News

• RMU is the newest university partner in the Optimum CareerPath™ apprenticeship program for information technology careers in healthcare. Operated by Optimum Healthcare IT, a staffing and consulting services company, the program creates career pathways between college students and the healthcare industry. RMU is the fifth university in the country to become a Optimum CareerPath university partner, joining UT San Antonio, the University of North Florida, the University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Rhode Island. Read more here.

• Monica VanDieren, university professor of mathematics, presented the Fair Use Card Game at the UK-based International Copyright-Literacy Event with Playful Opportunities for Practitioners and Scholars (ICEPOPS) Conference on June 25.  VanDieren represented the RMU team of faculty and librarians who developed this game. This team includes Andrew Ames, Christopher Devine, David Bennett, Jackie Klentzin, and Chad Wertley. In addition, she give a presentation titled "Integrating interactive graphical tools & video in WeBWorK problems: CalcPlot3D and GeoGebra" at the Israel-based 19th Annual MEITAL National On-line Conference “Teaching and Learning Technologies Accelerating Higher Education: Trends and Developments” on June 30. 

• Tim Jones, director of the Academic Media Center, and Andrew Ames, associate professor of media arts, have received a $3,244 grant from the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Educators Forum grant program for their project titled "Best Practices for Inclusive and Accessible Learning in an Interdisciplinary Animation Lab”. In this project Jones and Ames will identify key animation technologies and workflows in the Stop-motion and Projection Mapping labs.

• The RMU Men’s and Women’s Bowling Team had 10 student-athletes named 2021 Collegiate Scholar Athlete by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA). To be considered, a student-athlete must have competed in national or regional tournaments and have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher. Earning accolades for the Colonials were graduate student Dana Horn, senior Brendan Flanagan, junior Bradley Daniels, sophomores Danielle Long and Colin Flanagan, and freshmen Nolan Croushore, Anthony Damone, Jake Hall, Matthew Hanson, and Alexander Smith.

• RMU men’s lacrosse players Jimmy Perkins and Shaun Vines, who both graduated in May, were honored for their work in the classroom by being named United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Scholar All-Americans, as announced by the organization last week. To be considered for USILA Scholar All-America plaudits, a student-athlete must have senior or graduate student academic standing, a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, and be nominated by his head coach. Perkins and Vines’ recognition mark the third consecutive season that RMU has placed two players on the USILA Scholar All-America team. Read more here.

• A total of 82 RMU student-athletes across 10 sports were named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll for the 2021 spring semester Friday. To be eligible for the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must participate in at least one of the league's 19 sports during the most recent (or current) season, have completed three semesters (or four quarters where applicable) and own a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 on a 4.00 scale. Leading the Colonials was the cross country and track & field programs, which placed 15 student-athletes on the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll. The RMU men's soccer team had 13 student-athletes earn a spot on the honor roll, followed by women's basketball and volleyball (12 each), softball and women's basketball (10 each), men's golf (8) and men's basketball (2). Read more here.

Personal Mention

• RMU Associate Athletic Director for Development TJ Brown has been selected to attend TopConnect AD, a leadership symposium for aspiring NCAA Division I athletic directors. It marks the second consecutive year a member of the RMU staff within the athletic department has been chosen to attend the symposium, joining Deputy Director of Athletics Chelsea Blakely, who attended in 2020. The second annual symposium hosted by TopConnect, a subsidiary of Connected Media, LLC, is headlined by Jeremy Foley, Athletics Director Emeritus at the University of Florida. Read more here.

Editor's Note -- Remember that the Minuteman is now on its summer publication schedule, and will updated every other week until the start of the fall semester.