Campus Visit
Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyercame to campus last week for a ceremonial signing of the Kansas budget bill. While here he met with students, faculty and staff.
Arts & Sciences
Carson Cox, biology alumnus, hosted Dr. David Edds’ Fisheries Management class during an electrofishing trip to Peter Pan Park earlier this month. The class also seined on the Cottonwood River.
Congratulations to Dr. Kat O’Meara (assistant professor of English), who received a Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award, which includes $500.
ESU officials met with representatives of the Delaware Tribeof Indians in Oklahoma last month to share information about the work of Dr. Brice Obermeyer (associate professor of anthropology) as director of the Delaware Tribe Historic Preservation Office, located in Emporia. Brice has worked with the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma since 2001.
Dr. Joyce Thierer (professor of history) and Dr. Anna Catterson (Learning Technologies) are using a summer grant to create a virtual reality experience from the traditional art of Chautauqua or verbal storytelling. When completed, it will be available on iTunes and Google Play.
Students studying Crime and Delinquency Studies travelled to the Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academywith Sgt. Jerrod Schumann of ESU Police. The students experienced hands-on training during their four-day visit.
Congratulations to the winners of the graduate student essaycompetitions in English, Modern Languages, and Journalism. Michaela Kinyon won the Charles E. Walton Graduate Essay award for her essay, “From Colonized to Colonizer: Fear of the Unknown in Stoker’s Dracula,” written for Professor Cynthia Patton. Cara Codney won the Jeremy Wild Graduate Essay award for her essay, “Guaman Poma’s Critique of Spanish Christianity,” written for Professor Rachel Spaulding. Both students receive a certificate and cash award of $500.
Just two days after singing the National Anthem during undergraduate commencement ceremonies, Dr. Scott Wichael (assistant professor of music) began teaching at Zhejiang Normal Universityin Jinhua, China. The month-long course is part of a 1+2+1 agreement between ESU and ZINU music departments. While in Jinhua, Scott will be working with ZINU students who will travel to ESU for classes in the fall.
Emporia State alumni continue to find success in graduate academic programs. Congratulations to four alumni who graduated from the KU School of Medicine with medical doctor degrees — Dr. Riley Stair (B.S. Biology 2014), Dr. Eric Anderson (B.S. Biology 2014), Dr. Kyle Wells (B.S. Biology 2012; M.A. Biology 2014), Dr. Craig Rosenstengle (B.S. Biology 2013) — as well as Dr. Meg Schwartz (B.S. Biology; B.S. Health Promotion 2014), who graduated from KU Med with a doctorate of physical therapy.
Congratulations to William Blair (Biology B.S. 2015, M.S. 2018), who accepted a position as Environmental Associate with the Kansas Department of Health and Environmentin Topeka. He is the primary fish taxonomist for rivers and streams assessment and samples Kansas waters’ physiochemical factors, macroinvertebrates, algae and fish.
Business
Congratulations to James Willingham for receiving the 2017-18 Outstanding Academic Advisor of the Year.
Congratulations to Dr. John Rich for being the first recipient of the Dr. Donald S. Miller Business Faculty Award of Merit.
The BizHornet Centerhas moved from Cremer Hall 207 & 208 downstairs to 130. Thank you to the William and Aloha Preston Family Trust for their generous gift to make this space possible and to our Facilities crew who renovated the space. It looks amazing!
Library & Information Management
SLIM professor Dr. Brendan Fay spoke at Ellen Plumb’s City Bookstorefor a Lunch and Learn on May 17. His talk was on “Nazi Conspiracy Theories Between Weimar and the Third Reich.”
Susie O’Connor received the 2018 W. David Rozkuszka Scholarshipfrom the Government Documents division of the American Library Association. Susie is currently pursuing an MLS degree in the Portland, Oregon, cohort while also working full time in the Hannon Library government documents department at Southern Oregon University.
Facilities
At least two of our ESU ducksare more adventurous this year. They have been spotted several times on Union Square looking through windows into the Union — or checking out their reflections!
The Teachers College
Brittany Jacobson (BSE 2016) received the Susan’s Surprise Awardlast month. Brittany, a kindergarten teacher at Meadow Lane Elementary School in Olathe, was selected from more than 200 nominations for the award, created by the family of the late Susan Spears, a former Olathe teacher.
Mohammad Daouk, who graduated this month with his bachelor’s degree in computer science, shows Dr. Ken Weaver, dean of The Teachers College the new Meta augmented reality headgear. Mohammad worked with Dr. Janet Holland, professor in Instructional Design and Technology, on a project to learn how to use Meta and create 3D hologram objectsthat can be moved and resized by the viewer.
Athletics
Baseball
Emporia State’s Seth Holman and Bryce Fischer were named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association All-Central Region First-Team.
Emporia State’s Seth Holman and Bryce Fischer can add Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Region honorsto their growing list of accomplishments. The pair were named to the D2CCA First-Team All-Central Region
Seth Holman was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Year to highlight seven Emporia State players that earned All-MIAA honorsthis season. He was joined on the FirstTeam by outfielder Bryce Fischer while pitcher Tanner Cairns and catcher Mason Brown were named to the ThirdTeam. First baseman Kaden Shaffer, second baseman Brian Grove and outfielder Mack Gowing earned honorable mention with Brown, Shaffer and Fischer each earning a Gold Glove.
The team ended its season after its third game in the NCAA Division II Baseball Central Region Tournamentin Magnolia, Arkansas. Emporia State finished the season 34-24 and advanced to its fifth straight NCAA Tournament — the longest active streak in the Central Region.
Track & Field
Emporia State is sending eight athletes to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in five events. They are Taysean Goodwin, Luke Stenzel, Colin Coleman, Jordan Reed, Duke Tibbs, Parker Evans, Latiyera Yeargin and Hannah Shield. They will compete in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Emporia State had nine athletes combine for 15 All-Region honors from the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association in the Central Region. The top-five individuals in each event from each region earned All-Region distinction, in addition to each of the members of the regions’ top-three relay teams. The Hornets are Taysean Goodwin, Duke Tibbs, Luke Stenzel, Thomas LaRoche, Parker Evans, Colin Coleman, Jordan Reed, Latiyera Yeargin and Brianna Schmitz.
Emporia State broke one recordand tied another at the Sam Williams Qualifier on their home track. The meet was the afternoon of ESU undergraduate commencements. Latiyera Yeargin ran the fastest time in school history in the women’s 100m and anchored the 4x100m relay to a record tying performance. The 4x100m relay team included Jazmin Williams, Hannah Shield and Malacia Lee.
The men’s team concluded its spring outdoor season with a third-place finish at the MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, their highest team placing since 2010.
Softball
Emporia State’s storybook season came to an end in the NCAA Division II Central Region Championship game on Sunday in Winona, Minnesota. The unranked and eighth-seeded Hornets fell 9-1 to No. 25 Minnesota-Duluth in the “if necessary” game.
The team’s late season surge helped land Danielle Sprinkle a spot on the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Central Region team. The senior from Salina earned second-team honors at first base for the Hornets.