From left, HPU student Kaitlyn Montgomery shared her costume design skills and prepared to hang wallpaper as a backdrop as Dr. Joey Fink, chair and assistant professor of history, and Alexis Way, history major, discussed a display to showcase what a typical student carried in a purse or bookbag at various times in school history.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 18, 2024 – Members of the High Point University community frequently conduct, publish and share research and creative works in a variety of ways. Below is a recap of recent research and innovative initiatives.
Century of Student Fashion Featured at Sechrest Art Gallery
HPU students collaborated with faculty and staff to create “A Century of Style: 100 Years of High Point Student Fashion,” an exhibit on the history of student fashion and self-expression. The exhibit at the Sechrest Art Gallery on HPU’s campus will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Nov. 15.
The public is invited to a free reception on Oct. 22 from 5-6:30 p.m. that will include games, prizes, remarks from the exhibit’s co-curators, and opportunities for students and alumni to share their perspectives.
Visitors will see how historical events affected students, influenced what they wore and how they presented themselves during the decades through yearbook photographs, artifacts and vintage clothing, said Dr. Joey Fink, chair and assistant professor of history. Visitors can reflect on the interplay between fashion and societal shifts, as they consider how cultural changes fostered greater self-expression within the student body.
“Every face in this exhibit tells a story, whatever their era and style: a story of the value of an institution of higher learning, a place where students discover themselves and learn how to show the world who they are,” Fink said.
The idea for this exhibit began in 2019 when Fink proposed projects for HPU’s centennial year. Plans were disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic but solidified in 2023 with the collaboration of Dr. Emily Gerhold, director of the Sechrest Gallery and assistant professor of art history, and David Bryden, director of library services. Zane Kealey, assistant professor of costume design, volunteered to outfit the mannequins. Skylar U’Glay, marketing and communications manager of Hayworth School of Arts and Design, also contributed.
“This exhibit really feels like a warm and loving tribute to both past and present students,” Gerhold said. “In addition to the social history that it illuminates, this exhibit reaches across time to show the continuity of student experience at High Point College and High Point University, and students have already expressed delight in recognizing themselves and their friends in the faces of the past that adorn the Sechrest Gallery’s walls.”
Working as the exhibit’s primary graphic designer was an enriching experience for Kayla Robinson, a senior graphic design major from Long Valley, New Jersey. She learned the importance of storytelling in design and developed a keen understanding of providing context behind the design as well as the value of communication and flexibility in creative endeavors. Overall, she found it rewarding to see her designs used on large scale prints for the first time professionally and said it reinforced her passion for design.
“Each era of fashion has its own narrative, and my task was to use visual elements that brought that all together,” Robinson said. “I also had the opportunity to work on my collaboration skills, working alongside the gallery curators as well as other designers.”
Alexis Way, a senior history major from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, said she learned how to effectively communicate history to an audience through planning the exhibit.
“It helped me understand how to properly execute a research project and turn it into digestible information for others,” Way said. “Working on this project and exhibit has provided me with the skills to make the research approachable, accessible and exciting to those who might not have been previously interested.”
Fink expressed thanks for the support from faculty members on HPU’s Cultural Programming Committee, including a generous grant that funded key parts of this exhibit.
HPU Physical Therapy Department Hosts Conference
More than 60 students and faculty from HPU’s Department of Physical Therapy presented research posters at the annual American Physical Therapy Association of North Carolina (APTANC) conference, which was hosted at HPU on Oct. 11-12. The 27 research posters HPU presented were the most from any North Carolina university for the fourth consecutive year.
During the conference, Dr. Lance Mabry, assistant professor of physical therapy, was named the Outstanding Physical Therapist of the Year, an award APTANC gives each year to only one of approximately 11,000 physical therapists in the state.
“I am incredibly humbled by the support of my colleagues and my students at High Point University,” Mabry said. “The American Physical Therapy Association of North Carolina has been a generous partner in polishing our students into leaders within this profession. There is so much more we can do to help the people of North Carolina, and I will continue to advance the physical therapy scope of practice until it matches our capabilities.”
Riley Luetkenhaus, a third-year DPT student from Arlington, Texas, was awarded the Leadership Excellence Student Scholarship from APTANC. This $1,250 scholarship recognizes a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant student who demonstrates excellent leadership through scholastic achievement in a physical therapy program. Luetkenhaus serves as an APTA Federal Primary Care Special Interest Group (SIG) Student Liaison and the APTANC Student Special Interest Group (SSIG) Director of Community Service.
“I am grateful beyond measure for this honor,” Luetkenhaus said. “I have been fortunate to have held various leadership opportunities while at HPU, and I hope to let these experiences guide my future career and impact the profession in a positive way. These opportunities would not be possible without the incredibly supportive faculty at HPU as well as peers who continuously motivate and inspire me.”
Meghan Crowfoot, a Class of 2025 DPT student from Canandaigua, New York, was awarded the APTANC Student Delegate Scholarship. This $1,250 award sponsors Crowfoot to attend the Annual APTA Leadership Congress, where she will be mentored by elected members of the APTA House of Delegates. This opportunity is only offered to the best DPT students in North Carolina, Mabry said.
“The APTA’s confidence in me as a student, young clinician and future colleague validates my aspirations to pursue legislative advocacy and interest in bipartisan collaboration post-graduation,” Crowfoot said. “I plan to use this opportunity to honor all the professors, faculty and clinical instructors who have provided me countless hours of guidance, encouragement and reassurance over the last several years. They are the reason I felt called to pursue this opportunity.”
Pharmacy Faculty Publishes Research in Nature Communications
Dr. Scott Hemby, professor of basic pharmaceutical sciences in HPU’s Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, recently participated in research related to the prevention of opioid use disorder that was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Hemby co-authored the scientific paper, “Oxa-Iboga alkaloids lack cardiac risk and disrupt opioid use in animal models,” with collaborator Dr. Dali Sames, Columbia University, and others. Alana Hodges, who earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from HPU in 2021 and her master’s in athletic training in 2022, also was involved in the research.
Researchers developed a novel analog of the psychedelic compound ibogaine, named oxa-noribogaine, which lacks the cardiac risk and hallucinogenic properties of ibogaine. Oxa-noribogaine showed greater potency and persistence in suppressing opiate intake and cravings as well as opiate-induced hyperalgesia. The findings demonstrate that oxa-iboga compounds could offer a safer and more effective alternative to existing treatments for substance use disorders, building upon the potential benefits of ibogaine while addressing its limitations.