an open-hole drill stem, which is a tool to retrieve formation fluids while drilling a well. That led to four licenses with Halliburton, according to Baird.

The electromagnetic generator has been the most difficult for Baird, who is a Byng High School graduate. Baird owned and operated Shamrock Testers for 22 years and was relocated back to Ada in 2011.

“With the electromagnetic generator, I didn’t know anything about electronics, so I had a lot of explosions and hurt myself quite a bit while everybody was laughing at me,” said Baird.

He credits his wife, Sandy, partners and local businesses for supporting him in his endeavors.

The lecture is free and open to the public, but guests need to RSVP for a limited number of seats by Wednesday, Feb. 6. For more information contact Jordan Morris, in the ECU School of Business, at 559-5274.

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BROADWAY VETERAN SAGER TO PERFORM ON ATALOA STAGE AT ECU

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Jeri Sager

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Jeri Sager, best known for her portrayal of “Grizabella” in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award winning musical Cats, will perform her show, Broadway by Jeri, at East Central University’s Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on March 13, 2013.

Tickets are $18 and may be purchased online at tickets.ecok.edu or at the box office the night of the show.

Gifted with an amazing voice and an infectiously joyful stage presence, Sager has a broad audience appeal. She performs all over the United States, England, the Caribbean, Japan, Mexico and Canada.

Sager studied opera at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She made her Broadway debut as Frumah-Sara in the 25th anniversary production of Fiddler on the Roof. Sager has enjoyed critical acclaim for her portrayal of Fantine in Les Miserables and Eva Peron in Evita.

Throughout her career, Sager enjoyed performing with artists such as Bob Hope, Gregory Peck, Michael Crawford, Betty Buckley, Theodore Bikel, Bill Anderson and John James. She has had the honor for performing for President Jimmy Carter, President George W. Bush and Pope John Paul II. Sager also has performed for both American and British troops through her work with the USO.

Sager has starred in many TV commercials, co-hosted RV Today on the Outdoor Life Network, played an abusive mother in Martina McBride’s music video Concrete Angel and recently acted in the movie Country Strong starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw and Leighton Meester.

For more information about the performance, contact the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center Box Office, 580-559-5751 or visit tickets.ecok.edu. This event is sponsored in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council, the ECU Foundation, Inc., the East Central Credit Union, Citizens Bank, the ECU Bookstore, Blue Moon Café, Valley View Regional Hospital and Bob’s BBQ.

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Share music folder ONLY

Dear all, I am having the following issue I hope you can help with:

I am running itunes under windows 8. I have setup two users on the same desktop. Only me has iphone / ipad. Installing itunes it has put its libraries under my user account. However, I wish to share ONLY the music files with the other user i.e. for him to able and listen to the same music files directly from his account. I can obviously give him access rights to the folder but I don't really want to do that. The good option would be to place ONLY the music files under the PUBLIC user account - but I don't know how to do this!

I have found some articles / solutions talking about moving the itunes media folder under "public" account  - but this means that other items apart from music is transfered (not desirable). Any suggestions or directions?

Thank you in advance

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itunes Blank

My itunes has gone completely blank, I know this has happened to a lot of people and it is really frustrating.

I tried restoring my computer back, but itunes still came up blank.

The files are there but if I import them again there are no music ratings or playlists.

I've been away from home for 6 months so haven’t backed up the computer in a while.

My iphone got stolen recently so was going to sync my new one to itunes really soon when I get it, however I can't do that now as itunes is blank.

Please help!

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i installed itunes 10.5 64bit on ma windows 7, the application opens normally but when i try to add any file or folder to the library, it experiences a problem and closes the app. do i need a specific apple id account to run the app.?

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McConnell Speaks about Life of Crittenden, Honors President Whitlock

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell spoke at Eastern Kentucky University on Tuesday, March 26 about famous 19th century Kentuckian John J. Crittenden.

The afternoon program was part of the University’s year-long series in observance of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and part of a series of similar lectures McConnell is bringing at college and university campuses across the Commonwealth.

The senator also paid tribute to retiring EKU President Doug Whitlock. Recently, unbeknownst to Whitlock, McConnell delivered remarks on the Senate floor praising Whitlock’s years of service to the University. Afterward, McConnell had the page from the official Congressional Record placed in a gold frame, which he presented to Whitlock prior to the lecture.

Crittenden, born near Versailles, served in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as U.S. Attorney General. He was also the 17th governor of Kentucky and served in the General Assembly.

In his remarks, McConnell praised Crittenden for his tireless efforts to keep the Union together in the secession winter of 1860-61. The Crittenden family, as was the case with many families of the time, splintered when war tore the nation apart. One of his sons joined the Union army, while another joined the Confederate cause, each reaching the rank of major general.

A lifelong student of history who especially enjoys reading biographies, McConnell plans eventually to release a compilation of the lectures in book form. Last April, he delivered the first lecture of the series at Centre College; in September, he spoke at the Patterson School of Diplomacy at the University of Kentucky.

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EKU to Host Conference of Kentucky Association of Blacks in Higher Education

Eastern Kentucky University will host the 30th Anniversary Conference of the Kentucky Association of Blacks in Higher Education April 14-16. More than 200 black students, faculty, administrators and Kentucky state officials are expected to participate.

Centering on this year’s theme, “Generational Leadership: Embracing the Talents of Blacks in Higher Education,” the KABHE Conference Planning Committee has developed a series of programs and activities “designed to focus on the development of leadership at every level and preparing for transitioning from old school to new school as we celebrate our past and embrace the future of blacks in higher education in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the nation, and abroad,” said Sandra Moore, associate provost for diversity planning at EKU. “Another first during this conference is the Student Leadership Institute, which is designed for our high school students so that we can strengthen the pipeline for black leadership in Kentucky.”

To learn more about the conference, including registration and other details, visit www.kabhe1.org or request a brochure by contacting Sandra Moore at sandra.moore@eku.edu.

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DR. NAKAMORI TO SPEAK AT EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY’S 2013 LOCKMILLER LECTURE IN ART HISTORY ON FEB. 27

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Dr. Yasufumi Nakamori, Associate Curator of Photography for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, will be the guest speaker for the 2013 Lockmiller Lecture in Art History on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 4 p.m. in the Estep Center of the Bill S. Cole University Center.

Nakamori’s talk called For a New World to Come: Experiments in Art and Photography from 1970s Japan is based on his research for the last three years for a proposed exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, with the same title.

He will trace the emergence and development of conceptual and experimental uses of the camera in Japanese art and photography between 1968 and 1978.

Nakamori will discuss the specific nature of the photographic works, including a photographic installation, photographic mural and a 16mm film projection in the context of post-World War II Japanese Art. He will also situate them within the larger discourse of postwar global art history, in particular conceptual art.

In addition to his position at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Nakamori teaches the history of modern Japanese art and architecture at Rice University. In his scholarship, he has a particular interest in how photography shapes and mediates our experiences and understanding of space and the built environment as well as the making of cities, landscapes and buildings.

His 2010 publication Katsura: Picturing Modernism in Japanese Architecture, Photography by Ishimoto Yasuhiro (Yale University Press in association with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) won a 2011 Alfred H. Barr, Jr. award from the College Art Association.

This lecture was established, through an endowment, in honor of David Lockmiller and his interest in art history. Lockmiller is the father of former ECU professor Dr. Carlotta Lockmiller.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

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Online Degree Program in Fire, Arson and Explosion Investigation First of Its Kind in Nation

Eastern Kentucky University’s online bachelor of science degree program in Fire, Arson and Explosion Investigation will be the first of its kind in the nation. The EKU Online degree program gives students the opportunity to earn a fully accredited online degree from faculty who are foremost in the field today.

“As a fire investigator, you want to have solid credentials and be recognized as a true expert in the evolving field of fire science so that you can report your findings and testify in court with confidence,” said Jim Pharr, chair and associate professor in the department of Safety, Security and Emergency Management. “We get students ready to do that.”

The University’s on-campus Fire, Arson and Explosion Investigation program has successfully prepared leaders in the field for more than 30 years. EKU graduates hold city, state, and federal investigative positions, and are working as fire and explosion investigators for manufacturers, engineering firms, insurance companies, and private investigative companies nationwide.

The new online program, which will result in the same EKU degree, is designed especially for working professionals in the field who are seeking career advancement. Students will be immediately assimilated into an environment focused on elevating the level of research, knowledge, and application of engineering and science to the field of fire, arson, and explosion investigation.

“Our online format allows students to study with leading professionals in the field, get regular feedback from those instructors and even get hands-on lab experience,” explained Pharr.

A highlight of the curriculum will be two weeks at the EKU Fire Labs on the Richmond campus, where courses will focus on conducting fire origin and cause investigations, investigating explosion scenes and examining devices and products to determine failure modes.  

EKU launched an online degree program in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology in 2007 and also offers an online program in Fire Protection Administration. Advances in instructional design give faculty a variety of ways to convey their expertise in an online learning environment. Whether providing students with video feedback, offering virtual office hours or enhancing video lectures with computer-generated, 3-D models, faculty are committed to helping students succeed. 

Faculty teaching in the new online program include Pharr, a 30-year fire service veteran who served as a fire fighter, investigator, fire chief and emergency management director before becoming an educator, and Tom Thurman, a former FBI special agent who investigated the bombing of Pan American Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, as well as the bombings of the Oklahoma City federal building and the World Trade Center Towers. Many of the EKU faculty members are certified fire and explosion investigators who are still actively involved in the field. In addition to authoring the industry’s top textbooks, they hold various leadership positions within the profession, including membership on the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 1033 Technical Committee, which writes the “Standard for Professional Qualifications for the Fire Investigator.”

Those who apply by July 13 can start classes in Fall 2013.

Named one of the Top 10 Online Colleges in the Nation by "Best Colleges" in 2010, EKU is a fully accredited, brick-and-mortar institution celebrating more than 100 years of student success. EKU Online offers more than 20 degree options in a variety of fields, including Education, Psychology, Paralegal Studies, Police Studies, Corrections, Juvenile Justice, Occupational Safety, Fire Protection and Homeland Security. For more information, visit www.eku.edu/fireandarson.  

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Senior Accepted into Summer Public Health Scholars Program at Columbia University

An Eastern Kentucky University senior has been accepted into the Summer Public Health Scholars Program at Columbia University, the prestigious Ivy League institution in New York City.

Stephanie Smith, a public health major from Barbourville, will take field trips to various neighborhoods in and around The Big Apple to observe public health interventions and programs in operation. She will also attend lecture-based courses and work in small groups with teaching assistants to discuss practical applications of class studies.

Before heading to New York, she will attend a one-week orientation at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. Smith will spend the following nine weeks based at the Columbia University Medical Center. All expenses are covered by the program.

“I am most excited about gaining hands-on experience in the field of public health,” the 2009 Knox Central High School graduate said. “With our competitive job market now, this experience will set me apart from other potential employees. I will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most prestigious public health leaders and network with people who could open other doors for my career.”

Smith, the daughter of Darrell and Lynn Smith and granddaughter of Patty and Russell Smith, was recently named the Outstanding Senior in Community Health at Eastern. She maintains a 3.4 GPA in addition to her active role in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, in which she has held several leadership positions. Smith also represented the Eta Sigma Gamma Honor Society on EKU’s Homecoming Court last fall.

“The ‘Eastern Experience’ has given me the opportunity to grow as a person,” Smith said. “I feel accomplished to have almost four years of undergraduate school under my belt. My family has always been so understanding and supportive of my experience while at EKU and … my drive for success has come from the desire to make them proud. I am so thankful to have had the chance to spend my college career at a university I love.”

Smith also credited faculty in the Department of Health Promotion and Administration for that growth.

“(They) have all made a huge impact on the success of my college career,” she said. “Laurie Larkin, Karen Hunter and Michelyn Bhandari have always provided me with encouragement and support to excel in public health. I could not be more thankful to have them as mentors.”

After the summer program, Smith plans to return to EKU to begin studies in the University’s Master’s of Public Health Program toward her goal of working with an international health agency.

For now, though, her heart and mind are on the upcoming summer in one of the world’s greatest cities, a place she has never visited.

“I am looking forward to experiencing what it is like to live in the city and in such a diverse part of our country,” Smith said. “I already have a countdown set, and I can’t wait to take full advantage of the amazing experiences I will have.”

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APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR OKLAHOMA BUSINESS WEEK CAMP AT ECU

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The Second Annual Oklahoma Business Week Camp, hosted by East Central University, will be held June 2-7.

The camp is open to all high school students who will complete the ninth through 12th grades in the spring of 2013.

Oklahoma Business Week is a camp which introduces high school students to the business world.  Students, attending OBW, are divided into teams. Each team has a volunteer mentor from the Oklahoma business community who works with the students in developing a ‘company’ to learn about business practices and compete in a simulated business challenge.

Among the list of speakers for the event are: Rhett Laubach, founder of Your Next Speaker and Leadership Expert; State Senator Susan Paddack; Kenneth Knoll, Concept Investments manager at i2e; Monica Neal, senior vice-president of People’s Electric Cooperative; Kyle Essmiller, human resources director for PostRock Energy; Jim Hamby, president of Vision Bank; Mark Keiffer, retired executive from AT&T; Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby; and ECU President John Hargrave.

Applications are available at www.okbusweek.com and the deadline is May 1, 2013. For more information contact Stacey Bolin, OBW camp director, at 580-559-5596.

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AWARD-WINNING PIANIST DR. DEAVER TO PERFORM AT ECU ON MARCH 3

ECU's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students,
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Award-winning pianist Dr. Stuart Deaver will perform a free concert on Sunday, March 3 at 3 p.m. at the Ataloa Theatre of East Central University’s Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.

Deaver, who currently served as a professor of piano at the University of Tulsa, has won numerous awards and has performed across the United States as well as internationally in Portugal and Japan.

He was invited to perform and lecture on the complete solo minimalist works by American composer John Adams and Palacio Foz in Lisbon, Portugal in 2010. He returned to Portugal in 2012 for a solo recital at Teatro Eduardo Brazao (Vila Nova de Gaia) in the northern region.

Deaver was also invited to play a solo recital of works by Mozart, Jose Vianna da Motta and John Adams at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J., in 2011. Recordings of this performance were selected for radio broadcast and can be heard on classical radio station WWFM, which serves the greater New York City area.

He began playing the piano at age 11 and, by the age of 16, was the first-place winner of the Tulsa Philharmonic’s Young Artist Competition which led to his orchestral debut performances at Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto with the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Bernard Rubinstein.

Deaver maintains an active performance schedule as a chamber musician and has collaborated with esteemed musicians around the country such as violinist Maureen O’Boyle, clarinetist Paul Garritson, cellist Diane Bucchianari and baritone Brady McElligott.

He performed a series of recitals in 2009 with Bucchianari that featured Rachmaninov’s Sonata for Cello and Piano. His collaboration in 2010 with O’Boyle featured a series of recitals of sonatas by Franck and Brahms. The tour included a performance at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M.

Deaver is an active adjudicator through MTNA and was invited to sit on the jury of the inaugural Schmidbauer International Piano Competition in Texas in 2008. He was also on the staff of the 15th and 16th Vianna da Motta International Piano Competitions in Lisbon, Portugal in 2004 and 2007.

He is also involved in music theory research and has presented his work at conference and universities around the country, including the Rocky Mountain Society of Music Theory at the University of Denver, the 15th Music Theory (MTMW) Conference at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, and at Rider University in Princeton, N.J.

At MTMW, Deaver was awarded the Arthur J. Komar Award for outstanding research and presentation of his paper Musical Equivalency of Alphabetical Order in Torke’s Telephone Book.

He has held teaching positions at the University of Kansas, Midwestern Music Camp and ECU. Deaver holds a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Kansas where he studied exclusively with the renowned pianist Sequeira Costa.

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ECU EARNS CERTIFIED HEALTHY CAMPUS STATUS BY OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

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East Central University has been selected as a Certified Healthy Campus by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

There are three levels of certification: basic, merit and excellence. ECU received merit certification with the help of its new tobacco-free campus policy.

“I’m very proud to be part of a campus which promotes health and wellness,” said Holli Witherington, executive director of East Central University’s Brandon Whitten Institute.

ECU Vice-President for Student Development Dr. Jerry Forbes also serves as the campus’ Tobacco Free Task Force Director.

Six standards make the certification possible including: integration with the learning mission of higher education, collaborative practice, cultural competence, theory based practice, evidence based practice and professional development and service.

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DISTINGUISHED ALUM DR. DONNIE L. NERO SR. TO SPEAK AT EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ON FEB. 18

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Dr. Donnie L. Nero, Sr., a Distinguished East Central University Alum, will speak on Feb. 18 as ECU celebrates Black History Month.

His speech, entitled “Walk a Mile ‘N’ My Shoes” will take place at 7 p.m. inside the Estep Multimedia Center of the Bill S. Cole University Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Nero, a 1971 ECU graduate, is President Emeritus of Connors State College. He became the first African American president of a predominately white college or university in the state of Oklahoma when he assumed leadership of the Warner campus in 2000.

He was a secondary school teacher and administrator in Sapulpa for 12 years, as he coached baseball, served as school counselor and was a junior high principal. He was as program analyst for Rockwell International in Tulsa for two years before returning to Sapulpa Public Schools as an assistant principal at the high school.

Nero held numerous positions for 15 years, including provost, at Tulsa Community College’s Southeast Campus, before becoming the 15th president at Connors State.

In 2002, Nero received the Department of Human Services Trailblazer Award, was named ECU’s Distinguished Alumnus and was selected as the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished CEO for the Oklahoma/Arkansas Region. He also delivered the 2002 commencement speech at ECU.

He also received the 2007 Progressive Award and has served as a board member of the Office of Juvenile Affairs and Communities Foundation of Oklahoma. Nero has also served on the Governor’s CLASS Task Force and the Oklahoma Community Institute.

In 2010, ECU inducted Nero into the Gene and Evelyn Keefer Educator’s Hall of Fame. Nero was inducted into both the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2011.

He retired from higher education in 2011 after 38 years in the field. Nero and his wife Shirley Ballard Nero live in Clearview, Okla.

Nero earned a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation at ECU and both his master’s degree in educational administration and his doctorate in occupational and adult education at Oklahoma State University.

He has been president of the Muskogee Area Educational Consortium, Indian Capital Technology Center and Muskogee Rotary Club. Nero also served on the boards of the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce, Greater Muskogee Development Corporation, Tulsa Area United Way, Volunteer Center of Tulsa, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce and Big Brothers and Sisters of Tulsa.

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How do i sync iPod Touch 4th Gen with iTunes and PC?

Hi Recently my iPod Touch  (4th Gen) is not recognized by iTunes or ' My Computer' on my PC it was synced fine previously. I have tried to get an update via a Wi Fi network but this timed out... How can I get it recognized by cable?

Many thanks in advance...

Regards

Shane.

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Justice & Safety Honorees Include Lexington Police Chief, Afghanistan-Based Soldier

The Eastern Kentucky University College of Justice and Safety’s annual “Night of Distinguished Professionals” recently recognized the achievements of two justice and safety practitioners, and one student more than 7,000 miles away.

Ronnie Bastin, police chief for Lexington-Fayette Urban County, was recognized as the College’s Distinguished Professional and LaDonna Thompson, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Corrections, was presented with the Dean’s Award.

However, the highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Distinguished Graduate Student award to First Lt. Heath Bergmann from the School of Safety, Security and Emergency Management. 

Bergmann, Active Duty Army Officer, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Ft. Campbell, Ky., currently stationed in Afghanistan, received a standing ovation from the audience as he appeared live via Skype on the video screens in the Perkins Conference Center.  His wife, Lynze, accepted the award on his behalf.

Bergmann, who earned his undergraduate degree and commission from EKU, is continuing to work on his Safety, Security and Emergency Management master’s degree online during his deployment.

The Distinguished Undergraduate Student award recipient from the School of Safety, Security and Emergency Management was Emily Kinney from Decatur, Ill.

From the School of Justice Studies, Polina Karpova, from Omsk, Russia, was named the Distinguished Graduate Student, and David Crawford, a criminal justice major attending the Hazard campus, received the Distinguished Undergraduate Student award.

Criminal justice and political science major Justin “Seth” Henderson received the Student Dean’s award.

Randy Shaw, a 1979 graduate now serving as an advanced health, environmental and safety professional with Marathon Petroleum Company, received the Distinguished Alumnus award.

The Outstanding Faculty Awards went to Dr. Scotty Dunlap, program coordinator of the Online Master’s Program in the School of Safety, Security and Emergency Management, and Dr. Kristie Blevins, associate professor from the School of Criminal Justice.

The Distinguished Staff award went to Administrative Operations Officer Jennifer Goins, a 2009 graduate.

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ECU ENTERS PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINESE INSTITUTIONS

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East Central University Communications and Marketing580-559-5650 or 405-812-1428 (cell)Mr. Huang Shan (left), Assistant to the Dean of the Hunan University Law School, and East Central University President John Hargrave sign an agreement of cooperation between the two institutions in where ECU students can study at Hunan and vice versa.Pictured are 14 students from Hunan University who are attending East Central University this semester as part of a partnership and agreement of cooperation between the two institutions of higher learning. On the front row are: Sisi Deng (left to right), Yifei Ma, Hunjie Huang, Shifei Pan, Qing Qiing Xia, Chen Yue Zhan and Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya, Director of the ECU Global Education Department. On the back row are: Liang Tao (left to right), Hewei Ma, Xias Lan, Hao Huang, Hong Rong, Chen Yang, Hoy Cheng and Yin Hao Ling.

East Central University and Hunan University in China are continuing a partnership which should make a lasting impression with students from both institutions.

That impression is one of global learning and understanding with the signing of an agreement of cooperation which enables ECU students to learn at Hunan University and vice versa.

By virtue of this partnership, ECU can have joint research activities and academic programs; exchange or use facilities and equipment; and exchange of faculty members and graduate students for study and research. That memorandum of understanding between ECU and Hunan University was originally established nearly two years ago.

Representatives from Hunan University have been on campus this past week to learn about ECU, visit with several Chinese students from Hunan University, soak in the American culture and sign continuing agreement documents.

“We’re looking forward to a long-term partnership. We’re going to send more students to East Central University in the near future,” said Mr. Wong Keing Sing, director of international relations for the Hunan University Law School. “It’s important for our students to master the (English) language, learn how Americans work and to learn about a different culture.”

Certain areas of study have also fueled the interest of the visiting Chinese students.

“Business, Political Science, Legal Studies and Criminal Justice are what our students are most interested in,” said Mr. Huang Shan, also part of the visiting delegation and assistant to the dean of the Hunan University Law School. “I feel that Legal Studies will benefit future Hunan law students.”

Currently 16 students from Hunan University are studying at ECU.

A similar agreement was made between Hunan Women’s University and the Beijing Aviation University Shenzhen Research Center in the early fall of 2012.

ECU President John Hargrave, along with Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya, director of ECU’s Global Education Department, made a nine-day trip to Changsha, Xian and Beijing, China this past fall to tour the facilities and sign the agreement to formulate two study-abroad agreements of cooperation with Hunan Women’s University and the Beijing Aviation University Shenzhen Research Center.

“At ECU, we’re taking our students to the world and we’re bringing the world to Ada,” said Hargrave. “We currently have opportunities in Europe. We were looking for additional partners and China was the obvious choice. It’s the second-largest economy in the world and it’s the fastest growing economy in the world. China is becoming a big player in international business and politics.”

Cultural exchange has been pushed to the forefront of today’s world and Hargrave believes this opportunity is not only important for American students but those abroad. “People of China are highly motivated to give their students cultural exchange abroad. The United States is the first pick. For many years, China has understood the value of cultural exchange. They have programs with universities in every country of the world. China has the most international students currently in the United States. I think it’s important for East Central University to be involved in an arena that is going worldwide,” Hargrave said.

While in China, Sukholutskaya and Hargrave were able to meet with representatives from Hunan, a university with around 40,000 undergraduate students and 17,000 graduate students as well as visit with potential global education students and their parents. Hargrave also delivered a lecture at the Hunan Law School on the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution. He also talked about the state of Oklahoma and ECU during his speech.

The group also took part in several cultural activities and was able to visit various museums.

“We were treated very nicely. Wherever we went, everyone was hospitable and very interested in learning about us,” Sukholutskaya said.

The two-way street is now open to for ECU students to learn at Hunan University and Hunan Women’s University.

“I invite our students and faculty to consider taking advantage of this unique opportunity and go to Hunan University for either short-term or long-term programs,” said Sukholutskaya.

That relationship is just part of the global experience afforded at ECU, which has students from approximately 40 countries around the world on campus.

“Many of our students take advantage of our outbound programming and attend classes in foreign countries,” Hargrave said. “East Central University enjoys an active international student experience. We will work together to develop programs to benefit both universities.”

NOTE: The Hunan contingent also visited the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, along with making a trip to Oklahoma City to tour the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and Oklahoma City National Memorial. The group also learned Western culture by visiting a couple of ranches.

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Scholars Assembly April 5 Honors Academic Stars

Eastern Kentucky University will hold its annual Scholars Assembly on Friday, April 5.

The event, at 9:30 a.m. in Walnut Hall of the Keen Johnson Building, will honor the recipients of major awards from each of the academic colleges, the Graduate School and Phi Kappa Phi, as well as recognize national scholarship nominees, Honors Scholars, Phi Kappa Phi initiates, and participants in the Undergraduate Presentation Showcase and Posters-at-the-Capitol. Families of the major award winners have been invited to attend. The campus community is invited as well.

Betina Gardner, dean of libraries at EKU, will preside, and EKU President Doug Whitlock will bring remarks. The deans from the respective colleges will present the awards, and the recipients will speak briefly about their Eastern experience.

The event is sponsored by the EKU Libraries, the President’s Office, Provost’s Office and Division of Public Relations.

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BOSWELL LECTURE SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 16 AT ECU

ECU's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students,
faculty, staff and community interact to educate students for life.

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Chief Program Officer Kristen Cambell, of the Washington, D.C. based National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), will be the guest speaker at the 2013 Boswell Lecture on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at East Central University’s Estep Multimedia Center in the Bill S. Cole University Center.

The Boswell Lecture will feature remarks from Cambell, followed by a presentation of the Civic Health Index findings by a team of University of Central Oklahoma graduate students, led by Lauren Craig and under the direction of Dr. Janelle Grellner. This will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Cambell and questions from the audience.

Cambell, an ECU graduate and a native of Norman, is responsible for researching, developing and implementing all programs and special initiatives for the NCoC, including the Annual Conference, The Civic 50, NCoC.net, and the Civic Health Index portfolio.

A Civic Health Index Summit will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Stanley P. Wagner Ballroom inside the Memorial Student Union. The public is invited to join ECU students in small group discussions related to the index. A facilitator will lead the discussion at each table of 6-10 participants. Anyone who would like to take part in the summit is invited to simply be in the ballroom of the student union by 12:30 p.m.

Dr. Pat Fountain serves as ECU’s S.C. Boswell Professor and coordinates the events. The S.C. Boswell Award, based on effective classroom teaching, professional development, involvement in student activities and contributions to the department, school and university, is presented to a faculty member in ECU’s School of Business.

The recipient receives a stipend based on income from the S.C. Boswell Memorial Charitable Trust and sponsors a free, public lecture or forum on topics of interest related to business.

Boswell was a respected Ada businessman who served on the Board of Regents for Oklahoma Colleges for 18 years. He donated funds for the construction of ECU’s Boswell Chapel in memory of his wife Kathryn. He helped organize the Ada Industrial Development Corporation and establish Valley View Regional Hospital in 1935. Boswell was president of the hospital’s board of directors for 12 years.

The Boswell Trust was established through the ECU Foundation Inc. in 1975 by Boswell’s daughters, Sara Boswell and Jane Boswell Maher, in order to help attract and hold outstanding faculty members in business.

Fountain holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from ECU, a master’s degree in regional science from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and both a master’s degree in human relations and supervision and a doctor of business administration degree from Louisiana Tech University.

He is a past president of the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators, the Career Guidance Network of Oklahoma and the Ada Rotary Club. He is secretary of the ECU Alumni Association and the cubmaster of Ada’s Pack 4 and assistant scoutmaster in Ada’s Troop 4 where his son, Nathan, is a Scout.

Fountain also is an adviser or co-adviser for several ECU student organizations. He is married to Dr. Usha Fountain, a professor in ECU’s Psychology Department. He is a former Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar and a past recipient of the ECU Teaching Excellence Award.

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EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY'S NEWEST FACILITY TO BE NAMED CHICKASAW BUSINESS AND CONFERENCE CENTER

ECU's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students,
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East Central University is pleased to announce that its newest facility on campus will be named the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center.

Chickasaw Nation Gov. Anoatubby said that having the Chickasaw name on the business center is a tribute to centuries of Chickasaw history.

“Chickasaw people have been entrepreneurs for centuries,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “East Central University has a great record of preparing students for success in the world of business and we are delighted to be a part of this worthwhile endeavor. We have a long record of working successfully with ECU on projects such as the Native American Studies Center, the Dynamic Women’s Conference, Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy and National Night Out, so we are confident this will be a success as well.”

The $10.65 million and 62,000-square-foot building, located on the west side of campus at Main and Center Streets in Ada, is set to open this fall and will house the new Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business.

The facility sits directly west of another of ECU’s newer buildings, the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center, which opened in 2009.

“We’re honored and pleased to be in yet another valued partnership venture with the Chickasaw Nation and Governor Bill Anoatubby. The Chickasaw Nation, like ECU, places a high value on education and this enables our students to get the most out of their learning experience,” said ECU President John Hargrave. “This state-of-the-art facility will only enhance the educational opportunities of students who will be future business leaders or simply those involved in the business world.”

The Chickasaw Business and Conference Center’s first floor will house the ECU Police Department, a synergistic learning center and a food court.

The Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business will be on the second floor where each classroom will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, a specialized financial lab/classroom, several student-friendly study areas and lounges.

The third floor is reserved for offices for the dean of the business school and faculty members, conference rooms, technology lab/classrooms, several faculty lounges and a balcony/reception area.

The center’s unique design allows the conference center to double as a Federal Emergency Management Agency safe room, in case of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, by providing short-term shelter. The safe room functionality is possible because of a $1.46 million grant awarded to ECU by FEMA.

Miles Associates of Oklahoma City is the architect for this project.

Construction progress on the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center can be viewed at: http://www.ecok.edu/it/cameras.htm.

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‘PICNIC’ BEING PERFORMED AT ECU, APRIL 18-20

ECU's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students,
faculty, staff and community interact to educate students for life.

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East Central University Communications and Marketing580-559-5650 or 405-812-1428 (cell) 

Picnic, a play which won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, will be performed by students from the East Central University School of Fine Arts on April 18-20 at the Chalmers Herman Theatre inside the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.

Picnic is one of William Inge’s most popular works, along with Bus Stop and Splendor in the Grass.

The setting for Picnic is in a small Kansas town not too far from the Oklahoma border. Its Labor Day weekend and members of the audience visit the backyards of two middle-aged widows, Flo Owens and Helen Potts. Flo has two daughters, 16-year-old Millie and 19-year-old Madge, who is dating the son of a wealthy and influential local businessman.

Flo also rents a room to schoolteacher Rosemary Sidney. Helen Potts takes care of her elderly, invalid mother and occasionally hires vagabonds to work in exchange for food. Along comes Hal Carter whose personality and animal vitality upsets everyone. A former athlete, Hal poses a temptation to the women, especially the young daughters, Madge and Millie.

The realistic romantic drama/comedy is full of laughter and pathos.

The cast includes Amanda Hughes as Flo Owens; Micah Worcester as the energetic and intelligent Millie; Rachel Hayes as the bored beauty Madge; Angelina Tinker as Mrs. Potts; Mason Gibson as Rosemary Sidney; Wyatt Freeman as her friend Howard Bevans who runs a notions and novelty shop in nearby Cherryvale; Domineque Carey as the vagabond Hal Carter; Ben Eckart as rich kid Alan Seymour; Cheyney Jo Taylor and Haley Cantrell as Rosemary’s friends and fellow schoolteachers; and Cristian Nazario-Cruz as Boomer, the local newspaper boy.

For the non-season pass holders, tickets are $10 for the general public and $9 for senior citizens and children of any age. Admission is free for ECU students, faculty and staff. Seating is limited, so will call reservations are available by calling 580-559-5751 or visiting the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center Box Office Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets still available will be sold the nights of the shows, starting at 6:45 p.m.

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Engle Named 2013-15 Foundation Professor for Teaching Excellence

Dr. Allen D. Engle has earned Eastern Kentucky University’s highest honor for teaching excellence.

Engle, a professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and International Business, has received the 2013-15 EKU Foundation Professorship. The annual honor recognizes those who demonstrate outstanding abilities in the three primary roles of a faculty member: teaching, service and research. The professorship provides a salary supplement for two years.

“Dr. Engle exemplifies the high standards for quality instruction and academic excellence that this award honors,” EKU President Doug Whitlock said.

Engle, who joined the EKU faculty in 1989, has received numerous awards for his teaching, including the EKU International Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004, the EKUBusiness Jack L. Dyer Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008, the 2009-10 Golden Apple Award from University Housing, and an EKU Critical Thinking Teacher of the Year award in 2013.

A prolific writer and presenter, Engle has taught extensively at universities throughout Europe in his specialty area of international human resources. Notably, he was selected to serve as a Visiting Professor of International Management for the European Executive MBA Program at the ESCP-EAP in Berlin, Germany from 2007 through 2013.

He has served as adviser to EKU’s student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management for the past 12 years and has been recognized by the Bluegrass Compensation Association, of which he is a founding member, with a student scholarship that bears his name.

Engle’s family roots run deep at EKU, where he followed his grandfather, Dr. Fred A. Engle Sr., and father, Dr. Fred A. Engle Jr., as members of the faculty. He also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from EKU, before adding a doctoral degree in human resource management from the University of Kentucky.

All full-time tenured faculty members are eligible for the award. The selection is made by a committee composed of faculty, and the process provides for a high degree of peer review.

Fifty-four professors have been honored for teaching excellence by the EKU Foundation since the awards were first given in 1988.

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Steel Band Concert to Feature Grammy Award-Winning Artist/Composer Andy Narell

The Eastern Kentucky University Steel Band will present a concert featuring Grammy Award-winning artist and composer Andy Narell on Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m. in Brock Auditorium.

Narell released his first solo album in 1979, taking the steel pan out of the steel band and putting it into a jazz band. He has continued to explore the possibilities of the steel pan and expanded its role in contemporary music, releasing more than a dozen albums as band leader and multiple others as co-leader.

He has also performed on movie scores and had compositions featured in the movie “The Firm.” His music has also been heard on multiple television shows and commercials for Apple, Sony, Porsche and Southwest Bell.

Narell has also worked as a producer for several artists, including Billy Child, and as artist in residence at schools across the country and in Paris.

The concert will feature some of Narell’s newest compositions, including “The Last Word,” “Visibly Absent,” and “One More Touch,” as well as new compositions by Dave Longfellow, Chris Munson and Andrew Neldon.

Admission for the event will be $3 for students and $5 for all others.

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how do i re download bonjour without re downloading itunes

Uninstalling and then reinstalling your iTunes should also get your Bonjour reinstalled.

For the reinstall, use an installer downloaded from the Apple website:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

... or you could get it back via your Apple Software Update for Windows.

If you'd prefer not to uninstall iTunes, try the following procedure.

Download and save a copy of the iTunesSetup.exe (or iTunes64setup.exe) installer file to your hard drive:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Download and install the free trial version of WinRAR:

http://www.rarlab.com/

Right-click the iTunesSetup.exe (or iTunes64setup.exe), and select "Extract to iTunesSetup" (or "Extract to iTunes64Setup"). WinRAR will expand the contents of the file into a folder called "iTunesSetup" (or "iTunes64Setup").

Go into the folder and doubleclick the Bonjour.msi (or Bonjour64.msi) to do a standalone Bonjour install.

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New Living Learning Community Will Focus on American Sign Language, Deaf Students

Boasting one of only nine nationally accredited baccalaureate degree programs in American Sign Language and Interpreter Education, Eastern Kentucky University has for many years attracted deaf and hard-of-hearing students as well as those who want to serve and assist them.

Now, students from both groups have another reason to consider the Richmond campus: a residence hall living-learning community devoted to American Sign Language and deaf culture. Beginning this fall, the first two floors of eight-story Walters Hall will house a population comprised largely of deaf students, those who grew up in a deaf culture, and students majoring or minoring in interpreter education, deaf education or deaf studies. It’s the first such living learning community at a Kentucky college or university, according to Nickole Hale, associate director for academic initiatives with University Housing.

“This will give students an inclusive common ground where communication is not an issue,” said Dr. Laurence Hayes, chair of EKU’s Department of American Sign Language and Interpreter Education (ASLIE). “Because one of the outcomes is learning a way of life, it will help build bridges and create strong bonds not only in the residence hall, but all across campus.

“Anytime you can take a language to a larger platform, it’s a great experience for the students, and that experience will generate interest and curiosity about the University, our program and the language.”

The only pre-requisite? Hearing students will need to have completed American Sign Language 102 and demonstrate a basic competency in ASL, as all members of the living learning community will be expected to use ASL in the hallways and other common areas. The new living-learning community will house approximately 40 students on each floor – one floor for males, the other for females. The community will also include computer and language labs and other related services, and will benefit from on-site workshops, seminars and other presentations led by EKU faculty and staff and others.

“It will have a huge impact on recruiting,” Hayes predicted. “It’s a strong selling point.”

Hale noted strong support from ASLIE faculty and staff, half of whom are deaf.

“This living learning community will succeed because they are so interested,” she said. “All our residence hall living learning communities (this will be the University’s 15th) that have strong faculty backing are highly effective.”

EKU’s Interpreter Training Program, established in 1989, is one of approximately 40 such programs nationwide and is one of only nine baccalaureate degree programs nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education. Hayes noted that the program has a 95 percent retention rate, as well as a 95 percent job placement rate.

“There continues to be a growing demand for interpreters,” he said, “so the job market is strong.”

Interpreters find employment in various settings: educational institutions, government, business, and the legal, medical and mental health professions, as well as personal (weddings, funerals, reunions, etc.)

All candidates for national certification as interpreters must hold a bachelor’s degree in the field. Currently, 21 students from a variety of states are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in interpreter education at Eastern, and an additional 275-300 are taking ASL classes, Hayes said.       

EKU’s Department of American Sign Language and Interpreter Education also has an active outreach in-service training program.

For more information about the program, visit www.aslie.eku.edu or call 859-622-4966.

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School of Business Maintains Prestigious AACSB Accreditation

With its recent re-accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Eastern Kentucky University’s School of Business has again earned a distinction that less than 5 percent of the world’s business programs can claim.

The five-year re-accreditation covers baccalaureate degree programs in all majors – Accounting, Finance, Computer Information Systems, Insurance, Management, Marketing, General Business, and PGA Golf Management, as well as the School’s MBA options in Accounting, General Business and Integrative Communications.

AACSB International is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. More than 650 business schools in 45 countries and territories maintain AACSB accreditation.

“Since 1919, AACSB International has been the premier accreditation organization of business programs,” said Dr. Bob Rogow, dean of EKU’s College of Business & Technology. “AACSB accreditation ensures students, parents and employers that EKU’s School of Business provides a high-quality business education based on rigorous international standards. Graduates of AACSB-accredited business programs are recognized worldwide by employers and universities. In fact, some employers only hire graduates from AACSB-accredited business schools. This is important when seeking employment and applying to graduate school.”

EKU’s School of Business has been accredited by AACSB International since 2003.

“Students who study in EKU’s School of Business are assured their professors and curricula are up to date, and that the supporting services provided are appropriate to the School’s mission,” Rogow said. “They should know their education is worth their investment of time and resources and will provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful throughout their lives.”

Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International, said: “It takes a great deal of commitment and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation. Business schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and professional staff must make a commitment to ongoing continuous improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver the highest quality of education to students.”

Rogow credited “the School of Business faculty and staff for all their hard work, the Business Advisory Council for their support of the School of Business and, especially Dr. Rita Davis, associate dean of the School of Business, for helping coordinate the accreditation process leading to reaffirmation.”

He also thanked EKU President Doug Whitlock and Provost Janna Vice for their “continuing support” of the College of Business & Technology.

For more information about programs in EKU’s School of Business, visit business.eku.edu.

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Symphonic Band, University Singers to Perform Crosby's "Walt Whitman Portrait"

Eastern Kentucky University’s Symphonic Band, along with the University Singers, will perform a spring concert on Wednesday, April 24, at 8 p.m. at the EKU Center for the Arts.

The Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemorative Concert is free and open to the public.

The groups will present “A Walt Whitman Portrait,” a work by Dr. Richard Crosby, professor of music at EKU, depicting the political strife of the Civil War. The three-movement work incorporates three different Whitman poems about the war, found in his collection “Leaves of Grass.”

The first movement, “Beat! Beat! Drum!” illustrates the coming of enemy forces, while the second movement “Old War Dreams” is a piece of mourning describing the nightmares and flashbacks of the war from Whitman, who worked as a war nurse. The final movement, “For You, Oh Democracy,” is a cry of triumph in the potential of our democratic government and an upbeat, patriotic depiction of Whitman’s vision of its spread.

“When my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, I decided that I needed to write something significant for him while he could still understand,” Crosby said of the composition. “Although he couldn’t read a note or play an instrument, he had always played records of Chopin, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and others in our home when I was growing up, and I am convinced he liked music even better than I do. After he retired, he would drive up from the Tampa Bay area to Cincinnati just to hear me give a recital and then drive home again. I thought that that sort of support deserved a major ‘thank you.’ I am happy to report that he and my mother were here for the premiere (of “A Walt Whitman Portrait”) and he understood why I had written it.”

            For more information, contact Katherine Williams at katherine.williams@eku.edu or 859-622-3266.

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ECU CHORALE TO PRESENT ‘SINGING VALENTINES’ ON FEB. 12-14

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Those wishing to send a special valentine for their sweetie on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, may do so with the help of the East Central University Chorale.

For $21.95 (flowers not included), members of the ECU Chorale will deliver the flowers and serenade your Valentine recipient.

In fact, the Chorale will be provide ‘Singing Valentines’ on Tuesday, Feb. 12, and Wednesday, Feb. 13, as well.

ECU Chorale members will only travel in the Ada area.

The song selections include: “At Last” by Etta James; “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John; “I Melt” by Rascal Flatts; and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles.

Those wishing to order a ‘Singing Valentine’ can do so through Forget-Me-Not Floral or by calling (405) 517-9126 if there are any additional questions.

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Six to be Inducted into Hall of Distinguished Alumni during Alumni Weekend

Eastern Kentucky University alumni and friends are invited to visit the campus April 26-27 when the University hosts its annual Alumni Weekend.

This year’s event features special reunions for the classes of 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978 and 1983, with the Class of 1963 inducted as Pioneers. Alumni of all years are welcome.

A highlight of the weekend is the annual Alumni Awards and Recognition Banquet, where six Eastern graduates are to be inducted into the University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni. The event will be held Saturday, April 27, at 6 p.m. in the Keen Johnson Ballroom. Tickets for the banquet are $35 each.

A full listing of Alumni Weekend events is available at alumni.eku.edu/insidelook/alumni-weekend.

The six Hall of Distinguished Alumni inductees are: Rev. Robert Blythe, Richmond, pastor of First Baptist Church and city commissioner; Jeanie Gail Ashe Bowman, Hattiesburg, Miss., president of J Bowman Associates; Judy Layne-Wood, Yorktown, Va., retired teacher and registrar, now community volunteer; Jean Chenault Logue, Richmond, Chief Circuit Judge, 25th Judicial Circuit; Col. (Ret.) Ralph Newman, Grayson, retired Army officer; and Dr. Janna Vice, Richmond, provost and vice president for academic affairs, EKU.

Also, Dr. Ezra Engling, professor of Spanish in the Department of Foreign Languages and Humanities, and Karen Millsap, American Sign Language specialist in the Department of American Sign Language and Interpreter Education, will each receive the Alumni Association’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

A Distinguished Service Award will be presented to David McFaddin, Richmond, a 1999 EKU graduate now serving as executive director of government relations for the University.

“Spring is a wonderful time to visit The Campus Beautiful and see it blooming with color,” said Jackie Collier, director of alumni relations. “Alumni Weekend offers our alumni and friends a special time to reconnect with each other and with Eastern.”

The Richards Alumni House will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. Early Bird Registration will be offered at the Alumni House between 10:30 a.m. and noon.

At 5:30 p.m. on Friday, President and Joanne Whitlock will host a reception for members of the Pioneer Class of 1963 and their guests at the Blanton House. A dinner ($20 per person) will be held at 6:30 in the Stratton Building Cafeteria.

Events continue Saturday, April 27, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. in the Keen Johnson Building.

Saturday morning also includes a continental breakfast, class reunion photographs, and class luncheons and meetings at 11:30 a.m. ($19 per person).

The day also features campus tours, recognition of EKU Pioneers (those who graduated from the University at least 50 years ago), and the dedication of the William H. Berge Virtual Oral History Center in honor of the late EKU history professor. Any graduate from 1963 or earlier who would like to be recognized this year as an EKU Pioneer should contact the Alumni Relations office, 859-622-1260.

The weekend also includes a reunion of Phi Mu alumni.

For more information about Alumni Weekend, or to make reservations for any of the events, contact the Alumni Relations Office at 859-622-1260 or, toll-free, 866-624-4050, or e-mail alumni.relations@eku.edu.

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Second Senior Selected for Columbia University Summer Public Health Scholars Program

A second Eastern Kentucky University senior has been accepted into the Summer Public Health Scholars Program at Columbia University, the prestigious Ivy League institution in New York City.

Brittney Jones, a public health major from Corbin, joins Stephanie Smith, a senior public health major from Barbourville.

Jones will take field trips to various neighborhoods in and around The Big Apple to observe public health interventions and programs in operation. She will also attend lecture-based courses and work in small groups with teaching assistants to discuss practical applications of class studies.

Before heading to New York, she will attend a one-week orientation at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. Jones will spend the following nine weeks based at the Columbia University Medical Center. All expenses are covered by the program.

“This will give me hands-on experience in the field of public health and will hopefully open the doors for many other opportunities across the U.S. or the world,” she said

Jones, the daughter of Amy Webb and Randall Jones, is a 2009 graduate of Corbin High School. Named last year as EKU’s Outstanding Junior in Community Health, she maintains an overall GPA of 3.54, is a member of Eta Sigma Gamma Honor Society and the secretary of the campus chapter of the Kentucky Public Health Association. She will graduate this December.

"Being at Eastern has given me so many opportunities,” Jones said. “I’ve become a part of student organizations and met so many amazing people. All the professors in the department want us to achieve the highest goals possible.” She credited Dr. Michelyn Bhandari, in particular, for pointing her to the Columbia Scholars Program.

Jones said she is uncertain of her career plans, adding they might include working for the CDC or, for a time, as a Peace Corps volunteer.

For now, though, she’s looking forward to what promises to be a memorable summer.

"I’ve never been to New York City,” she said, “but I’ve wanted to go forever.”

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Memorial Service April 24 to Honor Lives and Contributions to Members of Eastern Family

A University-wide memorial service will be held Wednesday, April 24 to honor and celebrate the lives and contributions of members of the Eastern Kentucky University family – current and retired faculty and staff and students – who have died since April 2012.

The service, at 4 p.m. in the Meditation Chapel, will include remarks from President Whitlock and other University officials.

The event will honor students Caleb Blair, Kimberly Burton, Ernie Gillis, Kelly Harty, Douglas Hopper, Seth Taylor Myatt, Thomas Newsome, Cloyd Pearson, Ashley Slone, Kyle Thacker; staff members J.C. (Whitie) Agee, Roger Cain, Rosie Cain, Mary Coyle, Hanly Funderburk, Bobby Howard, Wanda Sue Lainhart, Diana Stapleton, Karyn Kuhn Yates, Bobby Young; and faculty members William Clay, Homer Davis, Charlotte Denny, Fred Engle, Dean Gatwood, Timothy Kiogora, John C. Lawson, Mary Jo McClure, Nancy Peel, Gil Rosenberg, Homer Tracy, and Clifford Wilson.

Family, friends and members of the campus community are invited to attend. For more information about the event, call the office of the University Chaplain, 859-622-1723.

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Unlocking TV Shows to play on other devices

Hi

I finally thought instead of buy DVD tv series i would buy TV series on itunes. I didn't research at first but i figure if i can buy my songs and play them anywhere i can buy tv shows and play them anywhere too... Oh how wrong was I.

I can't play them back on my media player i have hooked up to the tv. I normally buy my dvd's and copy them to my server so i can play them through my network. I can't do this with Apple TV shows.. which is a shame. I'll stick to buying DVD's unless there is a way to unlock?

To sum it up, is there a way i can play my purchased TV shows on other devices. If not is there a way i can get a refund on the Falling Skies series so i can go purchase them instead on DVD?

Thank you

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CHICKASAW NATION GOVERNOR ANOATUBBY TO ADDRESS ECU’S FALL GRADUATES ON DEC. 15

ECU's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students,
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Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby will address candidates for bachelor’s and master’s degrees during fall Commencement ceremonies at East Central University on Saturday, Dec. 15.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in the Kerr Activities Center for 242 candidates for bachelor’s degrees and 102 candidates for master’s degrees.

Anoatubby has served as governor of the Chickasaw Nation since 1987. His effective leadership has led to ongoing growth within the tribe.

When Anoatubby took office as governor, the Chickasaw Nation had only 250 employees. Today, it employs over 12,000. The financial conditions of the tribe have been improved tremendously. Funding for tribal operations has grown exponentially. Tribal assets have grown twentyfold.

His leadership not only spurred the financial growth and success of the Chickasaw Nation, but his influence has also helped preserve the proud history and culture of the tribe. Anoatubby’s efforts have led to a cultural and language renaissance among the Chickasaw Nation, including the construction of the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, a state-of-the-art campus which celebrates the legacy of the Chickasaw people while serving as a supreme learning tool.

In his role as chief executive of the Chickasaw Nation, Anoatubby has made education, jobs, health care, preservation of the environment and business development as priorities in his governorship, all of which have sustained success and growth.

Prior to becoming Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, Anoatubby served as the first Lieutenant Governor from 1979-1987. He has been active in tribal government since 1975. His previous positions include director of tribal health services, director of finance, and special assistant to the governor and controller.

Anoatubby earned his degree in accounting from ECU in 1972. That education coupled with his effective business management skills have made the Chickasaw Nation, the 13th largest tribe in the United States, a model of continuing economic growth and a proud historical and cultural heritage.

Candidates for BACHELOR’S DEGREES are listed by their hometowns:

ADA - Allan Adams, Jack Aday, Anun Bajracharya, Stephanie Barnett, Kelsey Benefield, Nabin Bharati, Amanda Bond, Danna Borntrager, Alexis Brendle, Nimesh Buddhachary, Tanesha Bundy, Jorjia Cash, Jana Cawthon, Rebecca Chalise, Ajeet Chaudhary, Tamy Davenport, Derrick Dederman, Easton Denton, Manoj Devkota, Sudeep Dhakal, Alyssa Eickenhorst, Jessica Fixico, Laxman Gautam, Anisha Ghimire, Robin Ghimire, Lindsay Glenn, Linda Greenwood, Linda Grigg, Derek Gurley, Jacob Hawley, Danielle Hill, Heather Holland, Nathan Holland, Erica Hollingsworth , Courtney Hundley, Caitlyn James, Brandi Janda, Jordan Johnson, Jacob Jones, Amanda Kauk, Kristin Keiner, Margaret Lashbrook, Russell Lollar, Preston Marshall, Haleigh McKinzie, Nadeca McLaughlin, Reece Melton, Jessie Miller, Andrew Minnich, Prawesh Mishra, Preetesh Mishra, Jonathan Moffat, Carlos Muro Loscertales, Lisa Nelson, Nickolas Noahubi, Lou Norman, Michael Ogunleye, William Palmer, Demola Peterkin, Natalie Richards, Erin Roberson, Glenn Ronning, Robert Russell, Chase Sanders, Bijayas Sapkota, Renee Sheppard, Michael Shinault, Sanip Shrestha, Caitlin Spaulding, Caitlyn Stephens, Sommer Stevens, Michelle Stinnett, Abhaya Thapa, Melanie Thornton, Sterling Tucker, Chad Underwood, Bailey Walker, Kandice Wallis, Manuella Warrior, Ginger White, Kyron Whittaker, Leslie Withers, Meagan Workman, Tanner Young.

ALLEN - Colton Johnson, Danli Sanford, Chance Shires.

ARDMORE - Paul Brown, Tanisha Davis, Heather Fasgold, Kimberly Franks, Fran Growall, Ashley Huggins, Ryan Huggins, Rebecca Jones, Kevin Meridth, Cindi Rambo, Ana Resendes, Amie Swan, Kristi Tippett, Stephanie Todd

BEGGS - Dimitri Johnson

BENNINGTON - Ashley McLarry, Matthew Thompson

BOWLEGS – Tyler Walker

BROKEN ARROW – Morgan Gilbert, Kalee Young

BROKEN BOW - Melinda Fuller, Rebecca Stover

BYARS – Ray Ardery, Bonnie Sharp

CALVIN – Marybeth Sieja

CLAREMORE – Gabriel Sherman

CLARITA – Bethany Lee

DAVIS – Christopher Dalley, Easton Healey, Brian Montgomery, Jerad White

DEL CITY – Randee Crockett

DURANT – Kendall Cavender, Marisa Small

ELDORADO – Tyle Hankins

ELMORE CITY – Kenneth Dodds

HARTSHORNE – Rhonda Faulkner

HEALDTON – Kayelyn Clubb

HENRYETTA – Tim Brice

HOLDENVILLE – Delaina Rogers

KONAWA – Ashley Cole

LEXINGTON – Shawnacie Noakes, Rachel Pratt

LINDSAY – Cody Williams

MACOMB – Dinah Boydstun

MANNSVILLE – Kristie Wallace

MARIETTA - Stacy Briggs, William Briggs, Kay Cagle, Stephanie Miller

MAYSVILLE – Jonathan Temple-Lee

McALESTER - Cindi Collins, Cassie Fabry, Casten Karr, Elisabeth Loving, Candace Teel

McLOUD – Tarra Kania

MEAD – Lisa Davis, Vicki McLarry

NORMAN – Danielle Toland

OKEMAH - Candace Cheatwood, Valerie Jones, Brenae Riggin

OKLAHOMA CITY - Casey Denton, Stacia Lemons

OWASSO – Jerrod Henrie

PADEN – Mary Newport

PAOLI – Dale Ezell, Spencer Mantooth

PAULS VALLEY - Kristopher Brantley, Tobey Hatton, William Jones, Era Levy, Destiny Parks, Bailey Stufflebean, Amanda Tomlinson, Elizabeth Underwood

PRAGUE - Trevor Davis, Gary Duvall, Jessica Grant

ROFF – Donald Walker

SAINT LOUIS – Dusty Dean

SEMINOLE - Amber Burton, Nichole Chesser, Chris Conway, Kristi Gray, Krista Green, Julia Hammack, Derek Kiker, Keri LaPach, Steven Miller, Avery VanZant, Louise Zedd

SHADY POINT – Beckie Johnson

SHAWNEE - Courtney Bullen, Ryan Creel, Serena Cudjoe, Jeff Fisher, Michael May, Jennifer McLain, Christian Myers, Joshua Norton, Candace Sweatt

SPIRO – Tiffany Sober

STONEWALL – Robert Brown

STRATFORD – Travis Henry

SULPHUR - Bethany Carroll, Dia Harness, Blake Hughes, Shawnda Preast

TECUMSEH - Shannon Elias, Sharon Holford, Samantha Lee, Shawna McMahan, Jordan Payne, Sarah Sellers

TISHOMINGO - Danielle Brown, Lindsey Cram, Neal Dodd, Gina Frazier, Mona Hankins

TUPELO - Augie Harkins, Donavan Terry

VALLIANT - Ashley Banfill, Cayla Shockley

VINITA – Kristin Stecklein

WAYNE – Erin Carroll

WELLSTON – Sarah Eckert

WETUMKA – Hilary Griffin, Shalan Tyra

WEWOKA - Laura Harrison, Alicia Martinez, Denise Williams

WILSON - James Goode, Amy Miller

WRIGHT CITY – Rachel Battiest

WYNNEWOOD – Natalie Delaplain

BRAWLEY, CALIF. – Cami Correa

BURBANK, CALIF. – Christopher Montgomery

CANYON COUNTRY, CALIF. – Donald Williams

CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIF. – Jeremy Custer

HONOLULU, HAWAII – Matthew Gobble

MARTINSVILLE, INDIANA – Krista Bird

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Darnell Davis

ALLEN, TEXAS - Olaniyi Opeseyitan, Zackary Patteson, Carla Rodriguez

COMMERCE, TEXAS – Tatiana Booth

DALLAS, TEXAS – Caroline Moseti

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Stuart Bishop, Armando Saldivar

RICHARDSON, TEXAS – Natalie Wilson

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Ann Mayahi

MAPLE RIDGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA – Brianna Baron

Candidates for MASTER’S DEGREES are listed by their hometowns:

ADA - Delilah Bohan, Jacob Bussell, Lucas Cane, Kim Carter, Mark Choate, Joy Crabtree, Mark Dominguez, Misty Gibney, Rachel Gore, Amanda Hall, Kellie Hudson, Joseph Mankin, Connie Martin, Ryan McMahan, Charles Mugabi, Ashton Neufeld, Calli Presley, Adam Ritter, Kylie Stephens, Dee Stoup, Billie Watson, Casey West

ARDMORE - Cindy Alsobrook, Dawn Gallo, Elizabeth Negrete, Brandon Pettigrew, Sandeep Pokharel, William Snider, Cassandra Thomas, Kathy Thompson, Virginia Wrenn

BROKEN ARROW – Richard Barnes

BROMIDE – Shanelle Baxter

CASHION - Michael Younger

CENTRAHOMA – Sarah Bills

CROWDER – Margie McElhany

CYRIL – LeeAnn Carlson

DUNCAN – Jera Alcorn

DURANT – Ashley Johnson

EARLSBORO – Sara Frye

EDMOND – Susan East

EUFAULA – Megan Palmer

FAIRLAND – Ryan Cottrell

GUYMON – Dixie Purdy

HARTSHORNE – Christina Baker

KONAWA – Natalie Isaacs

LAWTON – Toya Compton, Susan Pease

LEON – Shelly Self

LONE GROVE – Leah Noland

MADILL – Brenda Robertson

MARIETTA – Kimberly Fraire

McALESTER – Jamie Hood, Tiffany Moore, Lori Weeks, Lori Wells

McLOUD – Virginia Pritchard

MIDWEST CITY – Kendall Foster

MUSKOGEE – Joshua Johns, Andrew Swagers

NORMAN – Jennifer Dragoo

OKLAHOMA CITY – Tonya Rodriguez

OWASSO – Amanda Gilligan

PAULS VALLEY – Samuel Caton, Kelli Keesee

PIEDMONT – Rae Greathouse

PORUM – Rosa Denton

POTEAU – Casey Hemphill, Andria Perry, Jennifer Roberts

RED OAK – Tina McBride

SALLISAW – Sarah Jackson

SAYRE – Mary Lakey

SEMINOLE – Suzanne Barnett

SHAWNEE - Nicholas Cheatwood, Jennifer Conner, Barbara Core, Rhonda Crummett, Keela Mullennex, Misty Powell, Leslie Sewell

STONEWALL – Fay Christian

STRATFORD – Joseph Kelough

SULPHUR - Sarah Freehill, Roni Hardoin, Shannon Thomison

TALIHINA - Dorothea Humphreys, Rowdy Johnson , Susan Mickle

TECUMSEH - Lacey Forrester, Jessica Thompson

TISHOMINGO - Hunter Ty Hull, Teresa Kennison

WAGONER – Tyanna Trippany

WANETTE – Morgan Lipsey

WEWOKA – Lesli Upton

PALM HARBOR, FLA. – Evelyn Morales-Torres

CISCO, TEXAS – Leslie Weston

LAKEWOOD VILLAGE, TEXAS – K Espolt

UVALDE, TEXAS – James Ortiz

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS – Dorothea Miller

KAMPALA, UGANDA – Richard Kirabira

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First Lady Michelle Obama among Spring Commencement Speakers

First Lady Michelle Obama will join former University of Kentucky President Dr. Charles Wethington and Kentucky author Silas House as speakers at Eastern Kentucky University’s spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 11.

Three ceremonies, all in Alumni Coliseum, will recognize a total of 2,428 degree candidates.

The First Lady will address degree candidates from the Colleges of Education and Business and Technology at 7:30 p.m. (a change from the usual time) and will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. The First Lady will be speaking at EKU as part of her Joining Forces initiative to assist military families. The University has received national recognition in recent years for its commitment to helping veterans further their education. EKU, home to more than 1,200 veterans and their dependents, earned a No. 1 national ranking in 2010 and 2012 from Military Times magazine in its annual “Best for Vets: Colleges” issues.

Because of limited seating and to ensure that graduates’ families are able to attend, the 7:30 p.m. ceremony will be restricted to those holding tickets. Graduating students, in addition to receiving one ticket each for personal use, will receive six additional tickets for use by family members; remaining tickets will be distributed by general lottery.

To pick up tickets, graduating students must appear in person at the EKU Athletic Ticket Office in Alumni Coliseum any weekday between April 22 and May 3, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Degree candidates must show a valid EKU ID, and the candidate’s name must be on the list of graduating students.

Those who wish to submit a request for general lottery tickets must complete a form at registrar.eku.edu/lottery by no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3. The submissions will be selected at random, and individuals will be notified by the end of the business day on Monday, May 6 if their ticket request has been chosen. Availability of lottery tickets is limited to two tickets per entry and one entry per person.

All attendees that evening will be required to go through security screening similar to that encountered at airports. Doors for the 7:30 p.m. ceremony will open at 5:30 p.m.

The first ceremony, at 9 a.m., will recognize degree candidates in the Colleges of Health Sciences and Justice & Safety. The second ceremony, at 1:30 p.m., will recognize degree candidates in the College of Arts & Sciences. The 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ceremonies are open to the public. All ceremonies will be streamed live, with a link on the EKU home page (www.eku.edu).

The First Lady is a Chicago Public Schools graduate who went on to earn degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She joined the University of Chicago in 1996 as Associate Dean of Student Services and developed the University’s first community service program. Later, during her tenure as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed.

In 2010, two years after the election of her husband, Barack Obama, as U.S. President, she launched Let’s Move, a nationwide collaborative effort to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity. The following year, she and Dr. Jill Biden (wife of Vice President Joe Biden) launched Joining Forces to raise awareness of the unique needs of American military families.    

Michelle and Barack Obama have two daughters, Malia, 14, and Sasha, 11.

Wethington, president at UK from 1990 to 2001, will speak at the morning ceremony. The Casey County native headed the Commonwealth’s community college system, then under the control of the UK, from 1981 to 1990. Wethington, who earned bachelor’s degrees in English and history from EKU in 1956, retired in 2012 after 47 years in higher education.

House, author, educator and environmental activist, will speak at the 1:30 ceremony. The Laurel County native, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English from EKU in 1993, is the author of five critically acclaimed novels: “Clay’s Quilt,” “A Parchment of Leaves,” “The Coal Tattoo,” “Eli the Good,” and “Same Sun Here,” co-authored with Neela Vaswani, among other works. He currently serves as the director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College.

Wethington will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, House an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.

In all, 1,806 bachelor’s degree candidates will be recognized, plus 490 master’s degree candidates, 115 associate degree candidates, 10 specialist degree candidates and seven doctoral degree candidates.

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University Singers to Perform at New York City's Carnegie Hall April 8

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Join the University Singers at Eastern Kentucky University.

Of course, as the old joke goes, it does help to practice, and 31 EKU students will realize the benefits of all their hard work and experience a “once-in-lifetime opportunity” Monday, April 8, when they perform in the fabled New York City concert venue.

Under the direction of Dr. Richard Waters, the University Singers will perform six selections as part of a program that also features a large masterworks choir comprised of singers from across the U.S.

“We submitted recordings of some of our performances from last year to Manhattan Concert Productions, a New York-based company that brings together ensembles from across the country to perform at some of the world’s greatest concert venues,” Waters said. “Based on those recordings, we were invited by MCP to perform on their concert series.”

The students have held several fund-raisers to support the trip, partnering with Old Kentucky Chocolates, Belk and Applebees. In addition, as a result of performances throughout the region, the group has received assistance from the Cecilian Club, Appalachian Children’s Home, Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington, and individual donors.

The premier choral ensemble at EKU, the University Singers are comprised of singers selected on the basis of auditions at the beginning of each fall semester.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students to perform in one of the world’s most revered concert halls,” Waters said. “The students in the University Singers recognize and embrace their role as representatives and ambassadors for the University, the community of Richmond, and the state of Kentucky whenever they go on tour.”

Since it opened in 1891, Carnegie Hall has “been the premier classical music performance in the United States,” Waters said. “Every major performer of the last 120 years has graced its stage. The chance to make music in the same space as Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Horowitz, Copland, Bernstein and Pavarotti is extraordinary.”

The University Singers will perform “Christus est natus,” by Damijan Mocnik; “God Is Gone Up,” by Ned Rorem; “Nelly Bly,” arranged by John Halloran; “Ne Sedi, Djemo,” a Bosnian folk song arranged by Steven Sametz; “Fountain of Life;” a new composition that Waters wrote specifically for University Singers; and “I Can Feel the Spirit,” by Jeffery Ames.

In addition to the Carnegie Hall performance, the EKU group also will provide music for a Sunday worship service at Christ Church Riverdale in the Bronx, where EKU alum Tim Brumfield is director of music. The students will also have time to attend opera and/or Broadway performances and see other Big Apple sights.

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“STOMP OUT SEXUAL ASSAULT” EVENT SET FOR APRIL 6 IN ADA

ECU's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students,
faculty, staff and community interact to educate students for life.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

East Central University Communications and Marketing580-559-5650 or 405-812-1428 (cell)

“Stomp out Sexual Assault”, a community-wide awareness day, will be held on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wintersmith Park in Ada.

East Central University’s Campus Initiative to Reduce Crime Against Women (CIRCAW) in partnership with The Chickasaw Nation, Family Crisis Center and the Pontotoc County District Attorney’s Office is staging the event in conjunction with April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The event will feature a 5K walk, free hamburgers, entertainment and other free park activities.

For more information on the event contact ECU CIRCAW Program Coordinator Peggy Saunkeah at 580-559-5892.

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Three Finalists Announced for EKU Presidency

Three finalists to become the 12th president of Eastern Kentucky University were announced today by the institution’s Presidential Search and Screening Committee.

The finalists are: Dr. Michael T. Benson, President of Southern Utah University; Dr. Gregg Lassen, Vice President for Finance and Operations, Lamar University; and Dr. Alan T. Shao, Dean of the School of Business, College of Charleston.

Each of the finalists will visit the University for tours and a series of meetings and forums. Benson will be on campus from Sunday evening, March 24 through noon on Tuesday, March 26. Lassen will be on campus from Tuesday evening, March 26 through noon on Thursday, March 28. Shao will be at EKU from Monday evening, April 1 until noon on Wednesday, April 3. A full itinerary of each finalist’s visit is posted at www.presidentialsearch.eku.edu/finalists. Each Presidential Candidate Open Forum will be viewable by live video stream at www.eku.edu.

“It is with great pride and excitement that we introduce the three finalists,” said Craig Turner, chair of both the EKU Presidential Search and Screening Committee and the University’s Board of Regents. “We are confident that all three of these candidates have the ability to lead this institution.”

The selection of the finalists follows “an extensive national search,” Turner noted. “This is an outstanding group of presidential finalists, each of whom has demonstrated proven leadership in all aspects of higher education administration, classroom instruction and scholarship. Drs. Benson, Lassen and Shao are each recognized by their respective institutions and constituencies to have the vision, fortitude, passion and leadership necessary to meet difficult and complex challenges and seize opportunities to take EKU to the next level of academic excellence. Additionally, the finalists have demonstrated an active and productive engagement in their respective communities and service regions by developing and enhancing business, industry, government and educational collaborations.”

Full biographies of each of the candidates can also be found at www.presidentialsearch.eku.edu/finalists. Abbreviated biographies of the finalists follow:

Dr. Michael T. Benson         

Benson has served as the 15th President of Southern Utah University since 2006. A Salt Lake City native who grew up in Texas, he has nearly 20 years of administrative experience in higher education, also including the presidency of Snow College.

While at Snow, Benson helped raise more money in his five-year tenure than in the previous 117 years of the institution’s history combined.  Currently, he is leading efforts at Southern Utah University to raise $30 million for the Southern Utah Center for the Arts; more than $28 million of that amount has been raised so far.

He has also directed the development and implementation of SUU’s largest and most ambitious comprehensive campaign, The Future is Rising. More than $85 million of the $100 million goal has already been raised or pledged. In December 2012, Dr. Benson announced the largest gift in the University’s history – $5 million – for the construction of a new Shakespeare Theatre. That news came on the heels of a $4 million gift to establish a scholarship and research endowment within the College of Science and Engineering.

During the 2009 Legislative session, Benson was successful in procuring state support for SUU’s Science Center – an expanded undergraduate classroom and laboratory complex totaling nearly $20 million in new construction.  

In 2011, Utah Business named Benson one of the “100 Most Influential People in Utah.”

Benson, who has worked and studied abroad for seven years in Italy, England and Israel, is also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post as a featured blogger on higher education issues.  His book, “Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel,” has been hailed as a landmark work in the area of American foreign policy and the U.S. presidency.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Brigham Young University, a master’s degree in non-profit administration from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame and a doctoral degree in Middle Eastern history from the University of Oxford (St. Anthony’s College).

Dr. Gregg Lassen

Dr. Gregg Lassen has served as Vice President for Finance and Operations for Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, since February 2011. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President at the University of Texas at Tyler, and as Vice President for Finance at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Higher education is a second career for Lassen. He enjoyed 18 years in the energy industry in a variety of positions across all facets of the business, working for Amoco and then BP following the merger of those two companies. Among his duties were work in finance, audit, marketing, regulatory affairs, international business development, and management in both upstream and downstream divisions worldwide.

Lassen has developed a track record for strategic management and analysis at regional universities facing significant financial constraints. His work resulted in the successful implementation of cost-saving measures while simultaneously improving operational performance. 

At Lamar, he has led the University community through a new Campus Master Plan that includes a $15-million project to renovate an outdated, unused residence hall and convert it into offices for administrative services and a student service center.

While at the University of Texas at Tyler, he was responsible for Business Affairs. Student Affairs was later added to his administrative oversight, including the offices of admissions, registrar, and housing, and a Division III athletics program.

Also while at UT-Tyler, Lassen helped create a strategic enrollment management department and a one-stop shop for student services. He also led a committee and engaged a market research firm to enhance an understanding of the University’s brand and to improve its student recruiting performance in the Dallas metropolitan area.

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s of business administration degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, a doctoral degree in political science and international affairs from the University of Southern Mississippi and a law degree from the University of Houston.

Dr. Alan T. Shao

Dr. Alan T. Shao has served as Dean of the School of Business at the College of Charleston in South Carolina since March 2009. During his tenure, he also served as the Jack Tate Distinguished Professor 2009-11.

As Dean, Shao has established an MBA degree program, obtained AACSB reaccreditation for the school, developed new academic majors, significantly raised funding to record-breaking levels for the School of Business, created the School of Business “Wall of Honor” to recognize philanthropy and long-term impact, and increased globalization throughout the School of Business.

A native of Norfolk, Va., Shao arrived at the College of Charleston after nearly 20 years at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he was North Carolina Ports Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean of Professional and Global Programs. While at UNC Charlotte, he created self-supporting graduate business programs in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico and Denmark.

In 2005, the Journal of Advertising named Shao one of the most prolific contributors to advertising research. In his career, he has published more than 50 articles in leading journals, made more than 100 presentations on a variety of international business topics and has authored three books, most recently the third edition of “Marketing Research: An Aid to Decision Making.

In addition to teaching and research, Shao has worked as an Executive Director of Marketing Research and a Manager of Computer Operations, and has developed import businesses that manufactured furniture, motorcycles and crystals in China. He is a frequent traveler, having visited China more than 100 times and lectured in more than 30 countries, and is Past President of the North Carolina World Trade Association.

Among his honors and achievements, Shao was a finalist for the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence at UNC Charlotte.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in general business from Old Dominion University, a master’s of business administration degree with a concentration in management from Old Dominion, and a doctoral degree in marketing from the University of Alabama.                   

The 12-member EKU Presidential Search and Screening Committee, appointed by the Board of Regents, was assisted in its work by Academic Search Inc., specifically senior consultants Dr. Jim Appleberry and Dr. Carrie Hauser. “Their efforts, guidance and expertise ensured that we had a successful search,” Turner said.

“Our task and goal at this juncture is to find the right fit for Eastern,” Turner added. “It is now our privilege and responsibility to make a decision that sets the course for future generations of EKU graduates.”

Joining Turner on the EKU Search and Screening Committee are Tom Coffey, EKU Foundation Board; Janet Craig, EKU Regent; Tonya Tarvin Crum, president, Alumni Board, EKU International Alumni Association; Dr. Malcolm Frisbie, EKU Faculty Regent; Steven Fulkerson, EKU Staff Regent; Ernest House, EKU Regent; Dr. Shelia Pressley, chair, EKU Faculty Senate; Bob Roberts, at large; Madelyn Street, Student Regent; David Tandy, EKU Regent; and Ed Worley, community.

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