NKU professor writes book on 1976 Reds

Doug Feldmann, an NKU education professor, just published The 1976 Cincinnati Reds: Last Hurrah for the Big Red Machine.

The book documents the season of one of the greatest teams (and last dynasties) in baseball history. During the pursuit of a second-straight world championship in 1976, the “Big Red Machine” was fueled by all-time hits leader Pete Rose, slugger George Foster and all-stars Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan as well as a balanced pitching staff that had seven players notching double-digit win totals. The 102-win regular season ended with the World Series sweep of the New York Yankees.

In addition to teaching at NKU, Feldmann is a part-time scout for the Reds and is the author of eight books covering topics such as the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Depression-era baseball.

A message from the president

We’re winding up another beautiful summer at Northern Kentucky University, and it always amuses me when people ask what we on a college campus do during the summer. Some seem to think we turn off the lights, lock the doors and head to the beach. Well, as much our faculty and staff probably wish that were true, I’ll tell you that things are just about as busy during the summer as they are during the school year. Work is progressing on our new soccer complex. NKU boasts two of the most successful soccer programs in the nation – with the men’s team having won three straight regional championships and advancing to last year’s national semifinals, and the women’s team with an all-time record of 200-47-13, it will be nice to provide these elite programs with a world-class facility on our campus.

This summer we received $7 million in support of our efforts to equip our informatics center thanks to the generosity of Griffin Industries. We broke ground on what will be called Griffin Hall in May. With a high-tech digitorium and a computer-assisted virtual environment, I can tell you that this building will be a game changer for informatics at NKU. And its impact will be felt far beyond our campus. Griffin Hall will provide a new venue for engagement with local business and governments. Companies will partner with our Infrastructure Management Institute to use this unique facility to develop products and foster new business. And the collaboration doesn’t stop there. Local high-growth companies can use our Launchpad Program to assess technological needs and opportunities. The possibilities are limitless for those with an entrepreneurial spirit.

We’re very proud of the entrepreneurial spirit on our campus. From the countless successes of our resourceful student body to the tremendous growth and progress of our Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute, NKU is fostering entrepreneurialism across academic disciplines in ways never before imagined. I’d like to acknowledge both the entrepreneurs in our classrooms and those who work tirelessly each day to make it in this tough economy. Times are tough, but you must maintain your entrepreneurial spirit – it will serve you well today and into the future. If you’d like to read more about some of our alumni entrepreneurs, I encourage you to check out a new book, Lessons in Entrepreneurship, that highlights the work of some of our most successful alumni.

Despite the economic challenges we are facing, I’m pleased to report that our enrollment numbers are strong. Our applications for the fall are up more than 35 percent, and our entering class will be more diverse and better prepared. We’ve seen an increase of about 59 percent in applications from African-American students and an increase of about 31 percent in applications from Hispanic students. Even in a sluggish economy, and despite our attempts to limit enrollment, we are expecting another record class.

With that, I wish you and your family the very best. I hope you enjoy reading about some of the wonderful things we have going on, and I thank you for your continued support of Northern Kentucky University.

President James Votruba

Plagiarism films and lessons to educate students

NKU film students have collaborated with the school’s W. Frank Steely Library to unveil Creative Thinking, an educational copyright and plagiarism website for junior high through freshman college students.

Funded by a grant from the Cincinnati Bar Foundation, Creative Thinking films, lessons and activities are designed to educate teens and young adults about plagiarism and copyright law. The website is creativethinking.nku.edu.

Mark Wasicko: new dean of College of Education and Human Services

Dr. Mark Wasicsko has been named dean of NKU’s College of Education and Human Services. Wasicsko has served as The Bank of Kentucky Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Leadership at NKU since fall 2005 and will continue to hold the endowed position as dean.

“I cannot begin to express how pleased and honored I feel to be selected as the next dean of our college,” Wasicsko said. “I can think of no place I’d rather be than NKU and have found no better people with whom to work than the faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the college here at Northern.”

Film Festival

High school juniors or seniors interested in filmmaking should make plans to attend the NKU Media Arts Festival October 23 in NKU’s Student Union. This event includes a film competition, workshops with area film professionals, the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and the possibility of winning fabulous prizes! Learn from the pros, meet new friends and experience a real film festival all in one day. For more information, visit nkuconnections.nku.edu.

Ford, Huckabee to headline NKU Alumni Lecture

Make plans now to attend the NKU Alumni Lecture Series featuring former Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., (D-Tenn.) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (who vied for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination). The event is November 18 at 8 p.m. in the Student Union ballroom. For more information or to order tickets, visit alumni.nku.edu.

Zaniello retires

When he arrived on campus in 1972, Tom Zaniello didn’t think he’d be sitting in his office 37 years later recalling a long career at Northern Kentucky University.

“The idea of coming to NKU was a little scary to me,” Zaniello said. “I grew up in the New York City area, with all the prejudices of that particular set of people about the Midwest (and the South for that matter). So here I was coming to a place that was called, by some people, the ‘Southern Midwest,’ so it was scary on two levels.” Zaniello was one of a group of founding professors who arrived in Highland Heights to find the beginnings of a campus in the early ’70s. Many, like Zaniello, were fresh out of graduate school and happy to have an opportunity.

“We arrived from pretty much all over the country, and that was (then-NKU President) Frank Steely’s vision,” Zaniello said. Since campus buildings were still very much under construction, the faculty had to endure tight quarters, but were too busy building a university to notice. Despite coming here at such an exciting time, Zaniello didn’t think he’d be around for long.

Click to watch an interview with Dr. Zaniello.

Norse Nuggets

Virtual campus tour

Want to see what the campus looks like today and how it’s changed since you were here? Visi right for a walk around Northern Kentucky University. With 360 degrees of campus to explore, you can take a visit to the cool breezes by the campus lake, or enjoy a walk down a tree-lined path to any of the buildings on campus. Visit http://www.nku.edu/about/virtualtour.php to see the online tour.

NKU iPhone app

Students who are heading to NKU this fall have no excuse for getting lost on the way to class with the new iPhone application. Campus maps, NKU trivia, the alma mater and more are included in the app, which is available from Apple’s iTunes app store.

Graduate graduation

This spring, NKU held its first seperate graduate commencement ceremony. During this special ceremony, those who earned graduate degrees were presented with academic hoods representing their discipline of study. Moving the graduate ceremony to a separate time reflects the growth of NKU’s grad programs. For more information, visit http://gradschool.nku.edu/.

Work out gear

Want to show your NKU pride while working out? Visit alumni.nku.edu to order NKU performance shirts and pullovers. Purchase NKU ornaments, gift items and more at the online store, or stop by the NKU bookstore the next time you are on campus.

A Day in the Life of NKU

NKU photography students under the guidance of instructor Chris Smith shot photos on campus for eight days (and nights) and have collected their images in a book available online. To order NKU 8.Days.2008, visit www.blurb.com/books/671017.

Follow NKU on Twitter

Want to keep up with NKU happenings on your Twitter account? Follow @ NKUalumassoc for alumni events and @NKUedu for general university news. And if you look at who @ NKUedu is following, you’ll find more official NKU Twitter accounts to follow – everyone from The Bank of Kentucky Center to the College of Informatics, and the list gets longer every day.

Manning honored

Dr. Jimmie Manning, communication graduate program director, was recently honored by the Central States Communication Association with the Outstanding New Teacher Award. The award recognizes individuals early in their professional career who are showing distinction as teachers.

Manning also received the 2007 Kentucky Communication Association Graduate Mentor Award for outstanding mentorship of graduate students.