L-R to observe Memorial Day

Thu May 21 2009

Lenoir-Rhyne University will observe Memorial Day on Monday, May 25. Most campus offices will be closed that day.

Business students travel to Switzerland

Mon May 11 2009

Eleven Lenoir-Rhyne University students in the Charles M. Snipes School of Business got a first-hand look at the global economy during a recent Global Business Study Tour to Switzerland.

The students toured businesses in Switzerland to study the global interaction between Swiss and U.S. businesses. The students who participated were Sue Vang, Albeiro Grimaldi, Alice Romanelli, Brian Stevenson, Terry Sloop, Sybil Settlemyre, Liz Yerby, Mark Angel, Joy Stone, Mike Carlton and Lori Faulkner.

Participants visited the Swiss manufacturing facility for Forbo, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of movement system components. The company’s United States operations are in Huntersville. Sloop, an MBA student at L-R, is the quality assurance manager for Forbo US.

Students also visited the European office for Timberland, which is located in an 800-year old building on the Rhine River.  At this facility, the students interacted with the European director for corporate social responsibility and the finance director. Other manufacturers visited on the trip produce two classic Swiss products – cheese and chocolates. The participants toured the manufacturing facilities and tasted Maestrani Chocolates as well as Gruyere Cheese. (more…)

Kings give presentation at European conference

Mon May 11 2009

Drs. J. Wayne and A. Dale King were recently invited to present Globalization’s Effects on LifeLong Learning at the Annual Conference of the European Council for Business Education (ECBE) in Belgium.  Dr. Wayne King, Professor Emeritus, and Dr. A. Dale King, Jefferson-Pilot Professor of Business and MBA Coordinator from the Charles M. Snipes School of Business at Lenoir-Rhyne University, were the only Americans invited to present at the Conference.

Dr. Richard Johnson, Editor of the ECBE Conference Proceedings, honored the Kings with the recognition that their paper was judged the highest quality research paper and their presentation was judged as the most informative and best presented discussion at the international conference.  ECBE accredits Business programs at European and Asian institutions of higher education.The Snipes School of Business is accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).  ECBE and ACBSP are corollary organizations and coordinate the delivery of quality business education throughout the US and global institutions.

Drs. King were invited back for future ECBE Conferences because of the quality of their paper and presentation.

Business Ethics students send treats to troops

Mon May 11 2009

Students in Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Business Ethics and Social Responsibility class conducted an Adopt a Soldier Project to raise awareness and purchase items for “goody bags” for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This course is offered in the Business Program at Lenoir-Rhyne University each semester. As a required course project, the class is expected to conduct some socially responsible service-learning activity. The activity uses the students’ ideas, design and logistics, with the approval of Dr. Dale King, professor of business.

For the spring semester, the class decided to focus on remembering the sacrifices of American soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Lenoir-Rhyne students conducted an awareness and item collection event in the Cromer Student Center to demonstrate the everyday needs of American soldiers serving on foreign soil.

The students developed the project, established goals for the project, designed the tactics to reach the goals, and developed the marketing tools to inform the Lenoir-Rhyne University community.

There were 17 students in the class and everyone participated in the service-learning project. The goody bags each included a card and personal note.

The bags will be sent to four service members who are known by someone in the class. Those receiving the goody bags are: Lance Corporal Riley Dixon, Corporal Anna Feliz, Petty Officer Jesse Becke and Private First Class Gregory Hart. Each service member will be asked to share bags with others so that that some of their friends will know that the Lenoir-Rhyne University Business Ethics class adopted them.

Proud moment

Fri May 8 2009

Lenoir-Rhyne University graduate Elizabeth Kirby of Lenoir poses with her mother, Melanie Kirby, at The Charge on campus as proud father Brooks Kirby snaps a photo. LRU graduation was held May 8.

LRU recognizes Zeta Phi Beta sorority

Tue May 5 2009

Lenoir-Rhyne University officially recognized Zeta Phi Beta, the campus’ first historically African-American sorority, during L-R’s annual Greek Awards ceremony.

Members of the sponsoring graduate chapter, Nu Alpha Zeta, and the brother fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, were in attendance.

Phyllis Chunn-Duncan, president of the sponsoring graduate chapter, presented the university with a certificate of charter from the sorority’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C. The newly chartered chapter will be named Theta Tau.

The quest to have this organization on campus started more than six years ago. Lenoir-Rhyne alumna LaKeisha Ross stated, “This is something that I have long dreamed and worked for. I am happy to see my sorority recognized officially on campus and look forward to the organization doing great things on and for the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University as well as the Greater Hickory community.”

Zeta Phi Beta sorority is used to having set the standard of “firsts.” Zeta Phi Beta was the first Greek-letter organization to charter a chapter in Africa (1948); to form adult and youth auxiliary groups; to centralize its operations in a national headquarters; and to be constitutionally bound to a fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. (more…)

Bluebird Trail helps monitor local birds

Mon May 4 2009

Lenoir-Rhyne University students are helping to save native Eastern Bluebirds through the creation of a Bluebird Trail on campus.

There are three species of North American bluebirds, which were once very common. Eastern Bluebirds are the only kind found near Hickory. Native Americans and early settlers often placed gourds or nesting boxes on their property to attract the birds, which primarily eat insects and usually do not eat food crops.

However, the bluebird population declined by as much as 90 percent in the early to mid-1900s. Factors affecting the bluebirds included loss of suitable nesting sites due to land clearing and development, competition from non-native bird species, and use of pesticides such as DDT.

However, thanks to grassroots conservation efforts, the bluebirds are making a comeback and are no longer on the Endangered Species List.

A Bluebird Trail is a series of 10 nesting boxes that are monitored on a regular basis throughout the nesting season, which runs from April through August. Bluebirds are very picky about where they will nest, usually choosing a hollow log or cavity in a dead standing tree. However, the birds are not strong enough to create these nesting spots for themselves. They usually take up residence in naturally occurring dead trees or in cavities created by woodpeckers.

Erin Seiling, assistant director of the Thomas W. Reese Institute on campus, obtained a grant from the N.C. Bluebird Society to establish the L-R Bluebird Trail. The society has strict guidelines about the construction and location of boxes. The L-R trail is located on the Tally Bowman Outdoor Classroom on campus.

The boxes were installed last summer. Dr. Marsha Fanning’s Field Biology class began monitoring the boxes during the spring semester. The 11 students in the class began checking the boxes weekly, looking for adult bluebirds and signs of nesting activity. After several weeks of watching the birds checking out the new boxes, the class members found the first nest on March 24. The first bluebird eggs were seen April 14. (more…)

Chi Beta Phi Science Honorary inducts new members

Mon May 4 2009

The Alpha Beta Chapter of Chi Beta Phi Science Honorary inducted 16 new members in April.

The new members are: Robert “Smitty” Oakes, a senior with a double major in physics and theology from Hickory; Amanda Withers, a junior biology major from Stanley; Isaac Smith, a junior biology, chemistry, and Spanish major from Boone; Joseph White, a senior conservation of natural resources major from Conover; Breanne Yingling, a senior honors biology major from Fairmount, Ind.; Rebecca Smith, a sophomore chemistry major from Hickory; Katie Novacek, a senior theoretical mathematics and classics major from Raleigh; Lindsay Yount, a junior biology pre-med major from West Jefferson; Mallory Lowder, a junior biology major from Albemarle; Christine Todd, a junior biology major from Concord.

Also: Victoria Young, sophomore math education major from Connelly Springs; Amanda Brooke Kiziah, a junior secondary mathematics education major from Hickory; Andrew Talian, a senior mathematics and computer science major from Lynchburg, Va.; Muriah Bottemiller, a senior biology major from Hickory; Lucas Carnohan, a sophomore biology major from Gooding, Idaho; and Joshua Farris, a senior with a double major in biology and chemistry from Morganton.

Officers for the 2008-09 academic year were Joshua Farris, president; Breanne Yingling, vice president; Amanda Kiziah, secretary/historian; and Lindsay Yount, treasurer. Dr. Michelle Mabry, assistant professor of biology, is the advisor for Alpha Beta Chapter and national vice president of Chi Beta Phi.

The goals of Chi Beta Phi are to promote interest in math and science and to give recognition to scholarly attainment. Chi Beta Phi began at Randolph-Macon College in 1916, and the Alpha Beta Chapter of Lenoir-Rhyne dates to 1952.

LRU recognizes faculty and staff

Fri May 1 2009

Lenoir-Rhyne University recognized faculty and staff members during the final convocation of the year.

Dr. Katherine Pasour, dean of the College of Health Sciences, received the Roediger Distinguished  Professorship. This award is presented annually by the university’s president to recognize distinguished service to Lenoir-Rhyne.

Dr. Antonio Santo, program coordinator and assistant professor of exercise science, received the Faculty Scholar Award. This award is presented to the faculty member who has made the greatest contribution to his or her discipline in the spirit of academic inquiry during the academic year.

Dr. Karen McDougal, professor of biology, received the Raymond Morris Bost Distinguished Professor Award. This award, given in honor of a former president of Lenoir-Rhyne, recognizes and encourages outstanding teaching. Students nominate their professors for this award.

Otis Pitts, director of facilities management, received the Jeff Norris Non-Teaching Employee of the Year Award. This award is presented to the staff member who displays expertise beyond competence in his or her field, is reliable in attendance, contributes to the stated college mission, goes beyond the call of duty in one’s work, contributes improvement ideas, places institutional good above individual or department good, displays a positive attitude, willingness to work, enthusiasm, flexibility, ability to adapt to change.

The following professors received promotions or tenure. Dr. Douglas Burkholder and Dr. Christopher Nigrelli were promoted to full professor. Dr. Bjarne Berg and Dr. Janet Painter were granted tenure and promoted to associate professor.

This year, the Lenoir-Rhyne yearbook, the Hacawa, was dedicated to two people. Those honored with the dedication were Dr. Karen Dill, professor of psychology, and George Ussery, a Dining Services employee. (more…)

Can Dora the Explorer create more acceptance of Latinos?

Fri May 1 2009

Does playing video games affect the way young children perceive members of the Latino community? That is the question being studied by Dr. Karen Dill, professor of psychology at Lenoir-Rhyne University, and two international colleagues.

The scholars conducted their research at Jenkins Elementary School in Hickory and at Hickory High School Child Development Center. After obtaining permission from their parents, children ages 4-7 were asked to play two different video games. One was based on Dora the Explorer, a popular Latina children’s TV character. The second video game was called Jewels and did not include any characters.

Immediately after playing each game, the children were asked to respond to questions that indirectly measured their attitude toward Latino children. They were shown several pictures of children of different ethnic backgrounds. The students were asked to select the three children that they would choose as friends, would invite to a birthday party, or would pick for their soccer team. They also completed a complex computer program that analyzes attitudes.

The hope is that the research will reveal that when children see positive examples of Latinos, like Dora the Explorer, in the media, they will transfer those positive feelings onto other Latinos. Previous research has indicated that the immediate reaction to playing a video game can affect long-term attitudes as well.

Dr. Carlo Fabricatore, a university professor and software consultant from Rome, Italy; and Ximena Lopez, who is completing her Ph.D. in psychology in Rome; were in Hickory during April to collaborate on the international research project. Several Lenoir-Rhyne psychology majors also assisted.

Lopez, who is originally from Chile, said that part of her dissertation research concerns the educational potential of video games. After earning her doctorate, she hopes to work in the field of educational technology, specifically as it applies to persons with disabilities. (more…)