Walden University Alumni Association Blog

Walden Career Lecture Series: Building Blocks of Starting a Nonprofit Organization

Please join us for the latest session of Walden University’s online Career Lecture Series on Thursday, November 19, at 2 p.m. Eastern. The topic, “Building Blocks of Starting a Nonprofit Organization,” is presented by Dr. Gary Kelsey, a faculty member in Walden’s School of Public Policy and Administration.

Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited, so register today. This event is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations and Career Services Center.

About the Speaker
Dr. Gary Kelsey has 32 years of experience in the nonprofit, government, and education sectors. As an organizational development consultant, Dr. Kelsey has provided nonprofit board development, program development, strategic planning, fundraising, collaboration, team-building, qualitative research, and other organizational development assistance and training to more than 250 nonprofit, philanthropic, education, and government organizations. Dr. Kelsey is a faculty member at Walden University, the University of St. Thomas, and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He holds a B.A. in social work from St. Cloud State University, an M.A. in human and health services administration from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and a Doctorate of Education in leadership from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Walden University presents, "Social Entrepreneurship: Taking Action, Leading Change"

As part of Walden’s ongoing commitment to education, service and social change, Walden’s fifth annual Social Change Conference, “Social Entrepreneurship: Taking Action, Leading Change,” will focus on ways that we as global citizens can become active and engaged entrepreneurs of social change.
 
On Sept. 30, 2009, visionaries, advocates and policymakers will share their success stories and offer tools and solutions to make a positive social impact.
 
Featured Speakers

• Cheryl Dorsey—President, Echoing Green presents “Be a Social Change Agent through Cross-Sector Collaboration”
• Michele Jolin—White House Senior Advisor for Social Innovation for the Domestic Policy Council presents “Government’s Role in Partnering with Social Entrepreneurs”

Panel Discussion: Perspectives from the Front Lines of Social Entrepreneurship
This will be an interactive panel discussion featuring social entrepreneurs and experts sharing stories, ways to identify social needs and tips about what works when starting an organization.
 
Moderated by Peter Kannam—Executive Director, New Leaders for New Schools Maryland
 
Panelists:

• David Bornstein—Author, How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas
• Anthony Jewett—Founder, Bardoli Global, a nonprofit organization that promotes study abroad programs for minority students
• Dr. Kathia Laszlo—Walden faculty member; specialist in social entrepreneurship in developing countries
• Dr. John Nirenberg—Walden faculty member; writer and lecturer on corporate social responsibility

Click here to attend the event in person or click here to attend virtually.

Walden's Enid Schwartz '06: How to lighten life's problems with laughter

From working with critically ill children to helping cancer patients in the battle of their lives, Enid Schwartz has held a variety of demanding positions in her 35-plus-year nursing career. While studying for her master’s degree in nursing, Schwartz discovered research pointing to the benefits of laughter. “That’s when I realized that I needed to explore my lighter side and learn to laugh a little more often,” says Schwartz.
 
She continued to use humor to reduce stress and tension as she pursued a second master’s degree: this one in counseling. When she developed breast cancer in 1993, she knew humor would help get her through the recovery. She documented that experience in her dissertation, The Use of Humor to Cope With Breast Cancer, as part of her Ph.D. in Psychology program at Walden University, which she completed in 2006.
 
Schwartz now serves as a Certified Laughter Leader, encouraging others to find their lighter side. She shares how we can all realize the benefits of incorporating laughter into our daily lives.
 
Use Laughter to Improve Your Perspective. When the going gets tough, it is difficult to see the end of your troubles. You tend to focus on everything that is wrong with your life. If you can find one element of your situation to which you can apply humor, it can lighten the moment and give you a totally new perspective. One cancer survivor recalled how she used to dance up and down the hospital hallways with the pole carrying her chemotherapy to the delight of other patients. Another recalled inflating latex gloves and writing notes to her doctor, then placing them in unexpected places in the doctor’s office to surprise him.
 
Acknowledge Character Flaws. In a classroom situation, a student may perceive that a teacher is displaying favoritism to another student. This perception on the student’s part may tarnish how the teacher’s character is viewed, which can hinder the student’s involvement and performance in the class. To redeem the relationship, the teacher must respond to student concerns and acknowledge any wrong behavior. For instance, when a teacher begins class by saying, “I need to apologize for confusing messages,” students may better understand the teacher’s commitment to the class. That increased understanding improves the learning process because the teacher’s words become redemptive.
 
Change Your Thought Patterns. Watch children or animals at play. Turn on a funny movie or read a collection of your favorite cartoons. When I was recovering from breast cancer and I felt down, I would either watch Pretty Woman or When Harry Met Sally. Those two movies constantly cheered me up. You need to make a conscious effort to find ways to break the pattern of negative thinking.
 
Know the Difference Between a Need and a Want. Students may perceive they absolutely need certain tools to be successful in the classroom, when, in fact, they only want them. For instance, students may complain that they are unable to score high on tests because the teacher does not use outlines or PowerPoint presentations. They may feel they need material presented in this format to succeed. A five-minute lesson from the teacher on good note-taking skills and how they are linked to class activities and lectures can help students see that PowerPoint slides were a want, not a need. Once students gain that understanding, they may pursue learning with a renewed motivation.
 
Learn to Be Playful. Adults, just like children, need time to play. At some point in our childhoods we are conditioned to control our laughter and our smiles. Just because we get older, we do not have to stop playing. When I taught nursing students, I used to go to class on test days and sprinkle students with good luck sparkles. My supervisor told me I should stop because students might think that all you had to do was wave a magic wand to get good grades. She was someone who had lost the ability to be playful.
 
Know How to Make Yourself Laugh. Identify what makes you laugh and surround yourself with whatever that may be. Start a collection of cartoons or wacky childhood toys that will make you smile or laugh. When my husband died, a friend sent me a small toy that stuck its tongue out whenever it was squeezed. That toy became my constant companion. I carried it around in my purse and it never failed to make me smile.
 
Smile and Laugh as Much as Possible. There is scientific and medical research on the ability of laughter to reduce stress and positively affect hypertension and cardiac problems. Research has shown that simply moving your face muscles to form a smile may make you physically feel better. In my work as a Laughter Leader, people have told me they feel better, they feel more natural, and they notice a difference when they smile.

This article first appeared in the Winter/Spring 2009 issue of Walden Alumni Magazine. Listen to Dr. Schwartz's alumni lecture presentation, "The Use of Humor in Coping with Breast Cancer: the Laughter Prescription."

Beyond the Degree: Madeline Frank, Ph.D. in Administration/Management

Some may wonder why a concert violist would need a Ph.D. in Administration/Management, but for Madeline Frank, the two are a harmonious pair. Both have informed her career teaching children and adults how to overcome obstacles—from learning disabilities to social inhibitions—through music. Both have helped her hone her ideas about human intellectual and social development. And both have inspired her to put the breadth of her knowledge down on paper and publish her ideas in book form.

Frank, now 54, was born in Long Island, N.Y., and grew up in Newport News, Va. As a child, it was only after she began to study violin at age 8 that she developed a passion for reading—about the torrid lives of classical composers. She received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the acclaimed Juilliard School in Manhattan and performed as a concert violist throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

All the while, Frank was helping to manage a family-owned construction business. Seeking to become a more effective manager, as well as to enhance her base of knowledge as a teacher, she decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Administration/Management (now Applied Management and Decision Sciences) from Walden University, where she enrolled in 1991. “I realized that here in America, with so many children failing at school and dropping out, we were losing a base of workers. I wanted to do something about that, to help kids stay in school and succeed,” she says. “I talked with my former professor at Juilliard, William Lincer, who encouraged me to go into business. He felt I had an open, inquisitive mind and knew what I was trying to do.”

With two young children and tour dates to juggle, Frank says Walden was the perfect choice of university. “Walden is all about creating positive social change, and that resonated with me completely.” Frank felt that she had discovered a scientific link between studying (and listening to) musical instruments and academic and social success.      

Her work at Walden taught her how to become an effective researcher and manager, as well as how to assess situations and envision possibilities for change. She discovered that, as a result, she had become a better and more multidimensional teacher. “Because of my new management skills, I was a more organized thinker,” she says. “I had new markers for how to bring about change for students. Without Walden, I wouldn’t have been able to advance my ideas.”

Frank has now been an educator for more than 25 years, helping countless adults and children overcome neurological, physical, and emotional difficulties through music. One 15-year-old girl was performing poorly in high school. Frank taught her to play scales, pieces, and etudes on the cello. After three months of musical studies, she was on the honor roll. “I helped her to think in a more organized fashion,” says Frank.  

Another student of hers, a 6-year-old boy, was failing out of the first grade. “He couldn’t read, he couldn’t write, he couldn’t do the work,” says Frank. “His mother thought there was a problem. But there wasn’t a problem. I just had to get the light bulb to flip on.” Frank taught the boy the violin, turning the instructions into a game. Each week, as the boy progressed with his musical studies, his reading skills improved. Over a period of months, Frank says, he began to excel academically.  

Frank has published two books, The Secret of Teaching Science & Math Through Music and Musical Notes on Math, techniques which explore her teaching philosophy and techniques as well as the links between mathematics and music.

She continues to run her family-owned construction and management business, based in Newport News, where she lives. And she continues to perform worldwide—having conducted the concert for the 400th anniversary of Bermuda, in February.

While Frank has been lauded as an educator—she is the winner of the Parent-to-Parent Adding Wisdom Award—she says her Walden coursework on business continues to enhance her teaching career. She is particularly grateful to her mentors, Dr. Aqueil Ahmad and the late Dr. Marty Gerstein, “two bright, thoughtful men who encouraged me to explore new possibilities,” she says. “Thanks to them and to Walden, I now know what questions to ask.”

Click here to view Dr. Frank's alumni lectures, "Ten Creative Ways to Inspire Students and Curb Teachers’ Burnout" and "Nine Management Secrets to Inspire Clients and Curb Health Care Professionals’ Burnout."

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Walden presents: Is a Doctorate Right for You?

You are invited to join us for Walden University's upcoming online Walden Forum on Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. Pacific time. The topic, “Is a Doctorate Right for You?” will be presented by Dr. Terry O'Banion, author and faculty member of Walden’s Community College Leadership Program. 

This forum is designed for professionals who want to explore new career opportunities in the community college field, as well as those already in this exciting area who would like to grow beyond their current roles. Dr. O’Banion will discuss community college leadership and Walden's degree programs for community college professionals, including the

Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Community College Leadership

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) with a specialization in Higher Education and Adult Learning

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

You will also have to opportunity to speak with Dr. O’Banion, Walden alumnus Dr. Laura Weidner of Anne Arundel Community College, and Walden representatives to discuss your degree options and gain a better understanding of the time commitment involved in earning your degree online. 

Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited, so register today. After you register, please review the technology requirements for the phone and Web interface used for the Walden Forum. We look forward to your participation on Tuesday, July 14th, at 7 p.m. Pacific.

About the Speaker
Dr. O’Banion was president of the League for Innovation in the Community College for more than 20 years and was named president emeritus in 1999. He has written 135 articles and 12 books on community colleges, including A Learning College for the 21st Century. He has consulted for more than 800 community colleges in the United States and Canada, and is one of the nation’s leading experts on the Learning College educational model. He has been honored by the National Institute for Leadership Development, the American Association of Community Colleges, and the College Board. He received an honorary doctor of humane letters from Walden in 2005.

Closer With Distance: How Online Training Can Bring Employees Together

by Ivonne Chirino-Klevans, Ph.D., Program Director, International Programs, Walden University

Cost-cutting, leaner organizations--these are familiar phrases these days. As budgets shrink, training and development are among the first areas to feel the pinch. Organizations are trimming travel and lodging costs used to send employees on week-long seminars. Yet training plays a strategic role because of its impact on performance improvement and organizational effectiveness; in response, organizations are looking to online training to keep developing the "just-in-time" skills and competencies crucial to keeping a competitive edge in a changing world.

Over the past decade, many universities and training providers have ventured into online programs, spinning off executive as well as continuing education programs (Taylor, 2001). Not all of them, however, have created effective learning environments where their adult learners can fully benefit from the online experience.

Many online training programs have been built without considering crucial social dimensions of the online teaching/learning process. Incorporating these dimensions, using principles of communication and creation of learning communities, helps create an effective learning space for participants. A sense of connectedness is among the most important of these principles.

From The Individual To The Community
Research shows that effective online training environments focus on creating communities of learning (DiRamio, 2005). That is, a place where participants feel they have something to offer, and where they know their point of view and expertise is valued; this in turn leads to personal involvement. Experiencing a sense of belonging has been strongly correlated with the motivation to complete an academic course (Hagerty and Patusky, 1995). Therefore online providers must instill that sense of belonging as the individual is sitting alone in front of a computer.

A few ways online training can reinforce a sense of connectedness:

• Provide assignments that promote sharing participants' expertise on the topic and theory under discussion. The information covered must provide a tool for practical problem-solving. Moreover, it is very important that adult learners be able to integrate what is learned in the online classroom with their own experiences, providing the opportunity of sharing those experiences with others. For example, in an international business course, a student in Asia can bring her unique expertise on doing business in that region to bear, while a student in South America can speak with authority about specifics in his geographic area. This chance to share expertise within the online environment reinforces a sense of belonging.

• Offer opportunities for informal networking. Some online courses provide an environment within the classroom where informal conversations happen; just like in a university cafeteria, students in this "virtual café" can talk about their personal interests, hobbies, vacation plans, etc. It is also important to provide participants the opportunity to talk about their professional plans and goals: Research shows that online informal environments help create trust, which is crucial to teamwork.

• Put a face to a name. Posting photos of faculty in the online classroom creates a sense of presence and familiarity for students. Students also should have the option of posting their photo. Putting a face to a name helps form a better sense of awareness and connectedness between students and faculty as well as among students.

Technology has made it possible to keep training as part of the strategy implementation through online learning environments, in a more cost-effective manner. Next time you think of bringing people together, consider using a virtual environment. It has virtually endless possibilities.

References:
DiRamio, D. (2005). Assessment: Measuring online community (interview by R. Kelly, ed.) Online Cl@ssroom (newsletter), June, pp. 2–3. http://www.magnapubs.com/issues/magnapubs_oc/
Hagerty, B.M.K. and Patusky, K. (1995). Developing a measure of sense of belonging. Nursing Research, 44(1), 9–13. nursingresearchonline.
Taylor, M. (2001). Unplanned Obsolescence and the New Network Culture. Chronicle of Higher Education. 48, 16.

Walden Magazine: Show Me How to Do Your Dance

Growing up in the early 1960s, Pennie Murray, M.S. ’04, PH.D. in Psychology candidate (2011) was taught to accept that she would be treated unjustly throughout her life. It was her mother’s way of preparing Murray for the real world and teaching her to weather the storm of stereotypes she would face as a black woman. But Murray refused to fall victim to such a notion and resolved to help change these beliefs. “When you are socialized to accept discrimination as a way of life rather than fair treatment, you began to expect it, and your ability to achieve is diminished,” notes Murray. As a corporate trainer, Murray has found that to reach the highest levels of achievement, many individuals must battle racial, gender, socioeconomic, or religious stereotypes. Here, she offers ways to overcome stereotypes and avoid treating others with bias.
 
Recognize That Stereotypes and Stigmas Weaken Everyone Involved. Stereotypes cripple progress. They eliminate or diminish the contributions of the victims and limit the perspectives of those who stereotype. Learn a lesson from your children or grandchildren about how they naturally embrace diversity in their lives with friends of many colors and backgrounds. They clearly understand our future.

Explore Your Unconscious Fears. Fears of equality may be driven by our perceptions of personal loss or the “scarcity mentality.” We saw evidence of this in the recent presidential election. Since we have never been under the leadership of a black man before, many white people believed if a black man were elected president, they would be losing their status in this country. There is an old African proverb: “Many of us would rather live in a familiar hell than go to unknown heavens.” We cannot let our fear of the unknown paralyze us as individuals or as a society.

Identify Your Emotional Attachment. When you experience a threat to your identity, such as stereotyping, your first response is emotional defensiveness, which makes others defensive as well. We have to ask ourselves, “Why does this person or this situation make me feel this way?” We have to take responsibility for our own emotions.

Use Acts of Ignorance as Springboards for Learning. Every day we see occurrences of unfair treatment. These occurrences can be used as teachable moments for ourselves, our families, and even for those who are perpetuating the stereotype. I recall standing in line at an airport and a group of older white men stepped in front of me as though I wasn’t there. When acts of human disrespect happen, you have to make it your responsibility to shed the weight of it being discrimination and make it a teaching opportunity. In my case, I simply said, “Excuse me, I was in line. Now if you’d like to ask me if you can move up, that would be fine.”

Create a Collaborative Environment. Whenever possible, create opportunities in which you can truly engage and interact with other people and celebrate your common beliefs. Our response to recent disasters like Hurricane Ike and Katrina demonstrates how we are all genuinely concerned about one another and how we all want to make a difference in this world. When cultural differences do arise, embrace them. Learn about others’ beliefs and traditions or, as I like to say, “Show me how to do your dance.”

Demonstrate Uncensored Forgiveness. This is a reciprocal act. You have to forgive yourself for allowing someone else’s actions or opinions of you to dictate how you feel about yourself, and the other person must forgive themselves for participating in the discrimination. For instance, as a black person, I must forgive my culture and our society for inappropriate actions during certain periods of time. As a white person, you must ask forgiveness for the actions of your ancestors and then forgive yourself for possibly perpetuating such acts. This is what I call uncensored forgiveness. It’s hard work, but if we could all engage in this type of thinking, our possibilities would be boundless. We could achieve the impossible—we could actually create a new world. —Nancy Grund

Watch an Alumni Lecture Series roundtable discussion with Pennie Murray on “African American Success: Reaching Your Academic Goals” and sign up for Murray’s monthly newsletter.

This article is taken from Walden Alumni Magazine.

Walden Career Lecture Series: How to Get a Job Teaching Online

Please join us for an encore presentation of Walden University’s online Career Lecture Series on Tuesday, June 30, at 7 p.m. Eastern time (6 p.m. Central time, 5 p.m. Mountain time, and 4 p.m. Pacific time). The topic, "How to Get a Job Teaching Online," is presented by Dr. Marilyn Simon, a Walden graduate and faculty member. This online forum will discuss online teaching opportunities and how to better position yourself to land such jobs.

Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited, so register today! After you register, please review the technology requirements for the Web interface used for the Career Lecture Series.

This event is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations and the Career Services Center.

About the Speaker

Dr. Marilyn Simon earned her Ph.D. in Education at Walden University and has been a faculty member in The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, since 1990. She received the 2001 Walden University Extraordinary Faculty Award, which recognizes outstanding Walden faculty members who exemplify the university's core values of quality, integrity, and student-centeredness.

Walden Alumni Lecture Series - Who’s Sorry Now: Public Apologies

Please join us for the latest session of Walden University’s online Alumni Lecture Series on Tuesday, June 23, at 2 p.m. Eastern time (1 p.m. Central time, noon Mountain time, and 11 a.m. Pacific time in most areas).

The topic, "Who’s Sorry Now: Public Apologies," will be presented by Dr. Barbara Benoliel, a professional mediator and Walden graduate.

Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited, so register today!  After you register, please review the technology requirements for the Web interface used for the Alumni Lecture Series.

This event is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations.

About the Speaker

Dr. Barbara Benoliel is a professional mediator and facilitator specializing in conflict system design and the use of restorative justice (victim/offender mediation) in civil and criminal cases. She is president of Preferred Solutions, a dispute resolution company in Toronto, and the director of facilitator training for PACT, a Toronto nonprofit youth services program. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Services with a specialization in Criminal Justice from Walden University in 2007. She also holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Toronto and a master's degree in organizational behavior from the University of Tel Aviv, Israel.

Alumni Lecture Series: The Impact of Cultural Differences on Learning and Teaching

Please join us for the latest session of Walden University’s online Alumni Lecture Series on Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. Eastern. The topic, "The Impact of Cultural Differences on Learning and Teaching and What That Means for e-Learning," will be presented by Dr. Andrea Edmundson, an author and Walden doctoral graduate.

As e-learning proliferates in an increasingly globalized world, members of this expanding group of learners are more likely to encounter courses created in another culture. However, students are more likely succeed if those courses align with their culturally influenced preferences for learning and teaching. In this session, Edmundson will guide participants through the Cultural Adaptation Process (CAP) Model, a process for researching, analyzing, and testing these differences, and adapting courses to the needs and preferences of learners in different cultures.

Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited, so register today!  After you register, please review the technology requirements for the Web interface used for the Alumni Lecture Series. This event is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations.

Dr. Andrea Edmundson
Certified Professional in Learning and Performance and e-learning specialist, is the CEO of eWorld Learning, Inc., which is dedicated to the design and implementation of culturally accessible e-learning, allowing learners from diverse countries and cultures to achieve equitable learning outcomes. She earned her Ph.D. in Education from Walden University in 2004. She is the editor of Globalized E-Learning Cultural Challenges and founded the Global eLearning Community, an online professional association for international educators. She has worked extensively with international e-learning developers and multicultural virtual teams. Her experience working in more than 30 countries, including as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire, has given her unique insight into different perspectives engendered by cultural differences. Edmundson has created and coordinated the e-learning curricula for several multinational corporations, and has presented hundreds of classroom and online training programs. She served as president of the board of directors of the American Society for Training and Development, Greater Tucson (Ariz.) chapter, for three years and currently teaches graduate courses in distance learning for several online universities. Her ultimate mission is to contribute to socioeconomic development through culturally aligned e-learning.

Walden Social Impact Speakers Series: Women & IT

To support Walden’s mission of social change, the College of Management and Technology Social Impact Speakers Series offers you the opportunity to learn from industry and thought leaders in corporate social responsibility. The online series provides knowledge and insight to business professionals, students and academics around the world.

In February Claudia Morrell, chief executive officer of Multinational Development of Women in Technology, presented “Economic Development Opportunities for Women: A Discussion About the Various Opportunities for Women in Technology.”

Click here to view the presentation.

Career Lecture Series: How to Get a Job Teaching Online

Please join us for the latest session of Walden University’s online Career Lecture Series on Thursday, May 21, at 2 p.m. Eastern.

The topic, so timely in light of the economy, "How to Get a Job Teaching Online," will be presented by Dr. Marilyn Simon, a Walden graduate and lecturer. This online forum will feature information about online teaching opportunities and how to better position yourself to land such jobs.

Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited, so register today! After you register, please review the technology requirements for the Web interface used for the Career Lecture Series. This event is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations and the Career Services Center.

About the Speaker

Dr. Marilyn Simon earned her Ph.D. in Education at Walden University and has been a faculty member in the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership since 1990. She was awarded the 2001 Walden University Extraordinary Faculty Award, which recognizes outstanding Walden faculty members who exemplify the university's core values of quality, integrity, and student-centeredness.

Walden & Aspen Institute partner to present "Business and Society: A Web Conference Series"

As part of a shared commitment to developing leaders for a sustainable global society, Walden University’s College of Management and Technology and the Aspen Institute’s Center for Business Education (CBE), have joined together to present a series of free webinars, Business and Society: A Web Conference Series. These online forums will feature leaders from top corporations, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations, discussing practical approaches for bringing about positive social change.

“Walden is proud to partner with the Aspen Institute to host prominent speakers who will share their expertise on numerous issues impacting business today, including corporate social responsibility, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. The broad access to new ideas and information provided by this webinar series will help inform and prepare new leaders of sustainable organizations and communities,” said Dr. Ahmed Naumaan, associate dean of the NTU School of Engineering and Applied Science at Walden University and host of the first webinar in the series.

”We’re pleased to partner with Walden University to bring to the forefront business and societal issues as well as the innovative ideas that these speakers have to offer to a new audience,” said Rich Leimsider, director of the Aspen Institute’s Center for Business Education.

The webinar series premieres on Tuesday, May 19, at noon Eastern time with “Corporate Social Responsibility and the Information Technology Sector,” featuring the following guest speakers:

• Dan Bross, senior director of corporate citizenship at Microsoft, is part of the company’s corporate citizenship effort that incorporates Microsoft’s business investments with the goal of significantly broadening the reach of technology in underserved communities.
• Michael D. Gordon, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Business Information Technology at the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan, researches the relationship between information technology and social responsibility.

Click here to register.

Walden Faculty Lecture: R&D Projects

Computers, cellular phones, gaming systems, and digital TV boxes...even microwaves, digital clocks, and washers and dryers...the core of these devices is the integrated circuit. Since the invention of integrated circuits in the late 1950's, a continuing trend of exponential advances in integrated circuit capabilities has fostered the digital revolution. Maintaining such a trend and continuing to support such advances is a major engineering research and development challenge.

On Tuesday, May 12th at 12:00 p.m. Eastern, Walden NTU School of Engineering and Technology faculty member Lisa Ward and special guests Brian Ward, senior engineer for Synopsys Technologies, and Bhanu Kapoor, owner of and consultant for Miasmic, will share their work at the forefront of this research and development. Mr. Ward will focus on novel lithographic patterning techniques and models for VLSI (very large scale integrated circuits) manufacturing in the deep-sub-micron regime. Dr. Kapoor will discuss chip design and verification of low power VLSI devices.

Click here to register.

About Dr. Kapoor
Dr. Bhanu Kapoor is a consultant and owner at Mimasic, a consulting services company in the area of low power chip design and verification. He has played leading technology development roles in EDA startups ArchPro (now Synopsys), Atrenta, and Verisity (now Cadence). He started his career with Texas Instruments where he played various technical roles (1987-99) at TI's R&D labs. He has helped set-up university technical advisory boards and played leading roles in joint industry and university research. Bhanu graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur in 1987 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He has received M.S. (1990) and Ph.D. (1994) degrees in Computer Science from SMU, Dallas. He has over 30 publications and 5 issued patents. He is a part-time EE/CS faculty at the Walden University and at SMU, Dallas. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and the ACM.

About Brian Ward
Brian Ward received his BSEE and MSE degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000 and 2002, respectively, specializing in solid-state devices and applied electromagnetics. During and after college, Mr. Ward worked for TestChip technologies, then HPL via acquisition, on electrical test structures and methodologies for semiconductor process characterization. When HPL was acquired by Synopsys, Mr. Ward joined the Synopsys optical proximity correction (OPC) Modeling Team and served as the Synopsys Assignee to IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, working on OPC considerations for advanced lithography processes, including double patterning and EUV. Mr. Ward is currently based in Austin, Texas, continuing work on advanced OPC modeling and metrology applications for Synopsys.

Tuesday, May 12 at 12 p.m. noon Eastern

Walden honors nurses during National Nurses Week

Walden University’s School of Nursing is celebrating Nurses Appreciation Week (May 6–12, 2009).

Join us for live online events featuring Dr. Peter Buerhaus and Dr. Geraldine Bednash on May 7 and May 12 respectively. Share your story of a nurse going above and beyond in service to their community or organization during challenging cirmcumstances at Honor Nurses.

Walden presents: A Public Health Crisis – Swine Flu

Walden University's School of Health Sciences presents A Public Health Crisis - Swine Flu on  Wednesday May 6, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. Faculty members, Angela Witt Prehn, PhD and Nancy K. Rea, PhD, MHSA will offer timely and valuable  information, as well as insights gained from personal experiences with pandemics and the role of public health officials at the epicenter of this current crisis.

Click here to register for this free presentation.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from public health experts on this urgent health issue.

Walden presents: The Future of Communications

Walden University’s College of Management and Technology will present The Future of Communications, an online discussion about the importance of communications in today’s world of public relations, corporate communications and Web 2.0, featuring several experienced leaders in these fields, on Wednesday, May 6, at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Click here to register for this free presentation.

“Walden is delighted to present this online event focusing on the skills required to succeed in today's business environment, on both the corporate and agency sides. The role of communication is highly underestimated in terms of the influence it has in business, and our experts will bring this to light during their discussion. Our expert guests will also delve into new skills essential for future success—including effective use of Web 2.0, blogs and social networking—and present examples of successful PR and corporate communications efforts,” said Dr. Wanda Gravett, associate dean of Walden’s School of Management.

The Future of Communications panelists:

Courtney M. Barnes, co-founder and principal member of Think Communications, a strategic communications advisory company that helps organizational leaders establish and enhance their executive voice and digital influence. Most recently, she coauthored Digital Strategies for Powerful Corporate Communications, a strategic guide to help business leaders leverage digital platforms to enhance their brands, reputations and bottom lines. Barnes is also the editor of PR News Blog, where she manages editorial content and writes on corporate communications and public relations, with particular expertise in digital communications, integration and leadership/management issues.

Mike McDougall, APR, vice president of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for Bausch & Lomb, is responsible for leading the company’s outreach to business, financial and health care media; employee communications; government and community relations; and corporate philanthropy. He has held global PR leadership roles with Kodak and counseled over 50 organizations during his agency tenure. A frequent industry speaker, McDougall has been honored for his innovative programs with multiple Silver Anvils and awards from PRWeek and PR News.  

Irene Monley, ABC, is responsible for global human resources communications at Tyco Electronics, a leading global provider of engineered electronic components, network solutions, undersea telecommunication systems and wireless systems, with fiscal 2008 sales of $14.8 billion to customers in more than 150 countries. She is also chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation, an affiliate of the IABC. IABC is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic communication. It serves almost 16,000 members in members in more than 80 countries and 100 chapters.

Dr. Henry Brashen (host) is the founder of Clear and Effective Communications, a full-service firm that provides leading organizations with hands-on service and support to maximize productivity and morale by enhancing internal and external communications. A respected expert in research, design, methodology, facilitation, training and coaching, Brashen focuses on listening, coaching, performance management and male/female communication, leadership, the performance appraisal process, conflict resolution, negotiation and train-the-trainer. Dr. Brashen has been key in the development of curriculum in the academic discipline of communications.

Click here to register for this free presentation.

Alumni Lecture Series - 9 Management Secrets to Inspire Clients

Join us for the latest session of Walden University’s online Alumni Lecture Series Tuesday, April 14, at 2 p.m. Eastern.

The topic, "9 Management Secrets to Inspire Clients and Curb Health Care Professionals’ Burnout," will be presented by Dr. Madeline Frank, an author and Walden doctoral graduate.

Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited, so register today! After you register, please review the technology requirements for the Web interface used for the Alumni Lecture Series.

This event is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations.

About the Speaker

Dr. Madeline Frank, who earned a Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Sciences from Walden in 1994, is an author, college professor, researcher, speaker, musician, parent, and business owner. She is the author of The Secret of Teaching Science and Math through Music and the winner of a Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award for Musical Notes on Math, a workbook that teaches children math through music. She writes a monthly online newsletter and has a One Minute Musical Radio Show, where she shares her passion for classical music and learning.

Walden Professional Development: So, Who’s in Your Network?

April 5-11, 2009 is National Explore Your Career Options Week. The top way to explore your career options, beyond researching online and other print resources, is through networking. Therefore, the Office of Career Services is providing a series of guest posts each day this week with information on this essential career development strategy.

Often networking is something we consider only when we’re in job search mode. However, it’s not just something that happens at professional association meetings and cocktail parties where we hand out our business cards. Networking can happen anywhere and anytime and it’s a great way to explore and expand your career options. 

I’ve heard of people getting jobs through a player on their softball team, a new contact made on LinkedIn, and a coworker in another office who happened to notice their strong work ethic and positive personality. Networking contacts are made all the time at Walden events, academic residencies, and in online classrooms.

So, who’s in your network?
An instant way to add more than 650 new contacts to your network is to join Walden University’s LinkedIn group. Go to LinkedIn and search under “Groups” for Walden University. You can create a profile and have instant access to emailing a whole cadre of Walden University faculty, students and staff. You can also post a question to the group, such as asking if there are any students in your academic program who might be interested in meeting at the next residency. Additionally, you may use the “Groups” function to find alumni groups and professional associations to further build your network.

Watch the recent webinar, Leveraging Social Networking Tools,for more information on this subject.

In our next post, we’ll discuss elevator speeches, a key tool in networking.

Lisa Cook, director of Career Services for Walden University, has more than 13 years of career development experience in higher education, the private sector, and federal and state government. She holds a law degree, a master’s degree in counseling and development, and a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies. She has served as director of career services at three higher education institutions, delivered career counseling and training at the U.S. Department of Labor, and managed two intern programs at the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Walden Webinar: 10 Creative Ways to Inspire Students and Curb Teachers’ Burnout

Join us for the latest session of Walden University’s online Alumni Lecture Series on Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m. EDT.

The topic, “Ten Creative Ways to Inspire Students and Curb Teachers’ Burnout,” will be presented by Dr. Madeline Frank, an author and Walden doctoral graduate.

Reservations are on a first-come, first-served, and space is limited, so register today. After you register, please review the technology requirements for the Web interface used for the Alumni Lecture Series.

This event is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations.

About the Speaker
Dr. Madeline Frank, who earned a Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Sciences from Walden in 1994, is an author, college professor, researcher, speaker, musician, parent, and business owner. She is the author of The Secret of Teaching Science and Math through Music and a winner of the Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award for Musical Notes on Math, a workbook that teaches children math through music. She writes a monthly online newsletter and has a One Minute Musical Radio Show, where she shares her passion for classical music and learning.