Miranda Keith, an HPU Honors Scholar and Fulbright English teaching assistant in Taiwan, with Dr. Daliang Wang, associate professor of Chinese and chair of the World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department. Wang will serve a three-year term to select future Fulbright scholars.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 10, 2023 – High Point University students and staff recently received the following academic and professional awards and recognitions.
HPU Professor to Serve on Fulbright Screening Committee
A professor from HPU’s School of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences has been selected to serve on the National Screening Committee for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Dr. Daliang Wang, associate professor of Chinese and chair of the World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department, will serve a three-year term to select Fulbright scholars who embark on transformative experiences abroad and make meaningful contributions to society. Wang has been actively engaged with the Fulbright Student Program since 2006 and helped host Student Fulbright Scholars.
“It is a great honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of selecting the best U.S. students to teach English in other countries,” said Wang.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program partners with more than 140 countries to create cross-cultural dialogue and global professional development. Annually, college graduates and graduate students apply for the prestigious opportunity to research, study or teach through assistantships all over the world. Wang’s responsibilities include selecting students for the English Language Teaching Assistantships in Taiwan beginning with this year’s competition. The process involves reading and rating approximately 50-60 applications prior to a half-day virtual meeting with his fellow committee members to recommend semi-finalist candidates for further consideration.
Miranda Keith, an HPU Honors Scholar and English major with a double minor in Chinese and biology, has just received the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan for the 2023-2024 academic year.
“Dr. Wang’s insights about the selection process will be very valuable for our future applicants to Taiwan,” said Dr. James Cotton, director of the HPU Office of National Fellowships and Awards.
Wang’s appointment to the NSC is a testament to his expertise and dedication to international education. He looks forward to applying his knowledge of Chinese culture, language and commitment to educational excellence during the selection process.
HPU Student Wins Scholarship, Focuses on Fashion
Mara Cooper, a junior history major from Pooler, Georgia, received the DeJoy-Woś Family Foundation Scholarship to participate in business and government relations educational and professional programs hosted by The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) in Washington, D.C., this summer.
The TFAS program pairs students with internship opportunities in their field of study. During her eight-week stay in the Capitol, Cooper took college courses and attended a variety of educational and interactive lectures by national leaders. She also completed a professional internship with the U.S. Fashion Industry Association and received personalized guidance from hand-picked mentors.
“My experience has been eye-opening and filled with lifelong connections that I could not have made anywhere else,” said Cooper. “I cannot wait to take the next steps in my future with the skills I have developed over the course of this summer.”
Physical Therapy Students Visit Capitol
Dr. Lance Mabry, assistant professor of physical therapy, led a group of physical therapy students to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of the Senate and House as advocates for the physical therapy profession on Capitol Hill Day.
In his role as the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) federal affairs liaison for North Carolina, Mabry and six students met with elected officials from both parties as part of a nationwide effort for physical therapists to promote bipartisan solutions to enhance the profession and benefit the lives of their patients.
The HPU physical therapy students completed 11 meetings with senators and representatives. In addition, they were greeted by HPU students and alumni working in the offices of U.S. Sen. Ted Budd and U.S. Reps. Kathy Manning and Dan Bishop, who represent central North Carolina. Six meetings were conducted entirely by HPU affiliates, more than any other organization in the state, Mabry said.
“Within the High Point University Doctor of Physical Therapy program, we offer the unique opportunity to meet with our elected leaders both within the district and in Washington, D.C.,” said Mabry. “These learning experiences offer real-world application of healthcare advocacy targeted at finding bipartisan solutions to challenges facing the physical therapy profession. This propels our graduates to be lifelong leaders both within the profession as well as within their community.”
Scouts Name Taylor Alumnus of Year
Bradley G. Taylor, ’13, HPU’s senior director of alumni engagement, was recently selected by The Boy Scouts of America Alumni Association as Alumnus of the Year for national service territories 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16.
A native of Clemmons, North Carolina, Taylor earned the Arrow of Light in 2002 and became an Eagle Scout in 2005. He now serves as an assistant council commissioner with a combined total of 26 years of youth and adult Scouting service. Taylor is a national committee member of the BSA’s Alumni Association, serving in various roles within council support, communications and national programs. He is a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association and an active reviewer on the Southern Territories NESA Scholarship and Adams Award Selection Committee.
Taylor also serves as an elected council member for Clemmons and works on the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s regional Metropolitan Planning Organization. In addition, he is an active member of both the Lewisville-Clemmons and High Point chambers of commerce.
Qubein Arena Wins Honor
The National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association (NTMA) presented a 2023 Honor Award to the David Allen Company of Raleigh, North Carolina, for its 48,000-square-foot installation in HPU’s Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center.
The award was announced at the trade association’s 100th annual national convention in Lake Como, Italy. Entries are judged on aesthetics, craftsmanship and scope.
Installation was specified to reduce life-cycle costs significantly in the LEED-certified facility. In the concourse, it provides durability to withstand heavy foot traffic for many years.
The project architect was Kathleen Warner of CJMW Architecture of Winston-Salem.