The Wall That Heals, a traveling half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will be on display at the EKU Center for the Arts April 26-29 as part of a national tour.

The exhibit, sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, is the only Wall replica that also includes a traveling museum and an information center, where visitors can learn more about those lost during the Vietnam War and how to find their names on The Wall.

Dr. Beverly Hart has earned Eastern’s highest honor for teaching excellence.

Hart, a professor in the Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing, has received the 2012-14 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.

Three separate Spring Commencement ceremonies at EKU on Saturday, May 5, will recognize a total of 2,207 degree candidates. Keynote speakers include the commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command, the president of the University of Michigan and the senior safety advisor to the director of Army safety.

Kalleigh Norval of Hilliard, Ohio, left, and Trenton Ackerman of Owensboro rehearsed their roles as Sophie and Andy for the EKU Theatre production of Neil Simon's "The Star-Spangled Girl," presented on campus April 18-22. The production's set, sound and lighting designs were entirely created by students. (Public Relations/Stephanie Cole)

In the final Chautauqua lecture of the 2011-12 series Thursday, April 26, an Eastern psychology professor will address the subject of empathy.

Dr. Matthew Winslow, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, will discuss “the barriers to empathy, what empathy can do for us, and how we can increase empathy in all people.” His talk, titled “Walking A Mile in Your Shoes,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in O’Donnell Hall of the Student Success Building. The event is free and open to the public.

The EKU Counseling Center will sponsor a special event to give students, faculty and staff an opportunity before finals begin to relax and learn ways to manage stress: sessions with 13 therapy dogs and their handlers – the first time this type of event has been held on a Kentucky college campus.

Dr. Diana Porter, an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, has been selected as a Team Leader for the Children’s Choice Project for 2012-2014 based on her commitment to children’s literature and her widespread professional involvement with schools across Kentucky.

Avery Scherer, right, an aquatic biology major from Jeffersonville, Ind., was among the approximately 50 students selected to show their work at the University’s annual Undergraduate Presentation Showcase. Scherer’s project was entitled “Reproductive Habitat Requirements of the Federally Threatened Blackside Dace.” Her faculty mentor was Dr. Nick Santangelo of EKU’s biology faculty. (Public Relations/Stephanie Cole)

Dr. Derek Paulsen, director of EKU’s Center for Crime and the Built Environment and an associate professor of criminal justice, was among a group of municipal government innovation experts and practitioners invited to attend a special meeting in New York City, convened by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The EKU Mock Trial Team concluded its highly successful 2011-12 season with a 15th-place finish at the American Mock Trial Association National Championship Tournament in Minneapolis April 13-15.

Eastern’s 50th annual Summer Writing Conference will feature a lineup of noted authors and poets.

Watching a resident mow the lawn of his home that may never be salvaged and hauling pieces of flattened buildings from surrounding fields are just some of the images and experiences a group from Eastern Kentucky University will long remember after helping Morgan County residents recover from a devastating tornado.

Every military veteran has a story to tell, and a three-day symposium at EKU this summer aims to help them do just that.

The Division of Natural Areas will host its annual “Family Nature Day” at Maywoods on Saturday, May 12.

EKU senior Betitala Sinda Mbala is now well on her way to turning her business concept into a true business venture after winning $1,000 in cash and an offer of donated office space.

A summer camp at EKU for gifted and talented students entering grades 4-6 will emphasize the STEM-H disciplines: science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health.

Two programs at the Manchester Campus on Thursday, May 3, will deal with issues related to illicit drug use and substance abuse.

EKU senior chemistry major Michael Mazzotta took first place at the 2012 Regional Undergraduate Chemistry Poster Session hosted by the University of Kentucky’s Department of Chemistry. Each year students from local universities compete for the top $300 prize, sponsored by the Lexington Chapter of the American Chemical Society. On April 13, 2012, 30 students presented their research for this year’s competition on a wide variety of topics. Mazzotta’s work, conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Darrin Smith and funded by EKU’s Center for Renewable and Alternative Fuel Technologies (CRAFT) and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP), involves the analysis of 11 ionic liquids to be used to solubilize lignocellulose biomass. One impediment to commercial production of plant-based biofuel is the extraction of fuel-producing sugars from the lignocellulose in the walls of plant cells.

The original community musical drama, Higher Ground 3: Talking Dirt, presented on campus April 9, explored issues related to mining and decisions about the land and included a variety of songs. The EKU presentation was co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and the Center for Appalachian Studies. (Public Relations/Stephanie Cole)

The EKU Symphony Orchestra will present a concert Friday, April 27, at 8 p.m. in Gifford Theatre.

EKU’s Society for Advancement of Management (SAM) team won second place in the Las Vegas competition held March 29 to April 1.

The Co-op and Internship Office recently recognized 2011-12 Outstanding Co-op/Intern Award recipients. Megan Moore, top, a senior environmental health science major, was named the Outstanding Co-op student and Amanda Bowles, below, a communication studies major, was honored as Outstanding Intern at an April 10 ceremony.

Moore, nominated by Lt. Col. Steven G. Basso, Commander, and Sheila D. Johnson, Chief of Staff, Blue Grass Chemical Activity, has worked as a co-op student and “valued part of the BGCA team” since the summer of 2011.

Bowles was nominated by Dr. Catherine Robinette and Dr. Hayden Phillips for her “exemplary professionalism” as a pediatric dental assistant with Dentistry for Children.

“Congratulations to our outstanding students and many thanks to our dedicated employers who provide our students with extraordinary work assignments and the opportunity to gain invaluable work experience while attending EKU,” said Connie Dirks, Cooperative Education and Internship associate director.

Austin, Michael (Philosophy & Religion). Humility: A Study in Analytic Moral Theology. Wake Forest University. $50,666.

Braccia, Amy (Biological Sciences). Quantifying benthic macroinvertebrates communities and habitat in a recently restored stream in Eastern Kentucky. University of Kentucky. $4,138.

Brown, David (Biological Sciences). Development of Wetland Assessment Methods for Kentucky. University of Kentucky. $4,295.

Elliott, Charles (Biological Sciences). Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair. Kentucky Department of Education. $2,500.

Hayes, David (Biological Sciences). Utilization of environmental DNA and high-throughput sequencing to detect species of mussels in water samples. Kentucky Waterways Alliance. $6,500.

Lori Beth Miller, associate dean of students and director of First-Year Programs, is featured in this ongoing series designed to allow EKU leaders and others in prominent positions to discuss their roles as well as campus issues. Miller, who has been in her current role since July 2009, holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown College, a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a doctoral degree from the University of Phoenix.