Inspire, Fall 2003

Inspire 9 Dr. J. Wesley Baker , professor of communication arts, was named the 2003 Cedarville University Faculty Scholar of the Year. Wes has had numerous articles published and has presented more than 50 invited papers and seminars to such groups as the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities, the Christian Communication Scholars Colloquium, and National Information Technology Workshops. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the SBC Ameritech Faculty Development Technology Program. Dr. Cheryl Irish , James Leightenheimer ’80 , Dr. Chris Miller , and Dr. Susan Warner were all recognized at the 2003 Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) faculty excellence awards presentation. Cheryl, an assistant professor of education, was recognized for her expertise in using computer-assisted instruction to enhance basic multiplication performance in elementary students. Jim, who is an associate professor of communication arts and advisor for U99.5, was honored for developing and implementing a multi-track studio production program. Chris was recognized for his development of interactive CD-ROMs for two Baker Book House textbooks used widely in biblical studies curricula: Encountering the Old Testament and Encountering the New Testament . He is a professor of Bible and chair of the department of biblical education. As an assistant professor of sociology, Susan was recognized for introducing online class discussion options and periodic interactions with a Wilberforce University sociology course on race relations. Dr. Chi-en Hwang, associate professor of psychology, is one of the highest participation rates among attending institutions. In the past five years, the number of Cedarville conference presentations has tripled. Janine Helmick, a senior psychology and Spanish major from Wellington, Ohio, said, “Presenting at the Ohio Undergraduate Research Conference was an exciting opportunity to see how my efforts and interests can be made public. Many of the presentations at the conference dealt with the issues of faith, religion, and morals, and Cedarville University’s active participation in these conferences gives us a wide open door to share our beliefs through our research and personal conduct in these conferences.” Cedarville’s psychology program has grown from 80 students to 160 in five years. Dr. Michael Firmin attributes this growth, in part, to two elements: 1) an emphasis on biblical counseling and on preparing students for counseling in ministry settings and 2) an emphasis on motivating students to achieve their “excellence potentials.” Janine closed, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my psychology classes at Cedarville and the way the professors are committed to viewing and critiquing psychology through the eyes of the Bible. I have found my psychology classes to be very applicable to ‘real life,’ and they have also stretched me in my faith and walk with the Lord.” the Kresge Foundation. Their $600,000 challenge, we believe, will provide the impetus to reach our ultimate goal in this campaign.” Dr. Dixon continued, “Our vision is to make the Cedarville experience a valuable, life-changing one. We’ve made great improvements in our faculty and our academic support facilities over the past two decades. This latest facility represents a vast improvement in the whole-person, physical development area. This facility will support the social, physical, and academic development of our students in a manner unlike any other building on campus.” The Center opened in August. The building includes a 60,000 square foot recreation area; a 200-meter track; space for free-weights, cardiovascular machines, and aerobic and other exercise areas; a 40-foot climbing wall; and a new health care clinic. For more information about the Center, visit http://www.cedarville.edu/dept/pr/fitrec .