Private lessons in voice, piano, guitar, Suzuki violin, drawing and photography offered through Community School of Arts

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Students in the Suzuki violin program from Evangel University's Community School of Arts play in the 2012 Christmas Concert.

Budding local artists of all ages have found a home at Evangel University’s Community School of Arts. Since 2008, the CSA has been offering classes in music, drama and art, uniting Evangel faculty and students with those in the surrounding community who share a passion for the fine arts.

Director Susan Sheets says the idea for CSA came during the 2007-2008 academic year when she and Dr. Michael Kolstad, chairman of the Music Department, shared a vision to offer classes and lessons in the fine arts to the surrounding community. The two met with Dr. Nathan Nelson, Humanities Department chairman, about including art and drama instruction along with the music. Together, they made the CSA a reality.

Opening to the community in 2008, the CSA initially offered classes and lessons in voice, piano, worship piano, guitar, Suzuki violin, drawing and photography. Since then, the CSA has decided to only offer private lessons. Instructors include Evangel faculty, graduate students and even qualified undergraduate students.

“It is a nice way for our EU music and art students to develop their teaching skills,” she says. “All of our student instructors are highly recommended to us by a EU professor.” 

Sheets says the instructors personally schedule, organize and promote their own lessons. While the instructors hold many lessons on campus, she says several instructors also teach in off-campus studios or from their homes. Recitals take place in Evangel’s Barnett Recital Hall.

Currently, the Community School of Arts offers lessons in drawing, digital photography, voice and several instruments. Sheets says the age range of students is 4 to 70.

“We are always adding new instructors and instruments options and are open to anyone who desires to teach private lessons in music, art and drama.” 

While the CSA does not currently offer any drama courses, Sheets says one of the plans for the future is to hold a community theatre production. Other goals include offering a public speaking class and music education classes to private preschools and schools that do not have music programs in their curriculum.  A community choir is also part of future planning.

Kolstad says the CSA serves as a valuable community outreach program for Evangel. He also says it allows fine arts students who may have never heard of Evangel to connect with the university.

“It is a wonderful recruiting tool,” he says. “For many participants this is their first exposure – and often only exposure – to the university.”

Anyone interested in beginning lessons can find the current lesson offerings on the Community School of Arts page. To get in touch with an instructor to set up lessons, email the CSA at CommunitySchoolofArts@evangel.edu for contact information.  

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Transition Challenges for Veterans Returning to School: Interview with Jeremy Glasstetter, Director, Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veterans’ Center

Transition Challenges for Veterans Returning to School: Interview with Jeremy Glasstetter, Director, Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veterans’ Center

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Listen to the full interview with Jeremy Glastetter below.

Jeremy Glasstetter, director of the Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veteran Center at Excelsior College, joins Excelsior Life to discuss contemporary challenges experienced by veterans seeking out a higher education. A U.S. Army veteran of both Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Glasstetter previously served as the third National President of the Student Veterans of America.

Excelsior Life and Glasstetter chat on a range of issues, including the different experiences of modern veterans compared to those of the past, his vision for Excelsior’s veteran center and new services every institution of higher education needs to explore. Glasstetter also talks about his personal experiences transitioning out of military service.

Podcast Outline (Time: Topic)

1:15 What are the unique transitional challenges facing today’s returning veterans?
3:49 Is there a generational difference in veterans challenges?
6:40 Are institutions of higher education doing enough to help veterans?
7:59 What new services should every school rollout?
9:45 Glasstetter’s vision for the Excelsior’s Lt. Col. Bryant A. Murray Veteran Center
12:19 “Driven to service…forever a veteran”
14:00 Glasstetter’s personal experience transitioning out of the U.S. Army
17:00 The one action every veteran must take upon leaving military service

(Please help support the show by leaving an iTunes review!)

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School of Communications alumni win state journalism awards

Alumni Anna Johnson '12, Molly McGowan '10 and Scott Muthersbaugh '06 all received North Carolina Press Association awards March 21.

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Three School of Communications alumni won four awards, including a first-place finish in the Best Video category, from the North Carolina Press Association March 21.

Sanford Herald reporter Anna Johnson '12, a journalism major and former editor in chief of The Pendulum, won first place in Best Video for "Scenes from Day 1 of the Lee Regional Fair 2012" and second place in Arts & Entertainment Reporting for "Pottery Festival ends" in the Daily Division D (circulation less than 12,500) threshold.

Burlington Times-News reporter Molly McGowan '10, a journalism and English/creative writing double major, was awarded a second-place award in Arts & Entertainment Reporting for "Witnessing the power of art" in the Daily Division E (circulation 12,500-35,000) threshold.

Burlington Times-News photographer Scott Muthersbaugh '06, a broadcast communications and psychology double major, won second place in Photo Page for "A carefree day o fun" in the Daily Division E (circulation 12,500-35,000) threshold.

The Herald snagged 17 awards, including the first-place honor for general excellence in Division D for the third consecutive year. The Times-News captured eight total awards, which were highlighted by wins for Appearance and Design and Public Service.

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by Colin Donohue, Staff Last Updated - 3/22/2013

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Career Moves: Mentors helped alum pursue law school

Finance major Evan Glover '12 turned to the Student Professional Development Center for critiques of his applications to premier schools.

Evan Glover '12

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Evan Glover '12 was majoring in finance when a summer internship in the nation's capital introduced him to another career opportunity: law. The native of Bowie, Md., returned to campus for his senior year and soon found himself working with faculty and staff mentors in the Student Professional Development Center to begin crafting strong law school applications.

The story doesn't end there. Rather than go straight to law school after graduation, Glover deferred his acceptance for a year - and for good reason. Now, with his matriculation into George Washington University Law School only a few months off, the former executive intern in the Office of University Advancement reflects on the resources he discovered in making plans for life after Elon.

Glover is the latest person to be featured this year in a series of E-net profiles on the recent experiences of students and alumni who use the Student Professional Development Center to not only find job and internship openings, but to prepare for interviews and improve applications with guidance from Career Services staff.

He answered questions recently from the Office of University Communications.

Tell me about your interest in the legal profession and law school.

Though law school had always been in the back of my mind, it was not until the summer before my senior year when I ultimately made the decision to apply. In addition to the intellectual curiosity of understanding how the legal system works, I also found a more interesting career path than I was currently on. During my internship at the Federal City Council, a member-based business leadership organization in Washington, D.C., I frequently worked with numerous lawyers and ultimately found their work more interesting than those on the business side of meetings and deals.

I was fortunate enough to be accepted into 15 great schools even though I started the process late. Ultimately I decided to enroll at George Washington University Law School. Although I am not certain exactly what type of law I would like to study, I have gravitated toward international law and corporate law.

After being accepted into several top programs, you deferred for a year, and for a really great reason. Do share!

I deferred my enrollment into law school year to take a position on the Obama for America campaign as an advance staffer. Advance staffers travel and prepare venues for when the president, First Lady, vice president or Second Lady visit. I worked my way to crowd lead, a position on the advance team that meant I was responsible for public access to the venues for people to see the principals. Once the campaign concluded, we changed our focus to preparing for the 57th Presidential Inauguration and all of the official inaugural events of the week. Now that we are into the second term, many have transitioned back to the traveling world.

How will that experience make you an even better law school student and, in a few years, a better attorney?

Advance staffers are known for always being prepared for anything, having the flexibility and versatility to adapt and making calm decisions under highly stressful situations, and paying attention to small details. Taking this into law school will not only make me a more successful student but a more successful lawyer. As hindsight is 20/20, deferring for a year was by far the best decision I could have made. Not only do I find myself more prepared to be a law student, but I find myself anxiously waiting to go back to school, rather than going to school because that is what I have always done.

With whom did you work in the Student Professional Development Center as you applied to law school, and what help did you receive?

In the Student Professional Development Center, words cannot describe how great and influential René Jackson was to my post-Elon experience. I found myself in her office at least every two weeks. By following her advice, I was able to develop meaningful relationships with several top law school admission counselors and was accepted to every school where I developed such a relationship. She also connected me with the pre-law department, which played a large role in my application. She did more than tell me what I should do and who I should speak with; she genuinely cared about me. I was worried that senior year was too late for me to change my path from finance to law, but she instilled in me a sense of confidence.

Why was that assistance important?

My mentors were able to see strengths in my application that I deemed irrelevant and left out. Additionally, they worked with me to accomplish what I wanted with my application in creative ways. Looking back, the most important thing that I did to get me to where I am now is walking into René Jackson’s office. After that first session, my path changed from a lost law school applicant studying for the LSAT with a terrible personal statement and application packet to a student at a top 20 law school.

Which faculty member did you work with to prepare for the law school admissions process and what help did you receive?

Dion Farganis in the Department of Political Science and Policy Studies and my pre-law advisor. I often tell people that he is the reason that I had a very successful application. As someone who has lots of relationships with people who work in law schools, and especially in the admissions departments, he provided amazing support and guidance to paint the best picture of who I am on a law school application. From going through the personal statement drafting process, finalizing the application, and preparing for the LSAT, he guided me through the confusing and often frustrating process of a law school application. I took the LSAT twice, first taking a course online and the second time working with him. My score improved by double digits on the second test.

What recommendations would you share with students about the SPDC and the Office of Career Services?

First and foremost, the people inside the center are fantastic. Not only do they genuinely care about your growth and success, but they are very good at what they do. I frequently bump into other alumni who work on Capitol Hill, major business firms in various sectors, teachers and graduate students doing exceedingly well, and all of them I remember seeing using the resources in the Student Professional Development Center.

Three big suggestions that I have for any student: 1.) Go into the SPDC and work with any of the counselors there. 2.) When you meet with a counselor, be as open and honest as possible. The more they know, the better they can help you. 3.) Attend their workshops and fairs, especially their career and graduate school fairs. In both graduate school admissions and career hunting, its not what you know, or who you know, it’s who knows you!

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by Eric Townsend, Staff Last Updated - 3/14/2013

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Professor Donald E. Gibson, Ph.D., named dean of Fairfield University's Charles F. Dolan School of Business

Donald E. Gibson, Ph.D., interim dean of Fairfield University's Charles F. Dolan School of Business for nearly two years and a respected and popular faculty member for the past 12 years, has been named the new dean of the business school. His appointment follows an extensive national search.

"I look forward to leading the Dolan School of Business toward our goal of educating students to be ethical business leaders for a global future," said Dr. Gibson, professor of management and a leader in his field of organizational behavior research. "We have a strong faculty and engaged students, creating a learning community infused by Jesuit values. Working with this community, along with our staff, alumni, and business community, I seek to raise the profile of the Dolan School of Business to be recognized among the ranks of the best business schools."

A Trumbull, Conn., resident, Dr. Gibson, a leading expert in the study of anger in the workplace, will lead a school that continues to experience impressive growth. The Dolan School of Business features a world-class faculty engaging in intriguing scholarship with experience from a wide array of industries, and counts among its alumni prominent business leaders at top financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies. The School is listed by Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report among the best business programs in the U.S.

In making the announcement, Fairfield University President Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., noted that Dr. Gibson is not only an accomplished scholar, but also a talented and skillful administrator, as demonstrated by his accomplishments while serving as interim dean. "Don led the School during the rigorous and critical re-accreditation process, guiding the development of strategic themes and initiatives to move the School forward," Fr. von Arx said. "Don understands the unique needs of a cutting-edge, competitive business school infused with Jesuit values, while fully recognizing the advantages of collaboration across the institution."

Dr. Gibson came to Fairfield in 2001 as an associate professor of management. In 2008, he was promoted to professor and named chair of the management department, and was appointed interim dean of the Dolan School in 2011.

Before joining Fairfield, he was an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management from 1995 to 2001. He received an MBA and Ph.D. from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has a master's in radio and television from San Francisco State University, and a bachelor's in administrative studies from the University of California, Riverside.

He has taught in the areas of organizational behavior, leadership, and human resource management. His research interests include the attributes and impact of organizational role models, anger and aggression in workplace conflict, and the management of individual emotional experience in organizations. In 2011, he won the prestigious Robert E. Wall Faculty Award to advance his research, a project entitled, "The Sound and the Fury: Understanding Anger in the Workplace."

Dr. Gibson has served in various leadership positions on professional boards and is currently on the executive committee of the International Association for Conflict Management. He is also a board and executive committee member of the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. Prior to his academic career, he worked in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, managing a post-production team for Lorimar Productions, producers of Dallas, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing. Gibson has appeared on stage at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts in recent productions of Juan Mayorga's Perpetual Peace and Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet. It was partly Dr. Gibson's idea that the latter play be staged in an effort to use live theater on campus as a dynamic classroom where students can learn life lessons. It helped business students study ethics in the workplace, among many other lessons.

Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, (203) 254-4000, ext. 2726, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Posted on March 20, 2013

Vol. 45, No. 229

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Evangel University students teach nutrition at Victory Trade School

Evangel University seniors Kharja Gillum and Brad Sandusky enjoyed teaching nutrition classes last fall at the Victory Trade School.

The Cooks Kettle Kitchen in Springfield, Missouri, is a distinct dining experience. It’s actually an award-winning neighborhood restaurant, located on the corner of Boonville Avenue and Commercial Street, just miles from the Evangel University campus.

As part of Victory Trade School, Cooks Kettle Kitchen also doubles as a culinary school.

“VTS provides accredited education in culinary arts and discipleship programs for nontraditional students,” said Danny Hill, chair of GED and candidacy at the school. Their goal is to impact the community by transforming lives through education and social enterprise.

Last fall, Hill approached Evangel University seeking students majoring in health, sports science, medicine, physical education and nursing who are looking for volunteer hours or simply need practice leading a nutrition class.

“This class is essential to our students for their future careers as chefs and food service professionals,” Hill says.

The timing was perfect. Senior Physical Education majors Kharja Gillum and Brad Sandusky needed to complete independent studies to fulfill requirements for their health class. They each taught 10 one-hour nutrition classes at VTS throughout November and December.

Gillum says the students were fun to work with and eager to learn.

“They had a lot of questions, which prompted many discussions about nutrition facts and myths,” she says.

“I was very nervous about teaching, but after the first day, I felt very comfortable in front of the class. I learned a lot about myself as a teacher, and I gained good experience from interacting with the students.”

Sandusky also had a great experience with VTS. He says the students appreciated the class — they always enjoyed the homework and in-class activities, and they walked away learning something new each day.

“The students in my class were so positive and receptive. I knew they had been through a lot and were trying to move past that, but you would not know it just by interacting with them in class,” he says.

“I hope for the best for the students in my class, because I know they are capable of achieving whatever they want.”

  — Kelsey Reinhard, senior Journalism major from Quincy, Illinois

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Fairfield University's School of Engineering and the Inventors Association of Connecticut to present a panel discussion: Prospecting for Funding in 2013

7 p.m., Tuesday, January 29, 2013
"Prospecting for Funding in 2013"

Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business Dining Room

Fairfield University's School of Engineering and the Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT) kick off the new year with an event featuring angel investors and entrepreneurs entitled, "Prospecting for Funding in 2013," on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public, it will take place in the Dolan School of Business, on the Fairfield campus.

"For those seeking funding or who have plans to seek future funding, this panel discussion will offer invaluable insights to the process as well as potential sources," said Douglas Lyon, Ph.D., chair of the department of computer engineering and IACT president.

Mike Roer, founder and president of the Entrepreneurship Foundation and former executive director of the Connecticut Venture Group, will moderate the discussion. The panelists include:

Tim Coates, managing director of the new Innovation Eco-System at Connecticut Technology Council. Locations in Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, and Storrs are serving as ecosystem hubs, which will provide entrepreneurs with financial, technical, professional, and mentoring resources, as well as collaborative workspaces.William E. Gordon III, angel investor and advisor to tech start-ups, received a Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley, where he worked with Nobel Laureate James Watson. He founded and later sold an interest in a broadband business in Europe. He also ran a biotech company where he won a Gates Grand Challenge Exploration Grant for creating a malaria vaccine.John Seiffer, president of Angel Investor Forum, and business advisor at CEO Boot Camp. He helps business owners become better leaders, and is a founder of the International Coach Federation. He's also been an entrepreneur for almost 30 years and is an angel investor in start-ups.

For further information and to register, visit http://www.inventus.org. For more information about Fairfield University's School of Engineering, and for directions to campus, visit www.fairfield.edu.

Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, (203) 254-4000, ext. 2726, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Posted on January 22, 2013

Vol. 45, No. 156

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Excelsior Honored as “Top Military Friendly School” Fifth Straight Year by Military Advanced Education

Excelsior Honored as “Top Military Friendly School” Fifth Straight Year by Military Advanced Education

By Mike Lesczinski, Excelsior Life News Staff—

For the fifth straight year, Excelsior College, America’s largest and oldest nonprofit distance learning institution, has been bestowed the title of “top-military friendly college” by Military Advanced Education.

Excelsior College knows a thing or two about the unique needs of America’s military and veteran communities. Among the more than 37,000 currently enrolled students, over 14,000 count themselves as active-duty or of veteran status. And of the more than 5,200 Excelsior graduates in the 2011-2012 academic year 34 percent were members of the U.S. military.

“Since our founding Excelsior has been committed to the needs of veterans and all military personnel, and helping each achieve the dream of a college education,” Sue Dewan, executive director for Excelsior’s Center for Military Education. “This recognition is not an honor we take lightly.”

To earn the distinction, schools are rated on a distinct set of criteria, including tuition, scholarship and financial aid programs, advising excellence, presence on military installations, as well as acceptance of transfer credit, credit by exam and American Council on Education (ACE)-recognized military training. In addition, schools must meet specific standards on veteran support services, faculty training on veteran-specific issues, and mentorship programs, among others

“Excelsior’s Center for Military Education has launched a series of new initiatives in the past year, including a webinar series geared directly towards veterans and an online veterans’ center with vet to vet mentorship opportunities,” said Dewan. “We will continue to expand our services and meet the needs of our veteran and military communities.”

Excelsior College's other education credentials include:

• G.I. Jobs has named Excelsior a top military-friendly school the past four years.
• Excelsior's course, "Success Strategies for Military and Veterans" earned the 2010-2011 Innovation Award from the Center for Transforming Student Services (CENTSS). The course provides college and career orientation to veterans and military members and teaches transition strategies for those entering the civilian workforce after a military career.
• Excelsior is a recipient of the Council of College and Military Educators' (CCME) Institutional Award.
• Excelsior's military academic advising team includes veterans who are uniquely attuned to the unique needs of military students, veterans and their spouses.
• CME Executive Director Susan Dewan is the recipient of the 2011 William E. Kennedy Award from the Council of College and Military Educators (CCME), which recognizes leadership in providing higher education programs to personnel at U.S. military installations.
• Excelsior President Ebersole is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who served in Vietnam and received the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award in 2010 for his leadership in contributing to the Army's educational mission.

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School of Communications Advisory Board adds new members

Eight media professionals & corporate executives are new members of the School of Communications National Advisory Board.

The School of Communications welcomes eight new national advisory board members. (Top row, l-r): Adele Ambrose, Roger Bolton, Julie Carey and Rich Cervini (Bottom row, l-r): Tim Franklin, Claudia Jepsen, Eric Kraus and Michael Tackett

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Eight media professionals and corporate executives are new members of the School of Communications National Advisory Board.

The new members—from Bloomberg News, Merck, Covidien, NBC News4 in Washington, D.C., the Arthur W. Page Society, This Old House Ventures and CBS Television Distribution—join 25 current board members.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News,” is national chair of Elon’s School of Communications Advisory Board. Michael Radutzky, senior producer for “60 Minutes” and executive producer of creative development at CBS News, is the board’s vice chair.

Board members provide professional expertise to the faculty, internship and career networking to students, program support to the school and expertise with students in classes when on campus. The board meets each semester, and the spring 2013 meeting will be April 12.

“The advisory board has had a huge and positive impact on the School of Communications since our founding in 2000,” Dean Paul Parsons said. “Our students love having board members speak in classes, and the many ideas shared around the table have helped propel our school to greater quality and national prominence.”

The new members:

Adele Ambrose is senior vice president and chief communications officer for Merck & Co., based in New York City. She is responsible for Merck's global communications with the news media, employees, financial community, stakeholders and the general public. Her team manages product public relations, corporate advertising and merck.com. Prior to joining Merck in 2007, she was a corporate officer and executive vice president for AT&T Wireless, a newly public company with 21 million customers, and previously was vice president of public relations and corporate media relations at AT&T. She served as the company's chief voice for nearly a decade, handling high-profile corporate restructurings, CEO transitions, business divestitures and acquisitions. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.Roger Bolton is president of the Arthur W. Page Society, the professional association for senior public relations and corporate communications executives. Previously, he was senior vice president of communications at Aetna, a $35 billion provider of health care benefits, with responsibility for all internal and external communications, advertising, brand management and corporate public involvement. Before Aetna, Bolton was IBM’s director of corporate media relations and director of communications for the IBM server and software. Prior to his business career, he was assistant secretary of the Treasury for public affairs under President George H.W. Bush, assistant U.S. trade representative for public affairs under President Reagan, and special assistant to President Reagan in the White House. He is a graduate of Ohio State University.Julie Carey is the northern Virginia bureau chief for NBC News4 in Washington, D.C. The station, WRC-TV, is NBC owned and operated and houses the Washington bureau of NBC News. Carey has been covering northern Virginia since joining News4 in 1992, ranging from political coverage to reporting on the trial of sniper suspect Lee Malvo. In the 1990s, she provided daily coverage of the impeachment trial of President Clinton. In 2009, she had a brief role as a news reporter in the movie “State of Play” starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. Prior to joining News4, Carey reported for KSDK-TV in St. Louis, WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, and KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she began her career. She is a graduate of Indiana University. Her husband, Michael Tackett of Bloomberg News, also is a new advisory board member.Rich Cervini is senior vice president of production and technical operations at CBS Television Distribution. In 2012, his duties expanded to include West Coast shows in production such as “Entertainment Tonight,” “Dr. Phil” and “Judge Judy.” Cervini’s career began as a broadcast engineer at WOR Radio-TV in New York City. He became director of broadcast operations at WNBC-TV before joining King World Productions as director of technical operations and eventually becoming vice president of production and technical operations. King World was a production company and syndicator of television programming in the United States until its 1999 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution. At that time, Cervini became vice president and then senior vice president at CBS Television Distribution. He is a graduate of Adelphi University.Tim Franklin is a managing editor in the Bloomberg News Washington bureau, one of the largest news organizations in the nation's capital. He joined Bloomberg in 2011 after serving as founding director of the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University. Franklin began his career at the Chicago Tribune, where he rose from reporter to associate managing editor, eventually overseeing the sports and business sections. He went on to become the top editor at the Indianapolis Star, Orlando Sentinel and Baltimore Sun. The Sun won the George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize during his 2004-08 editorship. Franklin twice has served as a Pulitzer Prize jurist. He is national co-chair of the Freedom of Information Committee for the American Society of News Editors. He is a graduate of Indiana University.Claudia Jepsen is executive director of marketing and brand development at This Old House Ventures, based in New York City. A 28-year veteran at Time Inc., the world’s largest publisher, she has held leadership positions in creative services, sales development and marketing at iconic brands including Time, Life, People, Money and Fortune. In her current role, she oversees a team responsible for growing the print, digital, television and social media advertising base of America’s No. 1 home improvement brand. Under her watch, This Old House defied the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression, experienced substantial revenue growth, and was named to Advertising Age’s coveted Magazine A-List in 2011. Jepsen is a graduate of the University of Colorado.Eric Kraus is senior vice president of corporate communications and public affairs at Covidien, a $12 billion healthcare products company with U.S. headquarters near Boston. He directs global communications strategies for Covidien (formerly known as Tyco Healthcare), including corporate marketing, public relations, media relations, financial communications, crisis communications, issues management, public and government affairs, philanthropy and the company's Internet/Intranet presence. Previously he was a vice president at Gillette (where he was instrumental in negotiating the sponsorship of Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots) and at Procter & Gamble. Before that, he was a Boston Herald reporter, account executive at PR agencies, and public relations manager for Miller Brewing Co. He is a graduate of Boston University.Michael Tackett is managing editor of the Washington bureau for Bloomberg News, helping to oversee 250 reporters and editors in the nation's capital. Before joining Bloomberg in 2008, Tackett was Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune, where he spent 28 years as a reporter, assistant city editor, national correspondent and political writer. He directed coverage of the rise of Barack Obama. He previously served at national editor for U.S. News & World Report. Tackett is a recipient of the White House Correspondents Association Award for National Reporting for a series on the influence of lobbyists. He is a graduate of Indiana University. His wife, Julie Carey of NBC4 in Washington, D.C., also is a School of Communications Advisory Board member.Email Author Your Email *
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by Colin Donohue, Staff Last Updated - 1/25/2013

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School of Communications Advisory Board adds new members

Eight media professionals & corporate executives are new members of the School of Communications National Advisory Board.

The School of Communications welcomes eight new national advisory board members. (Top row, l-r): Adele Ambrose, Roger Bolton, Julie Carey and Rich Cervini (Bottom row, l-r): Tim Franklin, Claudia Jepsen, Eric Kraus and Michael Tackett

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Eight media professionals and corporate executives are new members of the School of Communications National Advisory Board.

The new members—from Bloomberg News, Merck, Covidien, NBC News4 in Washington, D.C., the Arthur W. Page Society, This Old House Ventures and CBS Television Distribution—join 25 current board members.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News,” is national chair of Elon’s School of Communications Advisory Board. Michael Radutzky, senior producer for “60 Minutes” and executive producer of creative development at CBS News, is the board’s vice chair.

Board members provide professional expertise to the faculty, internship and career networking to students, program support to the school and expertise with students in classes when on campus. The board meets each semester, and the spring 2013 meeting will be April 12.

“The advisory board has had a huge and positive impact on the School of Communications since our founding in 2000,” Dean Paul Parsons said. “Our students love having board members speak in classes, and the many ideas shared around the table have helped propel our school to greater quality and national prominence.”

The new members:

Adele Ambrose is senior vice president and chief communications officer for Merck & Co., based in New York City. She is responsible for Merck's global communications with the news media, employees, financial community, stakeholders and the general public. Her team manages product public relations, corporate advertising and merck.com. Prior to joining Merck in 2007, she was a corporate officer and executive vice president for AT&T Wireless, a newly public company with 21 million customers, and previously was vice president of public relations and corporate media relations at AT&T. She served as the company's chief voice for nearly a decade, handling high-profile corporate restructurings, CEO transitions, business divestitures and acquisitions. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.Roger Bolton is president of the Arthur W. Page Society, the professional association for senior public relations and corporate communications executives. Previously, he was senior vice president of communications at Aetna, a $35 billion provider of health care benefits, with responsibility for all internal and external communications, advertising, brand management and corporate public involvement. Before Aetna, Bolton was IBM’s director of corporate media relations and director of communications for the IBM server and software. Prior to his business career, he was assistant secretary of the Treasury for public affairs under President George H.W. Bush, assistant U.S. trade representative for public affairs under President Reagan, and special assistant to President Reagan in the White House. He is a graduate of Ohio State University.Julie Carey is the northern Virginia bureau chief for NBC News4 in Washington, D.C. The station, WRC-TV, is NBC owned and operated and houses the Washington bureau of NBC News. Carey has been covering northern Virginia since joining News4 in 1992, ranging from political coverage to reporting on the trial of sniper suspect Lee Malvo. In the 1990s, she provided daily coverage of the impeachment trial of President Clinton. In 2009, she had a brief role as a news reporter in the movie “State of Play” starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. Prior to joining News4, Carey reported for KSDK-TV in St. Louis, WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, and KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she began her career. She is a graduate of Indiana University. Her husband, Michael Tackett of Bloomberg News, also is a new advisory board member.Rich Cervini is senior vice president of production and technical operations at CBS Television Distribution. In 2012, his duties expanded to include West Coast shows in production such as “Entertainment Tonight,” “Dr. Phil” and “Judge Judy.” Cervini’s career began as a broadcast engineer at WOR Radio-TV in New York City. He became director of broadcast operations at WNBC-TV before joining King World Productions as director of technical operations and eventually becoming vice president of production and technical operations. King World was a production company and syndicator of television programming in the United States until its 1999 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution. At that time, Cervini became vice president and then senior vice president at CBS Television Distribution. He is a graduate of Adelphi University.Tim Franklin is a managing editor in the Bloomberg News Washington bureau, one of the largest news organizations in the nation's capital. He joined Bloomberg in 2011 after serving as founding director of the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University. Franklin began his career at the Chicago Tribune, where he rose from reporter to associate managing editor, eventually overseeing the sports and business sections. He went on to become the top editor at the Indianapolis Star, Orlando Sentinel and Baltimore Sun. The Sun won the George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize during his 2004-08 editorship. Franklin twice has served as a Pulitzer Prize jurist. He is national co-chair of the Freedom of Information Committee for the American Society of News Editors. He is a graduate of Indiana University.Claudia Jepsen is executive director of marketing and brand development at This Old House Ventures, based in New York City. A 28-year veteran at Time Inc., the world’s largest publisher, she has held leadership positions in creative services, sales development and marketing at iconic brands including Time, Life, People, Money and Fortune. In her current role, she oversees a team responsible for growing the print, digital, television and social media advertising base of America’s No. 1 home improvement brand. Under her watch, This Old House defied the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression, experienced substantial revenue growth, and was named to Advertising Age’s coveted Magazine A-List in 2011. Jepsen is a graduate of the University of Colorado.Eric Kraus is senior vice president of corporate communications and public affairs at Covidien, a $12 billion healthcare products company with U.S. headquarters near Boston. He directs global communications strategies for Covidien (formerly known as Tyco Healthcare), including corporate marketing, public relations, media relations, financial communications, crisis communications, issues management, public and government affairs, philanthropy and the company's Internet/Intranet presence. Previously he was a vice president at Gillette (where he was instrumental in negotiating the sponsorship of Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots) and at Procter & Gamble. Before that, he was a Boston Herald reporter, account executive at PR agencies, and public relations manager for Miller Brewing Co. He is a graduate of Boston University.Michael Tackett is managing editor of the Washington bureau for Bloomberg News, helping to oversee 250 reporters and editors in the nation's capital. Before joining Bloomberg in 2008, Tackett was Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune, where he spent 28 years as a reporter, assistant city editor, national correspondent and political writer. He directed coverage of the rise of Barack Obama. He previously served at national editor for U.S. News & World Report. Tackett is a recipient of the White House Correspondents Association Award for National Reporting for a series on the influence of lobbyists. He is a graduate of Indiana University. His wife, Julie Carey of NBC4 in Washington, D.C., also is a School of Communications Advisory Board member.Email Author Your Email *
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by Colin Donohue, Staff Last Updated - 1/25/2013

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School of Fine Art’s Shoe Designer and Painter

Lauren Luna, an Academy of Art University MFA School of Fine Art graduate, is a classically trained painter who moved to Houston, TX a year ago to pursue her second artistic career as a shoe designer. Though her canvas paintings often focus on things such as race and class issues, her shoes are whimsical, colorful and sometimes pay homage to pop artists of the past. “The easiest way to put that is that I am a shoe designer and a painter," the Academy graduate said. Most recently, RaMona Rizzo of VH1's Mob Wives tweeted a photo of herself in a pair of Lauren's colorblock stilettos. Her shoes are being sold in boutiques in her hometown of Columbus, OH, and she's looking for stores in Houston as well. In the meantime, Lauren’s selling her designer shoes on Etsy at LaurenLunaLtd.

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School of Fashion at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show presented by Academy of Art University’s School of Fashion showed the media and retailers what the new breed of fashion looks like. Modeled after French textiles, this new generation of designers showed marketable women’s wear for Spring 2013 that is as wearable as it is fashionable. At Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Academy of Art University joined forces with UBIFRANCE, the French Trade Commission, to present French fashion that was part traditional and part downtown chic. The theme “from work to play” was evident. On a hot, sticky evening at Lincoln Center in New York, most of us would have wished to be adorned in the easy elegance of the collection inspired by The French Riviera, infused with a distinctly West Coast edge and flair. Two thumbs up for these beautiful looks.

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School of Fashion Wowed at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

 School of Fashion Designers at the show
Photo: Randy Brooke

Since 2005, the School of Fashion has premiered the collections of recent graduates and current students during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and once again the designers have impressed the crowd with their innovative and unique designs. A total of eighteen designers from the School of Fashion showcased their collections at the Spring 2013 show at Lincoln Center.

“Part of our commitment to the designers is to help launch their careers and have their collections seen by industry professionals,” said Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of Academy of Art University. “Debuting their collections during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center is an incredible opportunity.” As the first school to showcase at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Academy of Art University offers its designers an exclusive opportunity to launch their collections on a runway viewed worldwide.

 Design: UBIFRANCE;
Photo: Randy Brooke

The first collection to hit the runway was a collaboration by four MFA Fashion Design students, five BFA Fashion Design students, and two BFA Textile Design students, and was sponsored by UBIFRANCE, the French Trade Commission. UBIFRANCE organized the donation of fabrics from the following prestigious French textile mills: print (AB CREATIONS); silk, jacquards (BELINAC, DENIS&FILS, PHILEA, SPRINTEX); wools (CLARENSON); lace (SOPHIE HALLETTE, SOLSTISS); knits (DEVEAUX, HENITEX INTERNATIONAL, PHILEA, SPRINTEX); velvet fabric, stretch corduroy fabric, jeans wear, pigment dyed (VELCOREX); and technic/sports fabrics (AVELANA, ROUDIÈRE). The twelve students who collaborated on this women’s wear collection are Korkor Apo, Maclay Bowers, Joe Chung, Mina Fadaie, Guiping April Feng, Massayuki Ito, Kyung Hwa Kim, Erica Laba, Eli Daniel Odisho, Liza Quiñones, Angela Sison, and Wen-Lin Lina Tsai.

Iglika Vasileva Matthews is originally from Bulgaria and came to Academy of Art University to earn her MFA degree in Fashion Design. She previously debuted her work as part of the Italian Trade Commission Collection at the University’s Spring 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week show. For her Spring 2013 collection, Matthews drew inspiration from buildings designed by architect Zaha Hadid. Hadid’s structures often create an illusion of movement in static objects, which Matthews sought to replicate in her collection.

Jisun Lee hails from Seoul, South Korea and came to the School of Fashion for her MFA in Fashion and Textile Design. For her textile design work, Lee was honored as an Emerging Talent in Stylesight’s Spring/Summer 2013 Prints and Graphics competition. For Spring 2013, Lee looked to 1920s men’s suits. She reinterpreted the silhouettes for women’s wear, maintaining an oversized look, and experimented with collar and lapel structures. Liza Quiñones was born in the Bronx and grew up in Valley Stream, New York. She earned a BFA in Textile Design from Academy of Art University, and has had her work featured at the St. Vincent De Paul Society’s annual fundraiser Discarded to Divine. Quiñones designed textiles for Jisun Lee’s Spring 2013 collection.

 Design: Jie Jessie Liu;
Photo: Randy Brooke

Jie Jessie Liu, born and raised in Penglai in the Shandong Province of China, and Tanja Milutinovic, originally from Belgrade, Serbia, collaborated on their runway designs. Jie earned her from the School of Fashion and was inspired by the artist Anish Kapoor, known for his geometric, streamlined sculptures and installations, which she interpreted through the garments’ sharp lines and angular silhouettes. Jie collaborated with Tanja to create the prints for her Spring 2013 collection. Tanja has earned her MFA in Textile Design from the School of Fashion.

This was Ginie C. Y. Huang’s second Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week showing while working towards her MFA in Fashion Design in the School of Fashion, the first being in Spring 2012 as a part of the Italian Trade Commission Collection. Her Spring 2013 collection was inspired by the work of Ninagawa Mika, one of Japan’s most popular photographers. Ginie was inspired by the feeling that Mika’s images invoke. The use of color in her collection immerses the viewer.

 Design: Stephina Touch;
Photo: Randy Brooke

While earning her MFA in Fashion Design at Academy of Art University, Stephina Touch worked as intern at gr.dano, creating patterns and producing samples as well as finished garments. Her 2013 collection had influence from traditional Asian architecture, as she was particularly inspired by the clean lines and tiled roofs.

Lastly, Jarida Karnjanasirirat from Bangkok, Thailand, sought to mimic the structure of relief sculptures – in which elements of the sculpture are raised from the background. She created three dimensional collars, lapels, and pleats, bringing her inspiration to life in her garments. While pursuing her MFA in Fashion Design from the School of Fashion, Jarida interned with N.I.C.E. Collective in San Francisco.

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