Grand Valley announced that Karen M. Loth has been named vice president for University Development.

The announcement that Loth, who has been serving as the interim vice president, would be given the position permanently came at the university’s April 27 Board of Trustees meeting.

President Thomas J. Haas praised Loth’s experience, history with the university and her performance as interim vice president since January when he made the announcement.

“Karen’s history with Grand Valley and her track record of performance and integrity will lead the Development unit of this university in the direction in which it needs to go,” Haas said. “We’ll rely on her leadership to make sure our long-time supporters and new supporters continue to see the value that Grand Valley brings to the people of this region. Her experience with Grand Valley is critical as private gifts become even more integral to the university’s future.”

Loth joined the university in 2000 and has led 11 campaigns, helping to raise more than $130 million dollars for Grand Valley in the past ten years.

“It is an honor to work with our donors who have given so much of their time, talent and treasure to support Grand Valley over the years,” Loth said. “With their help, we will continue to provide our students with an academically rigorous learning environment, and provide our region and our state with the next generation of talented leaders.”

Loth’s promotion is effective May 1.

Tim W. Selgo enters his 16th year as athletic director at Grand Valley State. He was appointed athletic director on February 12, 1996 and has put his own stamp of leadership on Laker athletics.



A promoter of a well-rounded athletic department, Selgo has been a key figure in the Lakers' rise to the top of Division II athletics. Grand Valley State University won its eighth straight Directors' Cup in 2010-11, staking a claim as the top all-around athletic department in the country. In addition to winning eight straight Directors' Cup titles, GVSU's eight total titles is tops all-time in DII. The prestigious award is presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Learfield Sports and the USA TODAY to the best overall collegiate athletics programs in the country. In addition to the Lakers' eight straight Directors' Cup titles (2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11), GVSU finished second in 2001-02 and 2002-03 in the Directors' Cup standings. In addition, GVSU has won 13 straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Presidents' Cup titles as the top athletic program in the 13-team GLIAC. The Lakers' 18 all-time Presidents' Cup titles top all GLIAC institutions. Grand Valley State, which won 45 GLIACtitles prior to Selgo's arrival, has won 117 GLIAC titles since Selgo was appointed Athletic Director in 1996.

A well respected leader in college athletics, Selgo served on the NCAA DII Management Council for one year (2009-10). A term on the NCAA DII Management Council is the highest position is DII athletics. Selgo, who is on the NCAA DII Budget and Finance Committee, was named the Division II Central Region Astroturf Athletic Director of the Year in 2006-07 and was also honored as the Central Region AD of the Year in 2002-03.

Selgo has been the key figure in the development of the athletic facilities and programs at Grand Valley State. GVSU recently added women's lacrosse as a varsity program that will begin play in the spring of 2012. Lubbers Stadium began a three-phase renovation during the summer of 2011 and a new outdoor track & field/lacrosse stadium is set to open in the fall of 2011. The Laker Turf Building, which opened for all university activities in August 2009, allows GVSU academic classes and athletic teams the opportunity to work inside in inclement weather. The 137,662 square foot facility has a 100 x 55-yard fieldturf surface, a six-lane track with nine sprint lanes and batting cages that drop from the ceiling. The Laker softball team began play on its new field in 2008 and the Laker baseball field added stadium seating behind home plate in 2010. GVSU expanded its football stadium seating capacity to 8,550, added executive suites and a new scoreboard with a ProStar video display board in 2002. The GVSU Football Center, located in the north end zone of Lubbers Stadium, has been expanded by more than 4,000 feet since Selgo's arrival. In addition, lights were installed at Lubbers Stadium and the Rob Odejewski Weight Room was built in honor of the late Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Promotions. The baseball and soccer fields have added press boxes, storage space and concession areas. In addition, the fieldhouse locker room project, that enabled every varsity sport at Grand Valley State to have its own locker room, was spearheaded by Selgo.

Tim Selgo speaks to the media to announce the 131 Showdown at Van Andel Arena.

Prior to his arrival at Grand Valley State, Selgo was an Associate AD at the University of Toledo. While at Toledo Selgo was responsible for the day-to-day operations for Toledo's 10 women's and nine men's sports teams that competed at the Division I level in the Mid-American Conference. Selgo was instrumental in the marketing and promoting of all 19 sports that the Toledo athletic department sponsored.

A native of Pettisville, Ohio, Selgo was inducted into the Toledo Athletic Hall of Fame in February of 2001. He was a standout basketball player at Toledo from 1977-80, earning four varsity letters. The Rockets posted a four-year record of 87-26 during Selgo's playing days on the hardwood. Selgo participated in two NCAA Midwest Regional Tournaments for Toledo. His 1978-79 Rocket squad claimed a first-round, 74-72, win over Iowa, before dropping a 79-71 decision to Notre Dame in the second round. In 1980, Selgo scored 18 points in Toledo's 94-91 loss to Florida State in a first-round NCAA Tournament game. Selgo was part of two MAC Championship teams (1978-79 and 1979-80) and was co-captain of the `79-80 squad. He earned Mid-American Conference All-Academic honors in 1978, 1979 and 1980 and was named Senior Scholar/Athlete-of-the-Year at Toledo in 1980. Known as an outstanding shooter, Selgo still holds the UT record for free throw percentage in a single-season, converting 92.3 percent (48-of-52) during the 1978-79 season. He also holds the Toledocareer free throw percentage record in MAC games, hitting 86.1 percent (62-of-72) and the single-season Rocket mark for MAC games of 93.9 percent (31-of-33).

Selgo graduated from Toledo in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and a minor in mathematics. Following graduation, Selgo remained at Toledo as a graduate assistant for the Toledo men's basketball program and earned his master's degree in education administration in 1982. He then served as an assistant men's basketball coach at Toledo from 1982-1985.

In 1985 he was named head women's basketball coach at Toledo. Selgo served as head coach of the Rockets women's basketball program for three years, turning around a program that is now at the top of the MAC.

Selgo is married to the former Terry Bush and together the couple have three children: Jennifer (26), Rachel (24), and Daniel (18).

 

Mick Doxey has been named as the first director of risk management for Grand Valley. Doxey, who came to Grand Valley in 1986, has served as director of business services, handling campus dining, university bookstores, risk management, vending and other auxiliary related services.  



Risk management will formally become part of the University Counsel office. “As the university has grown and increased in complexity, so has the importance of risk management,” said Tom Butcher, university counsel. “Risk management has a natural alignment with compliance, university-wide policies and various legal matters.”



“This is a major step forward in incorporating the identification and treatment of risk as a crucial component in the successful strategic management of Grand Valley,” said Doxey. “I am looking forward to the challenge and to continuing to make a contribution to this great academic community.”



Mick began his new position July 1, 2011.

Erin Harbour was in the fifth grade in 2001 when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City.

The biomedical sciences major and Honors College student said, at the time, teachers shielded students from the news. “They told us the smoke clouds were a swarm of bees,” Harbour said.

She was among 16 students in an Honors College seminar, “Remembering 9/11,” taught by Rob Franciosi, professor of English, and held in the Niemeyer Learning and Living Center. “What happened that day is a part of our history, and that’s why I wanted to take this class,” Harbour said.

At the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Franciosi said he wanted to teach the course partly because, in about six years, there will be Grand Valley students who weren’t even in elementary school on that day.

In class on September 7, Franciosi had students brainstorming different ways media and communities would commemorate the attacks in the week prior to the anniversary date. He also discussed cultural differences that would occur if the attacks took place in 2011, rather than 2001.

“There are technological differences,” Franciosi said. “In 2001, there were no cell phones with cameras. No one could video-capture what was happening inside those buildings.

“In 2011, people would be sending real-time images via a 4G network.”

Franciosi began the course by having students watch television coverage from 2001 and by reading a book that recounts the Twin Towers attack “from the inside looking out.”

For most people, he said, 9/11 lacks those types of first–person accounts. “We see the burning Twin Towers through a long, telephoto lens,” he said.

Students will also create a 9/11 archive of events and responses to the anniversary, and complete an assignment asking them to consider how the attacks are viewed through the perspectives of their particular 

academic disciplines.

Nancy Giardina, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs at Grand Valley State University, has been named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for academic year 2009-10. 



The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing promising senior faculty and administrators for responsible positions in college and university administration. Thirty-eight fellows, nominated by the presidents or chancellors of their institutions, were selected this year in a national competition.



Sharon A. McDade, Ed.D., director of the ACE Fellows Program, noted that most previous fellows have advanced into major positions in academic administration. Of the more than 1,500 participants in the first 44 years of the program, more than 300 have become chief executive officers and more than 1,100 have become provosts, vice presidents, or deans. "We're extremely pleased with the incoming class," McDade said. "The individuals selected have demonstrated strong leadership. The Fellows Program will sharpen and enhance their leadership skills and their network, and prepare them to address issues of concern to the higher education community." 



Giardina is assistant vice president for Academic and Student Affairs and professor of Movement Science at Grand Valley State University. She has been at Grand Valley since 1999 and served as a faculty member in Movement Science and was department chair from 2000-2005. Giardina earned a doctorate from Columbia University, a master's degree from Montclair State University and a bachelor's degree from University of Rhode Island.



“Being awarded an ACE Fellow is an honor and the highest level of professional development in higher education leadership that is well timed for me at this point in my higher education career," Giardina said. "I am grateful to Grand Valley's Provost, Gayle R. Davis, for nominating me and President Thomas J. Haas for supporting the nomination. I am extremely excited and look forward to fully engaging in all the ACE Fellow has to offer.”



Each ACE Fellow focuses on an issue of concern to the nominating institution. Giardina will focus on student success initiatives to facilitate undergraduate student integration of a strong liberal education preparation with engagement in community service and service learning experiences to better help students transition into the work force or on to graduate school.



The ACE Fellows Program combines seminars, interactive learning opportunities, campus visits and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single semester or year. Fellows attend three week-long retreats on higher education issues organized by ACE, read extensively in the field and engage in other activities to enhance their knowledge about the challenges and opportunities confronting higher education today.

Mary Seeger is a retired professor and dean of advising resources and special programs at Grand Valley State University.  She taught German and linguistics from 1965 to 2005.  Dr. Seeger is currently an author of critical works on detective fiction and a member of Sisters in Crime, a national organization of authors, editors, and critics.  Her interest in women's and local history led her to serve as president of the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council and as a board of directors member for the Women’s Resource Center.  She is a member of the Swedish Club and the Edelweiss Club for German Heritage.



Dr. Seeger contributed an interview during GVSU's recent 50th Anniversary Celebration. She remembers that one of Don Lubbers' strengths was "throwing something out in front of us and helping us grow into it."  View the Mary Seeger interview clip.

Exceptional faculty and staff are also inducted into the Society to further the OΔK Idea of collaborative leadership. The fall 2011 semester’s Honoris Causa Inductee is Teri Losey, Special Assistant to the President and Secretary of the GVSU Board of Trustees.



OΔK® was founded in 1914 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and now has more than 300 Circles on campuses across the United States. The purpose of Omicron Delta Kappa is to recognize and foster leadership in all areas of campus life and in the community, and to bring together students, faculty/staff and alumni together on a basis of mutual interest and understanding. OΔK® members have opportunities for career networking, community service and leadership development, and scholarships for graduate study.

About

Jo Ann Litton, preprofessional advisor in the CLAS Academic Advising Center has won the 2011 AP Commitment to Students Award. 

In the letter of nomination for this award, colleagues and students were happy to sing her praises:

"She has guided many students to achieve their goals. One student in particular was struggling with the study time and preparation to sit for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Testing) exam. Jo Ann discovered a summer program at MSU and contacted the student and assisted in arrangements for her to enroll in the program while working and taking care of her two year old daughter. The student is now preparing her application for admission to medical school.  Another student, part of our pre-dental population and a non-traditional student, has commented on how much he appreciates her willingness to meet after hours as well as attend the professional club meetings which are often much later in the evening.



Each student who visits the CLAS Academic Advising Center is surveyed to insure that we are meeting their needs. Many have taken the time to add personal comments regarding their experiences with JoAnn."

Congratulations. Jo Ann for a job exceptionally well done.

In celebration of GVSU’s 50th anniversary, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Alumni Association hosted the Multicultural Cohort Programs Reunion on November 12. Over 200 GVSU faculty and staff members, cohort alumni and current student members gathered to celebrate the many successes and achievements of the cohort programs. Guest speakers included Ray Bennett, ’92, alumnus of the MBEC program and senior vice president of lodging development for Marriott International, and Dean Emeritus Don Williams.  



The evening included a surprise announcement from Bennett that he endowed a new scholarship in honor of Williams. The Dean Emeritus Don Williams Sr. Multicultural Business Education Scholarship was established by Bennett and will recognize and assist business majors in the MBEC Multicultural Business Education programs with the cost of education. 

Assistant Professor Cheryl Boudreaux of the Sociology Department received her PhD from Brandeis University in 1993 with a dissertation on women's spirituality and feminist transformations of consciousness. She teaches Death and Dying, Families in Society, and Love, Sex, and Gender. She has served two terms as the elected president of the Michigan Sociological Association (MSA) and is an active member of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP). Professor Boudreaux is a photographer/sociologist that sees images as a significant part of the social construction of reality. She is the Chair of the Family Division for the Society for the Study of Social Problems and served as the vice president of the SSSP organization in 2008-2009. 



Boudreaux’s research and theories of transformation inform her teaching in sociology as well as her advocacy and interest in working toward social justice.  She has given papers on images of death and dying and terrorism, race consciousness in health and illness, and marriage.  Through these papers,  Boudreaux attempts to understand transforming social consciousness.  Recent working papers include:  "Teaching About the Family," “Why Marriage:  Is Marriage Worth Fighting For?” “The Art of Death in Everyday Life,” “Images of Death and Dying in an Age of Terrorism,” and “The Pernicious Affects of Race Consciousness in Health and Illness.”