Tuesday, March 19

Following the Faculty

Welcome Dr. Wang, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Academics, Following the Faculty

Welcome Dr. Wang, Assistant Professor of Psychology

By: Kara Guetersloh, Guest Writer Title photo retrieved from McKendree employee directory McKendree University welcomes Dr. Hui Wang, the new Assistant Professor of Psychology. Dr. Wang is originally from China but moved to America in 2018. She got her doctorate at the University of Kansas. Before teaching at McKendree University, Dr. Wang majored in applied linguistics and taught English in China. She wanted to find new ways to motivate her students. This led her to the field of psychology. She said, “I wondered what I could do to motivate my student’s learning. I just wanted to keep studying about motivation and then started to study psychology.” Dr. Wang was attracted to McKendree University because of the campus life. Upon her initial visit to the university, the people st...
The Pizza Oven Professor! 
Following the Faculty

The Pizza Oven Professor! 

By: Chloe Gamber, Head Academic Writer Images retrieved from Professor Abrams If you want to learn about economics through creative and exciting methods, you should speak to Professor Abrams! Eric Abrams, the Associate Professor of Economics, teaches a unique course that is listed as ECO 300, or Economics of Pizza & Victuals, and many more courses at McKendree. Economics of Pizza & Victuals covers the “examination of the pizza and food industries. Topics covered will include identifying profitable pricing solutions, conducting market analyses including demand analysis and industrial organization, and analyzing policy and regulatory effects,” as stated in the course catalog. You are able to learn outside of the classroom as well with field trips to local pizza restaurants suc...
Counseling Services
Following the Faculty

Counseling Services

By: Tayla Johnson Photography by Tayla Johnson Mental health is very important for college students and should be a factor that everyone should consider. Counseling services provide the most adequate aid for McKendree’s students and faculty, which requires no fees or charges to those who attend the institution. The assistant director of health and counseling services, Melissa McHenry, and Charles Gregory, who is the university counselor at McKendree, educate students and faculty in creating better mental health and well-being for themselves. For students, it can be difficult to adjust to the differences that come with a new start that college brings. “We do everything we can to help students with their transition through school,” says Gregory. Also, there are many stresses that c...
Graduate Admissions
Following the Faculty

Graduate Admissions

By: Nik Millsap Photography taken by Nik Millsap I had the pleasure of joining Sabrina Storner, Director of Graduate Admissions, in an interview discussing what the Office of Graduate Admissions does for students. Ms. Storner has worked at McKendree for 20 years and started in Undergraduate Admissions and Transfer. Soon after starting her career, McKendree opened a graduate admissions office where Ms. Storner was promptly moved to. Graduate Programs The graduate programs offered at McKendree fall under Master’s Degree or Doctoral Degree. The Master’s Degrees available are Athletic Training, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Education, Health Administration, MBA, MSN, and Teaching. The Doctoral Degrees available are in Education, Nursing Practice, and Specialist in Educati...
Alumni & Parent Relations
Following the Faculty

Alumni & Parent Relations

By: Seth Kamykowski Photos taken and collected by Seth Kamykowski The Development, Alumni & Parent Relations Department house is located just south of campus in the Alumni House. The mission of the department is for alumni, donors, and students to buy into giving back their time, talent, and treasure to the university. The Development, Alumni & Parent Relations Department is one with their hand in many baskets. The Development, Alumni & Parent Relations Department is responsible for any fundraising not through the university. This includes any donations from donors or fundraising events put on by the department. Stephen Kull, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, says the department is focused on transformational experience not only for the alumni and donor...
Catfish & Pike Research
Following the Faculty

Catfish & Pike Research

Dr. Michael Louison had two papers accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Fisheries Research. Dr. Michael Louison is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Program at McKendree University The first is the major one to highlight, as (now former/graduated) McKendree Students Emma Knoebel, Riley Ross, and Nathan Brand shared first-authorship on the paper, which was done with me and Dr. Robb VanPutte co-advising. The citation is here: Brand, N.R., Knoebel, E.M., Ross, R.M., VanPutte, R.D., and M.J. Louison (2022 in press). Post-release physiological disturbance in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus caught by recreational anglers. Fisheries Research. The second recent publication was from some data I collected along with John Bieber of the University of Illino...
Health Equity: Growth and Understanding for Rural Communities for the National Rural Health Resource Center
Following the Faculty

Health Equity: Growth and Understanding for Rural Communities for the National Rural Health Resource Center

Dr. Richelle Rennegarbe, Nursing Division Chair/DNP Program Director/Professor of Nursing developed and implemented a four-part series focusing on Health Equity: Growth and Understanding for Rural Communities for the National Rural Health Resource Center. Professor Richelle Rennegarbie is a Professor in the McKendree University division of Nursing The four two-hour sessions focused on the following: Session 1 - Health Equity - What Every Rural Resident Deserves Session 2 - Health Equity - Using Cultural Intelligence in Rural Settings Session 3 - Health Equity - Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Rural Settings Session 4 - Health Equity - Evidence-Based Strategies to Address Health Equity This has an excellent opportunity to partner with a national rural health orga...
Following the Faculty: Students Honor the Wampanoag and Their Ancestors
Following the Faculty

Following the Faculty: Students Honor the Wampanoag and Their Ancestors

https://www.mckendree.edu/academics/research/index.php Dr. Lauren (LT) Thompson's Minorities in America courses hosted a "Green Corn Ceremony" on Monday, November 22nd. Many Indigenous Peoples celebrated the first corn harvest of the season in August. This is loosely translated to become known as the "Green Corn Ceremony." One of these nations were the Wampanoag. They are known as the "people of first light" because they lived (and some remain) on what is now Cape Cod.  In 1620, the Wampanoag people saved the starving, sickly Pilgrims and aided them in developing homes, food, and a settlement that became known as Plymouth. To celebrate their survival, the Wampanoag invited the Pilgrims to celebrate the "Green Corn Ceremony" with them in the Fall of 1621. That was exactly 400 ...
Following the Faculty: A Visit with the History Guy
Following the Faculty

Following the Faculty: A Visit with the History Guy

https://www.mckendree.edu/academics/research/index.php On Wednesday, November 10th, Dr. Allie Helfrich, Dr. Brittany Dobill, and Dr. Rich Murphy's business and communication classes attended a masterclass discussion with Lance Geiger: the History Guy on YouTube, Lance discussed the marketing and communication side of his business addresssing how he got his start and became a YouTube sensation. 
Following the Faculty: Dr. Katherine Alford
Following the Faculty

Following the Faculty: Dr. Katherine Alford

https://www.mckendree.edu/academics/research/index.php Dr. Katherine Alford authored an article called,  Teaching listening as a form of empathy building. Voices from the Middle, 29(1) 36-39 (2021). The article is about how middle school teachers can and should explicitly teach listening in their English Language Arts classrooms as a means of developing more empathetic and engaged students.