CAMPUS NEWS (CONT’D)
Dr. Rick Sparks has just released his latest in a series of quiet-music instru- mental albums. “Hushabye” is Sparks’ fifth album since 2014. It was created specifically to help listeners with relaxation, meditation and sleep. According to Sparks, “Hushabye” is effective at inducing sleep in children. He adds that his oldest listener is a 1947 NGU graduate who uses “Hushabye” every night to fall asleep. His latest album features nine original lullabies and two cover songs, including “Jesus Loves Me.” Since 2014, Sparks’ music has been heard on radio and online outlets worldwide, including SiriusXM’s Spa channel 68 and public radio stations in the U.S.
Dr. Andrew Stevens, assistant professor of communication, was honored by South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) as NGU’s 2019 Excellence in Teaching Award recipient. Stevens holds a Doctor of Ministry from NGU, a Master of Arts in Speech Communication from Marquette Universi- ty, and a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, TV, and Film from Baylor University. He teaches electronic media industry, television and radio broadcasting, media ministry, interpersonal communication, and speech at NGU. He also advises NGU’s student-run radio station, WNGR, and video platform, VisionTV, which is distributed via social media.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION NGU’s chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honor society of women educators, sponsored a professional development opportunity on how to understand and assist students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences or trauma. Te presentation, entitled “Building Hope and Trust,” was presented on Feb. 7, 2019, with more than 60 faculty members and students in attendance. Laura Beauvais, a counselor at Nightlight Christian Adoptions, provided the keynote. She explained the types of trauma that students might experience, the effects, and how educators can work to assist traumatized students to find success.
NGU’s Center for Educational Leadership and Research was selected in a competitive process by Greenwood District 52 to provide consulting in the district’s schools. Te center began by conducting a comprehensive needs as- sessment throughout the district, discovering that 86 percent of kindergarten stu- dents were reading significantly below grade level. NGU’s Dr. Craig Drennon, Dr. Shelley Dugle, and Dr. Harold Long then worked with the school district to redesign its literacy instruction, implement data-driven practices among professional staff, and provide leadership development for its district administra- tion. Te most recent reading assessment conducted by the district in February showed that the percentage of kindergarten students who were reading signifi- cantly below grade level had dropped to 18 percent. (See full story on Page 13.)
Dr. Shelley Dugle from the T. Walter Brashier Graduate School has been ap- pointed associate dean of graduate programs at NGU.
Dr. Jill Branyon is the newly elected president-elect for South Carolina’s organi- zation of Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) Society International. Branyon began her term of service on July 1, 2019; she will serve for two years. She has been a mem- ber of this organization since 2004. In 2012, she received the Golden Gift Award and visited the University of Texas for two weeks to attend DKG’s Leadership Management Seminar. Branyon has served in many capacities, including chapter treasurer and chapter president. She has also attended state conventions, regional conferences, and international conventions.
Dr. Constance Wright has been appointed dean of the newly reorganized College of Education, which now encompasses both NGU’s undergraduate and graduate programs in education.
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES & SCIENCES Dr. H. Paul Tompson, Jr., dean of NGU’s College of Humanities & Sciences, presented “Hell Will Forever Be for Rent: High Hopes of the Prohibitionists” at NGU’s Hamlin Recital Hall on Feb. 19, 2019. At the presentation, Tomp- son discussed the research he published in an article in the “Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History” on the Prohibition and its affects. Tis event was sponsored by the NGU Faculty Research and Scholarship Committee, which promotes faculty scholarly work to the NGU family and broader community.
OFFICE OF ADULT & GRADUATE ADMISSIONS Vicki Hatchell is the operations administrative assistant and receptionist at NGU’s Tim Brashier Campus.
Dr. Michael Kelly has been named regional admissions counselor at NGU’s T. Walter Brashier Graduate School. Kelly serves NGU in the Midlands and Lowcountry of South Carolina. He is a retired U.S. Army chaplain with 35 years of service.
OFFICE OF CAMPUS MINISTRIES AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Dr. Steve Crouse has transitioned to serve as NGU’s chief spiritual formation officer. Crouse has been at NGU since 1991, serving as vice president for campus ministries and senior campus pastor. In his new role, he also continues to serve on the university’s executive leadership council and teach courses in Christian ministry, primarily in NGU’s graduate programs. Crouse holds two earned doc- torates from the Southern Baptist Teological Seminary, specializing in spiritual formation, evangelism, and campus ministries.
Jody Jennings has been appointed to serve as vice president for campus minis- tries and student engagement at NGU. Jennings returned to his alma mater in 2008, overseeing the work of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry and later serving as the associate vice president for campus ministries. He previously served as a mis- sionary to Uganda with the International Mission Board and as a church planter in North Dakota with the North American Mission Board. He holds his Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Teological Seminary, where he is nearing the completion of his Doctor of Education.
Dr. Allen McWhite has been appointed the executive director for the new Insti- tute of Global Leadership (IGL) at NGU. Te institute facilitates student mobili- zation for short-term trips and develops academic programs in leadership, global studies, and related disciplines. Te initial program to be offered by the IGL will be the recently approved minor in global studies, designed to prepare students of all academic majors to be transformational leaders in a global environment. McWhite will also serve as an associate professor of global leadership.
OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS NGU’s Office of Marketing and Communications received the Printing Indus- try of the Carolinas (PICA) Best of Category Award in the division of newsletters for the Spring 2018 issue of “1892” magazine, themed “Light on a Hill.” Erin Wall (’00, MBA ’07) advised the publication, while Sheila Price (’08) served as graphic designer and Celeste Hawkins (’11) as editor.
Sheila Price (’08) was a featured presenter at the 2019 Connections Conference for the Association of Baptist Children’s Home Professionals in Charleston, SC, on Aug. 26, 2019. She led a session on marketing and social media.
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