Rev. Frank Coady

Janet McCann, ASC

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Rev. Frank Coady and Janet McCann, ASC have joined the Newman University Board of Trustees, effective Feb. 22, 2013.

Coady is a pastor at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Salina, Kan., and a director in the Office of Liturgy, the Office of Deacons, and Lay Ministry Formation at the Diocese of Salina. He received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Conn., and an S.T.L. degree in fundamental theology and an S.T.D. degree in dogmatic theology, both from Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

McCann is a U.S. Region Councilor at the ASC U.S. Region Mission Center in St. Louis, Mo. She previously served for several years as the principal of Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in East St. Louis. McCann received her bachelor’s degree in education from St. Louis University and her master’s degree in curriculum/instruction from Xavier University in New Orleans, La.

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Donald Bittner, M.D. ’77

Captain Donald Bittner, M.D. ’77 was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa during the Spring 2013 Commencement, May 11, 2013. Bittner was recognized as an outstanding example of the university’s Core Value of Global Perspective.

Bittner is a board certified orthopedic surgeon and is considered one of Southern California’s most respected specialists in reconstructive and microvascular surgery of the hand, wrist and elbow. Bittner, who has a long history of service in the U.S. Naval Reserves, volunteered for active duty when he learned of the Navy’s need for surgeons in Afghanistan and other war zones. As chief medical officer of a large medical battalion of commercial builders in Afghanistan, he performed surgery 10 to 12 hours per day on U.S. soldiers, prisoners and civilians, then traveled by helicopter to monitor crews under his watch throughout the country. Bittner flew a U.S. flag over Kandahar in honor of Newman University. He presented the flag to Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. and the Newman community in 2011, when he received the Spirit of Acuto Transformational Leadership Award.

Bittner recently served as a deputy director at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. He is currently deputy surgeon for the 6th Fleet, U.S. Navy and lives in California. He practices orthopedic surgery, and is associate professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand at the University of California at Irvine.

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Newman University has joined the fast-growing world of mobile technology by creating a new app designed to help prospective students. The free “NU Checklist” app offers a quick and simple way for interested students, as well as their parents, to navigate the university’s application and enrollment process.
Newman is one of the few universities with an app checklist tailored toward the admissions process. The primary app function is to provide a detailed enrollment checklist for high school graduates and transfer students, as well as graduate students. The app also provides mobile access to the university’s online application form.

Bonus “extras” on the app include quick links to the university directory, athletics mobile site, academic programs and outreach locations, as well as the university’s social media channels.

The app was initiated by Newman Director of Communications Kelly Snedden, whose oldest son was going through the application process at another school at the time.

“I remember thinking in my car on the way home, ‘I wish I just had a checklist,’” Snedden said. “That’s when I thought, ‘I wish it was just on my phone.’”

Snedden took the idea to work and the concept of a Newman University Checklist app was born. Newman’s University Relations Department hired Newman senior Sal Niro, an Information Technology major from New York, to assist in the development of the project. Niro took the programming lead on the project and worked closely with University Relations staff for eight months.

“We were so blessed to have Sal join us on this project,” Snedden said. “He did a phenomenal job and I commend him for his hours of research and steady work to figure things out, which resulted in our app being available in the Apple Store.

“The NU Checklist App is something that college parents and potential students will find helpful because it has the deadlines included,” Snedden added. “It walks you through the process, and you don’t have to sit and wonder what to do next; it tells you what you need to do. This will hopefully take a lot of the work and anxiety out of the whole application and enrollment process.”

According to Niro, there were both ups and downs with the project.

“There were many high points throughout the development lifecycle,” Niro said. “Some of the highest points did not directly involve the coding in the app, but rather preparing the data from the university’s database to be referenced in the app. This was a great challenge in itself. There were many knots to be untied on our end. With the help of my professor, (Director of Academic Computing and Associate Professor of IT) Windell Hambrick, we were able to collaborate and find the best-fit solution together, which was a great learning experience to see how technologies that are sometimes considered opposite of each other (Windows and Apple) can be integrated together to produce a product.”

In addition Niro said, there were also low points, including when the first version of the app was rejected by Apple.

“There were various reasons for this, but in retrospect I am glad it had been (rejected),” Niro said, “because upon the second revision, many new features were included, efficiency requirements were closely modified, and all around a better product resulted, which was approved.”

The app currently is only for the iPhone and iPad and works best on the Apple iPhone 4 and 5. The app can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store or by scanning a QR code on various Newman University advertisements and materials. Availability for the Android is underway with the assistance of another Information Technology student considering Niro’s impending May graduation.

For more information on the NU Checklist app contact Snedden at 316-942-4291, ext. 2164, or email, sneddenK@newmanu.edu.

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Following up on the success of the first “Senior University” in June 2012, the Newman University School of Social Work is again joining The Aging and Wellness Coalition of Sedgwick County to offer the educational event June 11-13, 2013 on the Newman campus.

Senior University is based on nationwide models, and offers three-day workshops on a variety of subjects to seniors. Last year’s event drew 45 people, many of whom said they would return this year with friends, according to Newman Associate Professor of Social Work and co-chair of the event Sue Gardner, Ph.D.

“This program offered some wonderful classes last year and we were able to get some great speakers,” Gardner said. “This year we have another exciting schedule and we expect to receive up to 100 students, which is where we must cap the registration numbers.”

Gardner said this year’s classes will include topics such as Oil Fracking, Origami, Egyptology and Zumba. Senior University will also offer three animal programs from the Great Plains Nature Center, Tanganyika Wildlife Park, and the Sedgwick County Zoo, as well as wine tasting and book presentations. For complete information on classes and instructors, visit www.cpaaa.org.

Registration is now underway through June 3 for adults 55 and over. The registration cost is $65. Group discounts are also available. Register online at www.cpaaa.org or by calling 316-264-4066, ext. 5591, or 316-942-4291, ext. 2183.

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