Cedarville University Updates
- Cedarville Sweeps Computer Programming Contest
- Cedarville Senior Named U.S. Inspector General’s Intern of the Year
- New MBA Leader Plans to Grow Program
- New Teaching Pharmacy to Serve Village of Cedarville
- Classical Learning Test now accepted at Cedarville University
- Patented Antibody Brings Professor’s Research Closer to Helping Diabetics
- Trustees Affirm 10-Year Master Plan, New Center for The Advancement of Cybersecurity
- Cedarville University Named Among Best Colleges in the Midwest
Cedarville Sweeps Computer Programming Contest
The stakes were high for Cedarville University’s computer science students, but their ability surpassed the pressure. Thirty teams from six schools competed in the online Taylor University Programming Contest, and the Cedarville students won in all three divisions.
The Taylor University Programming Contest, held April 9, included student teams from Taylor University (Upland, Indiana), Bob Jones University (Greenville, South Carolina), Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Michigan), George Fox University (Newberg, Oregon), Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Indiana) and Cedarville University.
Teams of three students were tasked with solving nine computer programming problems.
The open category computer programming problems were for any computer science student. The Cedarville open student team winners were Tim Smith, Blake Lasky and Phillip White.
The introductory category programming problems were for upperclassmen participants who had not previously competed in a contest with other schools. The Cedarville team that won that category included Bert LaChance, Daschel Fortner and Elliot Jenks.
The novice category was limited to freshmen who had no more than one semester of programming coursework training. The Cedarville champion team of the novice category included Jackson Bishop, Noah Duncan and Grant Linville.
"I was very happy with the results of the contest. I was excited by how many students participated and how enthusiastic they were,” said Dr. David Gallagher, professor of computer science. “It was great that we performed well in all categories of the contest. I was particularly glad to see how well our freshmen did; that bodes well for the future. I'm really proud of all of our students!"
Cedarville Senior Named U.S. Inspector General’s Intern of the Year
Alexus Roeller, a Cedarville University senior accounting and finance major, was named the U.S. Inspector General’s Intern of the Year at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
Roeller, from Miamisburg, Ohio, interned with the U.S. Inspector General’s office at a field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Columbus, Ohio, during the summer of 2017.
“Ms. Roeller excelled as a Pathways intern in the Audit Division. She worked with three audit teams to conduct interviews, document meetings, analyze data and assist in debrief presentations,” said Glenn A. Fine, principal deputy inspector general. “Ms. Roeller exceeded all deadlines and improved the quality of the audits. She was also instrumental in developing a program for future interns, which will enhance their experiences.”
Roeller looked for fraud abuse and misuse of federal money, investigated contract payments—anything from U.S. Navy ships to U.S. Air Force planes, Wi-Fi bills, travel card and government purchase card accounts.
“My academic courses and accounting professors at Cedarville University have taught me a lot about what effective accounting is, how to look for errors and how to ask questions,” said Roeller. “Cedarville has prepared me really well to ask difficult questions to people we are suspicious of committing a crime. My accounting is not just a job: I am working for a greater cause. I must do it well and keep ethics in mind because I am serving God.”
New MBA Leader Plans to Grow Program
Dr. John Delano, associate dean of business administration for undergraduate studies and associate professor of information technology (IT) management, has been named associate dean of the Cedarville University School of Business Administration for graduate studies, effective July 1.
In this new position, Delano will oversee Cedarville University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, work with MBA professors and assist in developing the online curriculum.
“I am really interested in thinking through ways to better develop our faculty who are teaching in the program and preparing them for the unique challenges that are a part of teaching online,” said Delano.
His vision for the MBA program involves increased student engagement and a personalized approach to teaching.
“I want to see professors having regular contact with their students. We need to bring the students and professors together,” said Delano. “I want our faculty to communicate to their students that they are there for them.”
Delano has overseen the growth of Cedarville University’s IT management program throughout his 10 years at the university. He hopes to see similar growth in Cedarville University’s MBA program.
New Teaching Pharmacy to Serve Village of Cedarville
Investing in the Village of Cedarville and serving the local community is at the heart of a proposed venture that will return a pharmacy to the eastern Greene County community.
Cedar Care, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cedarville University that operates under an independent board of directors, announced today that it would purchase the historic Cedarville Hardware store located at the intersection of S.R. 72 and S.R. 42 in downtown Cedarville. Cedar Care plans to open a community pharmacy at that location this summer.
The new pharmacy, after renovating the historic nature of the former hardware store, is expected to open in fall 2018.
Under the leadership of Jeb Ballentine, a licensed pharmacist, the independent Cedar Care Village Pharmacy will also serve as a learning-laboratory for students enrolled in Cedarville University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. This will ensure that the care the pharmacy provides to the Cedarville community is based on the latest research and state-of-the-art technology.
“The new Cedar Care Village Pharmacy will focus on the needs of our community, while also benefitting the pharmacy students at the university,” said Dr. Marc Sweeney, president of the board of directors for Cedar Care, LLC, and dean of the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy. “This will be a teaching pharmacy for our students as well as a ministry to the Village of Cedarville.”
In addition to serving the healthcare needs of the community and contributing to revitalization efforts in the downtown area, the new pharmacy will benefit the village tax base. Future expansion of the pharmacy could include a limited-hours minute clinic and expanded retail services at the location.
Following the unexpected death of the hardware store's owner, Glenn Fawcett, in December 2017, Cedar Care LLC approached the family with an offer to purchase the current hardware store building, which is a landmark building in the Village of Cedarville.
The Fawcett family is pleased that the Village will have a pharmacy that will serve the community and provide educational benefits to students.
“Glenn's desire was to serve the community and improve downtown with his talents and abilities,” said Melissa Fawcett, the spokesperson for the Fawcett family. “We believe a pharmacy is in line with his legacy, and that this change would be something he would be proud of.”
Classical Learning Test now accepted at Cedarville University
Cedarville University announced today that it will officially accept the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an alternative standardized entrance exam for undergraduate student admissions, effective with fall 2019 applicants.
The CLT is a new college entrance exam that began in 2015, and is as an alternative to the American College Test (ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). It was developed by educators Jeremy Tate and David Wagner, and uses texts and ideas from Western thought and the teaching of the Great Books.
Cedarville University enrollment leaders believe the CLT is suitable in assessing potential students’ readiness for the rigors of a classical liberal arts education.
"Cedarville University is excited to begin accepting the Classic Learning Test for future applicants,” said Scott Van Loo, vice president for enrollment management. “We recognize the importance of accepting a college entrance exam that reflects a student's understanding of the great books and proficiency in mathematics. We also believe the test will open up additional opportunities for students to demonstrate their college readiness."
Cedarville University will begin accepting freshmen and transfer applications for the fall 2019 term on June 1, 2018. To learn more about the CLT, or to locate a testing center, visit https://www.cltexam.com/.
Patented Antibody Brings Professor’s Research Closer to Helping Diabetics
Amid lectures and grading papers, one professor has helped engineer and test an antibody that has potential to treat the results of a multitude of vascular conditions, including pain in walking and limb necrosis associated with late-stage diabetes.
Dr. Rocco Rotello, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Cedarville University, has secured a patent for his seven-year antibody research and is steadily approaching a treatment for a multitude of vascular conditions.
The object of Rotello’s patented research is an engineered antibody. Antibodies are proteins that act as keys that fit biological locks on certain cells to initiate a process within the cell. Rotello’s antibody is designed for compatibility with endothelial cells.
Endothelial cells form the interior walls of blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries), the passageways for blood to and from the heart. When endothelial cells are healthy, they ensure blood flows correctly by keeping the vessel walls strong and stable. If the cells are unhealthy, the vessel walls may leak, which can lead to a host of issues, including irregular blood pressure, clotting and edema.
Rotello’s patented antibody flips the switch that sends endothelial cells into survival mode, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels. As a result, the antibody, which is injected into a subject, has the potential to treat numerous vascular conditions.
While various treatments currently exist for improving blood flow in the heart, such as stents, Rotello’s antibody will be the first of its kind to promote blood flow to the limbs, hands and feet. The goal is to alleviate debilitating pain, limb death and amputation that would otherwise occur.
Rotello expects that human drug trials will begin in late 2019 and a final treatment may be widely available by 2023.
Trustees Affirm 10-Year Master Plan, New Center for The Advancement of Cybersecurity
At its May 4 meeting, Cedarville University’s Board of Trustees affirmed a 10-year campus master plan, a new Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity, new academic programs, and faculty hires and promotions.
10-Year Master Plan
A 10-year campus master plan, designed to meet the needs of the university’s expanding academic initiatives and growing student body, was affirmed by the trustees. The key elements of the plan include:
• Constructing a new liberal arts center that will house selected academic departments and provide state-of-the-art office and classroom spaces
• Constructing a new multipurpose center on the north side of Cedar Lake that will house the admissions welcome center, a new conference/banquet center and the school of business administration
• Expanding Doden Field House to improve locker room facilities, expand the intercollegiate weight room, provide classrooms for the planned Master of Athletic Training program and create a new entrance to the facility
• Adding a new lakeside dining area to Centennial Library
• Defining and enhancing the campus’ east boundary along State Route 72 through signage, landscaping and potentially a fountain near the main entrance
• Constructing new residence halls and expanding an existing residence hall to replace older facilities that are planned for closure and meet the demands of increasing enrollment
• Simplifying traffic flow by reducing the number of vehicular entrances to campus and creating new pedestrian walkways to enhance campus safety
“The campus master plan will advance Cedarville University’s vision to be an exemplary Christian institution known for academic excellence, submission to biblical authority, passion for the Great Commission, and intentional discipleship,” said Thomas White, president. “More important than the new facilities will be the opportunities they will provide for our faculty and staff to invest in students and see their lives transformed for godly service, vocational distinction, and cultural engagement.”
With the affirmation of the trustees, Cedarville’s leadership team will now move forward with developing a comprehensive fundraising campaign that will engage donors to invest in the 10-year vision.
The Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity
As concerns about internet security and privacy of personal data continue to grow, Cedarville’s new Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity will seek to help keep the public safe online. The new Center will focus on protecting the rights of individuals and organizations in cyberspace, and it will increase Cedarville’s opportunity for influence as more issues develop with cyberattacks.
Although cybersecurity education nationally is relatively new, Cedarville University’s computer science program already has cyber-trained faculty, a strong cyber undergraduate program and a great reputation among cybersecurity communities in academia, industry and government.
In May, Cedarville University graduated its first class of computer science students with specialized training in cybersecurity. Dr. Seth Hamman, director of the center for the advancement of cybersecurity and associate professor of computer science, believes the center will become a catalyst for increased enrollment.
“We live in a world that is oriented around cyberspace and is becoming more so all of the time,” said Hamman. “Cybersecurity is now crucial to the proper functioning of our economy, the well-being of our citizenry and even to the safe-guarding of our freedoms. More students have an interest in being a part of the solution to these issues.”
New Academic Programs
Master of Athletic Training
The trustees approved two related master’s programs that will advance the athletic training education Cedarville currently provides beyond the bachelor’s level. The Master of Athletic Training (M.A.T) and a five-year combined B.S. in sports medicine/M.A.T. program were unanimously endorsed. Now, the university will seek external approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Earning a master’s degree in athletic training will soon be the entry point to a career in sport medicine. With these two new programs, students will have the option to enroll in Cedarville’s accelerated five-year pathway to the M.A.T. or enroll in the stand-alone Master of Athletic Training degree after earning a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Master of Divinity
The trustees also affirmed changes to the university’s existing Master of Divinity degree and approved an advanced standing option. Pending approval by ODHE and HLC, there will now be three pathways to an M.Div. at Cedarville:
• A stand-alone 79-credit M.Div. with eight new, optional nine-hour tracks available in academic ministry, biblical apologetics, biblical care and counseling, missions, pastoral ministry, women’s ministry, worship and theology, and youth and family ministry. There will be no requirement for undergraduate work in Bible.
• The accelerated B.A.+M.Div. program will now offer two tracks, one in pastoral ministry and the other, one of the new M.Div. tracks chosen by the student.
• The new advanced M.Div. program, which requires 61 graduate hours. This pathway to the M.Div. degree recognizes that some prospective students have completed considerable work in biblical and theological studies at the undergraduate level. Built on a 30-hour undergraduate prerequisite base, this program allows prepared students to advance more quickly through the program.
TESOL Endorsement
The department of English, literature, and modern language received approval to reinstitute the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) endorsement for education majors. This program had been eliminated in 2013 when the Ohio Department of Education began requiring endorsements to be completed at the graduate level. In March 2017, this decision was reversed, and Cedarville plans to reinstitute the program to benefit students pursuing licensure in the school of education.
Naming of the Newest Residence Hall
Residence life is a central component of a Cedarville University undergraduate education. To meet the growing enrollment, the university began construction on an additional 64-bed female residence that will open this fall. At its May meeting, the trustees approved the name of the new dorm to honor long-time staff member, Dick Walker. Walker Hall will feature four large units housing 16 students and providing shared living areas, bathroom, kitchenette, and laundry facilities in each unit.
Walker served at Cedarville University for nearly 40 years and, according to chancellor Paul Dixon, “made some of the most significant contributions of anyone who’s been at Cedarville.” From 1975 to 1984, Walker was the dean of men for the university, and from 1984 through 2006, he served as director of campus activities. In 2006, he assumed the role of dean of community and family programs and retired from the university in 2012.
Walker Hall will be dedicated during Homecoming 2018.
New Faculty and Promotion
David Peterson, Ed.D., assistant professor of kinesiology, and Megan Brown, instructor of education, were approved as new faculty members beginning in 2018-19.
Peterson earned his doctoral degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama. He holds a master’s degree in health and physical education from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Truman State University. Prior to coming to Cedarville, he was the naval aerospace/operational physiologist for the United States Navy since 1997.
Brown is completing her doctoral degree in teaching and learning from Ohio State University in Columbus. She earned her master’s degree in children’s literature from Hollins University in Hollins, Virginia, and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Messiah College.
Dr. Denise Simpson Jean-Louis, Ph.D., was promoted to associate professor in the school of pharmacy. Simpson has been on Cedarville’s faculty for five years, and during this time she has authored 11 peer-reviewed journal articles, five peer-reviewed abstracts/conference papers and six book chapters. She is a co-inventor on three United States patents and has given 15 local, three regional and seven national presentations.
Retirement Recognition
Hardy Hegna, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering since 1992, and Nelson Henning, Ph.D., senior professor of social work, both retired at the end of the current academic year and were granted emeritus faculty status.
Cedarville University Named Among Best Colleges in the Midwest
Cedarville University has been ranked No. 4 in the College Consensus Rankings of best universities in the Midwest for 2018.
College Consensus averages rankings from publisher ratings and student reviews to determine its list of top universities. The publisher rating combines rankings from Forbes and U.S. News & World Report, while the student review is derived from student reviews collected by organizations such as Cappex and Unigo.
College Consensus considered multiple factors in its overall scoring method. These include the percentage of students admitted, four-year graduation rate, total number of students, student-to-faculty ratio, average amount of aid awarded to undergraduates, in-state tuition and fees and out-of-state tuition and fees.
According to the College Consensus website, “Cedarville offers students a world-class education experience within a vibrant and Christ-centered learning community.”
"As faculty and staff members at Cedarville, we are blessed to serve at an institution that has faithfully upheld its mission, consistently delivered quality in the classroom and intentionally equipped its graduates for career success and Gospel impact," said Dr. Janice Supplee, vice president for marketing and communications.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,963 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.
