Matching known acquaintances through a collection of photos on a wall is a familiar scene in a television crime drama as the detectives try to narrow their list of suspects. Bellevue University’s Jeffrey Hug is taking that approach and raising it to an art form. The Assistant Professor of Graphic Design and Photography has something special planned as a participant in a local art project known as the Empty Room.

The Empty Room is a six month long experiment where individuals are given access to an “empty room” where they are free to share their creative ideas with the Omaha community. The room is located at 13th and Webster streets and offers participants roughly 700 square feet to express their creativity. Each participant has the run of the room for an entire month. Hug’s idea was chosen for the October exhibit.

Inspired by crime dramas and a belief that people need to stay connected, Hug will fashion his empty room into a live adaptation of a Facebook page. Visitors to the exhibit will place their photo on a wall and connect their photo to other photos of people they know. They will use a piece of string/yarn to physically connect their photo to others. As the possible combinations increase with the number of visitors, the resulting connections will create an ever-changing visual. By the end of the month, the room could represent a tangled mess that would frighten even the most seasoned air traffic controller. The bigger the mess, the greater the success according to Hug who believes the more people stay connected the better. The project has been dubbed, “String Thing” by its creator.

Hug’s master plan includes a step beyond the exhibit’s October lifespan. He has made arrangements to convert the yarn used in the exhibit into hats and gloves for the homeless. Bellevue University staff and students are encouraged to donate yarn to the project. Donation boxes will be located throughout the campus. Donations will also be accepted at the exhibit during its October run.

For more information, visit http://emptyroomstringthing.com/.

The remarkable story of one Bellevue University student and employee showcases the perseverance that allowed him to serve our University, his educational goals, and first and foremost, our country.

After a one year deployment in Iraq, Mike Damato has returned to his position as Safety Administrator at Bellevue University. The deployment was Damato’s second during his nearly five years with the University. Damato’s relationship with the University began as a student in the Security Management bachelor’s degree completion program.

Following the events of 9/11, Damato learned from instructor Greg Allen that the University had created a new position dedicated to protecting the University, its students, and employees.

In 2003, Damato joined the Navy Reserves after a 17-year break in service (he was active duty Navy from 1976-85). “It was a call to do something,” he said. “If I was in the reserves, it would free someone else to go fight the war.” He was shocked when called to action, not just once, but twice. Damato is grateful that he works for an organization where he can also do his part serving his country. “The University has been extremely supportive,” he said. “My wife was able to complete her master’s degree during my first deployment, and I was able to complete mine during this last deployment.”

While already successful in his career and service, Damato began the online master’s program in Security Management before learning he would be deployed a second time. After a short break while preparing for the deployment, he was able to complete the degree while in Iraq utilizing the University’s exceptional online learning platform.

The University is proud of its commitment to those serving in the Armed Forces and their families,  here in Bellevue and worldwide.  Bellevue University was recently named a Top 10 Military-Friendly College/University, and was selected as a participating school in the MyCAA program.

Bellevue University has chosen Donna McDaniel as its vice president and chief academic officer, effective July 1. McDaniel has served as dean of the university’s College of Business since 2004.

As VP and CAO, McDaniel will oversee all of the University’s academic programs and initiatives. Dr. Mary Hawkins previously served as the school’s chief academic officer through her role as provost. Dr. Hawkins will assume the role of university president effective July 1.

As dean, McDaniel oversaw all College of Business programs, curriculum, faculty, budgeting and strategic planning. During her tenure, the university received approval to add its first Ph.D. program – in Human Capital Management, taught in the College of Business. Bellevue University’s MBA program is the largest in Nebraska, with one of the largest online enrollments in the country. Bellevue University was the first school in the country to offer a full MBA program online.

Prior to being named dean, McDaniel served as a faculty member in the College of Business. Like all Bellevue University faculty, she brought real-world experience to the classroom. McDaniel was the chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Advance, Inc., a government contracting firm providing computer services and equipment to the U.S. Department of Defense, General Services Administration and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

McDaniel earned her bachelor’s degree, Juris Doctorate and MBA from Creighton University.

Bellevue University has named Dr. Martha Muñoz the new dean of its College of Professional Studies, home of the school’s accelerated bachelor’s degree completion programs, as well as six master’s degree programs.

Dr. Muñoz has spent the majority of her career in higher education, primarily working for community colleges, including Central Arizona College and the Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona. She has taught in a variety of settings, including preschool, kindergarten and at the community college and university levels. Dr. Muñoz has worked as a consultant to develop web-based training materials; served as a subject matter expert for facility design; conducted project evaluations; and developed customized training programs. She most recently served as academic dean for Kaplan University’s Omaha campus.

After earning her associate’s degree from Phoenix College, Dr. Muñoz earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Education from Arizona State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at Austin - fulfilling a dream she had since earning her G.E.D. many years before.

Muñoz said she looks forward to building on Bellevue University’s history of serving the unique needs of adult learners.

“Bellevue University understands that working adults need flexibility and accessibility when they go back to school,” she said. “As someone who has taught adult students – and was an adult student herself – I embrace that philosophy, as well.”

The College of Professional Studies specializes in developing career-relevant degree programs for working adults, including bachelor’s degrees in Business, Healthcare Management, Leadership, Management, Marketing Management, and Security Management. The College also offers master’s degree programs in Healthcare Administration,  Public Administration, Leadership, and Security Management. Students who enroll with close to 60 credit hours can complete their bachelor’s degree in as little as 12 months.

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.

Mary Hawkins, Ph.D., has been named the University's new president, effective July 1, 2009

Michael H. Simmonds, chairman of the Bellevue University Board of Directors, announced today that Mary Hawkins, Ph.D., will assume the role of president of the university beginning July 1, 2009. As president, Dr. Hawkins will direct all strategic and operational activities of the university, reporting to the Board of Directors.

The leadership change comes in the midst of the university’s strongest growth phase in its history – and, in fact, one of the strongest growths of any university in America. Founded more than 40 years ago to serve adult students, Bellevue University has affirmed this commitment with a vision to be the nation’s foremost university in adult education.

Dr. Hawkins has served as provost of the university since 2000, responsible for academic standards and operations. During her tenure, the university has grown an average of 12% a year, doubling its enrollment nearly twice. Today, Bellevue University is the largest private university in Nebraska and one of the fastest-growing non-profit universities in the country.

“Mary Hawkins was an obvious choice for the presidency,” Simmonds said. “It takes extraordinary leadership to run an organization as innovative, fast-growing and student-oriented as Bellevue University. Mary has shown that leadership.”

“I am honored by the board’s decision and look forward to capitalizing on our momentum with continuing innovation and focus on students and the communities we serve,” Dr. Hawkins said.

John Muller, Ph.D., current president, will be named chancellor as well as CEO of the university’s foundation. As CEO of the Bellevue University Foundation, Dr. Muller will initiate a new, more aggressive fund-raising activity for the university, concentrating on initiatives such as the Human Capital Lab and the Center for American Vision and Values, as well as other initiatives that align with the university’s vision of being the foremost American university in adult education.

When Dr. Muller arrived at the university 24 years ago, he focused new services and programs around the learning needs of working adults. His innovations included accelerated bachelor’s degree completion programs; career-relevant bachelor’s and master’s degrees, supported by advisory boards of professionals; Cyber-Active®Learning – the university’s innovative online learning platform; the American Vision and Values series; and the Human Capital Lab.

Dr. Muller also introduced a new business operations model that was radically innovative in post-secondary education at the time. Bellevue University does not rely on fund-raising from the private sector or government funding for its operating income. It is entirely tuition supported.

“This approach mandated efficiency in operations, while being market-driven,” Dr. Muller stated. “It required us to concentrate on understanding our markets, teaching and serving students, and making sure they had access to our services. Our extraordinary growth rate demonstrates that we have achieved a measure of expertise in these areas.”

A University delegation will travel to Phoenix next week to share its expertise on diversity issues at the American Association of Community Colleges Annual Convention.

The presenting group consists of Dr. Mary Hawkins, provost; Russ Lane, senior director of community partnerships; Jose Lemus, South Omaha admissions specialist; and Flor Flores, current student and South Omaha Outreach Program scholarship recipient. Their presentation – “Investing in Diversity: How to Successfully Recruit and Retain Latino Students” – is 8:45-9:45 a.m., April 7.

The Bellevue University contingent will talk, in part, about the success of the South Omaha Outreach Program. Since the program’s inception, the University has increased its Latino enrollment by more than 1,000 percent. The program’s goal is to enroll, retain and educate residents of South Omaha and Bellevue, a culturally and economically diverse section of the greater Omaha area that includes many Latino and low-income families.

Overall, Bellevue University continues to be among the most diverse universities in the state and region. In fall 2008, more than 32 percent of Bellevue University’s 8,278 students are minorities. Minorities, as defined by the U.S. Department of Education, include the following groups: black, non-Hispanic; Hispanic; Asian/Pacific Islander; and American Indian/Native Alaskan.

The largest minority group at Bellevue University is black, non-Hispanic, with 1,037 students. Next is Hispanic, with 526, and Asian/Pacific Islander, with 191. 

The university’s minority student population has grown steadily during recent years, from 30 percent  in 2007 and 25 percent in 2006. One key factor to this growth is the university’s surging online student population, which pulls students from 48 states and countries worldwide. More than 80 percent of the university’s students now take online courses.

Matthew Davis, Bellevue University's new assistant vice president of enrollment management

Bellevue University has named Matthew Davis its new assistant vice president of enrollment management. Davis previously worked as the university’s director of admissions support and quality assurance. Prior to that, he served 13 years in the U.S. Air Force, including five years as manager of recruiting operations for the upper Midwest.

Davis takes over enrollment operations for the state’s largest and fastest-growing private university, which has seen its number of students increase 182 percent during the past decade – from 2,929 in 1998 to 8,278 in 2008.

Currently, corporate partnerships are the university’s primary area of enrollment growth. In such partnerships, the university works closely with corporations to design degree programs that address the learning needs of their employees – always keeping in mind the overall goals of the corporations.

Davis earned his Master of Business Administration from Bellevue University. He also holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, two associate of applied science degrees and a graduate-level certificate in project management from Villanova University.

Dan Creagan, Bellevue University's new chief information officer

Bellevue University has named Dan Creagan its chief information officer, a newly created position at the school. In this role, Creagan will lead the continued integration of the school’s evolving technology infrastructure.

Creagan has been dean of the university’s College of Information Technology for the past four years. Prior to that, he was director of the school’s Center for Information Technology, a pre-cursor to the creation of the College of Information Technology. Before joining Bellevue University 13 years ago, Creagan served for 28 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 1994 as Lt. Colonel. In the Air Force, Creagan rose through the ranks from airman to officer, with jobs that included being a squadron commander, a logistics commander, and a subject matter expert in the development of computer systems for new aircraft.

As chief information officer, Creagan will guide the ongoing integration of the university’s vast technology resources, which includes its Information Technology Services Department, enterprise resources (such as billing, student records and financial aid), the school’s website,  as well as help-desk activity for online students and internal university customers. During the past academic year, the university had more than 8,000 online students.  

“The creation of this position is very forward-thinking of Bellevue University,” Creagan said. ”Unlike corporations, most colleges or universities  have only just started to recognize the advantages of having a CIO – someone with the background and ability to strategically coordinate technology across the organization.”

The university named Mary Dobransky interim dean of the College of Information Technology. Dobransky has worked in higher education for nearly 20 years. During this time, she has taught several IT courses, served as director of computer and telecommunications academic programs at College of Saint Mary, and most recently worked as director of Bellevue University’s Learning Assessment Center.