Academic Innovation Brochure

Academic Innovation

How HPU Can Shape Your Future

Academic Innovation

(n):

Preparing students for the world not as it is, but as it is going to be. Connecting the dots between creativity and pragmatism to move the world forward in positive ways. Removing friction points, solving problems and generating meaningful change.

Mentorship Matters

Preparing the Leaders of Tomorrow

Dear HPU Friend:

We know a thing or two about academic innovation because we continuously transform our culture and curriculum to prepare students for the world not as it is, but as it is going to be.

Innovation is in High Point University’s DNA, in part because we understand the true meaning of the word.

Sometimes, innovation is implementing something new to move the world forward in positive ways. Other times, it’s reinventing methods that already exist in a different, value-adding capacity.

And, no matter what, innovation is about creating relevance. It’s about connecting the dots between creativity and pragmatism and placing a radical focus on improving student outcomes.

Compressing Time to Accomplish More

At HPU, we have built an ecosystem of support to ensure students experience meaningful guidance throughout their educational journey. Every freshman is paired with a professional Success Coach who either specializes in their major or assists students who have yet to declare their field of study.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works’ Research Rookies program encourages freshmen to prepare for high-level research with a faculty advisor as soon as they arrive to campus, rather than waiting until they are upperclassmen like at other universities.

A community of career advisors, study abroad advisors, peer mentors and others support the holistic growth of our students. As HPU president, I teach the First-Year Seminar on Life Skills so that I, personally, can mentor students on matters important to the marketplace, such as the importance of fiscal literacy, stewardship and the fundamentals of leadership.

Heroes, Models and Mentors

In addition to our programming, our faculty and staff know that students see us as heroes, models and mentors. I remind our team of this important realization: We live, students watch and students learn. That’s why we must all contribute to the positive development of their mind, their heart and their soul.

On our campus, mentorship is everyone’s job, from faculty leading classrooms, to staff leading student support services and the hospitality team member serving food in our cafeteria.

At HPU, students are also mentored by a long list of accomplished leaders, including Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU’s Innovator in Residence; Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph, HPU’s Entrepreneur in Residence; Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, HPU’s Sports Executive in Residence; and many others. View this continually growing list at www.highpoint.edu/innovators.

We provide impactful mentors to guide students not only in their four years on campus but throughout their lives. Students don’t merely enroll at HPU; they join our HPU family.

Experiences That Create Context

On our campus, we want students to not only be knowledgeable with content, we also want them to be confident with context. That is why, in addition to classrooms on campus, you’ll also find boardrooms, learning labs and collaborative spaces.

College degrees can be obtained from thousands of good schools based on knowledge of content. But High Point University students graduate with more — a premier life skills education.

We want students prepared to navigate the real-world environment with knowledge, of course, but also with the confidence that comes from competence. And competence comes from experience. In a competitive marketplace, life skills, which are learned and earned through experience, are difference makers.

That’s why High Point University is The Premier Life Skills University. Students receive an extraordinary classroom education in tandem with experiences that can be applied to their future careers.

HPU students graduate prepared to work in a world where they will have to communicate with others different from themselves, solve complex problems and adapt amidst rapid change. After all, they’ve been transformed on a campus that embraces transformation. That’s why 99% of HPU graduates begin careers or continue their education within 180 days of graduation, 14 points higher than the national average.

I’m so proud to lead High Point University, where academic innovation is apparent in the programs, people and experiences we offer to provide a well-rounded education that puts students at the center of all that we do. I encourage you to visit campus to witness all that HPU has to offer.

Sincerely,

I’m proud to lead High Point University, The Premier Life Skills University, where academic innovation drives the transformational development process of our students.

– HPU President Nido R. Qubein

HPU has a program for you!

Majors & Minors

DAVID R. HAYWORTH SCHOOL OF ARTS AND DESIGN

MAJORS

• Dance (B.A.)

• Fashion Merchandising (B.S.)

• Graphic Design (B.A. & B.F.A.)

• Interior Design (B.S.)

• Music (B.A.)

• Studio Art (B.A. & B.F.A.)

• Theater (B.A.)

CONCENTRATION AREAS

Theatre Major

• Collaborative Theater

• Performance Theater

• Technical Theater

MINORS

• Art History

• Dance

• Fashion Merchandising

• Graphic Design

• Museum Studies

• Music (Instrumental, Voice and Piano/Organ)

• Musical Theater

• Photography

• Studio Art

• Theater

• Visual Merchandising Design

EARL N. PHILLIPS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

MAJORS

• Accounting (B.S.B.A.)

• Business Administration (B.S.B.A.)

• Entrepreneurship (B.S.B.A.)

• Finance (B.S.B.A.)

• International Business (B.S.B.A.)

• Marketing (B.S.B.A.)

• Sales (B.S.B.A.)

MINORS

• Accounting

• Business Administration

• Economics

• Entrepreneurship

• Finance

• Global Commerce

• Health Care Management

• Marketing

• Operations and Supply Chain Management

• Sales

• Social Media Marketing

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A)

• Master of Business Administration in Business Analytics (M.B.A.)

• Master of Business Administration in Health Care Management (M.B.A.)

• Master of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management (M.B.A.)

66

UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS

68 UNDERGRADUATE MINORS

NIDO R. QUBEIN SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

MAJORS

• Advertising, Public Relations and Strategic Communication (B.A.)

• Event Management (B.A.)

• Game Design (B.A.)

• Hospitality Management (B.A.)

• Journalism (B.A.)

• Media Production (B.A.)

• Social Media and Digital Communication (B.A.)

• Sport Management (B.A.)

• Sports Media (B.A.)

MINORS

• Event Management

• Game Design

• Hospitality Management

• Journalism

• Media Production

• Popular Culture

• Sport Management

• Sports Media

• Strategic Communication

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

• Master of Arts in Communication and Business Leadership (M.A.)

• Master of Arts in Strategic Communication (M.A.)

WORKMAN SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE AND ORAL HEALTH

MAJORS

• Pre-Dental (Dental Medicine Scholars)

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS

• Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.)

www.highpoint.edu/academics

STOUT SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

MAJORS

• Elementary Education (B.A.)

• Health and Physical Education (B.A.)

• Middle Grades Education (B.A.)

• Special Education (B.A.)

LICENSURE AREAS

Secondary Education (9 –12 Licensure)

• Biology

• Comprehensive Science

• English

• History/Social Studies

• Mathematics

Special Subjects (K –12 Licensure)

• Spanish

• Academically and Intellectually Gifted

Special Education

• General Curriculum K–12

• Adapted Curriculum K–12

MINORS

• Athletic Coaching

• Health and Physical Education

• Special Education

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS

• Master of Arts in Teaching Elementary Education K–6 (M.A.T.)

• Master of Education in Educational Leadership (M.Ed.)

• Master of Education in Elementary Education (M.Ed.)

• Master of Education in Special Education (M.Ed.)

• Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

SCAN THE QR CODE TO EXPLORE OUR DEGREES AND PROGRAMS!

WEBB SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

MAJORS

• Actuary Science (B.S.)

• Computer Engineering (B.S.)

• Computer Science (B.A. & B.S.)

• Cybersecurity (B.S.)

• Data Analytics and Statistics (B.S.)

• Data Science (B.S.)

• Electrical Engineering (B.S.)

• General Engineering (B.S.)

• Mathematical Economics (B.S.)

• Mathematics (B.A. & B.S.)

• Mechanical Engineering (B.S.)

• Mechatronics (B.S.)

MINORS

• Computer Science

• Data Analytics

• Data Science

• Mathematics

• Statistics

CONGDON SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES

MAJORS

• Exercise Science (B.S.)

• Health and Wellness (B.A.)

CONCENTRATION AREAS

• Biomechanics

• Exercise Physiology

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS

• Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (M.S.B.S.)

• Master of Health Care Administration (M.H.A.)

• Master of Science in Athletic Training (M.S.A.T.)

• Master of Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.)

• Doctor of Medical Science (D.M.S.)

• Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

MAJORS

• Criminal Justice (B.A.)

• English (B.A.)

• French (B.A.)

• History (B.A.)

• Individualized Major (B.A. & B.S.)

• International Relations (B.A.)

• Philosophy (B.A.)

• Political Science (B.A.)

• Psychology (B.S.)

• Religion (B.A.)

• Sociology and Anthropology (B.A.)

• Spanish (B.A.)

MINORS

• Anthropology

• Chinese

• Civic Responsibility and Social Innovation

• Creative Writing

• Criminal Justice

• East Asian Studies

• English Literature

• Forensic Science

• French and Francophone Studies

• History

• Italian Studies

• Jewish Studies

• Latin American and Caribbean Studies

• Leadership

• Legal Studies

• Philosophy

• Political Science

• Psychology

• Public and Professional Writing

• Religion

• Sociology

• Spanish

• Women’s and Gender Studies

SCHOOL OF NURSING

MAJOR

• Nursing (B.S.)

WANEK SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES

MAJORS

• Biochemistry (B.S.)

• Biology (B.A. & B.S.)

• Chemistry (B.A. & B.S.)

• Neuroscience (B.S.)

• Physics (B.A. & B.S.)

CONCENTRATION AREAS

Biology Major

• Organismal and Evolutionary Biology

• Molecular/Cell and Biotechnology

• Health Science

MINORS

• Biology

• Chemistry

• Environmental Studies

• Physics

FRED WILSON SCHOOL OF

PHARMACY

MAJORS

• Pre-Pharmacy (2+4 Program)

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS

• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS

• Athletic Training

• Dental Medicine

• Engineering

• Law

• Medicine

• Ministry

• Nursing

• Occupational Therapy

• Optometry

• Pharmacy

• Physical Therapy

• Physician Assistant

• Veterinary

Uncover Your Passion with Project Discovery

Nearly half of all college students nationally change their majors, and many enter college not knowing what they want to major in. At High Point University, that’s okay. We partner with students to help them discover an academic pursuit about which they are passionate. We call this process Project Discovery. HPU offers over 60 majors, and this program helps students identify which is best for them.

1 It Starts With You and Your Success Coach

Upon acceptance to HPU, you will partner with a Success Coach who is passionate about helping you discover a major that is a great fit for you while also helping you make positive connections with organizations on campus in which you are interested. This happens as early as December for Early Decision admitted students or March for regularly admitted students. You will have support and guidance from a caring coach who understands the various options available to you.

2 There’s a Class for That!

Enroll in Exploring Your Major and Career Path, the one-credit course designed to help you explore your options. A Career Advisor will guide you through self-reflection and assessment tools such as the Focus 2, MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory. You’ll also be able to connect with professionals in fields you are thinking about to ask thoughtful questions and learn more about their respective industries.

3 They’ve Walked in Your Shoes

You aren’t the only student who entered college without a specific major selected — in fact, it is common across the entire nation! Sometimes we learn best from someone like ourselves — a peer. First-Year Navigators are HPU students who were once undeclared, too. They know exactly what you are going through and will help you explore your options.

4 Majorpalooza!

Ok, so the real name of the event is “Majors, Minors and More,” but either way, this academic fair is held on the Slane Student Center basketball court, so you can meet faculty and students from every major and minor available to you. Want to work on campus or conduct undergraduate research? You can connect to learn more about these special interests, too.

5 What Can You Do With This Major?

When you find a major that seems great, you will want to understand what you can do with that degree once you graduate. HPU’s Career Advisors will help you understand how your major translates to realworld career paths.

6 Cottrell Hall: Your Headquarters for Success

Cottrell Hall, home to the Flanagan Center for Student Success, is HPU’s hub for experiential learning and professional development. In one convenient location, students can easily access the Offices of Career and Professional Development, Undergraduate Research, Global Education, Internship Services, Student Success, the Entrepreneurship Center and much more. Consider this impressive facility the official “home” of Project Discovery.

Project Discovery was so effective. It gave me the opportunity to explore classes in a variety of different fields so I could get a feel for my strengths and the topics I was passionate about.

7 Coffee Connections

Every semester, faculty members host opportunities to meet with students who may have questions about a specific major. Casual in nature (we said there’d be coffee), these interactions will help you figure it out! You can attend as many of these meetings as you want, and you always have the opportunity to visit with a professor one-on-one to discuss opportunities within a major.

8 Peer Career Advisors

Visit with the Peer Career Advisors, upperclassmen who’ve been successful in their internship and career search, to get additional support, like crafting a resume that can lead to summer jobs and internships to gain hands-on experience! With convenient walk-in hours in the Office of Career and Professional Development, there is continuous support to guide you on your journey.

natomy of a Success Coach The

Students begin their time on campus in one of three ways. Some become unsure of their college major. That’s normal. In fact, more than half of all students nationally enter college undeclared. Others arrive confident in their major but soon begin to second-guess their choice. They relate to the 75% of students nationally who change their major at least once during college. Then, there are those who come in with a plan and stick to it. For each type, there’s an HPU Success Coach.

All incoming freshmen at HPU receive a personal Success Coach, a guide through their transitional journey into college life. Success Coaches help students narrow down their major, construct a path to achieve their goals and lend academic support when needed. Here’s a glimpse at the other important roles Success Coaches fill throughout a student’s freshman year at HPU.

Life Coach:

When incoming freshmen arrive on campus, they experience a variety of emotions. This is often their first time away from home and students feel the need to quickly find their place at HPU. Success Coaches answer that call. Success Coaches encourage students to find their own personal niche on campus and designate ways that students can apply and pursue their passions.

University Liaison:

Success Coaches help students make connections with faculty and staff on campus. They refer students to the Office of Career and Professional Development, Student Life, Counseling Services, Financial Aid and other offices on campus to ensure they receive the support and encouragement they need.

Activities Coordinator:

Success Coaches assist in the implementation of programs and services designed to promote academic, personal, social and emotional success in each student. They encourage students to get involved in clubs, intramural sports or other campus activities to stay engaged beginning on day one.

Innovative Insights

My most impactful mentor at HPU has been my Success Coach Cory Kirby, who has been my mentor since my freshman year. He has always helped me navigate through adversities, whether related to school or life. He has been an awesome mentor to me and many other students at HPU.

— Sara Pizzarello, 2023 HPU graduate from Stoneham, Massachusetts, who joined Experis Manpower Group as an IT recruiter in Charlotte, North Carolina

HPU’s Four-Year Graduation Guarantee

Freshman

• Work with your Success Coach to identify and declare your major

• Explore academic majors that interest you through our Project Discovery program

• Meet with your academic advisor to review the four-year plan for your declared major, including general education courses and required achievement levels for continued advancement. (For some programs, failing or dropping a class may delay graduation due to the required sequencing of courses)

• Successfully complete at least 32 credit hours

Sophomore

We want to ensure the success of each and every student enrolled at HPU. By following the road map below, students understand the steps to take to remain on track, meet their goals and graduate in four years:

Senior

• Follow the four-year plan established by the department of your major and reviewed with your advisor

• Maintain your program’s academic progression and required competencies

• Successfully complete at least 32 credit hours, bringing your total credit hours to 64 or more

Junior

• Request a course progress audit from your academic advisor

• Meet with your academic advisor prior to registration to review the four-year plan for your declared major

• Successfully complete at least 32 credit hours, bringing your total credit hours to 96 or more

• Apply for graduation after completion of 96 credits and review your final degree audit with your advisor

• Successfully complete 32 credit hours, bringing your total credit hours to 128 or more

This program is one of the many resources that contributes to 99% of HPU students securing employment or furthering their education within 180 days of graduation, 14 points higher than the national average.

Since 2005, HPU has grown from three academic schools to 13 academic schools — the Congdon School of Health Sciences, the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design, the Earl N. Phillips School of Business, the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, the School of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences, the School of Law, the School of Nursing, the School of Optometry, the Stout School of Education, the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, the Webb School of Engineering and the Workman School of Dental Medicine.

HPU has 66 undergraduate majors, 68 undergraduate minors and an ever-growing list of graduate degree programs. Learn more at www.highpoint.edu/academics.

Sign up, stay on track and graduate in four years.

HPU’s Office of Career and Professional Development

guarantees an internship for every student who completes the five-phase professional development program that covers career exploration, professional development and branding, networking, research and interviewing.

Additional Tips

• Successfully complete, on average, at least 32 credit hours per academic year (summer included), while maintaining full-time enrollment throughout the four years

• Maintain the required university grade point average and earn sufficient grades within the major to enroll in required courses

• Avoid academic or judicial sanctions that would delay graduation

• Register for classes during the scheduled registration period after consulting with your advisor

• Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college catalog and program requirements

• Decide on a major by the end of your freshman year

• Note that some majors require completion of course work in the first two semesters

• For some programs, failing or dropping a class may delay the student’s graduation due to the required sequencing of courses

• The four-year graduation guarantee ensures university requirements and requirements for a major can be completed in four years; students pursuing multiple minors or planning to double major — or pursue a double degree — may need longer than four years to complete all their requirements

HPU’s $400 Million Academic Expansion

No place embodies innovation and transformation like High Point University. In the spring of 2022, HPU President Nido Qubein announced a $400 million academic expansion to be completed by the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, HPU’s Centennial Anniversary.

The academic expansion includes HPU’s new Workman School of Dental Medicine and its facility, plus the following new and proposed academic schools:

• School of Law

• School of Nursing

• School of Entrepreneurship

• School of Optometry

And, to support HPU’s ever-growing enrollment, the expansion also includes several multimillion-dollar projects, such as:

• $80 million Panther Commons with apartments for graduate and undergraduate students, several retail stores, study space and more at the corner of Farris Avenue and Panther Drive

• 32 new student houses on campus

• A $25 million parking garage

• $75 million in overall campus improvements

WATCH! $400 Million Announcement Press Conference

Check out this news story with highlights from the standing room only event when HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein announced the university’s next phase of growth.

There’s no place in America like High Point University. There are always ‘wow’ moments when you come here. When you walk onto campus, you sense excellence, you sense service and you sense humility.

High Point University is a unique place. What’s happening here is unique and the physical plan is stupendous. It’s really a special place.

I admire High Point University, its transformation under the incredible leadership of Dr. Nido Qubein and its commitment to values-based living and learning. Having previously worked with HPU students, I know this is an environment that fosters excellence. I’m excited to return to coach students and share my experiences with the HPU family.

I admire HPU’s commitment to student success, and I’m excited to be part of a growing, innovative campus. I look forward to helping students further develop the life skills that HPU is committed to instilling.

Discover HPU’s Tuition-Free Master’s Degree

Are you interested in a university where you can earn a tuition-free master’s

degree

upon successful completion of your four-year degree?

At High Point University, there are many distinctive opportunities you won’t find on other campuses. Here’s one — the tuition-free master’s degree.

When you complete your undergraduate degree at HPU, you’ll be eligible to enroll in an HPU Tuition-Free Master’s Degree. That’s right – it’s tuition free. If you apply to High Point University as an Early Decision student, you’ll unlock access to your choice of 10 different master’s programs. Imagine beginning life after college with your MBA or any of the other master’s programs listed below such as healthcare management, biomedical sciences, communication and business leadership, educational leadership and others! For those who do not apply Early Decision, a Tuition-Free Master’s Degree in HPU’s coveted Communication and Business Leadership program is still available to all incoming freshmen. And, let it be known that 100% of HPU’s advanced degree holders are employed within 180 days of graduating.

Innovative Insights

Our Tuition-Free Master’s Degree in Communication and Business Leadership will equip you with the leadership and life skills necessary to thrive in the global, ever-competitive marketplace.

These TOP benefits demonstrate how HPU’s tuition-free master’s degrees are the obvious choice—an opportunity you won’t find on any other college campus.

1. You pay $0 tuition for a degree that costs between $40,000 and $80,000.1

2. Graduate degree recipients earn, on average, $17,000 more per year than someone with only an undergraduate degree. In only six years, you could earn $100,000 MORE than your peers who only earned a bachelor’s degree!2

3. Earning your graduate degree immediately after you complete your undergraduate degree, rather than delaying and jeopardizing the possibility, maximizes the amount of time you’ll have to achieve success in your career.

4. Earning your graduate degree increases the likelihood that your career can remain strong through inevitable disruptions to the global marketplace.3

1 - Estimated 2024 master’s program tuition cost varying by program.

2 - According to “The Economic Value of College Majors,” a 2015 study by Georgetown University, college graduates with a bachelor’s degree earn an average annual salary of $61,000 over the course of their careers, while those with graduate degrees earn $78,000 annually on average.

3 - A Strada Education Survey reported that those with graduate degrees fared better in the job market than other degree holders during the height of the global pandemic.

Tuition-Free Master’s Degrees Offered at HPU:

• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) In Business Analytics

• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) In Healthcare Management

• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) In Supply Chain Management

• Master of Arts in Communication and Business Leadership (M.A.)

• Master of Education in Educational Leadership Studies (M.Ed.)

• Master of Education in Elementary Education (M.Ed.)

• Master of Education in Special Education (M.Ed.)

• Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (M.S.BMS)

• Master of Science in Athletic Training (M.S.A.T.)

* All students must meet the minimal standards of each program in order to be admitted into the program.

See the World with High Point University’s Tuition-Free Go Global Grant

Innovative Insights

My students and I are truly thankful HPU provides this important experiential learning opportunity through study abroad. I love getting to teach what I love on location and see how my students react with awe and enthusiasm. They make such great observations and connections on location, and it really does make history come to life.

Explore the world while developing the global life skills you’ll need to make an impact in your future career, and do it tuition-free with the Go Global Grant.

You’ll enjoy these incredible benefits when you secure your transformational travel experience through the Go Global program:

• Free tuition for your global coursework

• Four academic credits

• Four weeks of professional and cultural development

• An immersive experience at one of HPU’s International Hubs

• Memories and lessons that will last a lifetime

WATCH: This video shows you the benefits of HPU’s Go Global Grant!

HPU’s Ecosystem of Support

Whether it’s an encouraging phone call, a congratulatory email, a high-five after landing that dream internship or a much-needed closed-door meeting, mentorship matters at High Point University.

HPU takes a cohesive approach to creating an ecosystem of support on campus. Students are connected with Success Coaches, who assist in transitioning freshmen by plugging them into best-fit classes and organizations across campus.

Mentorship continues with faculty mentors, peer mentors, academic advisors, career advisors and so many more. Support service, such as an on-campus, full-time medical doctor, resident directors, counseling services, religious life staff and more are plentiful to ensure students feel at home.

HPU surrounds students with caring heroes, models and mentors who connect with students as they prepare them to become future leaders. Successful HPU graduates note that the continuous support offered at HPU propelled them to their dream job.

Innovative Insights

Being at a university where every student is treated like family eased my mind. Wherever I turned, someone was willing to lend a hand or a smile to brighten my day.

Campbell, Class

2018,

HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein, pictured center, is a regular presence on campus. Here, he talks to students passing through the lobby of the Congdon School of Health Sciences. You’ll also find him eating breakfast or lunch with students in the Slane Café, or attending music and theatrical performances led by students.

entorship Matters

Emily Lattanzio, ’23

Computer Engineering Graduate Student at Clemson University

• A member of HPU’s first class of engineering graduates

• First woman to receive her engineering degree from HPU

• Top of her class

Four years ago, Emily Lattanzio was unsure of her major when she came from Oyster Bay, New York. But she found all the right connections after she plugged into HPU’s Webb School of Engineering. There, she met a trailblazer in her own right – Dr. Claire McCullough, chair and professor of electrical and computing engineering. McCullough, a licensed professional engineer, was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Throughout her time at HPU, McCullough had a positive, lasting impact on Lattanzio’s future.

“She is the first person I spoke to about switching into the engineering program during my freshman year. I had her as my professor for at least five classes since then, and in each one she has pushed me to be the best student I could be. She has been my mentor in this difficult field, and I know she supports me in all my endeavors.”- Emily

“I have been teaching engineering students for more than 30 years, and Emily is absolutely one of the best students I have ever had, at any level and at any university. Emily has the potential to be an outstanding engineer, and I have no doubt she will also excel in the Ph.D. program, which I have strongly encouraged her to pursue.” - Dr. Claire McCullough

Wendell Epps, ‘23

Radio Graduate Associate at Orlando Magic

• Sports media major

• Won the Bob Ryan Sports Reporter of the Year Award

• Won the Inaugural Golden Microphone Outstanding Communicator Award

During the past four years, Wendell Epps has posted about a new internship he landed, industry experience from which he learned or conference he attended seemingly every day. It came as no surprise to his friends and professors when, days before graduation, he accepted a job with the Orlando Magic NBA team as their radio graduate associate. Epps, from Fairfax, Virginia, amassed the skills and experiences at High Point University that turned his dream into reality. With many impactful faculty members at HPU, especially within the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, Epps expresses his gratitude for one in particular, Dr. Bobby Hayes, chair of the HPU Department of Journalism.

“The one who stood out to me the most has been Dr. Bobby Hayes. Through my time having him as a professor, he continually challenged me to seek ways to elevate my performance as a sports broadcaster and reporter. His willingness to meet with me one-on-one outside of class to discuss classwork and career and professional development really meant a lot to me. It showed that he truly has an invested interest in not just preparing his students for one semester but rather for an entire sports media career.” -

“When you combine talent with a tireless work ethic, you have quite a combination that perfectly describes Wendell. He is a leader in every situation, but he leads in the best possible way – through example. He is going to do great things regardless of where he chooses to devote his energies. But the best thing I can say about Wendell is this: As great as he is as a student and sports broadcaster and reporter, he’s an even better person. Any organization that talks to him about an open position will find him irresistible.” -

Leading

Academic All-Stars

MED SCHOOL BOUND

Grace Todd Achieves Her Medical School Dreams

Grace Todd, Class of 2023, a biochemistry major from Johnstown, Ohio, was accepted to six medical schools and is attending Ohio University’s Heritage College of Medicine.

Grace Todd wanted to go to medical school but knew it was a competitive path. When searching for colleges as a high school student, she often worried, “Will I find the college that will help me, or will I be just another pre-med student who gets weeded out?”

After all, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports that only about 40% of pre-med majors get accepted into medical school.

After visiting High Point University and meeting the faculty in the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, Todd knew she had found the university that would help her become a doctor.

I chose to attend High Point University primarily because I admired its values of God, family and country, and I believed that with its state-of-theart facilities and personable faculty members, it was a place where I would thrive.

Grace Todd, ’23, Biochemistry Major

The proof is in the results. Fast forward to the spring semester of her senior year, and the Johnstown, Ohio, native was preparing to head off to medical school thanks to her HPU education.

“The class sizes were small enough that I knew my education would be personalized, with each faculty member taking the time to get to know their students and actively taking an interest in every individual’s education,” says Todd. “With the chemistry department’s ACS (American Chemical Society) certification as well, I knew the academics would be rigorous enough to challenge me and make me a better student, especially when it came to taking the MCAT prior to applying to medical school.”

Ultimately, Todd’s HPU education and the experiences she amassed led six medical schools to accept Todd. She is currently attending Ohio University’s Heritage College of Medicine. She says her HPU student experience made that possible by providing her hands-on involvement with research and boosting her self-confidence making presentations.

Dr. Pamela Lundin, assistant professor of chemistry, became Todd’s

most impactful faculty mentor. Todd joined Lundin’s research lab for two years after hearing Lundin’s lecture about polymers, which are what form plastics, during an organic chemistry II class.

HPU helped fund the opportunity for Todd to present research at the spring National ACS meetings in both 2022 and 2023. Todd also secured a summer research internship at the Orthopedic Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of patient care and medical services, in the summer of 2020.

“While there, I worked with a current medical student to design a study on the safety and efficacy of posterior lumbar interbody fusions in the outpatient setting,” says Todd. “Through this internship, I networked with medical students at the medical school I plan to attend next fall, and I learned about how to conduct research in a clinical setting.”

Todd says she has noticed the drastic change in her persona and sometimes reflects on who she once was and how much HPU has helped her flourish.

“If High Point University had not provided me these opportunities to challenge myself to grow, I would not have become the person I am proud to look in the mirror and see every day,” says Todd. “I know there is still much growth to be had; however, I am undeterred and excited for my future because HPU has instilled in me the skills necessary to excel in life. I am blessed and grateful to have called High Point University my home.”

Innovative Insights

Try to think of new ways to solve the old problems. Very often we look at something we have and say, ‘I could make it better.’ That’s innovation. But you know what? Sometimes we say, ‘I could do something totally different that makes things a lot easier for people,’ and that’s true invention.

ACHIEVING STELLAR SUCCESS

Bryce Smith Discovers His Passion

HPU senior Bryce Smith, a physics and mathematics major from Evergreen, Colorado, reached for the stars when it came to research, leading to stellar career plans and a Ph.D. in astrophysics.

From spending his summer diving into research throughout HPU’s Summer Research Program in the Sciences (SuRPS) to seeking faculty mentorship – his experiences have paid off.

Already, the physics major from Evergreen, Colorado, has an incredible list of achievements under his belt. For one, he discovered a previously unknown star. Smith discovered what is a small dense star known as a white dwarf.

The discovery was a collaborative research effort between Smith, Dr. Brad Barlow, associate professor of astrophysics, and astronomers at Boston University. His latest work was published in The Astrophysical Journal, one of the highest-ranked journals in astronomy and astrophysics, as a first and corresponding author.

When Smith was a freshman, he didn’t know the path he wanted to take. But when he found a mentor match with Barlow, he found an interest in astrophysics.

A lot of people think they know what they want to do but once they try it, they find out they don’t like it. So, being able to work on the telescopes in Chile and stay there allowed me to sample what that life is like. It helped me solidify that this is really what I want to do after I graduate.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, then I got to dive into astrophysics, and I really enjoyed it,” says Smith.

HPU has science professors that are all over the board, in terms of their fields, so students have the opportunity to study just about anything they’re passionate about.

“Dr. Brad Barlow has access to all of this incredible technology. I’ve gotten to use telescopes that are halfway across the world and then gotten to go where they and use them in person,” according to Smith.

He joined Barlow at an international conference in Belgium that attracts astronomers from around the world who study evolved stars like hot subdwarfs. Undergraduates rarely speak at conferences like this, yet Smith presented his research and received rave reviews.

In November of 2022, Smith and Barlow spent five nights at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, one of the premier astronomical observing sites in the world, observing at the 0.9-m SMARTS telescope. There, Smith participated in all aspects of observing, including opening the telescope dome at dusk, filling the camera’s dewar with liquid nitrogen, pointing the telescope, acquiring new data and working with Python code to analyze the data.

Smith is in the Honors Program, Society of Physics Students, Alpha Phi Omega (the service fraternity) and Charcoal Pony (HPU’s improv troupe).

His advice for underclassmen? “Try everything. Get experience in different areas and don’t look back. That goes for research and social opportunities, too. Don’t sit in your dorm every night. There’s always something to do, whether that’s playing club or intramural sports or joining one of the many organizations on campus.”

His stellar career plans after graduating include obtaining his Ph.D. in astrophysics. After that, he plans to join the military to fulfill his aspiration of being a fighter pilot. But Smith doesn’t want to stop there; he sees himself eventually becoming an astronaut.

Innovative Insights

Experiences are transformational. In the hands of a gifted teacher, an experience can change the way you see, feel, think and act. There is not a greater superpower that a teacher has than an experience. When strong connections are formed through meaningful experiences, you get purpose-driven engagement.

DUAL SUCCESS

Strickler Sisters Conquer Career Goals

HPU Class of 2023 graduates Lauren and Sloan Strickler launched their careers by joining Georgia-Pacific in Atlanta with their Jumpstart Associate Program.

The fraternal twins from Newburyport, Massachusetts, headed south after graduating from High Point University to make a double impression with one of the world’s largest manufacturers of paper and pulp products, Georgia-Pacific in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lauren and Sloan Strickler agree HPU prepared them for the 12-to-18month rotational Jumpstart Associate Program, where they will go through three different sectors of the company before joining one of many teams within Georgia-Pacific.

HPU provides its students with many resources to help prepare them for success. From providing me with countless mentors to numerous learning labs, HPU ensures that its students are supported with anything they might need to achieve their goals. Through internships, leadership positions and access to the incredible individuals who make up our In-Residence faculty, I have been able to learn things I can apply to my career as HPU has prepared me for how the world is going to be, not just how it is today.

During her junior year, Lauren had the opportunity to record a Q&A session with Domino’s Pizza CEO Russell Weiner.

“This opportunity allowed me to engage with Russell Weiner on a deeper level, and I was able to learn so much about his background, his progression throughout his career, as well as his advice and wisdom that I’ve taken with me as I’ve moved through my time here at HPU. It allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and stretch myself to succeed in a new area, which gave me a newfound confidence. Fast forward to my senior year when he returned to campus, I was able to reconnect with him and talk about future plans. He is someone who has become a mentor to me and will continue to remain one, and an individual who I’ve been privileged to build a relationship with,” said Lauren.

Sloan, who majored in finance and sales, said HPU helped her achieve her goal to become successful and confident in every opportunity she takes and build relationships that last. For example, she recalls Oliver Stoutner, an assistant professor of management and director of HPU’s Business Fellows Program, invited her to attend a dinner at 1924 PRIME with Ed Hajim, an author and Wall Street executive with more than 50 years of investment experience.

She discovered Hajim was the founder of Nantucket Golf Club in

Nantucket, Massachusetts. After connecting with him personally and professionally, she asked him for advice. Hajim told her, “Travel, do something different, work at the Nantucket Golf Club.” She applied the next day. As a result, she interned there last summer delivering customer service and relationship management, while building relationships with some of the world’s top executives.

“My goal while at HPU was to meet as many people as I could and build lasting relationships, and I can confidently say, Mr. Ed Hajim is now a close mentor and friend of mine, thanks to HPU,” said Sloan.

Sloan also achieved her goal set during high school to intern with CBRE, one of the world’s largest commercial real estate firms. Senior management selected her as a member of its Multifamily Capital Markets Team and entrusted her with oversight of the company’s development pipeline to identify new growth opportunities.

Both Lauren and Sloan agree that leadership was one of the many life skills refined while at HPU.

“Hard work, curiosity and initiative are just some of the life skills and values that HPU has helped me develop in preparation for long–term success. Curiosity and a love of learning have helped drive me both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Lauren.

Sloan also believes that the life skills she learned at HPU opened opportunities, and knowing how to leverage them ensures lifelong success.

“As a business student you are exposed to endless opportunities to help build your life skills, build rapport, challenge yourself, learn from executives and professors who have their own success stories and much more. I will be a lifelong ambassador for what this university has to offer, and I will continually give back to the HPU community that has given me so much,” said Sloan.

Innovative Insights

The way that I think to come up with big ideas is through the process of tensions. It’s a genuine coiled-up discomfort that holds a lot of power if you released it. If you can come up with a message that addresses a tension in your brand, in society or even better when they are together, and if you can break that tension, that is kind of a tailwind for you.

FROM HPU TO ORTHODONTIST

HPU Athlete Turned Dental School Graduate

Richard Byrd, Class of 2016, discovered his foundation for lifelong success at HPU. Since then, he has graduated from The University of Michigan’s top-ranked School of Dentistry and is currently working on his specialization in orthodontics at Howard University.

What does it feel like to graduate from one of the top dental schools in the world? Dr. Richard Byrd, High Point University Class of 2016, knows. He graduated from The University of Michigan’s top-ranked School of Dentistry in May 2020. His next stop? He is currently attending Howard University for a specialization in orthodontics. Each step is part of Byrd’s journey to becoming an orthodontist.

Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Byrd grew up sure of two things: his love of lacrosse and his plans to pursue a role in medicine. When it was time to select a university, he was hopeful to find one that accommodated both. For Byrd, that was High Point University.

During his years at HPU, Byrd repped jersey No. 3 for the Panther’s lacrosse team. Lacrosse was a passion of Byrd’s but not his end goal. He was excited at the prospect of playing but needed to make sure his undergraduate years would set him on a path to the medical field.

with patients. Orthodontics offers that opportunity. Byrd knew that’s where he needed to be.

With a set career goal, Byrd soon found mentors in the classroom to help carve his academic path. Looking at course offerings, he realized he was interested in psychology. But how would that play into his goals for dental school? Would a major in psychology allow him to stand out in the competitive dental school application process?

Dr. Jana Spain, professor of psychology, had the answers. Spain worked with Byrd to chart a path. Yes, a major in psychology covered all of the foundations he would need for dental school. And yes, he would be more than prepared.

Byrd also minored in biology. That’s how he fell under the mentorship of Dr. Kelli Sapp, associate professor of biology. Sapp guided Byrd through his undergraduate years, made sure he stayed on top of his dental school requirements and, when the time came, wrote Byrd a letter of recommendation.

Seven years after graduating from HPU, Byrd still smiles when he thinks about his HPU mentors, the conversations in their office hours, the letters written for him and the time spent making sure he always felt confident in his academic path.

HPU was a place where he could grow as an athlete, as a student and as a person who would stand out when it came time to compete for a spot in graduate schools. His next step was meeting the mentors and discovering the support system that would get him there.

It wasn’t long after arriving to HPU that his decision to pursue dental school became clear. It was even less time before Byrd found his campus mentors. Jon Torpey, HPU Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach quickly became his mentor both on and off the field. As a midfielder for HPU men’s lacrosse, Byrd learned the values of hard work, teamwork and resilience from Torpey.

“He instilled in me and solidified a sense of hard work and the grit it takes to be successful in any field. Playing lacrosse at HPU gave me a will to work harder than others to get where I want to be,” says Byrd.

That passion and love of putting others first inspired Byrd’s career path. He wanted to perform life-changing work and build relationships

And though it’s been seven years since he last coached Byrd, Torpey is still his biggest cheerleader. When Byrd graduated from dental school, he didn’t celebrate alone. Torpey was right there with him, calling with congratulations and sharing the news on the HPU men’s lacrosse team’s social media accounts.

“To have that kind of support and motivation … that’s priceless,” says Byrd.

Innovative Insights

Be the best at what you can do and lean all of your energies, priorities and resources on those priorities.

Playing lacrosse at HPU gave me a will to work harder than others to get where I want to be.

Richard Byrd, ’16 Psychology Major

A FUTURE IN CLINICAL REHABILITATION

Alyssa Dowdy Pursues Counseling

Recent HPU graduate, Alyssa Dowdy, is pursuing her Master’s of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling to become a certified rehabilitation counselor.

Alyssa Dowdy, a psychology major with a double minor in criminal justice and sociology/anthropology, achieved one of the goals she has worked toward for the past four years at HPU.

Since graduating from HPU, Dowdy is pursuing her Master’s of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to become a certified rehabilitation counselor. She chose HPU to help her get there.

“The opportunities provided to the students here really give us

comfortable conducting research and communicating my research with others in a professional setting,” says Dowdy.

HPU’s Honors Scholar Program taught Dowdy how to engage in research outside her field. During her junior year, she began working alongside Elder to combine their research passions to form a new research subject.

“This research idea was looking at the correlation between romantic rekindling (getting back together with an ex-partner) and perceptions of intimate partner violence. I have been working with her for two years and have been able to present my research on multiple occasions. I presented my research at High-PURCS in 2022 and recently presented my research at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology national conference in Atlanta, Georgia. In April of 2023, I presented my research at the Southeastern Psychological Association conference in New Orleans, Louisiana,” says Dowdy.

In addition to her national presentations, Dowdy earned a research grant. These feats are essentially unheard of for undergraduates, says Elder.

multiple chances to be successful in whatever field we are passionate about. I loved the small class sizes and knowing that I wouldn’t be just another number to my professors,” says Dowdy.

From her first visit to campus, Dowdy felt HPU could be her home instantly. Her freshman-year course with Dr. Sadie Leder Elder, associate professor of psychology, inspired Dowdy’s passion for psychology. After attending one of Elder’s first classes, Dowdy approached her to express interest in conducting research with her as soon as possible.

“Dr. Elder’s energy and personality is unmatched. She has been highly conscious of my goal to go to graduate school and helped to ensure that I was a competitive applicant. Dr. Elder did this by pushing me to seek opportunities outside of my comfort zone, like presenting at a national conference or applying for and receiving a research grant. Dr. Elder is truly an amazing faculty mentor who I know I will remain connected with after my time ends at HPU,” says Dowdy. In addition to Elder, Dowdy connected with multiple HPU psychology professors and faculty members who she knows truly care about her success and growth.

“They have encouraged me in the pursuit of my goals and have worked to further connect me with opportunities to be successful. My psychology classes allowed me to become a registered behavior technician, implementing ABA therapy to clients with autism spectrum disorder. This position has given me professional experience in my field even before graduating. I have also had a lot of research experience during my time at HPU that has helped me to become

Alongside the research and support in her specialty field, Dowdy says HPU’s focus on life skills taught her to be more motivated, coachable and expanded her emotional intelligence.

“Through the endless amounts of opportunities at my fingertips, I have become highly motivated to do and achieve all that I can during my time at HPU. Working alongside faculty on big research projects has allowed me to further learn how to take and implement feedback, which is important in any professional or educational setting. My emotional intelligence has also grown during my time at HPU. Being more aware of others and their feelings allows me to be a better team player and a better leader,” says Dowdy.

Innovative Insights

Everyone has the potential to become an encourager. You don’t have to be rich. You don’t have to be a genius. You don’t have to have it all together. All you have to do is care about people and initiate.

The opportunities provided to the students here really give us multiple chances to be successful in whatever field we are passionate about.

Alyssa Dowdy, ’23 Psychology Major

REFINING MUSICAL TALENTS

Aspiring Conductor and Composer

Recent HPU graduate, Reyna Alston, is attending graduate school for choral conducting.

Reyna Alston, ‘23, entered High Point University with intentions of studying opera and becoming an internationally renowned vocalist. While at HPU, the Durham, North Carolina, native expanded several of her other musical interests she wants to pursue.

Alston majored in music at HPU with a concentration in vocal performance. She is pursuing her graduate degree for choral conducting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, aspiring to be a professional conductor and composer.

“I realized early in my college search that HPU would provide endless tools and opportunities to forge my own path. The Department of Music faculty have an array of knowledge cultivated through research and performance experience with leading conductors, vocalists and instrumentalists around the world. They use an individualized approach to instruction, and I knew attending HPU would sharpen my skills while providing industry connections for future endeavors,” said Alston.

From Alston’s perspective, HPU’s Music Department gave her an opportunity to take on an enormous workload full of experiential learning and professional opportunities to enhance her skills as a percussionist, pianist, composer and conductor.

“I developed goals of earning a doctoral degree in music and being a professional conductor with my own choir and orchestra to perform my compositions globally. In academic choirs and bands, we are often treated like young professionals, receiving diverse and challenging repertoire with the expectation that we will learn the music to the best of our abilities. This fun, fast-paced environment prepared me for studies at the graduate level and professional work in the music industry,” said Alston.

Alston says Handel’s Messiah was her most challenging production during her time at HPU because she had not previously studied choral music from the Baroque era or performed solo repertoire accompanied by orchestra.

“It required a lot of independent study and preparation for a successful performance,” said Alston.

In 2022, Alston wrote and conducted two pieces for the university ensembles, “The Calm & the Storm” for the HPU Wind Ensemble and a vocal jazz arrangement of “The Lord’s Prayer” for the HPU Chamber Singers.

“These are impressive achievements for an undergraduate student,

and her professors and advisors were struck by the depth of musicality and sophistication in both pieces,” said Scott MacLeod, associate professor of voice and director of vocal studies.

The Department of Music also provided leadership opportunities in academic and extracurricular settings to help Alston build her selfconfidence and her skills as an effective communicator.

Through Dr. Rhonda Butler, I have learned how to navigate leadership challenges specific to women and other minorities. Most importantly, I’ve learned not be afraid of failure but to be resilient, ambitious and find my motivation for every step in leadership.

-Reyna Alston, ’23 Music (Vocal Performance) Major

“I was able to implement my own projects in a safe environment and receive feedback from peers and faculty. I was also one of five inaugural Elizabeth Strickland L.I.F.T. (Leading and Inspiring Female Trailblazers) Scholars. Through Dr. Rhonda Butler, I have learned how to navigate leadership challenges specific to women and other minorities. Most importantly, I’ve learned not be afraid of failure but to be resilient, ambitious and find my motivation for every step in leadership,” Alston said.

Innovative Insights

The best advice I ever got - and it’s the best advice I’d give anybody - is just don’t believe the word ‘no.’ Be persistent. Persevere. Keep going. Never, ever, ever give up.

HPU Faculty Set the Bar High

Thanks to High Point University’s stellar faculty, high-level scientific research is frequently being conducted on HPU’s campus. This research is receiving national attention while providing students with incredible learning experiences that will benefit their future careers and contribute to the 99% placement rate of HPU students securing employment or furthering their education within 180 days of graduation, 14 points higher than the national average.

Dr. Comfort Boateng Receives Nearly $2.2 Million in NIH Funding

Dr. Comfort Boateng, assistant professor of basic pharmaceutical sciences in the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, received a $2.2 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health.

The grant is part of the Avenir Award Program, which looks toward the future by supporting early-stage investigators proposing highly innovative research in chemistry and pharmacology related to substance abuse disorders and addiction.

NSF Awards $350,000 Grant for Research in Astrophysics to Dr. Brad Barlow

The National Science Foundation, through the Division of Astronomical Sciences, has awarded Dr. Brad Barlow, associate professor of astrophysics, $350,000 to investigate the effects that small objects, like planets, might have on the future evolution of stars similar to the sun. Barlow’s research focuses on small stars known as “hot subdwarfs,” which are formed when a red giant has its outer layers removed by gravitational interactions with a nearby companion.

Physics and Astronomy Professor Participates in NASA Expedition

Jeff Regester, instructor of physics and astronomy in the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, recently captured data in support of the NASA mission called Lucy. Regester worked with more than 100 other scientists to prepare for the Lucy flyby of the Polymele asteroid, which will happen in September 2027. Lucy is a probe that was launched in October 2021 to visit 10 asteroids in the outer solar system.

Over $20 Million for Teacher Preparation Awarded to HPU’s Stout School of Education

High Point University’s Stout School of Education is one of only six universities in the nation and the only one in North Carolina to be awarded a Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant. HPU will use its SEED grant to fund an Executive Education Program for senior level leaders in 18 partner school districts, said Dr. Amy Holcombe, the school’s dean. The graduate-level programming can be used toward a doctoral degree in educational leadership.

Adidas Awards Grant to Professors

Drs. Kevin Ford, dean of HPU’s Congdon School of Health Sciences, and Jeffrey Taylor, chair of HPU’s Department of Physical Therapy, were awarded a grant from Adidas.

The grant, titled “The Female Athlete: Optimize and Promote Sport Movement,” will allow Ford and Taylor to research biomechanical components which differentiate female athletes among a variety of dynamic sport tasks.

Dr. Robert Moses Publishes Book on Religion

In addition to a number of scholarly articles in biblical studies, Dr. Robert Moses, associate professor of religion, published his first book, titled “Practices of Power: Revisiting the Principalities and Powers in the Pauline Letters.” Based on Moses’ dissertation at Duke University, the book examines the Biblical letters Paul wrote and details the practices Paul advocated for the early believers. Throughout the book, Moses draws illuminating comparisons with traditional African religious practices. He is currently researching the concept of idolatry in Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity, as well as investigating Paul’s theological beliefs in the first two chapters of Romans.

Steelcase Education Recognizes HPU School of Art and Design Faculty with $67,000 Grant

Dr. Jane Nichols, chair of the Department of Home Furnishings and Interior Design, and Dr. John Turpin, dean of the School of Art and Design, received a grant from Steelcase Education to create a new active learning classroom. HPU was one of 12 schools selected out of more than 900 applications. Nichols and Turpin are using the classroom for a research study focusing on the impact of the classroom environment on student and faculty growth mindset. The installation of the classroom, located in Norton Hall, is valued at $67,000.

Associate Professors of Psychology Present Research in Boston

Drs. Kimberly Wear Jones and Stacy Lipowski, associate professors of psychology, recently presented two research posters on the production effect at the 63rd annual Psychonomic Society meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. The production effect is the phenomenon in which items that are produced, whether verbally or written, while studying are remembered better at testtaking time rather than those studied silently.

Dr. Virginia McDermott Instills Critical Communication Skills

Dr. Virginia McDermott, dean of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, has addressed various health risk issues, including teen pregnancy and prescription drug abuse, by using a community-based approach to campaign development with her students. Her recent publications include articles in “Communication Theory” and “The Journal of International and Intercultural Communication.”

NIH Funds HPU Chemistry Professors’ Research

High Point University’s Dr. Heather Miller, associate professor of biochemistry, received more support from the National Institutes of Health to continue research on antibiotic resistant bacteria. Miller, the principal investigator, and her team were awarded nearly $440,000 to continue their research for three more years.

NSF Funds HPU Political Science Professor’s Campaign Research

Dr. Martin Kifer, chair, associate professor of political science and director of HPU’s Survey Research Center, received a $52,000 National Science Foundation grant to fund research analyzing website data to study political campaigns. Working with more than 100 HPU students, Dr. James Druckman of Northwestern University and Dr. Michael Parkin of Oberlin College, Kifer has reviewed 3,000 congressional candidate websites and helped analyze the strategies that incumbents and challengers use.

Computer Science Professor’s Research Published in a Leading Scientific Journal

Dr. Yong Wei, professor of computer science, recently published his research in the prestigious Langmuir journal, an American Chemical Society journal. His research focuses on using deep machine learning models to study the protein molecular structure evolution in the process of lysozyme adsorption on a graphene surface.

Conduct esearch Undergraduate as an

Dr. Joanne Altman, director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works (URCW), who designed Research Rookies, created the program to teach students how to not only go about getting involved in research opportunities but also how to become active researchers.

“The goal of the program is to prepare them to be ready to research; they’re entering the culture of research and learning how to embark on these opportunities. Students are gaining critical thinking skills, creating surveys and learning how to utilize programs like Excel.”

Students in Research Rookies are tasked with completing several activities to help build skills in all facets, and they attend conferences to get a firsthand view of what presenting research actually looks like. Following completion of the program, students connect with faculty members to get involved in various research opportunities.

“Research projects get our students thinking critically,” Altman says. “These students are demonstrating their depth of knowledge. They’re getting to talk about something unique that they accomplished and that makes them stand out to future employers or graduate schools. Their conference presentations are great examples of how they’ve used a set of skills. It’s also a great example of what companies are looking for.”

Critical thinking. Communication. Problem-solving. Students who have continued with research in college are poised, prepared and ready to take on their future careers.

“By the time our students graduate, they’ll have five or six presentations behind them,” she notes. “Students with this kind of experience grow academically faster than their peers.”

An opportunity that most universities don’t offer to freshmen, HPU’s Research Rookies Program works to incorporate freshmen and first-semester sophomores into the university’s culture of research and creative works early in their undergraduate careers. The program is designed to create a community of dedicated undergraduate scholars and help build research-related skills to prepare students for faculty collaborative scholarship that makes an original contribution to one’s field.

Undergraduate Research in Action

Innovative Insights

Presenting research that I’ve worked on was an incredible experience. An opportunity like this does not come often, so I am grateful that HPU and Dr. Ford prepared me well for this conference and for the years to come.

– Jordan McClung, ’20, now enrolled in a master of science bioengineering program

Weisbrod’s research looked at the reliability of a clinic-based treadmill with markerless motion capture in measuring human movement while a patient is running, like in hips and knees.

Recent HPU exercise science graduates Jordan McClung and Anika Weisbrod presented research at the 2019 International Society of Biomechanics in Calgary, Canada.

McClung’s research focused on the effect of ankle sprain history on ankle inversion movements in high school football players. McClung examined a player’s ankle movement during football-related tasks who had a history of sprain. He found the playing position influenced the risk of ankle sprain and concluded technique and footwear should be reconsidered.

Innovative Insights

This is a less expensive and easier-to-use technique with patients. Marker-based motion capture is considered the “gold standard” for measuring a patient’s movement but is more expensive. She found the marker-less technique has some merit but should be used with caution when treating joint issues.

“It is extremely rare for undergraduate students to have oral presentations at such a prestigious conference that is only held every two years in different locations around the world,” says Dr. Kevin Ford, director of the Human Biomechanics and Physiology Laboratory in HPU’s Congdon School of Health Sciences and professor of physical therapy. “They did a fantastic job presenting their findings.”

I have been working with Dr. Ford in the biomechanics lab for two years now and am so grateful for the experience. It was great to meet the top researchers from around the world. This experience will certainly help set me up for success.

– Anika Weisbrod, ’20, now enrolled in a physical therapy doctoral program

Research Rookie

Dr. Kevin Suh, a biology professor, and his students are testing natural compounds on human cervical and breast cancer cells they are culturing in their cell culture lab. The goal through their research is to find compounds that can kill cancer cells. Suh and his students measure the cells post treatment and run tests to determine their anti-cancer effects.

Dr. Briana Fiser, chair of the physics department, works with students during the summer on engineering artificial cilia structures that are capable of moving fluids and also have the potential to serve as antibacterial or antifouling surfaces.

“HPU is unique in that we allow and, in fact, highly encourage first-year and secondyear students to participate in our summer research programs,” says Fiser.

Experiences

Dr. Andrew Wommack, associate professor of chemistry, is working with students to synthetically construct natural products from botanical sources. They are trying to better understand how plants regulate and protect themselves. This research is funded by the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Lisa Zukowski , assistant professor of physical therapy, is working with Summer Research Fellowship (SuRF) students on research focused on identifying early biomarkers that indicate a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which can be apparent when people perform complex everyday tasks. This research looks at the gait, visual attention and cognition during the tasks. Their research used gait sensors, eye-tracking glasses and cognitive testing software to test participants as they performed a grocery shopping test, a walking test on different surfaces and other challenging walking tasks.

Learn from Global Innovators

Apple Co-Founder

Steve Wozniak, HPU’s Innovator in Residence, regularly mentors students. During his recent visit, Wozniak kicked off the day with an interactive Q&A session in HPU’s Webb School of Engineering.

In the middle of Congdon Hall, Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak test-drives a golf cart that HPU students are transforming into a self-driving vehicle.

ABC “Nightline” Anchor Byron Pitts leans against the HPU television studio desk and waits for his cue from the student behind the camera.

When Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall visits HPU, students fill an auditorium to learn how her career ascended from a vice president at AT&T to being recruited by Mark Cuban.

And Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph takes selfies with students after critiquing their business plans inside the Entrepreneurship Center.

HPU students know what a big deal it is to have access to these innovators so frequently on their campus. Their consistent presence reinforces HPU’s belief in the art of the possible.

When students regularly meet and work with global leaders, they discover that they, too, can accomplish much.

Innovative Insights

It is an honor to have the privilege to not only hear Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph speak to our school but also the ability to pitch my business ventures to him and get feedback on my ideas. The In-Residence Innovators, like Marc Randolph, are one of many extraordinary aspects about High Point University and one of the key reasons I chose this school.

— Mack Bonvallet, ’21, Business administration major, who presented his business, Ohana Lock

HPU’s Innovators in Residence

Innovator in Residence

Steve Wozniak

Apple Co-Founder

Apple Computer

Entrepreneur in Residence

Marc Randolph

Netflix Co-Founder

Talent Acquisition Expert in Residence

Dee Ann Turner

Former VP for Talent at Chick-fil-A

Journalist in Residence

Byron Pitts

Co-Anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline”

Executive Coach in Residence

Dr. John C. Maxwell

Bestselling Author and Internationally Renowned Leadership Expert Health Care Executive in Residence

Dr. Ellen Zane

Former CEO of Tufts Medical Center

Below is just a glimpse of the global leaders who educate and inspire students to dream big. Visit www.highpoint.edu/innovators for the complete and continually growing list.

Broadcaster in Residence

Joe Michaels

Former Director of NBC’s TODAY Show

Sports Executive in Residence

Cynt Marshall

CEO of the Dallas Mavericks and former Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at AT&T

Sports Reporter in Residence

Bob Ryan

Former Sportswriter for TheBostonGlobe

Corporate Executive in Residence

Russell Weiner

CEO of Domino’s Pizza

Actor in Residence

Dean Cain

American Actor, Producer, Television Presenter and “Superman” Dental Innovator in Residence

Dr. Rick Workman

Founder of Heartland Dental

HPU is the only university where students learn from a “Justice League” of global entrepreneurs, leaders and change agents.

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Explore HPU’s Innovation Corridor

Since 2005, HPU has invested $500 million in STEM programs, faculty and facilities. The result is a half-mile stretch of campus that HPU’s scientists call home. The Innovation Corridor is one of the university’s single largest investments and reflects HPU’s commitment to preparing students for the world as it’s going to be.

HPU’s Innovation Corridor is home to the Webb School of Engineering, Wanek School of Natural Sciences, Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, Congdon School of Health Sciences and the future Workman School of Dental Medicine. These schools house majors in biology, computer science, physics and so much more. Students in these majors are led by esteemed faculty conducting groundbreaking research. Within the last year, numerous faculty members have received prestigious NIH and NSF grants in chemistry, astrophysics and physical therapy.

The $65 million, 128,000-square-foot Wanek School of Natural Sciences HPU’s newest academic school, opened to students in the fall of 2019. The state-of-the-art facility includes four stories of collaborative and innovative lab and classroom space and anchors the Innovation Corridor. Inside the school’s lobby, you’ll notice orange, green and blue colors climbing the walls. Those colors represent the earth’s core, surface and atmosphere.

HPU’s Innovation Corridor connects the university’s STEM facilities, departments and scientists. It begins at Couch Hall, home to the Webb School of Engineering, and concludes at Congdon Hall, which houses the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and Congdon School of Health Sciences. Along the way, research and invention abounds as faculty and students uncover a world of possibility. Check out the top seven highlights along HPU’s Innovation Corridor.

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History’s greatest STEM leaders are featured along the Kester International Promenade, which spans half of the Innovation Corridor. They include: Sir Isaac Newton, one of history’s most influential scientists; Marie Skłodowska Curie, physicist, chemist and first woman to win the Nobel Prize; and Sally Ride, astronaut, physicist and first American woman in space.

The Wanek School of Natural Sciences is home to the Culp Planetarium, one of the nation’s brightest planetariums. The three-story, 6,000-square-foot planetarium and lecture room space includes 125 seats and a 50-foot dome with a 4K projection screen and a state-of-the-art surround-sound system. The facility is equipped with programming to teach astronomy, earth science, anatomy and a variety of STEM lessons for university students and community groups.

What do the NFL, PGA, NASCAR and UFC have in common? Professional athletes from each league have utilized HPU’s Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab for athletic training. The space consists of 16,000 square feet of awe-inspiring research, teaching and clinical space. It includes 24 motion-capture cameras, three force plates, an instrumented treadmill, a golf simulator, turf field, a wooden court surface and an environmental chamber that allows researchers to reproduce extreme conditions. It is housed in the $120 million Congdon Hall, home of the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and Congdon School of Health Sciences. The building features 224,000 square feet of research, lab, learning and interactive space.

The newly announced Workman School of Dental Medicine will be located on the Innovation Corridor, bringing the corridor’s total investment to $500 million. The school is planned to open in fall 2024 and serve as the only private dental school in North Carolina.

Growth, Abundance and Expansion

The Caine Conservatory is named for Don and Teresa Caine, owners of Camco Manufacturing in Greensboro, North Carolina, who generously gave their support. It is located next to the Wanek School of Natural Sciences and supports scientific research at HPU. In the working greenhouse space, professors and students can do everything from breeding to isolating medicinal compounds, such as those used to fight cancer. The space provides a living laboratory for classes in the sciences to teach topics related to biogeography, comparative anatomy, horticulture and more. Art classes also use the space for sketching and dance performances.

Bringing Holistic Learning to Life

Flags from more than 52 nations fly along the Gene and Jane Kester International Promenade to honor each international student’s home country. Quotes, selected by faculty and students, provide ideas for reflection. Sculptures of significant historical figures inspire students to pursue their goals.

Innovative Insights

It’s an oasis on campus that also serves as a space for hands-on-education.

Jason Lattier, Director of the Caine Conservatory

For example, Assistant Professor and Chair of Political Science

Dr. Martin Kifer takes students on a guided walk around the International Promenade, stopping at the sculptures of civil rights leaders. It prompts students to hold an intellectual, out-of-classroom discussion about how these leaders changed the course of history.

Innovative Insights

This is a place where you can learn and grow, nourish your mind, nurture your soul and believe in the art of the possible.

A Real-World Learning Lab

The Nido and Mariana Arena and Conference Center with the adjoining Kahn Hotel (a state-of-the-art learning lab) provides 350,000 square feet of experiential learning opportunities. Students in event management, hospitality, sport management, media production and other majors are gaining hands-on experience by working in a variety of positions at the Qubein Center.The Kahn Hotel has 30 residential rooms, a fine-dining restaurant and a meeting space. Proceeds from the hotel benefit the funding of HPU scholarships. HPU’s campus is full of spaces designed for moments of reflection, and, if you ask, students can tell you their favorite one.

Nurturing and Inspiring Spaces

The Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens add beauty to the campus and preserve the natural surroundings while providing unique educational opportunities. The Markham Medicinal Landscape Garden outside the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy contains plants that have medicinal qualities filled with the potential to treat and cure disease. Faculty and students work to unlock the healing power of these plants through research.

Innovative Insights

We must recognize the beauty of nature but also how it affects our health and educates our minds. It’s our responsibility to preserve this gift God has given us and enhance it.

Explore HPU’s Experiential Learning Labs

At HPU, students become doers. They don’t read about real-world experiences in a textbook and hope to find their way when they graduate. They get true, firsthand experience in real-world settings on campus. They conduct high-stakes research, run live news broadcasts, make calculated financial decisions and practice their business presentations in spaces built to simulate the environments they’ll one day enter. This is intentional. Students enter the workforce familiar and confident in the spaces and situations they encounter, because they’ve faced it all during their years at HPU.

Below is a glimpse at just a few of HPU’s unique experiential learning labs:

RESULTS RULE

99% of HPU graduates are employed or in graduate school within 180 days of graduation — 14 points higher than the national average. These efforts are supported by HPU’s commitment to academic innovation.

TV Studio

In the HPU TV Studio, equipped with cutting-edge technology in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, students learn by doing. They produce high-quality news shows while gaining behind the scenes and on-camera experience in a professionalgrade news setting.

Innovative Labs

Found along HPU’s $500 million Innovation Corridor are a number of state-of-the-art lab spaces where students conduct high-level research. Inside the Zebrafish Laboratory lined with fish tanks, students work alongside professors to study the regenerative properties of zebrafish in an effort to improve the human healing process. The Astronomy Lab provides students and professors the ability to remotely work with a telescope in Chile, where they photograph galaxies and discover new stars. Inside the cell culture facility, filled with the latest incubators, cell hoods and digital microscopes, students conduct research on factors that control the growth of normal and cancerous cells. In these spaces, students develop the skill sets needed to excel in their research during and beyond college.

Tilley Trading Room

A stock ticker runs 24/7 inside Plato S. Wilson Hall. There, students invest real funds under real circumstances to practice their financial literacy. They utilize financial databases, investment software, professional accounting programs, dual monitors and world clocks to track key investments with customized portfolio windows and access profit and loss statements in real time. Students quickly become experts in their field thanks to access that’s usually only available to institutions within the financial sector.

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.

— Vernon Law

Noteworthy Academic Achievements

Renowned Fellowships and Award Opportunities

Fulbright Award

Miranda Keith, a High Point University Honors Scholar and English major with a biology and Chinese double minor, has received the Fulbright U.S. Student Program award for an English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

As a Fulbright participant, Keith will teach in Taiwan for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected in an open, merit-based competition that considers leadership potential, academic and/or professional achievement, and record of service.

Keith’s experience as a tutor at HPU’s Writing Center, as well as her minor in Chinese, prepared her for an English Teaching Assistantship in Taiwan.

Innovative Insights

As I have completed the Fulbright application process and received the award, I have learned a lot about myself, the support and community I have at High Point University, and where I will see myself after I graduate. This award has opened an enormous number of opportunities for me. The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Taiwan will be one of my first experiences abroad. The Fulbright award will allow my passion for the English and Chinese languages to thrive and grow while I learn about a new culture and create mutual understanding between people.

Prestigious Goldwater Scholar

High Point University student Sadie Flagg, a senior chemistry major from Richmond, Virginia, was named a 2023 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation.

One of the most prestigious awards available for an undergraduate science major, the Goldwater Scholarship is given to exceptional sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics or engineering. The Foundation seeks to identify and support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming the nation’s next generation of leaders in STEM fields.

In addition to the Goldwater Scholarship, Flagg was awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) position at the University of California at Santa Barbara and will work during the summer in its top-ranked Materials Science program. Flagg is a member of the HPU Honors Scholar program, has participated for two years in the HPU Summer Research Program in the Sciences (SuRPS), has presented her work at two National American Chemical Society meetings and is currently working on a manuscript of her work as the lead author.

Innovative Insights

I feel that this award shows me the value of my contributions to research and science both currently and in the future. I am very appreciative of being picked from a pool of students that I know are talented and hardworking. It also makes me especially thankful for the many faculty who have invested a great deal of time and energy into seeing me succeed.

AKA Undergraduate Scholar

Caroline Rivera, HPU Class of 2023, was named the 2023 American Kinesiology Association’s National Undergraduate Scholar. Rivera was selected from 57 nominations of AKA undergraduate scholars nationwide as the undergraduate student with the most distinguished academic and leadership record.

As the national award winner, she received an AKA medal, a national certificate of recognition, $100 gift card and will be recognized in an upcoming issue of Kinesiology Today.

Rivera completed dual degrees in exercise science and chemistry with a 3.99/4.0 GPA. She was an HPU Presidential Scholar and part of the Honors Scholars Fellows program. She served as a supplemental instructor of general chemistry and as a tutor in human physiology. Over the past four years, she completed several undergraduate research projects under the mentorship of Dr. Roger Vaughan, associate professor. Rivera was also a member of the HPU Marching Band, the Clarinet Ensemble and Wind Ensemble.

Forbes Under 30 Scholar

Monet Gilmore, a Class of 2020 HPU graduate who majored in exercise science and minored in psychology, was selected as a Forbes Under 30 Scholar and attended the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Detroit.

The Forbes Under 30 Scholars program gives students an opportunity to experience all that the Summit has to offer, including access to the Under 30 Music Festival, Under 30 Stage Programming, Industry Networking Sessions, Immersive Detroit Field Trips and Community Service Day.

Gilmore, who earned a master’s of public health degree, played an active role in making HPU a better place, and these achievements helped her standout through the application process. She worked closely with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, served as the vice president of the Black Student Union, was on the student diversity board (VOICE), sat as a student representative on the faculty diversity board and volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont. For two years, she served as the diversity chair of HPU’s Student Government Association.

Additionally, she served as an ambassador for HPU and shared her experiences on campus with prospective and incoming students at Open Houses and Orientations.

National Graduate Fellowship

Nathan Grinalds, a Class of 2020 HPU graduate who majored in chemistry and physics, was awarded the Dr. Margaret Berry Graduate Fellowship in the amount of $4,000.

“We are so proud of our former students who are still representing HPU and Alpha Lambda Delta, a national honor society, very well,” says Bradley Taylor, director of Alumni Relations and advisor to HPU’s Alpha Lambda Delta chapter. “These scholarships are testaments of how valuable their membership with Alpha Lambda Delta can be.”

Grinalds is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Florida in material science and engineering. Twenty-six graduate fellowships are given annually by Alpha Lambda Delta to its members from a national pool of competitive applicants. Award amounts range from $2,000 to $7,000 and are used to offset the expense of pursuing graduate or professional studies.

HPU’s Office of Fellowships and Awards guides students in pursuing more than 85 different scholarships and fellowships. Among them with names like Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall and Truman are some of the most prestigious, selective programs available to college graduates in the U.S.

Prestigious Boren Scholar

High Point University student Daniel Desjarlais, an international relations and criminal justice double-major, was awarded a Boren Scholarship. As a Boren Scholar, Desjarlais will study Turkish language and culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this summer and at Azerbaijan University in Baku, Azerbaijan, this fall through the Boren’s Turkish Language Flagship Initiative.

Boren Awards provide U.S. undergraduate and graduate students with resources to acquire language skills in countries critical to the future security and stability of the United States. Boren Awards fund study in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. In exchange for funding, Boren award recipients agree to employment in the federal government for at least one year.

HPU’s Oldest Honor Society

Established in 1935, the Order of the Lighted Lamp recognizes leadership abilities and excellent character as well as academic achievement and service to the university.

Academics in Action:

Innovative Insights

I’m doing work that is meaningful to the citizens of High Point, which is my hometown. I specifically focus on connecting our neighborhood with city council representatives. To me, it is incredibly important for constituents to be well-informed and have the knowledge and agency to influence change. People are the power in this country, and if we want to see change happen then we have to educate ourselves and speak out on issues that we care about.

Classroom Concepts Meet Real-World Context

Under the leadership of Dr. Nido Qubein, HPU students and faculty have served more than 1 million hours in the city of High Point and invested millions of dollars. Following the trail blazed by Qubein, who has been a long-time citizen and advocate for High Point, the mission of the Service Learning Program at HPU is to engage students in an experiential and interdisciplinary learning environment that promotes their understanding of and commitment to responsible civic leadership.

Students serve in courses where they take the classroom out into the community through real-world service that builds on and critiques the theories they learn in class. They serve in clubs and organizations that make long-term commitments to particular agencies in High Point to become partners for sustainable change. They become engaged in local politics, community development, nonprofit boards and social enterprise opportunities, and recent graduates serve through one of the largest campusbased AmeriCorps VISTA Programs in the nation.

The Service Learning Program offers a comprehensive, curricular and cocurricular approach that engages students in the life of the city of High Point. Together, HPU and the city partner to make High Point a more safe and livable community for all people.

A Glimpse of HPU’s Service Learning Courses

Strategic Communication Campaigns:

Places students in partnership with a local nonprofit agency to create a turn-key marketing campaign. Students work directly with the nonprofit to learn about needs of the individuals that agency serves. The students then use their knowledge to develop a marketing campaign that will be most beneficial to the agency’s target audience.

Advanced Spanish Conversion:

Partners with the YWCA of High Point’s Latino Family Center to work with Latinx high school students. HPU students help them prepare their essays, resumes and applications for college. Through this mentoring, students gain essential Spanish conversation skills, and, in turn, they help young people in the Latinx community realize their potential.

Unique to Honors Students:

This program offers a series of HRN 1200 courses, like Co-Opting the White Paper, Serving the Social Interest and Approaches to the Justice System that immerse first-year Honors students in community-based research projects that build their research capacity and benefit the local community with data to improve their programs.