HPU Announces Academic and Professional Achievements; January 27, 2022
HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 27, 2022 – High Point University faculty and students recently received the following academic and professional awards and recognitions.
HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein provides keynote address at 2022 NC Economic Outlook
Dr. Nido Qubein, High Point University president, led the keynote address at the 2022 North Carolina Economic Outlook on Jan. 20. The event was hosted by the Raleigh, Charlotte and Triad Business Journals inside the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center. The event focused on the growth and business climate of the state. Dr. Qubein’s address encouraged leaders to appreciate positive business forecasts in the coming year, as well as the opportunity to conduct business in the United States.
“It is the best of times, and we are blessed,” said Qubein. “Why? We live in America. Unless you have never lived somewhere else or have done business somewhere else, you will not understand the fullness of what I just said. When you wake up in the morning, you should feel the gratitude and privilege you have to do business in America.”
After the keynote address, a panel of three state business leaders discussed the findings from a recent research survey that will help local businesses, officials and state leaders with ways to move forward in the coming year. Mitchell Silver, principal and vice president of urban planning at McAdams, moderated the panel with Brent Ciliano, chief investment officer at First Citizens Bank, and Lory Kelley, CPA and managing partner at Bernard Robinson & Company as panelists.
HPU Professor Serves as chair of the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper appointed HPU professor Rev. Dr. Joe Blosser to serve on the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service in 2021. Recently, Dr. Blosser was elected by the Commission to serve as its chair. In this role, he promotes service and volunteering to improve lives, strengthen communities and foster civic engagement across the state. The NC Commission oversees the state AmeriCorps programs, disaster volunteers and donations, promotes volunteer initiatives and more. Blosser is the executive director of HPU’s Center for Community Engagement, associate professor of religion and philosophy, and the founding director of the HPU Bonner Leader Program and the AmeriCorps VISTA Program.
“It’s an honor to be selected to serve in this role that promotes service throughout North Carolina,” says Blosser. “I’m excited to have an opportunity to work with leaders across our state to integrate service into the lives of our residents in much the same way we have made service a part of every student’s life at High Point University.”
Blosser will serve in this position for three years through Jan. 1, 2025.
HPU Senior Presents at the National Collegiate Honors Conference
Senior Josiah Williams won first place for his research poster presentation at the National Collegiate Honors Conference in the fall. Williams represented HPU’s Honors Scholar Program at the conference. He took home first place against 180 student poster presentations.
His research looked at the way 4th and 5th grade students learn about careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The children learned about four different careers in STEM and performed hands-on related activities. Williams’ research showed that for the field of engineering there was a significant increase in participants’ ability to “put themselves in the shoes of an engineer.” His research conclusion found that positive reinforcement and hands-on activities are important components when creating a child’s “STEM identity” during elementary school.
“When I walked into the ballroom with the rest of the poster presenters, I took a deep breath and reflected on the hard work that went into investigating this topic,” said Williams, a senior philosophy and neuroscience major. “My goal was not to simply ‘show and tell,’ but to have conversations with every person who was interested in my research.”