Tag: academics

Committed to Faculty and Student Diversity: University Dean, Dr. Liza Ann Acosta

As University Dean, Dr. Liza Ann Acosta’s hope is to facilitate the work of faculty development—with a student body comprised of a diverse population and mirrored by a diverse faculty.

Portrait of Dean Acosta

“I am invested in the wellbeing of my students and my colleagues. Being asked to do more with little is overwhelming, but my colleagues’ dreams for our students are on my mind every single day. My wish is to make those become real possibilities.  An investment in our faculty is an investment in our students.”

Facilitating Faculty Development

As University Dean, Dr. Liza Ann Acosta’s hope is to facilitate the work of faculty development—with a student body comprised of a diverse population and mirrored by a diverse faculty, so that all our students can see themselves reflected in the people who teach them. A new mentorship program for first-year and ongoing rising faculty and a partnership with the Faculty Senate and Office of Institutional Effectiveness for the inclusion of adjunct faculty development are among the initiatives supporting Dean Acosta’s vision of having a well-rounded, diverse faculty at North Park.

Retention and Recruitment of Faculty of Color

Dean Acosta has initiated efforts to more effectively recruit and retain faculty of color who can and do impact the student learning experience through expertise, mentorship, and role-modeling. In these efforts, Dean Acosta advises and serves on search committees, advocates for faculty and staff of color, and leads monthly meetings for faculty and staff of color for community-building.

Helping Students Have an Enriching Intercultural Experience

Dean Acosta is encouraged every day by North Park students as she observes them make connections between classroom and world. “Preparing students to contribute in real possible ways—through the arts, life sciences, technology—is what we seek at North Park, with faculty who have a passion for planting a seed and watching students grow.”

At North Park, Dean Acosta continues to teach, advise, and mentor students. She is also part of the Council on Diversity Equity and Inclusion whose central role includes bias reporting. “I am always thinking of ways that North Park’s faculty, as a collective, can be even better in their respective specialty fields, and how we can help students have an enriching, intercultural experience,” said Dean Acosta. Academic programs are structured in a way to reflect both a rigorous learning experience in the classroom and experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom when engaging how the diverse city of Chicago functions and thrives.

Core principles guide Dean Acosta: encouraging creativity, providing resources for continuous improvement and innovation, documenting and learning from best practices in research and teaching, advocating for a diverse faculty, and nurturing professional development for all faculty members. Meeting the needs of both students and faculty is an ongoing process—a role that for Dean Acosta is always evolving.

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North Park Students Selected to Present to Illinois Sociological Association

Nineteen North Park students enrolled in Methods in Social Research will attend the 2017 Illinois Sociological Association, seven of whom will present original research.

Nineteen North Park students enrolled in Methods in Social Research are heading to the 2017 Illinois Sociological Association meeting on November 17th, 2017. The students will share seven presentations based on original research ideas developed in the course and as part of activities conducted through the Urban Peace Lab— established and run by their instructor, Dr. Peter K. B. St. Jean, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Criminal Justice at North Park. Seven research abstracts were accepted for presentation on one panel and one roundtable.

On the panel, Dr. St. Jean will present a paper entitled, “Conducting Better News Research,” which will provide the general conceptual framework for the students’ research. Dr. St. Jean will also introduce the students presenting on the following topics:

  • I AM NOT GOING BACK: Recidivism and Social Environment in Chicago
  • REVENGE WITHOUT VIOLENCE: How Residents of Chicago’s High Crime Neighborhoods Avenge Victimization Without Violence
  • PEACE WITHOUT GUNS: How Chicago Residents Within High Gun Violence Neighborhoods Resolve Conflicts Without the Use of Guns
  • THE UPRISE: Youth and Gang Avoidance in Chicago
  • POVERTY AND PEACE IN CHICAGO: Voices on the Ground
  • IN SPITE OF IT ALL: Triumph After Human Trafficking

Also attending and presenting papers on Visual Urban Peaceology are North Park alumnus and current University of Chicago graduate student, Eirik J. Berger, and current NPU Theatre and Communications student, Seanna Wong. The panel will be led by Dr. St. Jean’s presentation entitled “Introduction to Peaceology and Urban Peaceology: Findings from Multi-methods Research in Chicago.” Eirik J. Berger and Seanna Wong will then present their papers respectively:

  • VISUAL URBAN PEACEOLOGY: Understanding and Amplifying Peace Intelligence in the Urban Context Through the Use of Visual Tools, Ethnography, Qualitative Data, and Media Research
  • THE ROLE OF THEATRE IN VISUAL URBAN PEACEOLOGY: Findings from Ground-Breaking Ethnographic Research and Activism in Chicago

“I’m happy that these students get this opportunity to make history by being part of the research team that collectively introduces Peaceology, Urban Peaceology, and Better News Research for the first time to an academic conference. They have been working hard to conduct the best presentations, and I am confident that they will do well,” said Professor St. Jean, chairperson of the Sociology Department at North Park.

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Dr. Timothy Johnson, “Healthcare: A Prediction”

Watch video footage of Dr. Timothy Johnson’s talk concerning the future of American healthcare.

September 14, 2017 — North Park University welcomed longtime ABC medical editor and North Park grad Dr. Timothy Johnson to discuss the future of American Health Care with NPU students.

The student-only event was held in the Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life, the building named in honor of Dr. Johnson and his wife. “We are extraordinarily privileged to benefit from Dr. Johnson’s vast knowledge of healthcare, and his willingness to share his insights, gained over a lifetime of service, with our students who are just starting their life’s work,” said North Park Interim President Carl Balsam. “We hope this will inspire many of our students to follow in his footsteps.”

The event was attended by over 200 students and was live streamed on North Park’s Facebook page.

watch video

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Undergrads Dive Deep into Majors for Summer Research Program

A select group of North Park students took part in the NPRESS mentoring program, working alongside their professors while conducting in-depth research in their fields of study.

CHICAGO (September 13, 2017) — For the third summer in a row, a select group of North Park University undergraduate students took part in an intensive mentoring program, working alongside North Park professors while conducting in-depth research in their given academic fields.

Called the North Park Research Experience for Students (NPRESS), the program allows undergrads to receive the type of guidance and research opportunities typically available only in graduate programs.

As part of the eight-week program, funded by North Park donors, students receive a $3,500 stipend, $500 materials allowance and free on-campus housing while conducting research for their theses.

Both the student and faculty mentor explore ideas together during the application process and throughout the two months of hands-on research, said NPRESS Co-Director Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson. “The program allows deeper learning between students and faculty.”

Twelve students, all incoming sophomores, juniors or seniors, were selected for this summer’s program.

On Aug. 30, five of them presented their theses to NPRESS donors, alumni, and faculty at a dinner in the Helwig Boardroom.

Representing majors from History and Global Studies, Exercise Science, Biomedical Sciences, Biology, and Economics, the students discussed their theses and answered questions from the audience. Through their rigorous research, students made connections on themes involving theology of lament and J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel Legendarium, exercise science and velocity data, interactive learning tools and host-pathogen interactions, genes and unicellular alga, and lure of perceptions versus evidence and fact on inventory and cash/financial performance.

Business and Economics major Jomarie Perlas delved deep into making connections between perception of value and actual value in researching inventory.

“Conducting market research and a survey helped to provide insight into inventory management, an area I’m interested in,” Perlas said.

Biology major Haydee Ramirez said the relationship she formed with her mentor, Dr. Yoojin Choi, helped her prepare for her presentation.

“Getting all the research condensed into 10 to 12 minutes that a general audience can understand was a challenge, but my mentor Dr. Choi was there to work with me,” Ramirez said.

Dr. Johnson developed the program to offer undergraduate students a comprehensive and hands-on learning experience that encompassed research, writing, and presenting.

Inspired by the program, participants like 2016 NPRESS participant Hannah Hawkinson, who studied feminist theology and social justice, is now pursuing a Master’s of Divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary.

The NPRESS Committee expressed their gratitude to the donors and the board for making the program possible and for providing North Park students with another avenue to connect academic interests with real-life experiences.

Acceptance into NPRESS is based on an evaluation by North Park’s Undergraduate Research Committee (URC), which examines student merit, outcome, and commitment to 40 hours of research per week. The application deadline for Summer 2018 will be this spring, and applications are open to faculty and undergraduate students of all disciplines. Inquiries can be made with URC Chair Dr. Yoojin Choi .

 

Read Presentations

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Summer Science Academy: Q&A with Dr. Yoojin Choi

This is the Academy’s third year running, and North Park caught up with Dr. Choi to discuss this year’s program.

North Park’s Summer Science Academy runs for four weeks and includes six courses for high school juniors and seniors. Dr. Yoojin Choi, associate professor of biology at North Park, is the program coordinator of Summer Science Academy and regularly teaches classes on anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, and cancer biology. This is the Academy’s third year running, and North Park caught up with Dr. Choi to discuss this year’s program.

NP: Why is it important that North Park offer the Summer Science Academy?

Dr. Choi: The first and foremost goal of the program is to serve the local community. North Park is situated in a very diverse neighborhood; diverse in all kinds of measures. A lot of the students don’t have this kind of high-quality STEM experience. In any public school setting, there is a limited amount of time and resources. Having previously taught at the high school level, I know that with a mandated curriculum, it is sometimes difficult to do “fun things.” So we want to give these students a high-quality experience in their local neighborhood; that’s our main goal.

Two students work together in the physics hub.

NP: How many students participated this year?

Dr. Choi: This year we had 36 students, filling 41 seats. This means that multiple students took more than one course. We attracted a few more students than last year, and we are drawing from more schools than last year as well. When I look at where the students live, they’re mostly from around the neighborhood, but they go to school all over Chicago.

One exciting and interesting case this year is that we had a student from Jamaica. She found us on the internet, and she came from Jamaica to attend a course.

NP: How is STEM at North Park related to the Summer Science Academy?

Dr. Choi: In the big scale, all of STEM fields need more diversity—gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic. North Park is contributing to increasing the diversity in STEM fields. Exposing our neighbors to STEM early on, they’ll be encouraged to pursue an education in STEM fields. The expectation is that when these students see our facilities and interact with our professors, that they will become excited about STEM.

We do rely on donations year by year to allow the program to financially support those in need. Last year the Provost stepped up, and this year a retired professor funded scholarships. Last year we supported four students, this year five, and they are need-based.

NP: What kind of student would benefit from the Academy?

Dr. Choi: Our acceptance rate has been high because many of the students are so well qualified. The application website states that students who will do well and take the most advantage of the program have received A’s and B’s in their science courses. So far, with a couple exceptions, all have been A and B students.

We want to keep our class sizes small. The point of the program is to give students very hands-on, interactive experiences, and we can’t do that in a class size of 30-40 students. We cap the classes at 16 students; that is our maximum.

NP: The Academy takes place in the Johnson Center; what’s the utility of this building?

Dr. Choi: Another goal of ours is to use the state-of-the-art facilities North Park has to serve our community. You know, we built this fabulous new building, and it was underutilized during the summer months, so this gets students into and using the resources here. Utilizing the building during the summer when there aren’t many classes. It would be a waste not to use these great facilities.

Each course is not intended to be an extensive, in-depth kind of thing. We have a morning and an afternoon course, and each is only two and a half hours each day. We have two different types of courses, one that runs for four days, and one that runs for eight days. The schedule was constructed in such a way that if a given student wants to take every course, they can. This way, we also keep the Johnson Center facilities in use all day during the summer time.

NP: Do you incorporate faith into the Summer Science Academy?

Dr. Choi: In a direct way, we do not. However, during our first class this year, taught by Dr. Linda Vick, the first words to come out of her mouth was about God. All of our full-time faculty are Christians, and we are active in our faith lives, and I think that just rubs off. Faith is not a primary component of Summer Science Academy, but we rely on these personal interactions anyway.

NP: What is the benefit for North Park student teachers?

Dr. Choi: We have TAs for the programs. We have full-time professors teaching the courses with some help from North Park students working as TAs. It is a goal of mine to get more students involved for each course. The struggle we run into is that it is hard to get students to stay over the summer for just one week to be a TA while receiving minimal compensation. I am hoping to attract more funds so that we can train and mentor our North Park students and they, in turn, can mentor the high school students.

A synergy between this program and secondary education majors who are interested in science would be most ideal. Last year we had one Secondary Education and Biology student who did her NPRESS research on Summer Science Academy students; this is the synergy I want to see more. My hope is that we can groom the program so that it is a learning experience for our North Park students as well. The TAs will gain experience in mentoring, teaching some of the material, preparing and gaining knowledge on how labs and experiments are taught.

NP: What is your favorite Summer Science course?

Dr. Choi: That’s like asking to pick your favorite child! What our students like the best are the hands-on and inquiry-based classes. Then again, all of our courses are hands-on in one way or another. The biology, chemistry, and physics/engineering classes are by default hands-on. Our psychology and mathematics courses are hands-on in a different way, with lots of discussion and problem-solving. Students love courses in which they can take ownership of the lab, and not scripted activities. The complaint that I received last year was that the students wanted more time in the lab. This is an opportunity for the students to do their own experiments, with the time they need, something that they are unable to do in school.

learn More about summer science academy

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NPRESS Presentations Bring Summer to a Close

On Friday July 28, 12 North Park research summer students presented their findings to close out 2017’s summer NPRESS Program (North Park Research Experience for Summer Students).

On Friday, July 28, 12 North Park summer research students presented their findings to close out 2017’s summer NPRESS Program (North Park Research Experience for Summer Students). Dr. Boaz Johnson began his opening remarks in the Helwig Boardroom in the Johnson Center: “These students have had the opportunity to work alongside the best professors in the world, and I have been all over the world, so I can say that.”

In this highly competitive program, only 12 students were chosen to participate in summer research. These students are provided with on-campus housing and a $3,500 stipend to accompany their 40-hour work weeks of PhD-level research. “As in the past, students have said that this has been their most intense and yet most enjoyable experience at North Park. They get a professor to work with them, all by themselves,” says Dr. Johnson.

Presentation Abstracts

 

ABOUT NPRESS

The NPRESS (North Park Research Experience for Summer Students) program provides opportunities for North Park students to conduct research with a North Park faculty mentor for eight weeks over the summer. It was the brainchild of a core group of faculty and funded by a small group of donors, allowing students to dive into a topic in a way that the constraints of an academic year do not always allow. Students received a $3,500 stipend and were given the opportunity to live on campus, making it possible for them to focus solely on research.

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North Park University Cadaver Lab Opens Its Doors Bright and Early to All Interested Undergraduates

During the near-dawn hours, North Park’s Coordinator of Anatomical Resources Dr. Jeff Nelson leads visits to the Cadaver Lab—as early as 6:30 am.

Students have all different ways of starting their morning. Some with a cup of java or a work-out at Helwig Recreation Center or hitting snooze a couple of times. But for both the science-driven major as well as any student interested in anatomy, the morning starts with access to North Park’s Cadaver Lab.

Study in cadaver lab with Dr. Jeffrey Nelson

During the near-dawn hours, North Park’s Coordinator of Anatomical Resources Dr. Jeff Nelson leads visits to the Cadaver Lab—as early as 6:30 am. “This time of day is perfect for students to openly converse which also sets the tone for professionalism,” says Dr. Nelson.

Learning together early in the morning, when all is quiet on campus and classes have not yet started, distils distractions and focuses the learning experience on exploring anatomy. Supervised by Dr. Nelson, students meet two times a week and every three to four weeks where fellow students can see the work to-date and refresh their knowledge of anatomy. Dr. Nelson readily greets the groggy-eyed yet ready-to-learn undergrads from a variety of majors—psychology to art to health sciences—opening the doors into the world of anatomy where students learn by conversing, observing, handling, and exploring.

If a student is interested in optometry, they can study the eyes; if there’s an interest in physical therapy then they can look at the muscles. To keep track of the areas of the body already studied, students maintain their own logs. In the Cadaver Lab, it’s the students who are actually doing the work with the cadaver. “There’s an element of discovery and mystery that’s experienced during these wee hours of the morning that gets students to start thinking about their interests and career path,” says Dr. Nelson.

Dr. Nelson encourages students to have their own experience with anatomy. For many, being in the Cadaver Lab is about having their first patient experience and for others, it’s about what is yet-to-be-discovered. Modeling the peer-teaching style, students prepare to teach to their fellow classmates, a necessary skill developed in medical school.

North Park University is unique in having its own cadaver lab for undergraduate students. Located in the basement level of the state-of-the-art Johnson Center, the Cadaver Lab provides students with hands-on learning experiences found right here on campus. Before the Cadaver Lab existed on campus, students traveled to nearby hospitals such as Rush Medical Center to receive this sophisticated level of learning most often found in graduate schools.

“North Park is fortunate to have the Cadaver Lab on campus and the students really enjoy expanding their knowledge and skills alongside their peers,” remarks Dr. Nelson.

To participate in a Cadaver Lab session with Dr. Nelson, set your alarm and look for the sign-up sheet outside his office in the Johnson Center, room 020.

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Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University Hosts Annual Conference: “Focus on the Important”

Axelson Center hosted nearly 130 attendees representing Chicagoland nonprofit organizations at its “Focus on the Important” conference.

Nonprofit Professionals Receive Advice from Chicagoland’s Major Funders

CHICAGO, June 13, 2017—Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University hosted nearly 130 attendees representing Chicagoland nonprofit organizations at its “Focus on the Important” conference. The engagement-themed agenda—packed with practical tips on getting the most out of human capital, the importance of relationship-building, and collecting the right kind of data for sound decision making—featured an entrepreneurial keynote speaker, moderators, and funders.

Keynote speaker Jacob Harold, President and CEO of GuideStar is a social change strategist, grantmaker, and author. Attendees absorbed best practices on collecting and utilizing data while Jacob lectured on “Data Scaffolding for Philanthropy – Information and the Marketplace for Good.”

Lisa Brown Alexander, President and CEO of Nonprofit HR followed with a session on employee retention; she offered strategies for leaders to keep employees engaged.

The afternoon panel, “Do Funders have a Secret Sauce?” was facilitated by James Parsons, President of The Brinson Foundation. Engaging discussions ensued from panelists:

  • Sandra Aponte, Program Officer at The Chicago Community Trust
  • Donald A. Cooke, Senior Vice President for Philanthropy at the McCormick Foundation
  • Robin Steans, Executive Director of Advance Illinois and Board Chair of the Steans Family Foundation.

The funders participated in a lively conversation about a range of topics, from the nature of the funder/grantee relationship to the role of foundations in addressing the budget woes in Illinois. They fielded questions during the Q&A on trends for grant opportunities, elements of successful collaborations, and views about sustainability.

The “Ask a Funder” sessions held at day’s end provided attendees with brief appointments to speak with funding representatives, including:

  • The Brinson Foundation
  • The Chicago Community Trust
  • Chicago Foundation for Women
  • Community Memorial Foundation
  • JPMorgan Chase
  • Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation
  • Springboard Foundation

Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University hosts conferences, workshops, custom trainings, and a BootCamp for New Nonprofit CEOs that offer learning and networking opportunities. The mission of the Center is to enhance the performance and effectiveness of organizations and individuals in the nonprofit sector through education, service, and resources.

North Park is Chicago’s city-centered, Christian University.

 

 

 

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Student Blog: Traversing Taiwan

This is a student blog post submitted by Leah Emerson C’18. Leah is a Psychology and Advertising double major.

This is a student blog post submitted by Leah Emerson C’18. Leah is a Psychology and Advertising double major. Pictures featured in this post were taken by Leah. 

For as long as I can remember, a goal of mine has been to visit all seven continents before I die. When it came to Asia, my first thoughts were always things like, “I’d love to see Thailand,” or, “Hong Kong would be amazing.” I knew that Taiwan was a country, but it has never been a country that crossed my mind when I thought of the places I wanted to visit. Not because Taiwan wasn’t interesting or worth my time, but because I just didn’t know enough about it. Yet, here I am writing about my first experience in Asia that took place in—you guessed it—Taiwan! Life is a funny thing.

A family get into a green minivan on the side of the road bordering the dense green vegetation.

The context of the trip is a Keystone course offered by North Park University entitled “Culture and Ecology of Asia.” The course is exactly as it sounds. It is two weeks long and focuses on teaching students of all backgrounds about the culture—customs, societal norms, food, etc—and the ecology—living organisms and their surrounding—of Asia, and more specifically of Taiwan. The trip was led by Dr. Timothy Lin and Dr. Linda Vick—Dr. Lin specializes in the more  cultural aspect of the trip, as he is a Taiwanese native, and Dr. Vick specializing in the ecological aspect—teaching us about the unique organisms and living things in this unfamiliar part of the world.

This trip was more than just a class where we gained factual knowledge. It was an experience that we got to make our own. Throughout the two weeks we were there, we did more than sight-seeing. We did things that pushed us beyond what we are accustomed to which gave us the opportunity to see and experience the world, and engage with people in a way we didn’t know possible.

my biggest take away from this trip was this: mindset is everything

We spent one day at Tunghai University, North Park’s Taiwanese partner school. During our stay at the University, each of us were paired  with a Taiwanese student from the university, and we spent the whole day with them. We talked with them and compared our lives, cultures, experiences, and so much more. It was things like that, having simple conversations, which really opened  our minds and created great learning experiences—and many new friendships!

One of my favorite parts of the trip was traveling to the countryside of Taiwan and seeing all the rice fields. While we were there, we had the chance to eat dinner in a Taiwanese family’s home. The father was previously a professional chef in Taipei (the largest city in Taiwan), but due to health reasons, he and his family had to leave and move elsewhere. They decided they wanted to live a simple life, so they moved to the countryside and began farming. While in their home, he prepared somewhere between 8-10 courses for us to enjoy, all of which were grown and farmed locally, and his two little daughters and his wife served us the food. Afterwards, he came out of the kitchen and spoke with us (in Mandarin—Dr. Lin translated). He told us his story and answered questions we had. It was such an incredible and special experience, and the food was even better!

As much as I learned in the two weeks, my biggest take away from this trip was this: mindset is everything. It plays a crucial role when it comes to our outlooks on life. I left on this trip challenging myself to keep an open mind, and a willingness to try new things. I came home two weeks later with an entirely new perspective. That open-mindedness ultimately opened up my world. This hands-on learning experience allowed me to learn things about the world, myself, and others that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise; for that I am thankful.

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