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ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
PRESIDENT’SREPORT 2010–11
2 PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2010-11
The movement toward inquiry-based
learning is a direct result of Marymount’s
DISCOVER program, an initiative that had
its genesis in the University’s reaffirmation
of accreditation process in 2008. Dr. Liane
Summerfield, associate vice president
for Academic Affairs and director of the
DISCOVER program, recalls, “We were
asked to select a single strategic focus that
we believed would significantly enhance
the quality of the learning experience for
Marymount’s students. We settled on
inquiry learning and have spent the past
three years shifting our academic program
from a teacher-centered to a more learner-
centered experience.”
As part of this process, a freshman seminar
called DISCOVER 101 was piloted in
academic years 2008-09 and 2009-10.
The pilot proved successful, and fall 2010
marked the first time that all entering
MU freshmen were required to take
DISCOVER 101 – a course that introduces
the active, inquiry-based learning that is at
the heart of a Marymount education. The
20 sections of DISCOVER 101 offered in
the fall had intriguing titles, and entering
students were given the opportunity to
choose one that piqued their interest.
No matter which section of DISCOVER 101
a student chose, the course’s objective
was the same: learning to formulate good
questions and develop strategies to find
viable answers.
In addition, the students who entered
Marymount in fall 2010 were the first
whose academic career will be shaped
by the University’s revised liberal arts
core curriculum. This curriculum reflects
Marymount’s mission as a university
in the Catholic intellectual tradition,
emphasizing the pursuit of knowledge
and truth across the disciplines. It includes
courses in writing, mathematics, the
natural and social sciences, humanities,
philosophy, and theology/religious studies.
The freshmen who entered last fall will
also be the first MU students to complete
a set of university requirements in
applied ethics, global perspectives, and
experiential learning. Together, the revised
core curriculum and the new university
requirements will prepare students to be
critical thinkers and creative problem-
solvers, armed with a broad worldview and
an ethical context.
Another milestone this academic year was
the January 2011 opening of Caruthers
Hall, a state-of-the-art facility for the
sciences and health sciences. The new
building’s high-tech teaching and research
labs have unlocked exciting opportunities
for exploration and discovery. Provost
Dr. Sherri Lind Hughes observes, “This
facility features spaces designed to
promote collaborative learning and
research. It is outfitted with the latest
teaching and learning tools. How could all
of this not engage and excite students?”
In May, Marymount celebrated another
historic moment when the School of
Health Professions was the first of its
four academic schools to be named.
Trustee Marlene Malek (a graduate of
Marymount’s Nursing program) and her
husband Frederic provided a generous
contribution to the University’s Campaign
for Excellence and Distinction; their gift
included an endowment for the school,
which has been named the Malek School
of Health Professions in their honor.
Headquartered in Caruthers Hall, the
Malek School enrolls more than 600
undergraduate and graduate students.
Empowering students to learn how to learn through
engagement in the classroom and the wider world
was the guiding principle at Marymount during the
past academic year. Students had more opportunities
for active, inquiry-guided learning than ever before in
the University’s history – from stimulating theme-based
freshman seminars to collaborative research projects
and first-of-their-kind study abroad programs.
ENGAGINGEXPERIENCES
3
ENGAGING DISCOVER 101 DISCOVER 101 is helping to build a
community of active, engaged learners
at Marymount University. It also aims to
familiarize students with the DC region’s
rich resources. Faculty teaching the
course are encouraged to include at least
one field trip into the nation’s capital –
opening the eyes of Marymount’s newest
learners to the intellectual and cultural
possibilities offered by one of the world’s
great cities.
To catch the interest of incoming freshmen,
the 20 sections of DISCOVER 101 offered
in fall 2010 had intriguing titles. Wouldn’t
you like to start your college career with a
seminar called...
A Better World Through Design
Green Computing
How to Win the Tour de France
Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way
Stop, in the Name of the Law!
Telling Other People’s Stories
Traditional Tales, Contemporary Issues
Who’s Dow Jones?
567In fall 2010, 567 Marymount University
undergraduates were named to the
Dean’s List for achieving a grade point
average of at least 3.4. This represents approximately
25% of Marymount’s undergraduate enrollment!
4 PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2010-11
Student ResearchThanks to Marymount’s emphasis
on inquiry learning, more and more
students are undertaking innovative
research and creative projects, both
during the academic year and in
the summer. The University’s annual
Student Research Conference gives
them an opportunity to share their
work with the campus community.
The Art of War and
Governance in
Cyberspace
Student: Tim Brezinski;
Faculty mentor:
Dr. Diane Murphy,
associate professor
of Information
Technology
Designing University
Spaces to Minimize
Stress in College
Student: Lenina
Valle; Faculty mentor:
Margaret Konkel,
assistant professor of
Interior Design
Feasibility of
Using WiiFit®
Balance Games
with Community-
Dwelling Older
Adults: Enjoyment,
Challenge, and
Movement Patterns
Students: Mary
Grimberg, Daniel
Lee, Nicole Taylor,
and Christine Wells;
Faculty mentor: Dr.
Rita Wong, professor
of Physical Therapy
Maasai Made:
The Kenya Project
Students: Saleh
Al-Kharboosh, Ali
Alsaadi, Jeremy
Azurin, Megan Butler,
Pauline Hoang, Tina
Hoang, Nastacia
House, Ginnefine
Jalloh, Elizabeth Jones,
Eve Nguyen, Blaine
Sarmina, and Rachael
Ware; Faculty mentor:
Bridget Murphy,
associate professor of
Graphic Design
What Can Be Learned
from Case Studies of
Emergent Readers?
Students: Kimberly
McLeod and Chloe
Yazdani; Faculty
mentor: Dr. Ana Lado,
professor of Education
A SAMPLING OF
THIS YEAR’S
STUDENT RESEARCH
CONFERENCE TOPICS:
82 At Marymount’s 2011
Student Research Conference
in April, 82 undergraduate
and graduate students presented their
scholarly and creative work.
The Effect of Texting
on Walking Behavior
Students: Christen
Dressel and Ana
Rivera; Faculty
mentor: Dr. Stacy
Lopresti-Goodman,
assistant professor of
Psychology
Symbolic Beaded
Aprons Inspired by
Ancient Cultures
Student: Hessa Alsagri;
Faculty mentor: Chris
Haggerty, professor of
Fine Arts
5
Summer Projects
The DISCOVER program received a record
17 funding applications from students
wishing to undertake faculty-mentored
research projects in summer 2011.
Fourteen of the projects were accepted;
as interest in research increases at
Marymount, more funding applications
are being received, and the selection
process is becoming increasingly rigorous.
Some sample summer 2011 projects…
Biology major Aroshi Perera collaborated with
Dr. David Gammack, assistant professor of
Mathematics, to study the mGluR theory of
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). FXS is the most
common inherited cause of autism.
Marjanne Kameka, a Psychology major minoring
in Business Administration, joined forces
with Dr. Stacy Lopresti-Goodman, assistant
professor of Psychology, to conduct research
on the cognitive, social, and emotional lives of
chimpanzees at the Sweetwaters Sanctuary in
Nanyuki, Kenya. The animals were rescued from
biomedical research, the entertainment industry,
and the bush meat trade.
Business major Reem Kazoun teamed with
Dr. Nancy Furlow, associate professor of Marketing,
to undertake a content analysis of current
consumer magazines. Their goal was to identify
and analyze cause-marketing partnerships in
10 publications over the course of a year, to
determine whether, and how, marketers are using
magazine advertising to target millennials, as
compared to other audiences.
Honors Biology student Melany Su stayed
“stateside” to gather and analyze the data
from satellite tags attached to endangered
Hawksbill sea turtles by 16 MU students
who traveled to Belize in summer 2011.
As part of Dr. Todd Rimkus’s Marine Biology
and Tropical Ecology course, the students
deployed satellite tags on turtles to aid in
tracking their nesting and migration patterns.
Back home at Marymount, Melany compiled
the data from Belize while also monitoring
the incubation of 300 painted turtle eggs for
a separate research initiative.
6 PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2010-11
Hands-on Service Learning Among Costa Rica’s PoorIn February, Associate Professors of
Physical Therapy Dr. Jason Craig and
Dr. Diana Venskus led a group of 25 MU
Doctor of Physical Therapy students on
a service-learning trip to Costa Rica, in
partnership with International Service
Learning. The students completed a
practicum and field work, providing
critically needed physical therapy services
at an orphanage, in an adult residential-
care facility, and in local villages.
Classrooms Beyond Borders…
170More than 170 Marymount students took
their studies on the road in academic year
2010-11, traveling to diverse parts of the
globe to live and learn in an unfamiliar culture.
Scholarship for Global EngagementThis year, Marymount awarded its first
Scholarship for Global Engagement,
which pays full tuition for an
undergraduate to study abroad for
a semester. The scholarship’s recipient, Ashley Phillips, a
Communication and Fashion Merchandising double major from
Newport News, Virginia, traveled to Amman, Jordan. Living with
a Palestinian-Jordanian host family and taking classes at the
University of Amman, Ashely blogged about visiting the ancient
city of Petra, learning Arabic, cooking communal dinners with
her new friends, and celebrating her 20th birthday under the
stars by the Red Sea. She wrote, “I’m not sure there are enough
words to express fully how this experience has matured me!”
A Multi-faceted Field Experience in GermanyIn fall 2010, eight Marymount graduate students in Counseling
traveled to Germany to complete a study-abroad course
called Counseling Deployed Military and their Families. The
group explored issues encountered by service members and
their families stationed abroad, with the goal of preparing
future counselors to work effectively with these individuals.
The students visited the Landstuhl, Ramstein, and Heidelberg
military facilities, meeting with mental-health professionals and
chaplains who work with U.S. service people returning from Iraq
and Afghanistan. Dr. Lisa Jackson-Cherry, department chair and
professor of Counseling, taught the course and also arranged
for her students to attend, and present at, the European Branch
of the American Counseling Association Conference.
A Trip to Israel In May, Counseling and Forensic
Psychology students took part in a trip
to Israel designed for those interested
in learning about the roots of terrorism
in the experiences of childhood, new
practices in conflict resolution, and
efforts to heal children exposed to
violence. Led by Dr. Mary Lindahl,
professor of Psychology, and Dr. Charles
Harris, department chair and professor of
Sociology, the students visited Jerusalem,
Jericho, Bethlehem, and Haifa to get
a first-hand look at the problems and
possibilities for healing in Israel today.
7
Vision for the Future In collaboration with Global Health
Ministry, faculty from Marymount’s
School of Business Administration and
Malek School of Health Professions
visited northern Peru in October 2010
to lay the groundwork for an eye-health
campaign aimed at mototaxi drivers in
Chulucanas. The drivers are susceptible
to eye injury and diseases like pterygium,
due to excessive UV exposure and lack of
eye protection.
Dr. Aly Eisenhardt, assistant professor
of Health Care Management; Dr. Nancy
Furlow, department chair and associate
professor of Marketing; Dr. Judith Clear,
professor of Nursing; and Dr. Shirley
Jarecki, professor of Nursing, made a
follow-up visit this fall with the goal of
preparing a more comprehensive eye-
health campaign for the city’s population
of 50,000.
Marymount students will accompany the
faculty on their next visit to Chulucanas,
in June 2012.
Teaching the Teachers Marymount’s Education Department
began a partnership with the nonprofit
organization Arlington Academy of Hope
to provide training to more than 60
teachers in the Bududa district of eastern
Uganda. Dr. Alice Young, associate
dean and professor of Education,
took two trips to the impoverished,
rural, densely populated community in
spring 2011, first performing a needs
assessment, then conducting a workshop
for teachers there on active learning for
elementary students.
The Academy supports a school in
Bududa known as the Arlington Junior
School, and more visits by Marymount
faculty are planned for 2012, with the
hope of also involving MU students in
the initiative. In a Facebook posting
from Uganda, Dr. Young shared, “I can’t
believe the conditions in which these
children go to school. The Arlington
Junior School is successful because
there are only 48 kids in the classes,
the children have something to eat, the
teachers treat them kindly, and they have
a roof over their heads and at least some
supplies…”
Professional Development Four Marymount faculty members
attended Council on International
Educational Exchange seminars this
year, supported by funding from the
University’s Center for Global Education.
These scholar-teachers brought back new
perspectives on an array of topics to share
with their MU students.
Dr. Carolyn
Oxenford, director
of the Center for
Teaching Excellence
and professor of
Psychology, and Jean
Freeman, professor
of Interior Design,
traveled to Germany
and Poland for
“Ruin and Revival:
History, Memory, and
Identity.”
Dr. Rosemary Hubbard,
professor of Biology
and Physical Sciences,
went to Turkey for
“Consuming Istanbul:
Space, Spectacle, and
the Politics of Popular
Culture.”
Dr. Cynthia Knott,
associate professor
of Management
Science, ventured to
Spain and Morocco
for “Exploring
the Coexistence
and Challenges
of Neighboring
Cultures.”
Faculty Global OutreachDuring academic year 2010-11, MU faculty built bridges with communities
in need around the globe, bringing their expertise to bear on local challenges.
Some examples:
8 PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2010-11
Speakers and Special GuestsThe academic experience at Marymount
is enriched by leaders from many fields
who come to campus to share their
expertise and insights. The University’s
location near the nation’s capital makes
it possible for MU to welcome many
such distinguished guests. For example…
Ted Leonsis
Robin Givhan
Junko YoshiokaMark Shields
Ted Leonsis, business, sports, and
media magnate and author of the book
The Business of Happiness, spoke to
Marymount freshmen in an introductory
management course, MGT 123: The
Business Experience, last fall. Mr. Leonsis
helped to make AOL a global enterprise
and currently owns the Washington
Capitals and the Washington Wizards.
Fashion designer Junko Yoshioka,
known for her elegant eveningwear and
bridal gowns, was named Marymount
University’s 2011 Designer of the Year
and attended the Portfolio in Motion
student fashion show in April. Also at
the show was Pulitizer Prize-winning
fashion and style journalist Robin
Givhan, who received the University’s
inaugural Award for Excellence in
Fashion Journalism. Both honorees
participated in a review of the senior
design students’ portfolios in follow-up
to the fashion show.
Political analyst and columnist Mark
Shields gave Marymount’s 2011
Marya McLaughlin Lecture in Media
Communications. In a talk peppered
with witty observations and personal
anecdotes, he offered an insider’s look
at American politics and the inner
workings of the last nine presidential
administrations.
9
Tim O’Brien
Samuel Hazo
Barry J. Fitzpatrick
121Marymount
students read
Tim O’Brien’s
The Things
They Carried
for their
composition
and literature
courses before
meeting the
author.
Barry J. Fitzpatrick, retired chairman of
the board of BB&T Virginia and current
chairman of Marymount’s Board of
Trustees, spoke at the University’s 2011
graduate Commencement ceremony.
Mr. Fitzpatrick was presented with an
honorary degree in recognition of his
outstanding leadership in the banking
industry, his personal and professional
integrity, and his dedication to excellence
in higher education.
Maria Reyes, one of the authors of
The Freedom Writers Diary, discussed
the role that education – especially
reading and writing – played in
redirecting her from gang involvement
in East Los Angeles to a life as an
educator and motivational speaker.
Her visit to campus was coordinated
by Marymount Associate Professor of
Education Dr. Douglas Ball, who is also
one of the Freedom Writer teachers.
National Book Award finalist and former
State Poet of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania Samuel Hazo shared his
poetry at the first public event held at
Marymount’s new café, Lola’s, located in
Caruthers Hall.
In April, National Book Award winner
Tim O’Brien came to campus to read
from his collection of stories, The Things
They Carried – widely recognized as
one of the most important literary
works about the Vietnam War. After
the reading, students flocked around
Mr. O’Brien to purchase his books and
talk about his experiences as a soldier
and a writer.
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