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McPherson College Welcomes New VP For Student Life

Dr. Khalilah Doss

Dr. Khalilah Doss takes over as vice president for student life and dean of students at McPherson College

McPherson College is excited to welcome Dr. Khalilah Doss as its new vice president for student life and dean of students, starting July 1. Doss is filling a critical role, as she will provide leadership as MC works to define the future of a residential campus as part of its strategic plan, Community by Design.

“Dr. Doss is a welcome addition to our community. She will connect well with our students. Her broad-based skills will help elevate the work we are doing in student life and engage the entire campus in our work to reimagine the residential experience,” said McPherson College President Michael Schneider.

Most recently, Doss served as the assistant dean of students for Lincoln University. At Lincoln, she designed the first and second year experience for the residence halls, as well as led the office of residential life and housing, international student services, auxiliary services and the office of new student programs and engagement. She has extensive experience working with student athletes, special populations and international students.

Before Lincoln, Doss was assistant director of residential life at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. There she assisted the director with managing the residential life and housing department. Her responsibilities included creating and executing diversity programs, academic and social programs, leadership development, student development and assisting with recruitment and retention efforts.

“I am honored for the opportunity to join the McPherson College family, and work with the stellar faculty, staff and students who call McPherson home,” said Doss. “It was clear during my visit that the campus has a commitment to academic excellence and creating a robust co-curricular experience for students. This commitment aligns with my values as it relates to higher education and I am excited to serve the campus and surrounding community in my new role. Go Bulldogs!”

2017 Senior Drive-Thru

MC seniors take the traditional drive around McPherson and then through Heaston Gazebo on campus.

MC Student Leaders Receive CHS Refinery Scholarship

CHS McPherson Refinery recently awarded $1,500 scholarships to McPherson College seniors Johanna Hoffman of Goessel, Kan., and Emily Warner of Valley Center, Kan. The annual award recognizes MC students who contribute to the campus and McPherson community through their leadership roles, studies, jobs, and volunteerism.

Amy Beckman, talent acquisition specialist at CHS, said it was important to their business to provide recognition and encouragement to these young local leaders.

“The CHS Refinery Leadership Award was created to recognize students that are demonstrating leadership in our community and the school,” Beckman said. “We try to encourage and foster that passion for service in order to develop leaders for our future.”

Hoffman, a communication major, has served in a number of leadership roles at McPherson College. She was a co-founder and leader of ‘Peacefully, Simply, Together’ a campus group that focuses on building and maintaining relationships, as well as participating in service together. She served as a peer mentor for two years for first-time freshmen on campus. For the last three years, she has served as the assistant to the director of Spiritual Life and Service and was recently recognized with the Outstanding Achievement in Ministry Award on campus.

Hoffman is looking to pursue a career in marketing and communication while continuing to serve in the community. “I am so thankful for CHS and this scholarship, as well as the leadership opportunities I have had at McPherson College. The experiences I’ve had while participating in service here have helped me learn how to be a more effective leader.”

Warner, a finance, management, and marketing major, has served as the vice president of the McPherson College business club, as an urban youth mentor at Kids Across America and as varsity volleyball captain. “I was the line of communication between coaches and players, and set expectations through leading by example,” said Warner.

“I am honored to be recognized for leadership by CHS,” she said.

Warner has already secured a position as a Credit Analyst at Koch Industries upon graduation.

Abbey Archer-Rierson, chief of staff at McPherson College is thankful for the recognition and continued commitment from CHS.

“These students truly embrace the ideals of the college’s mission of scholarship, participation and service. We are excited to see what the future holds for Johanna and Emily.

MC Recognizes Award-Winning Students for 2016-2017

McPherson College recognized the outstanding students of the 2016-2017 academic year at its annual Celebration and Awards Convocation on May 5, 2017. Faculty and staff presented the awards and recognitions.

Recipients were as follows:

Technology Department-Auto Restoration Program

  • “Pop” Rice Award – Drew Reich, senior, Sunbury, PA
  • Jay Leno/Popular Mechanics Scholarship – Aaron Israel, senior, West End, NC
  • Paul Russell Award for Excellence – Matthew Edmonds, senior, Flagstaff, AZ

Business

  • Outstanding Business Student Award– Lauren Wankum, senior McPherson, KS

Curriculum & Instruction

  • Model Educators – Nikki Thornburg, senior, Cypress, CA
  • Teachers of Promise – Megan James, senior, Concordia, KS

History & Politics

  • Leland L. Lengel Memorial Scholarship in History – Diamond Blaylock-Norris, freshman, Flower Mound, TX
  • Marvin and Doreen Will Scholarship – Kortney Slaughter-Jones, freshman, Brentwood, CA; Kendahl Kelly, junior, Svendborg, Denmark
  • History & Politics Best Senior Thesis Award – Destiny Reid, senior, Buffalo, MO

Natural Science

  • CRC Press Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award – Kaitlyn van Asselt, sophomore, McPherson, KS
  • Merit Research Award – Sheryl Evans, senior, Nassau, Bahamas; Lucas Giesey, senior, Sheridan, WY
  • Burkholder Research Award – Nathan Finch, senior, Lindsborg, KS

Behavioral Sciences

  • Outstanding Behavioral Science Students – Sawyer Pittenger, senior, Lincoln, KS

Lambda Pi Eta, Communication Honor Society

  • Nick Greenway, Caleb Hecker, Jasmine Helms, Johanna Hoffman, Madison Hoffman, Logan Schrag, Tessa Szambecki

Alpha Psi Omega

  • Una Yoder Theatre Student of the Year – Abbey Trenkle, senior, Haysville, KS
  • Una Yoder Rookie Theatre Student of the Year – Erin Fralick, junior, New Palastine, IN; Liz Thornton, freshman, Karval, CO

Music

  • 2016-2017 Outstanding Music Major – Chandler Dohe, senior, Limon, CO

Visual Arts

Excellence in Competitive Exhibitions

  • Wichita AIGA Student Portfolio Forum – Jessie Neher, senior, Rochester, MN; Channing Wall, senior, McPherson, KS; Corey Long, senior, McPherson, KS; Jaden Hilgers, senior, Wichita, KS
  • Prairie Art Exhibition: Cash Merit Awards – Monica Ewy, senior, McPherson, KS; Nora Grosbach, senior, Evergreen, CO; Jaden Hilgers, senior, Wichita, KS
  • Prairie Art Exhibition: All Accepted Entries – Chloe Cloud, junior, Wichita, KS; Alley Domar, senior, McPherson, KS; Monica Ewy, senior, McPherson, KS; Micah Gilbert, sophomore, Elkhart, IN; Nora Grosbach, junior, Evergreen, CO; Jaden Hilgers, senior, Wichita, KS; Lillian Oeding, sophomore, Wichita, KS; Italia Venegas, freshman, Shawnee Mission, KS

Athletics

  • Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Jasmine Helms, senior, Manhattan, KS
  • Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Aaron Bachura, junior, Wilsey, KS

Physical Education

  • Outstanding Physical Education Major – Molly Kelley, senior, Shawnee, KS; Ethan Winter, senior, McPherson, KS

Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges

  • Samantha Brandyberry, senior, Derby, KS
  • Carson Clay, senior, Choctaw, OK
  • Erika Doty, senior, Ottawa, KS
  • Tara Gladding, senior, Marquette, KS
  • Alex Glidden, senior, McPherson, KS
  • Kathryn Hicks, senior, Keller, TX
  • Johanna Hoffman, senior, Hillsboro, KS
  • Corey Long, senior, McPherson, KS
  • Sawyer Pittenger, senior, Lincoln, KS
  • Lauren Wankum, senior, McPherson, KS
  • Ethan Winter, senior, McPherson, KS

Campus Ministry

  • Outstanding Achievement in Ministry – Callie Atkins, senior, Stillwater, OK; Tara Gladding, senior, Marquette, KS; Johanna Hoffman, senior, Hillsboro, KS

Service Awards

  • Rotaract Service Scholarship – Rhianna Smith, junior, Lindsborg, KS; Madison Hoffman, junior, McPherson, KS
  • Outstanding Achievement in Service – David Nobo, senior, Topeka, KS; Samuel Nobo, senior, Topeka, KS

Professor of the Year Award – Ami Martinez

Staff Person of the Year AwardAshley Spencer

 

2016-2017 Annual Celebration & Awards Convocation Program (pdf)

Watch on Livestream

McPherson College Dude. Be Nice Month Will Focus on Gratitude, Community, and Service

MCPHERSON, KS – The office of Spiritual Life and Service at McPherson College will host Dude. Be Nice throughout the month of April. Dude. Be Nice is a nationwide campaign to promote kindness in schools and communities.

Each week will have a different theme relating to kindness. The focuses will be on random acts of kindness, service and community-building, and gratitude. The final week will be Dude. Be Nice finale week, where different campus groups will spend the week thanking others.

Programming during the month will include pairing with local law enforcement for ice cream and an Easter egg hunt, hosting a campus-wide service day, and encouraging students to attend campus events. The campus will also use the hashtag #bulldogsbeingnice on social media to spread awareness about Dude. Be Nice.

This campaign was started by apparel company Dude. Be Nice. In addition to selling clothes, the owners wanted to create more accepting and kind communities. To do this, they offer free materials on their website offering suggestions for how create a Dude. Be Nice campaign in schools and on college campuses.

The Dude. Be Nice website states, “We’re committed to creating cool clothes and doing our part to show people, not matter who they are or where they came from, that they matter. Kindness, inclusiveness, and gratitude will always be at the core of our culture.”

The office of Spiritual Life and Service is hosting this month because a unifying quality of all the major religions is to treat people the way you want to be treated. Jen Jensen, Director of Spiritual Life and Service, says “translating this into today’s terms, this philosophy would be Dude. Be Nice.

Speaker Discusses Law in Action (Figures) For College Students, Community at McPherson College’s Mohler Lecture

It may seem an impossible task: Inform college students about legal issues around social media, online safety, and appropriate online behavior.

Also, keep them interested.

Fortunately for attorney C.L. Lindsay, speaker at this year’s McPherson College Mohler Lecture on Oct. 27 and 28, he’s done this before and knows the secret – humor and action figures. To illustrate each point, rather than any human models, he employed posed pictures of action figures – everything from Spider-Man to Chuck Norris to Bilbo Baggins.

Covering everything from privacy to Pokémon Go, Lindsay helped share advice to help keep college-age students out of trouble – both in an on-campus gathering on Friday and a lecture open to the public the Thursday evening before.

He said that the basic rule was simple.

“If you wouldn’t do it without technology, don’t do it with technology,” he said. “99 percent of the time that will keep people out of trouble.”

Lindsay said one of the clearest examples is when using email or text. He asks people to imagine walking up to someone and saying to their face what they are about to type. If it feels wrong “in real life,” don’t do it online, either.

“We change our expectations when we go online,” he said. “We change our ethics when we go online.”

He also gave the example of people posting their bad behavior on social media such as Facebook.

“It’s like printing off infinite copies all over campus,” he said.

The focus of his law career took a sharp turn in 1998 with a single phone call from a friend and professor where he went to college – at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. This professor was facing issues of academic freedom, with other faculty trying to pressure him to stop teaching in a certain way. He reached out to Lindsay for help, as the only attorney he knew who could assist him.

In this process, Lindsay realized that there was a true lack of legal assistance in the area of education. As a result, he left his New York law practice to found the Coalition for Student & Academic Rights (CO-STAR). As executive director, he has since built CO-STAR into a national student rights organization that each year helps thousands of college students with their legal problems – free of charge.

To broaden the reach of the lessons he learned by leading CO-STAR, Lindsay wrote the book on legal problems in post-secondary education… literally. His 2005 book “The College Student’s Guide to the Law” continues to be an authoritative guide for students and counsel at colleges and universities nationwide.

Originally, he thought the organization would mostly assist professors, but he quickly discovered that most of the requests for legal help were pouring in from students. Apart from this clear need, he sees a benefit of introducing young people to participating in the legal side of the United States democracy.

For all the warnings in his presentation, Lindsay had a final word of caution – remember that the Internet is like indoor plumbing.

Indoor plumbing can go very, very wrong when toilets back up and bathtubs overflow, but that doesn’t mean anyone really wants to go back to outhouses.

Similarly, the Internet can have terrible consequences, but that doesn’t mean one should give it up entirely – just using common sense.

“Be careful, but don’t shun this stuff,” he said. “This is some of the greatest benefit of getting to live in this day and age.”

McPherson College’s oldest continuous-running lecture series, the Mohler Lecture was made possible starting in 1975 by the generosity of Dr. Robert and Mrs. Fern Shoemaker Mohler. The lecture is supported by permanent funds from the Mohler’s initial gift that are now held in the McPherson College endowment, meaning that the Mohler lecture will continue to bring great speakers to McPherson College for years to come.

McPherson College Names 2016 Homecoming King and Queen

2016 Homecoming King and Queen

Homecoming queen and king: Erika Doty of Ottawa, KS and Landon Stang of Limon, CO.

McPherson College announced its 2016 Homecoming king and queen during homecoming weekend on Oct. 15 – Landon Stang of Limon, Colo., and Erika Doty of Ottawa, Kan.

Stang is an honor roll student majoring in physical education and health with a minor in business administration and management. He was nominated as “emerging leader” in the college’s “Light and Life” Awards in 2014 and has worked as a resident assistant on campus.

He’s also a wide receiver on the football team, has served as a manager for the Bulldog volleyball team, and has competed as a jumper on the track and field team, contributing to the Bulldog men winning the program’s first-ever KCAC Championship in 2014.

Doty is also an honor roll student, majoring in business administration: management/marketing with double minors in psychology and international business and has worked as an MC resident assistant.

She was named a 2016 NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete last spring for her performance in the classroom and on the cross-country team as well as the track and field team, as a distance runner. The same year that the men took the KCAC Championships, Doty was part of the 2014 women’s track and field team that also took the Championship crown. For them, the 2014 victory was the first championship since 1977.

The members of the “Homecoming Court” were: Matthew Goist of Navarre, Ohio; Aaron Parrott of Wichita, Kan.; Austin Hiebert of Newton, Kan.; J’Moi Penn of Road Town, British Virgin Islands; Johanna Hoffman of Hillsboro, Kan.; Emily Warner of Wichita, Kan.; Molly Kelley of Shawnee, Kan.; and Jasmine Helms of Manhattan, Kan.

Also see: Homecoming court presentation video

 

CHS Refinery Honors McPherson College Student Leaders

When CHS McPherson Refinery called with the news she’s receiving this year’s Leadership Award, Miranda Clark-Ulrich’s reaction was a natural one.

“I was very excited,” she said. “I might have yelled a little.”

CHS awards a $1,500 scholarship annually at McPherson College two senior students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership. This year’s recipients are Clark-Ulrich of Russell, Kan., and Kevin Ndongo of Mobile, Ala.

The award recognizes MC students who are contributing to the campus and McPherson as a whole through their leadership roles, studies, jobs and volunteerism.

Mark Cantrell, human resources manager at CHS, said it was important to their business to provide financial backing and recognition to these young local leaders.

“The CHS Refinery at McPherson is proud to continue its support for students at McPherson College that show outstanding potential to become tomorrow’s leaders,” Cantrell said. “We congratulate the recipients of this year’s awards and wish them success.”

Ndongo has served in a number of leadership roles at MC. These roles include: a McPherson College ambassador to visiting students, a resident assistant in Metzler Hall, vice president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and captain of the MC men’s soccer team.

He ultimately wants to become a professional soccer player or a business owner; he’s open to the possibilities.

“I tell people I’m a free bird,” he said. “When the opportunity comes, I’m going to take it.”

Clark-Ulrich has served as the photo editor and editor-in-chief at the “Spectator” student newspaper, has won multiple awards from Kansas Collegiate Media for newspaper photography, received multiple entrepreneurship grants under the college Horizon Fund, and was a member of the McPherson College KCAC Championship Track and Field team in 2014.

She has been accepted to the University of Kansas School of Law – the number one law school in Kansas in nine categories – for fall 2016. Ultimately, Clark-Ulrich plans to return to her hometown of Russell to work as an attorney. She said the CHS Leadership Award has provided her with valuable connections already.

“I’d like to give a big ‘Thank you’ to CHS for giving me this opportunity,” she said.

Ndongo said that while he was surprised to receive the award, he felt that it was a validation of his hard work throughout his college career.

“It makes me feel that no matter what you do, somebody’s watching it,” he said. “You will be rewarded somehow. God is great.”

McPherson College Recognizes Award-Winning Students

McPherson College recognized the outstanding students of the 2015-2016 academic year at its annual Celebration and Awards Convocation on April 29. Faculty and staff presented the awards and recognitions.

Recipients were as follows:

Technology Department-Auto Restoration Program

  • “Pop” Rice Award – Coye Savell, senior, McPherson, Kan.
  • Jay Leno/Popular Mechanics Scholarship – Adam Mashiach, sophomore, Encino, Calif.
  • Paul Russell Award for Excellence – Zane Luekenga, freshman, Glenwood, Ark.

Business

  • Outstanding Business Student Award– Daniel May, senior, Caracas, Venezuela

Curriculum & Instruction

  • Model Educators for 2013-2014– Kayla Burke, senior, Derby, Kan., and Cami Engelbert, senior, Belioit, Kan.
  • Teachers of Promise– Lisa Goering, senior, McPherson, Kan; Brooke Vorhees, senior, Riverside, Calif.

History & Politics

  • Leland L. Lengel Memorial Scholarship in History – Kendall Kelly, freshman, Svendborg, Denmark
  • History & Politics Best Senior Thesis Award – James Covel, senior, Wichita, Kan.
  • Phi Alpha Theta, History Honor Society – Matthew Edmonds, junior, Flagstaff, Ariz., and Christian Johnston, senior, Lyons, Kan.

Natural Science

  • CRC Press Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award – Keisha England, freshman, Sand Springs, Okla., and Parkes Wolters, freshman, Osborne, Kan.
  • Merit Research Award – Alia Khalidi, senior, Augusta, Kan.; Kaley Kinnamon, senior, McPherson, Kan.
  • Burkholder Research Award – Tiffany Fraser, senior, Georgetown, Texas; and Ashley Frankenbery Long, senior, McPherson, Kan.

Behavioral Sciences

  • Outstanding Behavioral Science Students – Amanda Darrow, senior, Jasper, Mo.; Simone Donaldson, senior, Halstead, Kan.; Shannon Popp, senior, Galva, Kan.; Rea Samuels, senior, Williston, Fla.
  • Conference Presentation Award – Carmen Carranza, senior, McPherson, Kan.

Lambda Pi Eta, Communication Honor Society

  • Jo Hoffman, junior, Hillsboro, Kan., and Daniel May, senior, Caracas, Venezuela

Visual Arts

Excellence in Competitive Exhibitions

  • Wichita AIGA Student Portfolio Forum – Nathan Holthus, senior, McPherson, Kan.
  • McPherson College Juried Student Exhibition – Scott Bullis, junior, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Chloë Cloud, freshman, Wichita, Kan.; Monica Ewy, junior, Halstead, Kan.; Melicia Foster-Evans, senior, McPherson, Kan.; Nora Grosbach, sophomore, Evergreen, Colo.; Dani Jacks, senior, Stafford, Kan.; Lisa Koehn, junior, Galva, Kan.; Kaleena Nelson, freshman, Spring Hill, Kan.; Ste’fon Walker, senior Mendenhall, Miss.
  • 42nd Annual Prairie Art Exhibition – Melicia Foster-Evans, senior, McPherson, Kan.
  • Competitive Exhibition – Chloë Cloud, freshman, Wichita, Kan.; Monica Ewy, junior, Halstead, Kan.; Arelyn Fallis, senior, McPherson, Kan.; Nora Grosbach, sophomore, Evergreen, Colo.; Dani Jacks, senior, Stafford, Kan.; Lisa Koehn, junior, Galva, Kan.; Nick Lechner, sophomore, Wichita, Kan.

Athletics

  • Female Athlete of the Year – Rea Samuels, senior, Williston, Fla.
  • Male Athlete of the Year – Dixon Cooney, senior, Loveland, Calif.

Physical Education

  • Outstanding Physical Education Major – Whitney Miller, senior, Valley Center, Kan.

Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges

  • Miranda Clark Ulrich, Russell, Kan.; Tyler Henning, Sedgwick, Kan.; Ashley Frankenbery Long, McPherson, Kan.; Dixon Cooney, Loveland, Colo.; Austin Hiebert, Newton, Kan.; Daniel May, Caracas, Venezuela; James Covel, Wichita, Kan.; Addie Johnson, McPherson, Kan.; Crystal Osner, Conway Springs, Kan.; Lisa Goering, McPherson, Kan.; Alia Khalidi, Augusta, Kan.; Rea Samuels, Williston, Fla.

Service Awards

  • Outstanding Achievement in MinistryTiffany Fraser, senior, Georgetown, Texas, and Alia Khalidi, senior, Augusta, Kan.
  • Outstanding Achievement in ServiceLiz Lindsey, senior, Kansas City, Kan.

Professor of the Year Award – David O’Dell, professor of accounting

Staff Person of the Year AwardVicki Trimmell, admissions receptionist and office assistant

Improvements Planned for McPherson College Campus

Better energy efficiency and new security systems are coming to the McPherson College campus starting in the next few months.

Marty Sigwing, director of facilities at McPherson College, said these projects are building the foundation for long-term sustainability at the college, which is an important strategic focus at MC.

“We’re setting up a legacy of success,” Sigwing said. “A lot of this is invisible. You’re not going to see it when you walk down the sidewalk, but it will serve us well into the future.”

The first project is $7.4 million in energy improvements to the campus, which will be completed by Schneider Electric – an international company that specializes in energy performance contracts.

Sigwing said that the main improvement will involve replacing the current steam heat boilers in campus buildings with hot water boilers – making climate control safer, easier to control and more efficient. The improvements are expected to save at least $90,000 per year in utility costs, helping to defray the expense.

Sigwing said that the improvements will allow the facilities department at McPherson College to offer better customer service to the rest of campus. For example, switching between heating and cooling of buildings will take hours rather than the days it takes with current equipment. In addition, the new system will allow for better monitoring and control of all energy systems on campus. The efficiency upgrades are scheduled to be completed within 18 months.

A more long-term element of the project will improve campus safety with nearly $1 million in safety upgrades. The first part is installing 102 keyless entry keypad units on exterior doors as well as new lighting and video camera monitoring systems. Sigwing said requests for proposal are planned for fall 2016 with implementation starting in spring 2017. The project may continue with additional keypads on interior doors as needed.

“We are fortunate to be able to invest in long-term energy savings,” said Michael Schneider, McPherson College president. “Thanks to our investor and the city of McPherson that is issuing the bonds, we are able to finance these important upgrades.”

A private investor who will benefit from tax-free educational facilities revenue bonds issued by the city of McPherson will fund the projects. The bonds cleared a city public hearing on Monday, Feb. 15, and were issued later in February.