Lindenwood Magazine - Spring 2021

6 7 SPRING 2021 EDITION SPRING 2021 EDITION THE LINDENWOOD THE LINDENWOOD RAINS Pouring As Lindenwood begins the first phase of the five-year strategic plan , differentiating outcomes and developing students to graduate as adaptable professionals remain ever important. While traditionally, this has been dependent on in-class, lecture-based education, Lindenwood is enhancing student learning with a focus on real experience. The space held by research, scholarship, and creative activities (RSCA) in the higher education ecosystem has allowed Lindenwood to provide experiential learning opportunities and enact high-impact practices into content delivery. Leading this team effort is Lindenwood’s Director of Research and Compliance, Dr. Michael Leary. “Teaching in our era should not always look like a professor standing in front of a classroom. Teaching thrives and engages our students when it emerges from the scholarship and professional experiences our faculty are passionate about.” Addressing the critical needs of employers and academia, Lindenwood has a renewed understanding of the power that research and creative activities hold as students navigate their higher education. These platforms, seen by some as untraditional, provide experiences for students that break the traditional mold of learning and expose students to a personal potential they never knew existed. Leary explains the importance of resources and reimagining what Lindenwood could look like as an institution committed to fully supporting these RSCA opportunities. “Any time we invest in RSCA, we are investing in the future of our students, of Lindenwood, and our community. And, we see a tremendous return on this investment in a variety of ways.” “Collectively, we are developing a new level of Lindenwood’s academic credibility by forming vivid connections with the community and discovering spaces where we have the capacity to support robust, long-term engagement with key issues in our region.” said Leary. FEATURED STORY FEATURED STORY Investing in Lindenwood faculty and specific projects will have ripple effects on the classroom and community. Out of this need emerged the President’s Research, Innovation, and Development toward Excellence (PRIDE) Fund, an internally funded grant program that seeds faculty work as a primary lever for success. Lindenwood’s leadership backed this emerging program and awarded more than $37,000 this year to faculty supporting these creative activities and research programs. Together with resources provided by the new Research, Innovation, and Partnership Lab (RIPL), these activities are reflective of efforts toward providing Lindenwood students with a unique and formative learning environment. Projects receiving PRIDE Fund resources for the 2021 cycle were selected because of their potential for student engagement and mentorship relationships, community focus, and future research impact. Virtual reality expands learning opportunities across campus. PRIDE GRANTS FUND RESEARCH TO NURTURE CURIOUSITY Teaching in our era should not always look like a professor standing in front of a classroom. Teaching thrives and engages our students when it emerges from the scholarship and professional experiences our faculty are passionate about. DR. MICHAEL LEARY DR. MICHAEL LEARY Collectively, we are developing a new level of Lindenwood’s academic credibility by forming vivid connections with the community and discovering spaces where we have the capacity to support robust, long-term engagement with key issues in our region. GET MONEY SMART @ LINDENWOOD Dr. Grant Black , associate professor of economics, and Dr. Tawni Ferrarini, professor of economics, with the Economic Education Center are launching a program with three goals: increase students’ knowledge of economic and financial concepts, improve students’ attitudes about financial behaviors, and influence students to adopt beneficial financial practices. Get Money Smart @ Lindenwood offers real experiences through a series of events and activities, empowering students to achieve real success financially. Partnerships are sought with local organizations interested in financial education. Matt Farney, a graduate student in business education, Charles Nienaber, a senior majoring in economics and finance, and Laetitia Saenen, majoring in human resource management, are assisting with the project. PRIDE GRANT PROJECTS