Faculty News

Faculty member and students give presentation at conference

David Elder, assistant professor of writing and rhetoric, and three Morningside College students gave a poster presentation recently at the biennial International Writing Centers Association Conference in San Diego, Calif.

The poster presentation was about the benefits of having peer writing consultants take a more active role in the administration of the writing center.

The International Writing Centers Association fosters the development of writing center directors, tutors and staff by sponsoring meetings, publications and other professional activities; by encouraging scholarship connected to writing center-related fields; and by providing an international forum for writing center concerns.

Morningside College professor has article published, presents paper

Patrick Blaine, assistant professor of Spanish at Morningside College, recently had an article published in the journal Latin American Perspectives, and he presented a paper at the Midwest Modern Language Association’s annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Blaine’s article in Latin American Perspectives is titled "Representing Absences in the Postdictatorial Documentary Cinema of Patricio Guzmán." His paper presentation was about film adaptations of Chilean author Antonio Skármeta's novels.

Blaine came to Morningside College in 2010 from the University of Washington in Seattle. He has a doctorate in comparative literature from the University of Washington.

Biology professor co-authors journal article with two former students

The findings of a multi-year Morningside College student research project have been published in the November 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. Students in a microbiology course taught by Morningside assistant biology professor Rachel Robson examined screening procedures used to detect Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which causes the most common staph infections found in hospitals.

Robson co-authored the Journal of Clinical Microbiology article with two students who have now graduated from Morningside. Results from the student research have the potential to change the way hospitals test for Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Professor and students attend national leadership workshop

Marty Knepper, professor and chair of English, and three Morningside College students recently attended the Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) freshman honor society national leadership workshop in San Antonio, Texas. Knepper is faculty advisor for the local ALD chapter.

National Alpha Lambda Delta promotes and recognizes academic excellence in the first year of college and provides training for sophomore members in leadership, service and communication at its annual leadership workshop. The organization has chapters at over 270 colleges and universities in the United States.

Morningside’s local chapter has repeatedly received recognition as one of the outstanding chapters in the country, winning the Maintaining the Flame award in 2012. Its members have won graduate fellowships and scholarships for academic study and study abroad. Knepper was the 2011 Outstanding Advisor of the Year.

Morningside professor recognized as Nurse of the Year for Northwest Iowa

Mary Kovarna, professor and chair of nursing at Morningside College, was recently recognized by the Iowa Nurses Association as the 2012 Nurse of the Year for Northwest Iowa.

She received the award for promoting professionalism in nursing. It was given to her at the Iowa Nurses Association 2012 State Convention in Des Moines.

Kovarna joined the faculty at Morningside in 1995. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Iowa, a master’s degree in nursing from South Dakota State University and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of South Dakota.

Faculty members present at marketing conference

Fisk	Mickelson

Two Morningside College faculty members were presenters recently at the Marketing Management Association’s fall educators’ conference in Minneapolis, Minn.

Pam Mickelson, professor of business, and Jim Fisk, college librarian, gave presentations on information literacy best practices. Mickelson also was a judge for a teaching award, and she chaired a session on writing textbooks.

Mickelson joined the Morningside faculty in 1988. She received her bachelor’s degree from Henderson State University, her master’s degree from Arkansas State University and her doctorate from Oklahoma State University.

Fisk joined Morningside in 2001. He received his bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and his master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Emporia State University.

Professor re-elected to serve in Asian affairs organization

Greg Guelcher, professor of history at Morningside College, was elected to serve as executive secretary of the Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs (MCAA) at the annual meeting in September. This is his third three-year term.

As executive secretary for upcoming meetings, Guelcher’s job will be to manage the daily business and finances of the conference, as well as help plan and manage the annual meeting. He will also serve as the book editor of the conference’s online, peer-reviewed journal “Studies on Asia.”

Guelcher, who has been teaching at Morningside College since 1996, received his bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster in Ohio and his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Faculty members appointed to leadership positions in national honor society

Forbes	Werden

Two Morningside College faculty members were recently appointed to national leadership positions in Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), a national honor society.

Bruce Forbes, professor and chair of religious studies at Morningside, was appointed to the ODK National Advisory Council. This council is responsible for providing advice and counsel to the organization’s board of directors concerning the management of ODK. Forbes serves as the faculty advisor of the Morningside College circle of ODK.

Leslie Werden, chair of the writing and rhetoric department at Morningside, was asked to join the editorial board for the ODK magazine, The Circle. She will assist with gathering content, writing, researching themes/new departments and editing the final magazine before it goes to print. Werden serves as the faculty secretary for the Morningside College circle of ODK.

ODK is a national leadership honor society with circles on over 300 college and university campuses in the United States. ODK recognizes and promotes superior scholarship, leadership and exemplary character, bringing together leaders from all phases of campus life for the benefit of each home institution.