“I think it is very fitting that this memorial come to our campus, given Eastern Kentucky University’s long tradition of support of the military and our veterans,” President Whitlock said. “Some of the names on this wall are graduates of this institution. I knew each of them, and really look forward to the opportunity to honor their memories.”

Jan Scruggs, president and founder of VVMF, will speak at an opening ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 26, on the Center’s south lawn. The program will also include a presentation by EKU ROTC’s Pershing Rifle Drill Team, which recently won the national championship.

The traveling museum tells the story of the Vietnam War, the Wall, and the Era, and is contained in nine display windows on the sides of the trailer that transports The Wall. Exhibits feature some of the more than 150,000 items that have been left at The Wall since it was built, as well as items left at The Wall That Heals. Other displays chronicle the history of The Wall and facts about the Vietnam War. A computerized information center allows visitors to find information about the more than 58,000 named on the Memorial.

The VVMF has launched a national movement to get photos of all those named on The Wall – for use in the Education Center at the Wall, an underground learning facility being built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and online at the VVMF’s Virtual Memorial Wall online. Those with a photo of a service member listed on The Wall are welcome to bring it to the traveling exhibit and have it scanned while they wait. Photos can also be submitted online at vvmf.org/photos.

The 250-foot replica will be installed on the south lawn of the EKU Center’s lake level and, along with the mobile museum, will be open to the public 24 hours a day at no charge. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Memorial’s construction in the nation’s capital.

The Center is seeking volunteers to serve as greeters and in other supporting roles during The Wall exhibit. Visit va.eku.edu/wall-volunteers to sign up.

The Wall That Heals brings the experience of Vietnam to students and provides a rare opportunity for them to gain a heightened awareness of the impact and legacy of the Vietnam War. Educators can visit vvmf.org/vvmf-education to view and download educational materials related to this exhibition.

For more information, or to schedule a class trip, call the Center’s Box Office at 622-7469.

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

Hart, who joined the EKU faculty in 1989, has taught a variety of courses across the department and has served since 2001 as coordinator of the RN-to-BSN program. She has been instrumental in the expansion of the program at the University’s Corbin campus and, while based there, became the first EKU regional campus faculty member to gain tenure and full professor status. She also was a pioneer in the use of interactive television as a medium to expand educational opportunities and thereby enhance the quality of health care in rural Kentucky.

In addition to her service on numerous departmental, college and university committees, Hart has been active in her profession, serving in various capacities at the state and national level.

“Dr. Hart has served with enthusiasm, creativity, leadership and dedication to our students and programs,” said Dr. Deborah Whitehouse, interim dean of the College of Health Sciences. “Recognized by her colleagues for her expertise in emergency nursing and psychiatric mental health nursing, she is first and foremost a remarkable and gifted teacher. Dr. Hart draws on her clinical expertise to capture students’ interest and curiosity and to capitalize on the teachable moments when students learn so much. She … is able to present subject matter in a way that stimulates and challenges students to think, grow and mature academically and professionally.”

In addition to a baccalaureate degree in nursing from EKU, Hart earned a master’s degree in nursing from Bellarmine College and a doctoral degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati.

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

The first ceremony, at 9 a.m., will recognize degree candidates in the College of Arts and Sciences. The second ceremony, at 1:30 p.m., will recognize degree candidates in the Colleges of Business and Technology and Education. The day’s final ceremony, at 5:30 p.m., will honor candidates in the Colleges of Health Sciences and Justice and Safety. All ceremonies are in Alumni Coliseum.

The keynote speaker in the 9 a.m. ceremony will be Dr. Brenda Miller, senior safety advisor to the director of Army safety, U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., and functional chief representative for Career Program-12 (safety and occupational health). Also an assistant professor and course developer for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, she serves as chair of the Gulf Coast Federal Safety and Health Council and is on the Alabama Governor’s Council for Safety and Health.

The keynote speaker for the 1:30 ceremony will be Gen. David Rodriguez, the 19th commander of the United States Army Forces Command. As commander of the Army’s largest organization, Rodriguez is responsible for manning, equipping and training 265,000 active component soldiers, and training and readiness oversight of 560,000 soldiers of the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve. He has earned master’s degrees from the United States Naval War College and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, seen extensive combat experience and received many awards and decorations for his service.

Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan since 2002, will serve as keynote speaker for the 5:30 p.m. ceremony. Coleman, who has been named by Time magazine as one of the nation’s “10 Best College Presidents,” is a Madison County native and attended Model Laboratory School. She holds several higher education leadership positions at the national level, including chair of the Association of American Universities, and led “The Michigan Difference,” a campaign to raise $2.5 billion for the future of the institution. At its conclusion in 2008, the total had reached $3.2 billion, the most ever raised by a public university.

Miller and Rodriguez will receive honorary doctor of laws degrees, Coleman an honorary doctor of science degree.

In all, 1,643 bachelor’s degree candidates will be recognized, plus 443 master’s degree candidates, 107 associate degree candidates, eight specialist degree candidates and six doctoral degree candidates.

Student speakers will be Sandra Carpenter, 9 a.m. ceremony; Amy Janowiecki, 1:30 p.m. ceremony; and Elizabeth Hagan, 5:30 p.m. ceremony.

College receptions for the graduates and their families will be held in the Fred Darling Gymnasium in Alumni Coliseum immediately after each ceremony.

The public is welcome to attend any of the ceremonies.

“What can we do about problems like prejudice, aggression, rudeness and intolerance?” Winslow asked. “I will propose that any answer must involve empathy.”

Winslow, who joined the EKU faculty in 1998, teaches courses on social psychology, political psychology, sex, prejudice, empathy, and evolutionary psychology. His research interests include empathy, prejudice, media bias and self-regulation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Macalester College, a master’s in social psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and his doctoral degree in social psychology from the University of Minnesota.

This year’s Chautauqua theme has been “Living with Others: Challenges and Promises.”

For more information about the Chautauqua lecture, contact Dr. Minh Nguyen at minh.nguyen@eku.edu.

“Pawsibilities for Student Success at EKU” will feature three sessions on Wednesday, April 25, trained therapy dogs, as well as information and strategies for stress management.

“EKU’s Counseling Center is available to provide the full range of counseling services for students as they navigate this challenging yet wonderful period in their lives,” said Counseling Center Director Jen Walker. “The primary aim of the Counseling Center is to help students to succeed in their goals as college students. If we can’t help them, we try to find other resources where they can get the help they need. We offer counseling, workshops, and classes. (See www.counseling.eku.edu for more information.) One of the top stresses for the college student is academic stress. Anxiety can rise considerably for the college student during the time before and during finals.”

The Counseling Center will provide tips on specific strategies designed to help students address their test anxiety during the April 25 event, and the therapy dogs, along with handlers, will be available to students at the Powell Student Center, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Campus Recreation Center, 3-5 p.m.; and Burnam Hall, 5-7 p.m.

The certified handlers accompanying the dogs are from the Richmond-Madison County area, Cynthiana, Frankfort, Owensboro, Shepherdsville, Georgetown and Shelbyville.

The Kentucky non-profit group providing the dogs and handlers, Pawsibilities Unleashed: Pet Therapy of Kentucky, is a central Kentucky therapy pet and service dog organization run by volunteers with two professional trainers who assess dogs for entrance into the program. The therapy dogs visit hospitals, nursing homes, Hospice facilities and libraries, and work with autistic children -- now they’re helping on college campuses.

Why therapy dogs?

“Pets can have a dramatic calming effect on people,” Walker explained. “A calm, gentle, friendly dog can reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Dogs can be reminiscent of fond memories of home.”

Studies have shown that a few minutes of stroking a pet dog decreases cortisol, the stress hormone in both the human and the dog and produces positive effects by reducing blood pressure and inducing relaxation.

The International Reading Association (IRA) and the Children’s Book Council (CBC) have co-sponsored the Children’s Choice Project since 1974. Each year, more than 12,000 school children from grades K-6 evaluate and write reviews of their favorite titles from books donated by U.S. children’s book publishers. This much-admired project results in a trusted annotated list of approximately 100 recommended books that is valuable to teachers, parents, librarians, and children.

These Children’s Choices, selected from more than 500 titles, can be counted on as books children really enjoy reading. This list, a project of a joint committee supported by IRA and The Children’s Book Council (CBC), is designed for use not only by teachers, librarians, administrators, and booksellers but also by parents, grandparents, caregivers, and everyone who wishes to encourage young people to read for pleasure.

Porter will collaborate with several schools in the Central Kentucky area that will receive copies of new books for children to read. At the end of the project, the schools keep the books.

In February, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray appointed Paulsen, who lives in Lexington, to be the city’s first commissioner focused solely on planning.

The NYC event focused on the emerging innovation ecosystem to increase innovation capacity within city government and the approaches being used in the ground, connecting city innovators from across the nation and engaging them in conversations on how this work can best be supported.

Paulsen, who earned his Ph.D. in criminal justice in 2000 from Sam Houston State University, is a nationally recognized expert on building safe communities and is the author of several books on building socially sustainable communities.

Bloomberg Philanthropies works primarily to advance five areas globally: the Arts, Education, the Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. $330 million was distributed in 2011.

EKU finished ahead of teams from the University of California at Berkeley, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, University of Cincinnati, University of New Hampshire, University of Illinois at Chicago, Hamilton College and Cornell College.

Representing EKU on the national championship tournament team were Zac Caldwell, Elizabethtown; Katelyn Connor, Erlanger; Josh Lang, Fort Thomas; Jade Petty, Stanton; Anthony Sean Potter, Whitesburg; Chloe Richardson, Orient, Ohio; Marcus Segura, Fort Thomas; Ally Sipes, Mt. Sterling; and Caleb Taylor, Union.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this year's team,” said Tom Parker, one of the EKU coaches. “We graduated four key members of our national championship tournament team last year, and no one would have been surprised to see us struggle this year. Instead, we made it all the way back to championships again and finished strong.”

Parker noted that four of the nine members of this year’s national tournament championship squad were freshmen, indicating a bright future for the program.

Other EKU coaches are Sara Zeigler, Lawrence Hilton and Lynnette Noblitt. Financial support is provided by University Programs, the College of Justice & Safety, the Department of Government, and distinguished alumnus Bob Sanders.

The event, June 11-15 in the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity on the Richmond campus, is the longest running creative writing conference in Kentucky and one of the older ones in the nation. Participants will immerse themselves in creative writing for a week, participate in craft workshops and lectures and discuss their complete manuscripts with conference faculty.

In addition, a Small and Independent Press Panel on Thursday, June 14 will feature Sarah Gorham, co-founder Sarabande Books; Charlie Hughes, Wind Publications; and Kate Larken, publisher, Motes Books.

The conference is open to emerging and experienced writers alike.

Days are rounded out with group lunches and dinners. Evenings also feature readings by visiting writers and conference faculty. The readings will take place at 7 p.m. daily June 11-14 in the Noel Studio’s Discovery Classroom.

Visiting writers for this year’s conference are:

• Harry Brown, Foundation Professor Emeritus of English at EKU, the author of six poetry collections, most recently “In Some Households The King Is Soul.”
• T Fleischmann, whose book-length essay, “Syzygy, Beauty,” is recently out from Sarabande Books, and who has contributed Notable Essays in “The Best American Essays, 2009 and 2010.”
• George Ella Lyon, award-winning Kentucky author and poet, whose recent works include “She Let Herself Go” (poetry), “Holding on to Zoe” (novel) and “Which Side Are You On? The Story of A Song” and “All the Water in the World,” picture books and both ALA notables.
• Amy Elizabeth Smith, author of the newly released travel memoir, “All Roads Lead to Austen: A Year-Long Journey with Jane,” which describes a year traveling in eight Latin American countries, learning Spanish and leading Jane Austen reading groups.
• Crystal Wilkinson, Kentucky native and author of “Blackberries, Blackberries,” winner of the 2002 Chaffin Award for Appalachian Literature,” and “Water Street,” a finalist for both the UK’s Orange Prize for Fiction and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award.

Conference faculty, who all teach in EKU’s Master’s in Fine Arts Creative Writing Program (Bluegrass Writers Studio), are:

• Julie Hensley, whose stories and poems have appeared in many journals and whose poetry chapbook, “The Language of Horses,” was released in 2011.
• Nancy Jensen, whose novel, “The Sisters,” was selected by the Independent Booksellers Association as the No. 1 Indie Next Pick for December 2011 and included by Kirkus Reviews on its Best Fiction of 2011 list.
• R Dean Johnson, whose essays and stories have appeared in numerous publications and whose fiction has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

The application deadline is May 26. For more information, including tuition costs, contact Conference Director R Dean Johnson at r-dean.johnson@eku.edu or at 622-6263.

Students and non-students are encouraged to apply, and on-campus housing is available. For those 65 and older, the conference is free, with a non-refundable $35 application fee.

The conference is sponsored by EKU’s Master’s in Fine Arts Creative Writing Program (Bluegrass Writers Studio) and the Department of English and Theatre. For more information about the program, download a brochure and application at www.english.eku.edu/mfa. The event also has a Facebook page at EKU Summer Creative Writing Conference.

Sociology professor Stephanie McSpirit and Director of University Farms Rick Griebenow were aided by Robert Russell, local business owner, in leading the group of seven students: Tyler Young, Dana Goodlett, Mary Phillips, Megan Norton, junior anthropology majors; Jennifer Tolson, junior general studies in criminal justice major; Erin Watts, junior biology major; and EKU graduate Bobby Carey.

Working in the Woodsbend community just west of West Liberty April 6-7, the group picked debris out of the farm fields so hay could be harvested this year, in hopes of cleaning the fields before the crop got too tall.

“When students participate in activities beyond the classroom, they engage in the act of applying their theoretical knowledge,” said Dr. Jennifer Wies, faculty adviser for EKU’s Student Anthropology Club. “This makes their disciplinary canons real. The visceral experience of being a part of that which they are studying is where lifelong change occurs.”

The effort began with McSpirit’s online environmental sociology class and the Society of Student Anthropologists club. With Tolson making initial contacts for the group and Young and other members of the anthropology club pressing to move quickly, the project gained momentum. “Ultimately, this project has been truly student driven,” McSpirit said.

The Office of Regional Stewardship and Brian Perry, assistant director of student life, helped provide support for the project. In weeks directly after the tornadoes, EKU consulted with staff from Morehead State University who had been assisting in the area since the tornado to help start the volunteer project.

“We all tend to take life for granted,” Griebenow said. “The devastation resembled a movie scene of a war-torn area.”

Morgan County resident James Green said that the community “gained hope and the feeling that they are not alone to face this monumental task of reassembling their lives and homes. This group helped restore that drive that someday our community will recover and, through our experiences, will be even closer and stronger.”

Young said “the main thing we took back with us was the satisfaction of helping good people get back on their feet. The community of Woodsbend welcomed us with open arms, and it was a real pleasure to work beside them and get to know them. The scale of devastation is impossible to grasp, even after seeing it with your own eyes. The volunteer efforts in the area have been enormous, but the community still has a long way to go.”

Goodlett said that “there is little that can be compared to lending a helping hand to people in need. It is a truest sense of fulfillment. I am anxiously looking forward to our future efforts working in the Woodsbend community.”

Tornado relief has since become a university-wide effort. A working committee was established to organize and coordinate EKU’s efforts to assist with the relief and recovery in the eastern Kentucky areas affected by the March storms and tornadoes. Another trip is planned to the West Liberty area on Saturday, April 21, and additional trips are being planned to assist other hard-hit areas over the coming months. Any individual faculty or staff member, group, department or office interested in participating in the current tornado relief efforts on behalf of EKU, or desiring to join the conversation of how Eastern can prepare for disaster response in the future should contact the Office of Regional Stewardship at 622-3543 or at karrie.adkins@eku.edu. (EKU students and RSOs should contact Brian Perry at 622-3855 or brian.perry@eku.edu.) The web site, communityservice.eku.edu/tornado-relief-efforts also offers more information.

The Military Experience and Arts Symposium, at the university’s Noel Studio for Academic Creativity July 5-7, will equip veterans with empowering creative skills and a voice.

Concurrent workshops will focus on creative prose, poetry, sculpting, drama, music, and therapeutic expression. Numerous support services will also be on hand, including the mobile vet center from Lexington and other veteran service organizations.

Each night will feature special events open to the public that are designed to bridge the gap between civilian and military cultures.

A music concert is planned for the Ravine the evening of July 6, and veteran participants and contributors to EKU’s award-winning Journal of Military Experience will showcase their works in a special reading on the evening of July 7. The second volume of JME will be released on July 5.

Each night will feature speeches and lectures by well-known instructors in the fields of creative writing and creative therapies, including Brian Mochenhaupt, Iraq War veteran and combat correspondent for Esquire, the Atlantic and Reader’s Digest; Emma Rainey, founder of the “Writing My Way Back Home” workshop for veterans; and Ron Capps, director of the therapeutic writing program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

“With each generation, young men and women encounter the extremes of the human condition in locations near and far, returning home in disbelief, struggling to explain – to themselves as well as others – what it was that happened to them,” said Travis Martin, event coordinator and editor of EKU’s Journal of Military Experience. “These three days of workshops, other events and the camaraderie are designed specifically to help veterans tell their stories.”

The event is limited to 100 veterans – any era or branch of service. In addition to the free workshops, all attendees will receive free lodging and meals for three days, free supplies and textbooks to help with the creative processes.

For more information, as well as a link to registration, visit militaryexperience.org/symposium, or contact Martin at travis.martin@uky.edu or 859-257-1840.

More than 1,000 military veterans and their dependents are now enrolled at EKU.

The last two years, among the nation’s four-year colleges and universities, EKU has earned No. 1 and No. 2 national rankings, respectively, from Military Times EDGE magazine for its commitment to helping military veterans further their education. In 2010, Eastern launched Operation Veteran Success, a series of initiatives designed to make the university even more veteran-helpful.

EKU’s Operation Veteran Success initiatives include:

• No admission fees for undergraduate veterans.
• In-state tuition for all out-of-state veterans nationwide.
• Maximum credit hours for military experience.
• Priority registration. Book vouchers and Books for Boots Exchange Library.
• Veterans Bridge to College Success cohort classes.
• Veterans orientation course.
• EKU is also home to The Journal of Military Experience, which won one of 14 Phi Kappa Phi national literacy grants and “Program of the Year” honors from Student Veterans of America for providing veterans at EKU with a voice in 2011. The second volume provides the same service to veterans nationwide and will include the scholarship of researchers interested in bridging the gap between civilian and military cultures.
• Veteran-helpful withdrawal and readmission policy.
• Vet-2-Vet sponsorship program and active Vets Club.
• Recreational and other extracurricular activities.
• Specially designated housing for student veterans.
• Veteran Studies minor, believed to be the nation’s first, to help those who haven’t served in the military to better understand the issues that veterans face, and to help the veterans themselves deal with those issues.

Also, EKU was recently named a VetSuccess University by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and now has a full-time VA employee, Kim Dickey, on staff to help veterans with their benefits issues.

In addition to the Military Times honors, Eastern was also recognized by G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and has been named a Pat Tillman Military Scholar Partnership University, one of only 14 in the nation.

For more information about services available to veterans at EKU, contact the university’s Veterans Affairs Office at 859-622-7838 or visit va.eku.edu.

A full day of outdoor activities for children and adults, led by EKU faculty, staff and students, will be available at no charge at the University’s wildlife refuge and natural area. Planned events include a “Creek Crawl” to explore the stream ecosystem and learn about its diverse inhabitants, a 1.4-mile hike to discover more about the oak-hickory forest ecosystem, and a GPS scavenger hunt that will teach the basics of navigating and researching with a GPS unit.

Several all-day activities will also be offered; pre-registration for these events is not required:

• Outdoor Adventure, enjoy recreational mountain biking and slack lining.
• Slithering Friends, learn to distinguish venomous and non-venomous snakes.
• Fishing Basics, learn the art of fishing and enjoy a day with a fishing expert (fishing equipment provided).
• Nature Games and Crafts, enjoy a variety of games and crafts (for all ages) to learn more about the natural environment.

Several activities are scheduled in morning and afternoon sessions and require pre-registration. Participants may attend any of the planned outings; however, space is limited for many, so register early. To register, visit www.naturalareas.eku.edu/natureday.

Morning, 10 a.m.-Noon

• Creek Crawl, explore the stream ecosystem and learn about its diverse inhabitants. Wear old shoes or boots.
• Forest Ecology Hike, discover the fascinating oak-hickory forest ecosystem on a 1.4-mile hike.
• Bird Tracking Adventure, learn (and practice) how biologists capture, band and track birds using mist-nets and radio telemetry.

Afternoon, 1-3 p.m.

• Woodland Creature Hunt, hunt for the hidden and camouflaged creatures living in the Maywoods forest.
• Water Wonders, explore water’s unique properties with fun investigations and games.
• GPS Scavenger Hunt, learn the basics of navigating and researching with a GPS unit while enjoying a scavenger hunt.

Located approximately 22 miles southwest of Richmond and the EKU campus; Maywoods straddles Garrard and Rockcastle Counties’ hilly terrain and is covered by second-growth oak and pine forests. For directions, visit www.naturalareas.eku.edu/maywoods-environmental-and-educational-laboratory. (Note: GPS unit directions may be incorrect for Maywoods and should not be used.)

The EKU Wildlife Society will offer lunch concessions ($5 lunch includes hamburger, chips, drink and a cookie; items also available at individual prices). Participants are also welcome to bring their own picnic lunch.

To register or for more information, visit www.naturalareas.eku.edu/events/family-nature-day-maywoods or call 622-2167.

Mbala, an international business major, has been named the winner of the 2012 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards (EIEA) Collegiate Business Concept Challenge. Mbala said she plans to use her $1,000 cash award from the competition along with other offers of assistance to start Nesiyah, an online business and social network.

Nesiyah, inspired from the Hebrew word, “Nesi’ah,” which means journey or travel, is based on the concept of ridesharing, where people carpool in common vehicles to and from popular destinations.

Mbala’s winning concept immediately drew the attention of EKU’s Center for Economic Development, Entrepreneurship and Technology (CEDET) and its director, Ian Mooers.

“The Business Accelerator at EKU is providing office space and a $1,000 match of Beti’s EIEA award so she can start her business now,” Mooers said. “We want to do as much as we can to support our student entrepreneurs, and help them achieve their dreams.”

CEDET houses the Eastern Region Innovation and Commercialization Center (ICC), a Small Business Development Center and Entrepreneur Service. It also houses office space for clients of the ICC Business Accelerator, more commonly known as an incubator.

The core mission of Nesiyah, which was born from an idea Mbala received while studying in France last fall, is to facilitate and promote the transportation of people in a more cost-effective, earth-friendly, and social way.

“I believe that Nesiyah will be the answer to a lot of people’s prayers,” Mbala said. “We live in a world where gas prices are rising by the day, and public transportation is often very difficult or non-existent all together in a lot of American towns.”

Mbala’s business concept for Nesiyah was one of four innovated ideas presented before a panel of judges at the ninth annual Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards Collegiate Business Concept Challenge.

Other finalists in the competition and a brief summary of their business ideas are as follows:

• Carolyn Wurzelbacher: the EKU student pitched a new business for embellished jeans, “Jean It Up,” featuring personalized designs through fabric paints.
• M. Syeed Siddique: the Berea College student proposed Global EHR Solutions LLC, an enterprise software development company that provides certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) solutions to health-care providers.
• Salvador Carmona, Clint Jones, and John Johnson: the University of the Cumberlands trio presented a concept for “Food 2U,” a food delivery service from local restaurants within the city limits of Williamsburg for customers too busy to go out and have lunch or dinner.

The Collegiate Business Concept Challenge is a component of the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards (EIEA) program, which annually honors the region’s top business leaders and entrepreneurs in southern and eastern Kentucky.

Students from southern and eastern Kentucky universities, colleges, and community colleges are invited to submit business ideas and compete for cash awards and professional consultation at the competition.

Mbala and her faculty sponsor, Dr. Weiling Zhuang, who also received a $250 cash award from the competition, will be recognized this September at the 2012 EIEA awards luncheon at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

EIEA — honoring excellence since 2001 — recognizes success in entrepreneurship by honoring businesspeople and entrepreneurs in 55 Kentucky counties who have created and are managing a successful enterprise.

EIEA sponsoring partners include EKU’s College of Business and Technology, the Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, The Center for Rural Development, and its newest partner, Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation (SKED).

For more information about the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Collegiate Business Concept Challenge, visit www.eiea.eku.edu.

The fifth annual event, titled “Soar to the New Heights,” will be held June 18-29 at EKU’s state-of-the-art New Science Building, which opened to students earlier this year.

The camp runs 8 a.m. to noon on each weekday through the two-week period and features five courses taught by EKU graduate students mentored by EKU faculty:

• Science on the Move, which combines the curiosity for science with the excitement of exercise activities. Students will travel through and explore a variety of science modules, including anatomy, exercise physiology, and nutrition.
• Explore the Universe: The Solar System, where students will learn about the motion of the planets, the relationship between the Earth and moon, and more. They will also create art projects based on what they learn.
• CSI: Crime Science Investigators, where students will be part of a detective team and learn about different techniques forensic scientists use to catch lawbreakers.
• Space Odyssey, in which students will travel back in time with the Greek and Roman gods and learn dozens of constellations and the stories behind their characters. They will spend time in the Star Lab, a bubble big enough for 30 – while learning how to chart the stars and find constellations. Students will then see how NASA used the space shuttle to explore space and experiment with objects in zero gravity. Teams will build the interior of the cabin of a shuttle and design their own space station.
• Lego-Botics, which will allow students to enjoy a hands-on robotics lab as they build problem-solving skills in the STEM disciplines. Students will model real-life mechanisms to explore the world of engineering while showing their critical thinking and logic skills.

Enrollment is limited, so early registration is urged. The cost is $65 per student, and all registration by mail must be postmarked by May 7. Students must be recommended by their school’s counselor or gifted and talented teacher. For more information or to initiate registration, contact Dr. Dorie Combs or Debra Sparks with the Gifted and Talented Program in EKU’s College of Education, 859-622-2154, Registration with payment may also be sent to: Curriculum and Instruction, Gifted and Talented, Combs Building 215, Eastern Kentucky University, 521 Lancaster Ave., Richmond, Ky., 40475-3102, attention Debra Sparks. Checks should be made payable to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Gifted and Talented. Parents should select first, second and third choices of classes, and placement will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.

From 9 a.m. to noon, The Partnership at Drugfree.org, Operation Unite and the Office of Drug Control Policy will deliver a comprehensive train-the-trainer presentation of the PACT360 program, an informative community education program designed to deal with existing drug issues and rapidly respond to emerging drug threats.

The multi-part session will consist of three presentations designed specifically for parents and teens to provide them with up-to-date information about today’s drug and alcohol landscape. Each presentation contains expert tips on how to deliver the individual program proficiently and what tools and resources are needed to bring the PACT360 program to a community.

The goal of PACT360, organizers say, is to help reduce illicit drug use and its accompanying criminal behavior, thereby improving the safety and quality of life of the community.

The event is free, but pre-registration is required. For more information, or to register, contact Koula Oakley at 606-877-1012 or at koakley@centertech.com.

Then, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Outside the Wire will present The Dionysus Project’s dramatic reading of scenes from Euripedes’ “Bacchae.” The event, presented with Operation UNITE and The Partnership at Drugfree.org, features accomplished actors Kathleen Chalfant, Adam Driver, Jesse Eisenberg and Peter Francis James.

“Bacchae” is an ancient Greek play about the destructive power of intoxication. The reading/discussion format is intended to break down the stigma associated with substance abuse and addiction and promote health dialogue among diverse communities – public and professional – to foster compassion, cooperation and understanding.

Admission for the afternoon presentation is free, but seating is limited. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Koula Oakley by Friday, April 27, at 606-330-1400 or at koakley@centertech.com.

Directed by professor Jeremy Mulholland, the Orchestra’s final performance of the school year will include the Peer Gynt Orchestral Suite No. 1 by Edvard Grieg and pieces performed by winners of the annual Concerto Competition: junior Randy Toler, aria from Tchaikovsky’s opera “Eugene Onegin”; freshman Andrew Sehmann, a movement of Mozart’s 2nd Horn concerto; sophomore Cmary Mason, movement from Saint-Saens piano concerto No. 2; and graduate student Peter Boyer, marimba concerto by Emanuel Sejourne.

The concert will conclude with the presentation of the 2011-12 Orchestra Merit Awards Scholarships.

EKU’s regionally honored and recognized 70-member Symphony Orchestra is one of the few student-only university symphony orchestras in the state.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Katherine Williams at 859-622-3266 or katherine.williams@eku.edu.

Seniors Jimmy Bennett of Lexington and Samuel McQueen, Tyner, competed against more than 20 teams in the national undergraduate competition. Bennett, originally from Hokkaido, Japan, said, "Samuel and I worked great as a team and the effort we put into this project reflected our results well."

“The team did a fantastic job researching the industry and presenting very in-depth recommendations,” said Dr. Zhe Zhang, assistant professor of management and the faculty advisor for EKU's SAM chapter.

SAM promotes interaction with professionals in all disciplines and increases awareness and knowledge of career opportunities. It encourages cross-functional participation in activities that will benefit students' choice of career and future success.

For what is the Office of First-Year Programs responsible?
Our goal as the First-Year Programs Office is to empower first-year students to persist to graduation. To achieve this, we coordinate several programs including New Student and Transfer Orientations, Colonel Camps, and New Student Days. We also organize the Eastern Family Network, for parents and family members of current EKU students. In addition, we collaborate with partners across campus to host the EKU Reads Program for the first-year students.

What is Colonel Camp?
Colonel Camp is a four-day, three-night program for first-year students during August. For the third year, there will be two Colonel Camp sessions. At Colonel Camp, first-year students participate in a variety of leadership development and growth opportunities. Colonel Campers learn about successfully transitioning to EKU, about the many extracurricular activities on campus, and about their first-year class. Additionally Colonel Campers have the opportunity to move into their residence hall prior to other new students and they assist their fellow students during Move-in Day. For the first time this year, Colonel Campers will also have the option to participate in an outdoor adventure trip after Colonel Camp.

How do you view FYP office’s role in improving retention rates?
Each of our FYP programs is designed to facilitate the seamless transition from high school to EKU for the first-year students. In facilitating a smooth transition to the university community, the FYP operations are key to first-year student success, and thus, student retention. Since FYP focuses exclusively on the first-year population, it is our intention to influence the retention rates of first-year students as a direct or indirect result of our endeavors.

What is your office doing differently this year in order to have a more meaningful impact on students?
Specifically for orientation this year, we are hosting an Orientation in April for High Achiever students. Typically this population of first-year students is invited to attend our first sessions within the regular orientation season but this year we selected an earlier date in April to host them and engage them on campus. One addition to the Colonel Camp program this year is the opportunity for Colonel Campers to participate in an outdoor adventure trip after Colonel Camp. For New Student Days, detailed efforts are underway to strengthen and heighten the value of the "firs- year student traditions" definitive of this programming model.

How will this year’s New Student Days engage students and help them get acclimated to campus life?
New Student Days 2012 will feature a compliment of traditional and new programs. These programs, which launch on August 19, the Sunday before the fall term begins, provide clear transition programming from the summer of a high school student to the fall of a college first-year student. From the revamped New Student Convocation and Picnic at the President’s Home to the Student Involvement Fair at City Fest, to the Keynote Address by the author of the EKU Reads text, these traditional programs seek to engage the student in the EKU community. Again this year, after the shining success last year, the first home football game will be incorporated within the New Student Days programming, where first-year students will receive t-shirts, free concessions and seating in a cheer block. Through these programs and more, New Students Days programming seeks to provide a strong foundation for first-year students both to engage them in the campus community as well as facilitate the transition to university life.

What is being done to engage students’ families, and why is that critical?
Membership in the Eastern Family Network for parents and family members of current first-year students is available at no charge. Members of this Network receive monthly newsletters, which highlight current happenings on campus, campus deadlines, and trends in the university community. Each fall semester family members of current students are invited to campus for Family Weekend, a weekend of activities hosted in collaboration by divisions and units across campus. Furthermore, in the spring, the Eastern Family Network members are invited to an ‘EKU Day at the Races’ at Keeneland. These programs seek to keep family members well informed and to ease the transition from high school to college life for all members of the family unit, which is essential.

What book has been chosen for EKU Reads this year, and why was it selected? Why have a common reading assignment?
The 2012 EKU Reads selection is “Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat” by Hal Herzog. This selection, completed by the faculty and staff EKU Reads committee, was based on the broad appeal to a variety of readers, readability, potential for strong programming opportunities across campus and for the rich content applicable in several areas of the curriculum for diverse course integration. The common reading assignment provides first-year students with a shared introduction to academic life, which challenges students to think critically and introduces the students to new ideas and concepts.

Althauser, Krista, and Jones, Paula. “Preparing Teachers for 21st Century Skills: Using Blogs to Support Students in Learning Math and Encourage Teacher-Student-Parent Communications.” Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference Proceedings and Presentation, Austin, Texas, March 2012.

Baltisberger, Julie A. “Autoethnography of a Mother with Cancer as a Means of Reflexive Bracketing.” Society for the Study of Occupation: USA Conference, Park City, Utah, October 2011.

Hunter, Elizabeth G., and Baltisberger, Julie. “Functional Outcomes by Age for Inpatient Cancer Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Chart Review.” Journal of Applied Gerontology. (Published online before print March 22, 2012), 14 pgs. doi: 10.1177/0733464811432632.

Schoenberg, N.; Baltisberger, Julie; Bardach, S.; and Dignan, M. “Perspectives on Pap Test Follow-Up Care Among Rural Appalachian Women.” Women and Health. Vol. 50, No. 6 (August 2010), pgs. 580-597.

Carpenter, Russell; Sweet, Charlie; and Blythe, Hal. Introduction to Applied Creative Thinking: Taking Control of Your Future. Stillwater, Okla.: New Forums Press, 2012.

Carpenter, Russell, and Valley, Leslie. “Responding to Multimodal Communication.” Transylvania University Writing Center, Lexington, Ky., March 28, 2012. [Invited Presentation].

Festing, Marion; Engle, Allen D. Sr.; Dowling, Peter J.; and Sahakiants, Ihar. “HRM Activities: Pay and Rewards.” Handbook of Research on Comparative Human Resource Management. Eds. Chris Brewster and Wolfgang Mayrhofer. Northampton, Mass.: Edward Elgar, 2012. Pgs. 139-163. [Solicited original empirical and conceptual chapter].

English, Paul. “Lockout-Tagout Compliance for Laundry Operations.” American Laundry and Linen College, Association for Linen Management, Richmond, Ky., March 27, 2012.

English, Paul. “Using Lean Manufacturing to Change Safety Culture.” Texas Safety Conference, National Safety Council, Galveston, Texas, March 18, 2012.

Davies, Claire and Howell, Dana. “A Qualitative Study: Clinical Decision Making in Low Back Pain.” Physiotherapy Theory and Practice. Vol. 28, No. 2 (February 2012), pgs. 95-107.

Jones, Paula; Kolloff, Mary Ann; and Kolloff, Fred. “Using Web Conferencing to Promote Learning in Online Courses: Resources, Tools, and Methods.” Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference Proceedings and Presentation, Austin, Texas, March 2012.

Marshall, Amy; Pierce, Doris; Fehringer, Elaine; Nolan, Ronnie; Painter, R.; Powell, Norman; and Summers, Karen. “A Study of Transitions of Youth At Risk in Nontraditional Education Programs.” Society for the Study of Occupation: USA Conference, Park City, Utah, October 2011. [Poster presentation].

May, Fred. “Application of Three Socratic Questioning Models.” Quality Enhancement Plan Five-Year Celebration, Richmond, Ky., Feb. 7, 2012.

May, Fred. “Single and Third Mind Reasoning.” Quality Enhancement Plan Five-Year Celebration, Richmond, Ky., Feb. 7, 2012.

Effgen, S.K. and Myers, Christine T. “Critical Transitions: Impacting the Future of the Young Child and Family.” Section on Pediatrics Annual Conference, American Physical Therapy Association, Anaheim, Calif., 2011.

Myers, Christine Teeters, et al. “Factors Influencing Physical Therapists’ Involvement in Preschool Transitions.” Physical Therapy. Vol. 91, No. 5 (May 2011), pgs. 656-664.

Myers, Christine T., and O’Brien, Shirley P. “Understanding Sensory Process: Strategies to Support the Needs of Infants, Toddlers, and Families.” Infant-Toddler Institute, Lexington, Ky., August 2011.

Myers, Marshall. “George ‘Lightning’ Ellsworth: The Mysterious Man Behind the Telegraph Keys.” Kentucky Humanities. (Spring 2012), pgs. 20-24.

Myers, Marshall. “Kentucky and the Knights of the Golden Circle: A Real Threat or Merely an Irritation?” Back Home in Kentucky. Vol. 35, No. 1 (Spring 2012), pgs. 63-66, 68-69.

O’Brien, Shirley P., and Myers, Christine T. “Structuring Sensory Needs of Infants, Toddlers, and Families in Context.” Infant-Toddler Institute, Lexington, Ky., August 2011.

Miller, E.; LeMaster, E.; and Pierce, Doris. “Describing Observances of Wedding Anniversaries Among Married Couples Living in the United States.” Celebration of Scholarship of Occupational Therapy Graduate Students and Faculty Conference, Portsmouth, Ohio, November 2011. [Poster presentation].

Miller, E.; LeMaster, E.; and Pierce, Doris. “Describing Observances of Wedding Anniversaries Among Married Couples Living in the United States.” Society for the Study of Occupation: USA Conference, Park City, Utah, October 2011. [Poster presentation].

Mankey, T.; Pierce, Doris; and Summers, Karen. “Developing Occupational Therapy Secondary Transition Services Through Research: Strategies in Three States.” Secondary Transition State Planning Institute, Charlotte, N.C., May 2011. [Workshop].

Pierce, Doris. “Occupational Science for Occupational Therapy.” Celebration of Scholarship of Occupational Therapy Graduate Students and Faculty Conference, Portsmouth, Ohio, November 2011. [Keynote Presentation].

Pierce, Doris. “Occupational Science for Occupational Therapy: A Sneak Peek.” Kentucky Occupational Therapy Foundation Lunch with a Scholar, Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association Conference, Louisville, Ky., September 2011.

Pierce, Doris. “Promise: The Tenth Ruth Zemke Lecture in Occupational Science.” Society for the Study of Occupation: USA Conference, Park City, Utah, October 2011. [Keynote Presentation].

Pierce, Doris, and Summers, Karen. “Rest and Sleep.” Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: A Vision for Participation. Eds. C. Brown and V. Stoffel. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis, 2011. Pgs. 736-754.

Reid, Maurice; Brown, Steve; Case, Mark; Tabibzadeh, Kambiz; and Elbert, Norb. “Quality Management in Kentucky 2009.” Academy of Strategic Management Journal. Vol. 10, Special Issue (2011), pgs. 47-61.

Shasby, S. and Schneck, Colleen. “Commentary on Collaboration in School-Based Practice: Positives and Pitfalls.” Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, and Early Intervention. Vol. 4, No. 1 (2011), pgs. 22-33.

Shordike, Anne; Pierce, Doris; et al. “International Multi-Site Research to Uncover Cultural Diversity in Occupation.” Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Congress, Chiang Mai, Thailand, November 2011.

Stearn, Catherine Howey. “Grave Histories: Women’s Bodies Writing Elizabethan History.” Elizabeth I and the ‘Sovereign Arts’: Essays in Literature, History, and Culture. Eds. Donald Stump, Linda Shenk, and Carole Levin. Tempe, Ariz.: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2011. Pgs. 69-84.

Summers, Karen, and Pierce, Doris. “Enhancing School-Based Practice with Transition Activities.” Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association Conference, Louisville, Ky., September 2011. [Workshop].

Wall, Tyler. “Philanthropic Soldiers, Practical Orientalism, and the Occupation of Iraq.” Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power. Vol. 18, No. 5 (Sept./Oct. 2011), pgs. 481-501.