Awards and Honors: March 2024
The HPU chapter of Sigma Nu raised $15,000 for the American Heart Association. Pictured are fraternity brothers with Heart Challenge Director Sonja Berghela, center, as James Van Vechten, Sigma Nu philanthropy chairman, presents a big check on March 13 at the fraternity’s house.
HIGH POINT, N.C., March 15, 2024 – High Point University students, faculty and staff recently received the following academic and professional awards.
HPU Students Support American Heart Association
The HPU chapter of Sigma Nu raised $15,000 for the American Heart Association and presented the gift to Sonja Berghela, heart challenge director of the nonprofit, on March 13 at the fraternity’s house.
Sigma Nu has raised more than $70,000 for the American Heart Association’s local research since 2018, said chapter President Alex Stephens, a junior business administration major with minors in finance and sales from Charleston, South Carolina.
“We chose to support the American Heart Association after one of our brother’s family members suddenly passed away due to heart disease, which is one of the fastest-growing diseases globally,” said Stephens. “The Nu Delta Chapter continues its support for the American Heart Association to further support local research and the fight against heart disease.”
Students Compete in Annual Statewide Ethics Bowl
Six HPU students competed in the annual North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) Ethics Bowl, held Feb. 9-10 at the North Carolina Legislative Complex in Raleigh.
The HPU team was one of 18 from NCICU campuses that participated in the 13th annual competition, which had a theme of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity.
The team included Autumn Bryan, a junior sociology and anthropology major; Wes Singer, a senior political science major; Sofie Smith, a junior philosophy and religion major; Sofia Statuto, a junior business major; Will Tepper, a junior philosophy and biology major; and Jordan Via, a sophomore philosophy major. Faculty co-coordinators were Dr. Amy L. MacArthur and Thaddeus Ostrowski, both instructors in the Department of Religion and Philosophy.
“The students this year were exceptional in their work ethic and ability to work together as a team,” said MacArthur. “They devoted time and effort outside of their busy class schedules to formulate sophisticated and articulate responses to the cases for this year’s competition. They also managed to have a lot of fun. It is truly a delight to work with such great students, and we are fortunate that a majority of them will be returning next year to participate again.”
“This year’s teams were exceptional,” said NCICU President Hope Williams. “It was clear they had done extensive research on the complex topics and developed well-organized, cohesive arguments to present to the judges.”
Faculty Member Inducted into N.C. Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame
Dr. Nancy Groh, clinical education coordinator for HPU’s athletic training program and an assistant professor in athletic training, was inducted into the North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association (NCATA) Hall of Fame on March 9 in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
“Being inducted into the NCATA Hall of Fame is one of the most unexpected and significant recognitions I could receive from my peers in North Carolina,” said Groh. “I am both humbled and honored to be voted into such an accomplished group of athletic trainers. It is heartfelt to know that my professional service, advocacy and career over decades has made such an impact on others to be noted at this level.”
Groh’s commitment to student development and quality clinical placements consistently receives praise from program alumni and the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. She has been invited to present at the national level, sharing best practices in clinical education. Her original research, focusing on strategies to enhance clinical education, has been published.
In addition, Groh’s service to the NCATA has been noteworthy. Currently serving as its secretary, she has played an integral role on the association’s Public Relations Committee since 2013, where she served as co-chair. Her work on the PR committee led to the NCATA receiving honors from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, as winners of the National Athletic Training Month PR contest.
Groh’s dedication extends beyond the professional realm as she actively advocates for athletic training by speaking to local and national student groups about the rewarding career opportunities in the field.
“This honor demonstrates to students the excellence of HPU’s Athletic Training faculty, who strive to exceed expectations, model a high level of professionalism and seek to elevate the program and the athletic training profession,” she said of the NCATA Hall of Fame induction. “It shows that faculty do not just teach life skills, but rather emulate them in the real-world context, encouraging students to embrace communication, patient and professional advocacy, service and networking as a student and as future healthcare professionals.”
HPU Hosts First Deliberative Dialogue Training Session
The HPU Center for Community Engagement recently hosted its first deliberative dialogue training session. Deliberate dialogue centers around small-group interactions where participants engage in informed, respectful and thoughtful discussions concerning complex societal issues.
Leslie Garvin, executive director of North Carolina Campus Engagement, introduced HPU students, faculty and staff to Living Room Conversations, an online tool that “offers a simple, sociable and structured way to practice communicating across differences while building understanding and relationships.” Students exchanged thoughts about artificial intelligence in an engaging conversation.
Allison Walker, HPU director of service learning, English instructor and faculty organizer, said she hopes everyone in the HPU community will take advantage of guided conversations like these.
“It was truly inspiring to see the level of engagement achieved by the attendees,” said Walker. “Clearly folks are hungry for meaningful civil discourse, and I have no doubt what everyone learned will be applied in impactful conversations across our campus communities in the future.”
Garvin moderated a deliberation surrounding the topic of free speech and the inclusive campus during the session. Participants were given instructions on how to have civilized conversations among their peers. The instructions focused on learning how to listen to other opinions, disagree with curiosity and keep an open mind. The framework for this training was composed by the National Issues Forum, an organization that helps guide people in the practice of group deliberation.
The Center for Community Engagement will host its next training on March 20 from 5-8 p.m. with Peter Crow from the Braver Angels, a nonpartisan grassroots organization working to unite Americans. He will teach the group about how to facilitate a “braver discussion.” Dinner will be served, but space is limited.