News and notes about William Woods students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
William Woods Students, Faculty, and Staff
Jessica Brown, an Assistant Professor of American Sign Language and a member of the ASL faculty at WWU for five years, passed the national CDI exam earlier this year and in doing so became one of only 219 Certified Deaf Interpreters in the United States. She also became the only nationally Certified Deaf Interpreter in the state of Missouri. The accomplishment for Brown was a goal for her that was more than 15 years in the making.
Dr. Stephan Forsha, Associate Provost for Graduate Programs at WWU, was chosen as one of 34 participants for Leadership Missouri 2023, the premiere leadership development program offered by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Leadership Missouri is designed to enhance the leadership skills of current and emerging leaders through an in-depth exploration of the state’s economic, political and social issues.
Dr. Katie Friesen, Assistant Professor of Education, was published in a peer-reviewed publication. Friesen, K. L., & Martinez, N. C. (In Press). Diverse First-Year Student Reflections During the Transition to College in Fall 2020. Journal for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.
Dr. Greg Smith, Associate Professor of English, was commissioned for a prestigious task of textbook revision review for American Cinema, American Culture (John Belton, 6th ed.) submitted to McGraw-Hill Publishing Company in November 2023. American Cinema/American Culture provides an insightful exploration of the evolution of American film from the 1890s to the present. It examines how films document and reflect shifts in our self-image and societal perceptions of America.
Dr. Katie Friesen, Assistant Professor of Education, presented at national and international conferences. Friesen, K. L., & Kroll, J. R. (2024, March). Student Affairs Preparation: Developing Four Critical Skills to Lead Through Chaos with Care. Accepted for presentation at the annual meeting for NASPA, Seattle, WA & Virtual Conference. Friesen, K. L. (2024, February). Assessing First Year Experience Mentoring: Sense Making Leadership Development. Accepted for presentation at the annual meeting on The First Year Experience, Seattle, WA & Virtual Conference.
Dr. Frank Giuseffi, Assistant Professor of Education, presented at the Society of Philosophy and History of Education’s Annual Conference. Giuseffi, F. (October 4-7, 2023). The Flourishing Teacher: Exploring Aristotle’s Practical Wisdom in the Teaching Profession. Society of Philosophy and History of Education’s Annual Conference, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Dr. Katie Friesen, Assistant Professor of Education, was accepted as PI for the Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, State of Missouri, 2023-2024 Student Journey Mapping Workshop.
Dr. Miriam O’Callaghan, Associate Professor of Management, published a research paper in Cogent Psychology. The journal holds 5-year Impact Factor of 1.8. O’Callaghan M. (2023). Can decision intelligence help organizations retain employees? Serial multiple mediation of job characteristics and meaningful work, Cogent psychology, 10(1).
William Woods Alumni
Kerri Roberts ’11 created her own business called Salt and Light Advisors located in Columbia, MO.
Judge Kelly Broniec ’92 was appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court by Missouri Governor Mike Parson on September 12, 2023. Judge Broniec, who graduated from The Woods with a degree in Business Administration, was serving on the Eastern District Court Of Appeals at the time of her appointment, and also previously served as an Associate Circuit Judge for Montgomery County (Mo.) for 15 years. The Woods Today profiled Judge Broniec during a visit to the WWU campus in 2019: https://news.williamwoods.edu/judge-kelly-broniec-wwu-alumna-returns-to-william-woods-for-annual-visit-of-missouri-court-of-appeals-western-district-to-campus/