Incoming volleyball star named Athlete of the Week

Luray High School senior Reese Fitton, who will play collegiate volleyball for the Royals next year, was profiled by the Daily News-Record as its Athlete of the Week. "I love [EMU head] coach Casey [Steinbrecher]," she told the newspaper. "I think he’s such a great coach, and I’ve been to some of their recruiting camps. I just loved the way he coached, so it was almost just God’s calling pushing me there. I knew that’s really where [God] wanted me to be to grow my faith, grow as a player and in my education.” ... read more about Incoming volleyball star named Athlete of the Week from Cody Elliott | Daily News-Record

Panel talks history of urban renewal in Northeast Neighborhood

EMU's Power, Systems & Justice course (CORE 300) hosted a panel on the history of Harrisonburg's Northeast Neighborhood at the Student Union on Thursday evening. EMU History Professor Mark Sawin, Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, City Councilwoman Monica Robinson, and Deputy City Manager Amy Snider served on the panel. ... read more about Panel talks history of urban renewal in Northeast Neighborhood from Ryan Hartnett | WHSV-TV3

Cycling alum talks gravel biking on ‘Mountaineer Country’ podcast

David Landis ’04 appeared as a guest on an episode of The Holler: A Visit Mountaineer Country Podcast. Known for his work in creating the 40-mile Jesus Trail hiking route through Galilee, Israel, as well as the 550-mile TransVirginia Bike Route in Virginia, the EMU grad is the driving force behind Mountaineer Gravel, a regional project that connects cyclists to the backroads, trails, and small towns that make North Central West Virginia a unique place to explore. ... read more about Cycling alum talks gravel biking on ‘Mountaineer Country’ podcast from Visit Mountaineer Country

CJP alum honored with Immigrant Leadership Award

Ishtiaq Khan MA '24 (conflict transformation), a refugee resettlement caseworker and restorative justice practitioner for The Refugee Center in Champaign, Illinois, received the Immigrant Leadership Award from the Champaign-Urbana Immigration Forum on Sept. 20. Through his work, "Khan focuses on helping people from war-affected and conflict zones like Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria and Iraq, be it organizing children's education, finding jobs or honing in on health," states an article in The News-Gazette. ... read more about CJP alum honored with Immigrant Leadership Award from The News-Gazette

Adjunct faculty member talks AI on ‘Unpacking Education’ podcast

Perry Shank ’99, adjunct faculty member of mathematics and computer science, appeared as a featured guest on the Unpacking Education podcast on Aug. 27. Shank, who also serves as senior director of research and development at CodeVA, spoke on the topic of artificial intelligence in computer science education. Listen to the episode here ... read more about Adjunct faculty member talks AI on ‘Unpacking Education’ podcast from Unpacking Education

Madelyn McGuigan ’17 named Honored Teacher of the Year in essay contest

Madelyn McGuigan ’17, a teacher at Spotswood Elementary School in Harrisonburg, won grand prize in the 28th annual Honored Teacher Essay Contest, thanks to a heartfelt essay written about her by one of her fifth-grade students. Chosen from teachers in three school divisions, McGuigan—who graduated from EMU with degrees in Spanish and sociology—received a $1,500 award. In his essay, the student praised his teacher for her “dedication to daily learning” and incredible patience. ... read more about Madelyn McGuigan ’17 named Honored Teacher of the Year in essay contest from Daily News-Record

EMU professor shares comedic memoir on Mennonite life

The Daily News-Record spilled some ink on EMU Professor Kirsten Eve Beachy '02 and her new collection of essays, Martyrs and Chickens: Confessions of a Granola Mennonite, in a Thursday, April 24, article. Beachy, reading excerpts from the book at a Writers Read on Tuesday, delivered “frequent moments of sarcastic and dark humor (that) made the audience at the event laugh,” the reporter wrote. Watch a recording of the event here. ... read more about EMU professor shares comedic memoir on Mennonite life from Daily News-Record