Each month, Capital University takes immense pride in showcasing the remarkable accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students. These achievements, ranging from groundbreaking research and innovative projects to significant contributions in various fields, reflect the vibrant intellectual community and commitment to excellence that define our institution. Join us in applauding these milestones and the individuals who are not only advancing their respective disciplines but also shaping the future of our university and community.
Honors to Damon Brown, Vice President for Student Experience, who was recently acknowledged by his graduate school alma mater, Central Michigan University, for alumni achievement: Student Life Dedication and Service Award. Brown created the IMPACT program and managed the MAINSTAGE program at Central Michigan University; these student experiences have helped thousands of students find confidence, connection and community on campus.
Congratulations to Denise Rector (seminary) whose work, “Faithfulness” a four-part Bible Study, Leader's Guide, and Video Supplements won an Award of Merit (2nd place) at the "Best of the Associated Church Press Awards" for the Bible study plus leader guide. This work also won Honorable Mention (3rd place) for the Bible study video supplements. This work was published in Gather, The Magazine of Women of the ELCA, Winter/Spring 2025. Rector stated “It was an honor to write about faithfulness in difficult times. This project helped me grow my faith and I hope it can be useful to readers as well.”
Kudos to Paige Kohn (law school) who presented Justice Advocacy: One Course, Multiple Solutions for Modern Legal Writing at the Capital Area Legal Writing Conference at the University of Baltimore School of Law (Baltimore, MD). This work introduced an innovative new course, Justice Advocacy, to legal writing professors that meets upper-level legal writing, professional identity formation, bias and racism education, and NextGen Bar objectives. The course teaches law students legal drafting through the lens of social and economic justice. “I enjoy teaching this course for several reasons. First, it shows students how to meaningfully use law to address real-life injustices through writing. Second, it demonstrates how multiple injustices can intersect by breaking down the complexity. Third, it validates how lawyers make a difference and build on those who came before through writing.” said Kohn.
Congratulations to Tracy Hoag (nursing) who was a co-editor of Dossey & Keegan's Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice (9th ed.) published by Jones & Bartlett Learning. Kudos to Heather Janiszewski Goodin (nursing) who co-authored a chapter in the textbook, Self-Development: The Foundation of Holistic Self-Care. This holistic nursing textbook is a staple in holistic nursing education and practice. It was a significant accomplishment for Hoag to have helped shape this textbook by guiding chapter authors through brainstorming, writing, editing, and revising their chapters. Applause for both Hoag and Janiszewski Goodin.
Honors to Hoyun Cho (education) who published From Prompts to Pedagogy: Preservice Teachers’ Experiences with AI-Assisted Math and Science Integrated Lesson Planning in Ohio Journal of School Mathematics. This study examined the experiences of 34 elementary preservice teachers who completed both traditional and AI-assisted lesson planning for integrated mathematics and science instruction using the 5E instructional model. Through qualitative analysis of structured reflections and AI interaction logs, Cho found that the process of crafting effective AI prompts served as a powerful catalyst for pedagogical reflection: Preservice teachers who struggled to articulate what they wanted from AI were, in effect, confronting gaps in their own mathematical understanding and instructional planning. Three key findings emerged: (a) prompt engineering functions as a form of mathematical pedagogical reasoning, requiring teachers to decompose learning objectives with precision; (b) evaluating AI-generated mathematics content develops Critical AI Literacy skills specific to the discipline, with important differences between general-purpose and education-specific platforms; and (c) the structured comparison of traditional and AI-assisted plans creates productive cognitive dissonance that deepens professional judgment.
Hoyun Cho (education) also was interviewed by NBC4 about the new Ohio law, SB 19, that requires teachers to demonstrate skills before teaching math. Nicely done!
Additional Kudos to Hoyun Cho (education) for publishing Relocating the Locus of Generation: The AI-GLM Framework for Generative Learning in AI-Mediated Mathematics Education in Educational Psychology Review. Through an integrative conceptual analysis of Fiorella and Mayer’s 8 generative learning strategies, Cho identified 4 cross-cutting themes: The production-to-evaluation shift, metacognitive displacement, the scaffolding–substitution continuum, and reconfigured generative activity. Synthesizing these themes, Cho proposed the AI-Enhanced Generative Learning in Mathematics (AI-GLM) framework, comprising (a) a typology of 3 AI roles, in which Generation Partner and Generation Substitute occupy the poles of a scaffolding–substitution continuum while Generation Catalyst is distinguished by a functional criterion rather than by a position on it; (b) a role determination mechanism specifying how tool design, task design, learner orientation, and teacher mediation combine to determine the role AI occupies in a given episode; and (c) 5 design principles. The framework addresses the representational, symbolic, and justificatory demands especially prominent in mathematics and yields propositions stated with the operationalizations and falsification conditions needed to test them.
Congratulations to Nathan Gjerstad (media) who presented Lessons in Ungrading at the University Film and Video Association Annual Conference (Minneapolis, MN). Gjerstad shared his techniques in alternative grading (ungrading) within the discipline of Film and Media. The workshop provided tips and examples to help attendees implement ungrading strategies into their own Media courses. Gjerstad commented, “This conference presentation demonstrates a passion for teaching innovation and student success at Capital University, while also invigorating the way we teach Media to students within an ever-changing professional and educational environment.”
Kudos to Chad Payton (music) who was Voice Faculty at Seagle Festival this summer. This marked Payton's 19th summer at the nation's oldest young artist training program in opera and musical theatre. As part of his contract, he maintained a voice studio of 11 emerging artists from institutions such as Eastman School of Music, The Boston Conservatory of Music at Berklee, North Carolina School of the Arts. Payton also offered 2 professional development presentations to the emerging artists: Unarmored and In Charge: Artist-Leadership for Musicians and Life after Academia: Building a Life that Supports your Art. According to Payton, "This 8-week teaching opportunity is in a beautiful setting in the upstate, Adirondack Mountains. It connects me with nationally visible directors, coaches, and voice faculty working in today's music industry and I can bring those connections and information back to our students here at Capital University."
Honors to Anna Stewart (social work) who gave an invited keynote presentation, What are You Hoping For? The Possibility and Power of Hope in Practice, at the 8th Annual Social Work Training Summit: Reclaiming Hope: Social Work at the Intersection of Pain and Possibility. This annual training summit is for social work practitioners and trainees providing therapy in university/college counseling centers nationwide. The goal of Stewart’s presentation was to foster joy and hope among participants and encourage deeper reflection on these concepts through various theoretical lenses and to identify actionable ways to incorporate them into their work with students and trainees. Participant feedback highlighted the presentation’s ability to balance conceptual understanding with practical application while creating meaningful opportunities for engagement and reflection.
Congratulations to Liam O'Loughlin (English) who was selected at the Managing Editor of South Asian Review, one of the major journals in postcolonial literary studies. O’Loughlin’s multiyear term will begin in January 2027. O’Loughlin commented, “I'm looking forward to joining the exciting editorial team of South Asian Review. This is a great opportunity to positively shape the fields of South Asian and postcolonial studies. This editorial work will not only influence my teaching and student mentorship, but will elevate Capital University by attaching its name to an international scholarly journal.”
Kudos to Adam Potter (music) who gave a Choral Musicians’ Professional Development Workshop at Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, NY). Potter presented on Music Learning Theory (MLT), applications of MLT to the choral rehearsal setting, rehearsal techniques, and ensemble organizational best practices. He also led vision casting discussion groups for the university’s choral program. Potter said, “I was delighted to return to Roberts, where I served on faculty from 2017 to 2025, to assist my former colleagues and students.”
Compliments to Neal Schmitt (music) who used Claude code to build, test, and ship Pocket Tempo, an iOS app. Pocket Tempo can sync musical tempo to the other "math" involved in a song, such as delay times, reverb decay times, compressor release times, gate, and LFO times. Schmitt revealed, “As an Web Development and Multimedia instructor I gained invaluable insight in how this process works and how AI is leveraged in this situation.”
Congratulations to Jennifer Folden, Director of Marketing and Communications, who was appointed to vice president of the board of directors for United Way of Muskingum, Perry and Morgan Counties. In this leadership role, effective July 1, 2026, she supports the organization’s work to strengthen communities and improve lives throughout the region. Folden said, “It is an honor to serve alongside community leaders who are committed to creating meaningful opportunities and improving lives throughout our region. I’m proud to support United Way’s work and help strengthen the communities we serve.”