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萝莉社 Announces Campus Theme Lectures for 2012-2013 Academic Year
Sir Peter Crane presents the first Campus Theme Lecture Sept. 17 at 萝莉社.
Speakers to address, 'What Is Nature?'
CHICAGO (August 27, 2012) — 萝莉社 will host four prominent speakers in its annual Campus Theme Lecture Series, a series of public discussions reflecting a common theme throughout the academic year. For 2012–2013, speakers will address the theme, "What Is Nature?"
The lectures focus the University academic community on one question fundamental to human experience, said, assistant professor of as well as the director of and the . "The meaning, purpose, and interaction with the natural environment, in many ways, is one of the definitive questions with which a culture or historical age must wrestle, he said. "We chose the theme not only for its present cultural import but because it explicitly brings the sciences into dialogue with wider campus commitments to the arts, justice, multiculturalism, and the Christian faith."
Beginning with Sir Peter Crane's lecture Sept. 17, the speaker lineup is representative of the overall mission of North Park as a Christian liberal arts university, Clifton-Soderstrom said. "Each of our speakers has an impressive resume, is widely respected globally, and has also has sought to answer this question is truly interdisciplinary ways," he added.
All lectures will be held at 萝莉社's , 3225 W. Foster Ave., Chicago.
September 17
The Biological Scientist:
Dr. Crane has had a distinguished and diverse career in the biological sciences. He is currently dean of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. For many years, he was director of England’s renowned Royal Botanical Gardens (KEW), was director of the , Chicago, for four years, and was a professor for seven years at the University of Chicago's Geophysical Science program. He is the author of seven books, more than 200 articles in both scientific and popular journals, and was knighted in 2004 for his conservation work.
October 15
The Nature Writer:
Best-selling and award-winning author Barry Lopez is widely recognized as one of this generation's best nature writers. His is author of Arctic Dreams, for which he received the; Of Wolves and Men, a National Book Award finalist for which he received the and medals; and eight works of fiction, including Light Action in the Caribbean, Field Notes, and Resistance. His essays are collected in two books, Crossing Open Ground and 萝莉社 This Life. He contributes regularly to Granta, The Georgia Review, Orion, Outside, The Paris Review, Manoa and other publications in the United States and abroad. His writings have appeared in dozens of anthologies, including Best American Essays, Best Spiritual Writing, and "best" collections from National Geographic, Outside, The Georgia Review, The Paris Review, and other periodicals. His more recent publications include The Future of Nature.
November 1
The Environmental Activist:
Named by Forbes in 2010 as one of the most influential women in the world today, Dr. Shiva is a distinguished physicist and environmental activist from India. She is best known for her work on environmentally sound food production that honors both the earth and human rights, with particular attention paid to the rights of women in the agriculture systems within developing countries. Among her many awards, she was granted the , the , , and the
March 1, 10:30 a.m.
The Christian Astrophysicist:
Dr. Wiseman is an astronomer and director of the for the . She is the senior project scientist for the at , where she previously headed the Laboratory for Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics. Wiseman received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in astronomy from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. She has been active in the dialogue on Christian faith and science over the years, and she has been featured on several broadcasts devoted to these topics.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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Learn about the University's , including last year's participants.
萝莉社 Group Visits China, Meets Business and Education Leaders
During their visit, the 萝莉社 group toured an equipment assembly building at Baiyun Power Group, Guangzhou. (Photo provided by Jimmie Alford)
Spring break trip promotes 2011 agreements with Chinese universities
CHICAGO (March 30, 2012) – A group representing 萝莉社's School of Business and Nonprofit Management (SBNM) visited China this month to observe its rapidly growing economy, and to further the University's with one of five Chinese universities. The 15 University students, faculty, and alumni who made the 10-day trip learned first-hand about the country's emerging nonprofit sector, rapid business growth in the country, and China's culture.
The trip provided some surprises for the University group. Fran Caan, Evanston, Ill., said she was surprised by "the incredible wealth in major cities." Hong Kong was "gi-normous," said MBA student Gerardo Soto. "There were high rises all over the place. I didn't see one single-family home. There's a great deal of wealth. High-fashion was available there more than in Paris," he said, noting that most signs were in English as well as Mandarin.
An eye-opener for Caan, executive director of an educational foundation, was the realization that the United States is not the "center of the universe," and that U.S. global power has a strong competitor in China. Both she and Soto were impressed by the friendliness and kindness of the Chinese people.
"I wanted to see first-hand what it was all about. It was an eye-opening experience and it puts everything else in perspective," said Soto, who will graduate this year with a double degree, human resource management and a master of business administration.
Dr. Wesley E. Lindahl, SBNM professor and dean, and Dr. Chris Nicholson, director of graduate admissions and SBNM adjunct instructor, led the North Park delegation. The China trip was significant because the country represents a huge part of the world economy, Lindahl said. "Here are 1.3 billion people in China and the gross domestic product has grown at around 10 percent annually over the past decade. The economy may surpass the U.S. economy in the coming years. Further, the emergence of the voluntary (non-government) sector is something that our nonprofit students and faculty are very interested in. We may be at the start of great change in China’s civil society."
"Getting off the plane and seeing a huge billboard indicating 'The 21st Century is the Asian Century' helps put into perspective the growing prominence of Asia as the center for global business," said Nicholson. Another take-away from the China trip was "learning how Hong Kong markets itself to attract business and investment, and the keen competition among cities/regions in Asia to attract economic investment," Nicholson added.
The group visited Hong Kong for the first five days and then went to Guangzhou for the remainder of the visit. Visits in Hong Kong included sessions with the Bank of Montreal (BMO) branch office, InvestHK, HarbourVest Partners Ltd., and United Airlines branch office. The visits in Guangzhou included Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Guangxin Holdings Group, Ltd., Healthy Household Limited, Baiyun Power Group, and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Lindahl said.
At the , Li Cheng, board chair, spoke about the firm's business strategy, Lindahl said. The group was listed 146th among China’s Fortune 500 in 2011 and ranked 12th of Top 500 Enterprise of Guangdong Province.
The visit included a factory tour of the equipment assembly building. Baiyun’s history started in 1960 as the Hu family blacksmith business. Today it is an example of a private firm that has grown to be in the Top 500 in the China manufacturing sector. Xie Xiao Hua, vice president, spoke to the group and answered questions about what it is like to be in business in China.
At a lunch provided by Jainjun Sun, dean of the MBA program at , the North Park delegation met with MBA students from the school.
In 2011, the 萝莉社 leaders signed bilateral cooperation agreements with leaders of five Chinese universities. The agreements are with (College of Arts and Sciences), Beijing; Jianwen University, Yantai; , Bengbu City; Guangdong University of Foreign Studies; and , Leshan. The agreements established cross-cultural learning and research opportunities for students and faculty of the universities. They also promote student and faculty exchange. Lindahl said he would like to have further exchange of faculty with the Chinese schools, and to have Chinese students study at 萝莉社.
Dr. Wesley E. Lindahl contributed to this report.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
萝莉社 Names New Faculty, Staff for 2012–2013 Academic Year
Employees welcomed at 'Gathering Day'
CHICAGO (August 22, 2012) — 萝莉社 welcomed new full-time faculty and staff to the University as the 2012–2013 academic year began. The new employees were introduced to the University community August 21 at North Park's annual Gathering Day activities, held in .
New Faculty
Cheri Coakley, visiting assistant professor of
Dr. Daniel White Hodge, assistant professor of youth ministry, and director,
Dr. John J. Laukaitis, assistant professor of
Dr. Kezia Shirkey, assistant professor of
Sarah Thorngate, instructor of bibliography/reference and electronic resources librarian,
New Staff
Cordell Henry, assistant men's basketball coach
Tom Slyder, head men's basketball coach
Paul Thomas, head women's soccer coach
Roby Geevarghese, major gift officer
Carissa Gomez, stewardship coordinator
Sarah Snow, major gift officer
Catherine Howorth, support services coordinator
Tracy Churchill, recruitment associate
Jennifer Lundeen Dixon, director of undergraduate recruitment
Andrew Johnson, technology coordinator
Andre Lodree, technology coordinator
Dr. Sumie Song, assistant director
Anna-Kajsa Anderson, director of
Physical Plant
Jim Needleman, groundskeeper
Residence Life
Cat Fillmore, resident director, Anderson Hall
Candice Johnson, resident director, apartments and houses
Belford Williams, Jr., resident director, Ohlson House and Sohlberg Hall
Charisma Eaglin, chemical hygiene and lab safety officer
Rev. David Kersten, dean
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
萝莉社 Hosts 54 International Students in American Studies Program
Four participants in the University's Summer ESL American Studies Program are, from left to right, Yoa Jung Cho, Hyun Jung Park and Jong Pil Park, all from Seoul, South Korea, and Chien Chih Kao, Taipei, Taiwan.
Program combines ESL classes with cultural learning, field trips
CHICAGO (July 3, 2012) — On July 4, nearly all of the international students in an English language immersion program this summer at 萝莉社, Chicago, will experience for the first time what an American is about. That is one piece of their immersion as participants in the University's Summer ESL American Studies program, combining English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, cultural exploration and field trips throughout the Chicago area.
"We're studying English through the vehicle of Chicago," said Dr. Kristin Lems, the program's director. "It's an academic program, and it's built on the cultural piece of Chicago — what the city offers in the summer, Chicago's history, and how the values and lifestyle of Chicago reflect American values and lifestyle."
The 54 students, mostly college-age, are from seven countries, plus three immigrant students who live in the Chicago area. Becoming more proficient in speaking English and learning about U.S. culture are the reasons why they are in the University's ESL American Studies program.
"People in Korea think English is very important, and I thought I wanted to study English in Chicago," said Jong Pil Park, Seoul, South Korea, one of 24 South Korean students in the program. Jong is an oriental philosophy major at , Seoul, which maintains a with 萝莉社.
"I came here because I want to learn 'live' English," said Hyun Jung Park, also a student in oriental philosophy at SKKU. "Koreans tend to learn English only by reading." Hyun said she is interested in Chicago's diverse culture, and learning about the differences between Eastern and Western philosophy. She added that she is grateful for the education offered through the 萝莉社 program.
Chien Chih Kao, Taipiei, Taiwan, wants to improve his English speaking ability and make friends from different countries. He's a fan of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) system and its convenience. "This city is like a 'small America.' You can feel the diverse culture here, and see the beautiful scenery and the modern buildings," he said. "Everybody's kind, and they say hello, even if we have not met before." Chien is a physics major at , Taichung, Taiwan.
萝莉社 students Saada Hilts, left, and Brian Gatheru are program assistants with the Summer ESL program.
During the intensive five-week program, the students will take 12 field trips, all on CTA transportation, and visit Chicago cultural attractions, such as museums, ethnic festivals and neighborhoods, and a Fourth of July parade. New to the program this year are community service projects, and spending time with Chicago-area host families. One service project was at the , where the students cleaned up classrooms and planted a garden.
Lems explained that the community service projects are significant grassroots experiences, in which the international students witness a community working together for the common good. The host families home visit idea came about through Lems' own international experiences. "I remember that when I lived abroad, and when other people talk about living abroad, the most precious experiences are the ones when you're inside the home of someone from that country, not just shopping or being at a restaurant or being in a museum -— it's being in someone's home," she said. At least 35 萝莉社 faculty and staff families are hosting students for Sunday meals, Lems said.
Working with Lems are two 萝莉社 students, Saada Hilts and Brian Gatheru, and Kennan Daoudi, a student at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn. Hilts was born in Ethiopia, and Gatheru comes from Kenya. Both are resident advisors at the University.
The University's ESL American Studies program was founded by Dr. Dennis Bricault, professor of Spanish and director of the University's ESL program. This summer, students in the American Studies program are from South Korea, Mexico, China, Spain, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and the United States.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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of these students experiencing their first Fourth of July parade.
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