Bellevue University’s Security Management Program received top honors in Government Security News (GSN) 1st Annual Homeland Security Awards in the “Best Training/Higher Education” category.

Finalists and winners in 35 categories were selected by a panel of objective and independent judges, according to GSN’s editor-in-chief, Jacob Goodwin, who oversaw the evaluation process. Winners were announced at an event GSN hosted in midtown Manhattan the night before the opening of two security expos at the Javits Center in New York City – Public Security & Safety and ISC East.

“The Security Management Program has gained tremendous momentum through the years and this award solidifies the program’s real learning for real life curriculum in developing students’ knowledge of security management best practices and industry preparedness,” said Greg Allen, Program Director, Bellevue University.

Bellevue University’s Security Management Program is comprised of a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Security Management. The Program is the largest combined undergraduate and graduate Security Management degree program in the nation, according to an April 2007 Security Magazine/Maddry and Associates study. Coursework covers the security management industry as a whole and includes: homeland security fundamentals, effective emergency planning, risk analysis, terrorism, cyber security, among others. Both degrees are offered in class and online through the University’s award-winning online learning platform.

“Bellevue University infuses real-life situations and lessons into the curriculum, so students can apply their knowledge in real-time to actual, on-the-job challenges, which contributes to our students’ success rate,” said Mary Hawkins, Ph.D., President, Bellevue University.

Graduate level students presented “Critical Infrastructure Planning” at the National Homeland Security Conference, and in 2006, students were invited to present at the ASIS International Conference as the only student presenters. Bellevue University’s Security Management Program is one of eight recognized by the Air Force Personnel Center for recruiting needs and developing future civilian leaders. Four of ten positions in the Palace Acquire Intern Program were filled by Bellevue University graduates last year, an unheard of ratio for one university.

October 1, 2009 – Bellevue University’s strategic agreement with The Home Depot received the gold award for “Excellence in Academic Partnerships” at this year’s Chief Learning Officer Symposium held in Colorado Springs.

This is the second year in a row that Bellevue University received the Excellence in Academic Partnerships gold award. In 2008, Bellevue University was awarded the first-ever Excellence in Academic Partnerships award for its work with CACI International. Bellevue University is the only university to have received this gold award.

The Home Depot learning program was created exclusively for The Home Depot with input from retail subject matter experts, including The Home Depot senior management and Bellevue University faculty. The program, called Professional Retail Management, is only open to employees of The Home Depot, and is designed to develop Home Depot associates’ knowledge of successful retail management practices with a specific focus on the home improvement industry and an increase in strategic thinking capabilities. It is designed to support the development of a leadership pipeline for the company. Known as “the world’s largest specialty home improvement retailer,” The Home Depot has 2,000 stores in the United States.

“Because the Professional Retail Management program was created with retail industry subject matter experts and Home Depot leaders, key leadership capabilities are built into the courses to support career growth opportunities for students,” said Michael E. Echols, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Bellevue University. “The strategic relationship between Bellevue University and The Home Depot is a prime example of innovative corporate learning designed to meet strategic business goals and needs.”

“An important part of the relationship is the measurement of the business impact of this program on corporate performance,” continued Dr. Echols. “Bellevue University’s Human Capital LabSM will measure the impact of the learning program to provide ongoing information on how to make better investment decisions on the leadership pipeline at The Home Depot.”

The Professional Retail Management program can be taken as a major for a Bachelor of Science degree from Bellevue University. It is offered online through Bellevue University’s award-winning Cyber-Active® Learning Platform making it accessible to employees around the globe.

Strategic agreements such as this one with The Home Depot have fueled Bellevue University’s quick path to becoming one of the nation’s leading resources in corporate learning and measuring its impact on business performance.

Bellevue University has been recognized as a leader in corporate learning by industry experts:
 Bellevue University is the only accredited university to win a Corporate University Best in Class (CUBIC) award and has won the award twice. In 2005 and 2007, Bellevue University won “Most Innovative Corporate Resource.”
 In 2007, Dr. Michael E. Echols was named one of the Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals in the U.S. by Training Industry, Inc.
 In 2008, Bellevue University’s Strategic Initiatives Division and Human Capital Lab received an honorable mention in Bersin & Associates Learning Leaders competition for “Vendor Innovation.”

Learn more about Bellevue University’s corporate learning initiatives, innovative offerings including learning solutions and customized learning programs designed to meet corporate needs and create lasting strategic advantage at www.CorporateLearning.com or by calling 877-824-5516.

The Learning in Practice awards are presented annually at the Chief Learning Officer Fall Symposium. The awards are sponsored by Chief Learning Officer Magazine.

Dr. Jennifer A. Murnane, Senior Research Associate with Bellevue University’s Human Capital Lab and Associate Vice President of the University’s Strategic Initiatives division, will be honored with the Outstanding Student Award this summer during the 100th Annual American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Conference and Expo in Knoxville, Tenn.

Dr. Murnane was selected as the recipient of the Family Relations and Human Development Community’s 2009 Outstanding Student Award for her research and record of achievements. Her doctoral dissertation, “Valuing Stakeholder Knowledge: An Interpretive Study of Knowledge Cultivation and Enablement in a Nonprofit Human Services Organization,” provided research into Boys Town’s effective use of tacit knowledge, or know-how, beliefs, experiences and values. Dr. Murnane found that by collecting, utilizing and communicating individual tacit knowledge, an organization’s employees are more effective at achieving the organization’s mission.

The results of her study can be found in the Spring 2007 issue of Innovation@Work, the Human Capital Lab’s newsletter for human capital strategists.

AAFCS is is the only national non-profit organization that provides leadership and support to family and consumer sciences professionals across multiple practice settings across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Dr. Murnane served as the inaugural Assistant Director of Bellevue University’s Human Capital Lab. In her role as Associate Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Bellevue University, she cultivates and manages Bellevue University’s visionary corporate clients who recognize the integral role learning has in reaching business objectives.

She is an adjunct professor at Bellevue University, teaching management and finance, and has worked in strategic planning and research at a Fortune 1000 company. Dr. Murnane earned her Ph.D. in Family & Consumer Sciences Education from Iowa State University and earned her bachelor’s degree in finance and banking and her MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Dr. Christine Beischel led the University's online programs during a time of tremendous growth and innovation. This week she was honored for her visionary work.

The United States Distance Learning Association on April 28 presented its 2009 Outstanding Leadership by an Individual in the Field of Distance Learning award to Dr. Christine Beischel of Bellevue University. Dr. Beischel received the award during the USDLA’s annual conference, in St. Louis.

“This really is a tremendous honor, both for me and the University,” Dr. Beischel said.

Dr. Beischel led the University’s College of Distributed Learning from 1998 to 2009, during which time the College and the online programs it oversees experienced tremendous growth. Bellevue University offered its first online program in 1996 to seven students. The University now serves more than 8,000 online students annually, from across the country and around the world.

But it’s not only the size of the University’s online enrollment that serves as evidence of Dr. Beischel’s leadership. She recognized early that success in online learning would come from faculty training, online student support and innovative instructional design. Under her leadership, Bellevue University won USDLA awards for Best Teaching Online (2006) and 21st Century Best Practices in Distance Learning (2007).

Dr. Beischel is now using her experience and expertise in online learning in a new role for the University, as a senior-level Research Strategist for the Strategic Initiatives Department. Beischel works with Strategic Initiatives, as well as the University’s Human Capital Lab, to conduct research on the bottom-line impact of the University’s learning interventions with its many corporate partners, which include Verizon Wireless and The Home Depot.

A Bellevue University art student recently beat out more than 100 entries to win first place at the 2009 Nebraska Independent College Foundation/O’Keefe Elevator Company Art Show in Omaha. Senior Julie MacDonald won the Best of Show 2-D Award, which brought with it a $300 prize. Her piece is a photo collage, titled “Turkey with Gravy.”

The O’Keefe Elevator Company donated $2,000 in prize money for the student artists. Entries were judged by art instructors from Creighton University and Metropolitan Community College. The art will remain on display through April at the O’Keefe Gallery, located at 1402 Jones Street in Omaha’s Old Market. The gallery is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

MacDonald will graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art. Bellevue University offers bachelor’s degrees in Art Management, Studio Art and Graphic Design.

Profiles in Diversity Journal has named U.S. Air Force Retired Maj. Gen. Roosevelt “Ted” Mercer Jr., a member of Bellevue University’s Military Advisory Board, one of the 25 most influential African Americans in business.

Mercer is vice president and director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for ITT’s Space Systems Division in Rochester, N.Y. Prior to joining ITT Space Systems, Mercer was director of plans and policy for U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base. He is a charter member of the University’s Military Advisory Board, which was established last year.

Mercer also was keynote speaker at Bellevue University’s winter 2009 commencement ceremony.

Bellevue University has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Bellevue University primarily for the community-service work done by students enrolled in the Kirkpatrick Signature Series. During the 2007-08 academic year, 2,400 Bellevue University students volunteered for more than 19,000 hours of community service – all as part of the Kirkpatrick Signature Series, a senior-level cluster of courses required of every undergraduate student.

The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs. The Honor Roll is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service and is sponsored by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development.

Bellevue University’s dean of students and academic affairs, Michelle Eppler, has been named one of the Midlands Business Journal’s “40 under 40″ for 2008.

The Omaha-based business publication annually honors 40 area business leaders under the age of 40. Eppler, 38, joined the university in 2004. During her time at the school, the graduation rate has risen by nearly 33 percent. Eppler leads a 150-member team, with responsibilities that include academic advising, financial aid, commencement and athletics.

Eppler and the other honorees were recognized Friday morning at a banquet at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in La Vista.

Bellevue's 'Woman of the Year,' Bellevue University Provost Mary Hawkins

Bellevue University Provost Mary Hawkins has been named Bellevue’s “Woman of the Year” for 2008. The Bellevue Chamber of Commerce presented Hawkins with the award during its annual Women in Leadership Wine & Cheese Reception, held Tuesday at the university’s student center.

Hawkins has established herself as a leader and national voice in higher education since joining Bellevue University in 1995. Under her leadership, Bellevue University has experienced one of the highest growth rates in the country for non-profit, post-secondary institutions, with annual enrollment growth that often hover nears 20 percent. Hawkins also led the development and implementation of the University’s Cyber-Active Learning platform, one of the first and most effective online learning systems in America.

The University also has grown increasingly vital to the local economy under Hawkins’ leadership, with an employee base that now exceeds 500 people. She is a member of numerous associations and boards, including the United Way of the Midlands Board of Directors and the Stephens Center Board of Directors.

A panel of out-of-state chamber of commerce officials reviewed “Woman of the Year” nominations and chose this year’s winner.

Bernstein

The Nebraska Library Association (NLA) has honored Bellevue University Library Director Robin Bernstein with its Distinguished Service Award. Bernstein, now in her 30th year at the university, won the award for the college & university section.

The NLA presented Bernstein with the award at its annual conference, held Oct. 15-17 in Lincoln. Among the award’s criteria are service to academic librarianship during the past five years and a nominating letter of support that details the candidate’s qualifications – of which there were four for Bernstein, unsolicited.

Bernstein has witnessed, and often overseen, widespread change during her tenure at the Bellevue University library. Among them: A building addition (1983), a complete building renovation (2001) and the shift to online library services to accommodate the university’s growing online student population.

“However, I am probably most proud to be part of the Bellevue University community and to belong to a profession that makes a difference in the lives of so many students by providing them the resources and services they need to succeed in the future,” Bernstein said.