Faculty Pursuits: Week of Aug. 4, 2025

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Matthew Kennedy composition premiere in China 8-25
Josh Heaney solos on Matthew's composition, Ripple.

Dr. Matthew Kennedy (Music Composition and Theory) has had his composition titled Ripple (2023) performed by the Harbin Conservatory Wind Ensemble featuring soloist and former SMT faculty Joshua Heaney at the 20th World Saxophone Congress at the Harbin Grand Theatre in Harbin, China. Only a dozen or so international soloists were selected for performance on this conference, and Matthew’s piece was one of two written by an American composer.

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Former ’Berg biology faculty member Dr. Kylee Spencer, who is now teaching AP chemistry and biology at Oak Harbor High School, and Dr. Bryan Smith (Chemistry) were selected to participate in the American Association of Chemistry Teachers/American Chemical Society (AACT/ACS) Science Coaches Program. AACT pairs volunteer chemists with elementary, middle or high school teachers, who partner to bring chemistry to life through engaging projects and hands-on activities. 

They had their first meeting the week of July 28 and have identified several goals for the year. 

Julie book

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Dr. Julie O'Reilly (Communication and Gender Studies) co-edited a volume on the representation of neurodiversity on television. Julie collaborated on the book with Dr. Curt Hersey, Associate Professor & Chair of the Department of Communication at Berry College. The volume, Making Thought Visible: Essays on Neurodiversity on Television, was published by McFarland and released in July.

 

Latest News & Announcements

Announcements

The first deadline for grants from the Pepsi Fund and the Martha and Ernest Hammel Student Research Fund to support student research and/or travel to professional conferences is October 1, 2025.

Stoner Health Center will host two upcoming Flu Shot Clinics.

The School of Music & Theatre will be holding auditions and interviews for production positio

The bookstore has several unclaimed packages in need of retrieving.

The Pepsi and Hammel Research Funds Application for 2025-2026 is now open and accepting submissio

The yearbook staff is organizing for another school year and another volume of the Aurora.