CAMPUS DIGEST

Dr. Myrvin Christopherson ’61, president, was elected chairman of the Nebraska Educational Finance Authority in November 2003. NEFA issues tax-exempt bonds for Nebraska’s independent colleges and universities.

Professor Sybille Bartels, associate dean for student success, professor of German and director of international studies and English Language Institute, participated in the Nebraska Association of Teachers of German fall workshop on culture-based language instruction, Nov. 1, 2003, in Omaha.

Professor Jan Potter, professor of social work and sociology, served as an accreditation site visitor for the Council on Social Work Education, Oct. 19-21, 2003, in Michigan. 

The Dana College Faculty Trio, comprised of Professor Jeanmarie Nielsen ’78, assistant professor of music, Professor Michael Anderson, assistant professor of music, and Dr. Claire Bushong, assistant professor of music, performed at Mount Marty College (Yankton, S.D.) on Nov. 23, 2003. The trio’s appearance was one of a series of concerts hosted by the Yankton Concert Association. Nielsen also conducted a singers’ workshop on the same day.

Dr. Lisa Schreiber, assistant professor of communication, presented three competitively selected papers at the National Communication Association’s annual meeting in Miami Beach, Fla., in November.

Clare Cowing, campus accompanist, accompanied the 436-member All State Chorus at the Lied Center in Lincoln, Nov. 20-22, 2003. Dana MENC: National Association for Music Education members also attended the conference. Kori Williamsen ’05, accompanied by Molly Jackson ’04, represented Dana in the Collegium recital. The annual event is a gathering of the music educators of Nebraska.

Professor William Hall, assistant professor of music and director of bands, attended the Nebraska Music Educators Association Professional Inservice Conference held in Lincoln on Nov. 20-22, 2003, where he presented a session titled “Balance: Proportion and Perspective in Music.”

Amy Lyons, director of financial aid, served as a panelist at the Nebraska Association of Financial Aid Administrators Fall Conference. Her session was for experienced financial aid officers and her topic consisted of packaging, verification and professional judgment awarding issues. Lyons also assisted at the fifth annual Countdown to College on Dec. 3, 2003. The program, sponsored by EducationQuest Foundation, was shown on Nebraska Public Television. Financial aid professionals from several schools answered the public’s questions regarding financing a college education.

Dr. John Lyden, professor of religion, attended the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 22-25, 2003. He made a presentation on his recently published book Film as Religion: Myths, Morals, and Rituals (NYU Press) as part of a panel on new books on religion and film.

Dr. Christopherson was elected secretary of the board at the Nov. 18, 2003, meeting of the Board of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE) in Washington, D.C. FIHE is a national consortium that raises funds for independent colleges and universities.

Carolyn Potter ’61, who has served as an administrative assistant to the president for most of her 30 years of employment at Dana, retired from full-time employment effective Dec. 31, 2003.

Professor Hall’s article “Keeping First Things First,” has been selected for publication in the upcoming issue of the National Federation of State School Association’s (NFHS) Music Journal. The article discusses the importance of teaching the aesthetic elements of the music being rehearsed in addition to perfecting the notes and rhythms, and that teaching the aesthetics of the composition will develop musicians withdeep understanding and appreciation for the art.

Professor Bartels visited educational institutions and government agencies in Bonn, Weimar and Berlin, Germany, during a study tour jointly sponsored by the Paedagogischer Austauschdienst Deutschland (PAD) and the American Association of Teachers of German, Jan. 7-17, 2004. The trip recognized some 30 college/university faculty for their efforts as state testing chairs for the national exam, annually administered to some 25,000 U.S. high school students of German.