Our Eastern University 2014 Teacher of the Year, Dr. Patricia Reger, has been named the dean of the College of Health and Social Sciences. Due to reorganization within the school, Reger was initially named interim dean of the program in 2016. However, on March 20, 2017 it was announced that she will become the dean of the college, effective July 1.

      Reger is in her 16th year of teaching and has been at Eastern since 2006. Prior to working at Eastern, she taught at Temple University, where she graduated with a M.S. in Orthopedic Physical Therapy and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology.

      Reger proudly shares her plans with me for the upcoming school year, explaining ways in which she can improve an already distinct and strong program. Reger says the first step on her list is to “ensure academic excellence and an optimal student experience by offering programs that prepare our students to be effective Christian leaders in their discipline.” By reviewing the programs offered within Eastern’s College of Health and Social Sciences, she hopes to bolster an already strong assortment of classes.

      Her second and perhaps most important goal is to “create external partnerships and relationships that will not only enhance the undergraduate and graduate educational experience but also increase research opportunities, strengthen our resources and advance our culture of social justice.” These outside relationships between students, faculty and other intellectuals are the building blocks for creating strong learning networks. Reger plans to build these networks within her program to ensure success of students beyond graduation. Another method to ensure student success is to “nurture an environment of commitment, community and engagement for faculty, staff and students.”

      While Reger works tirelessly to improve the already-great College of Health and Social Sciences, she also hopes to continue teaching at least one class per semester, “as long as the folks in kinesiology let me.” Reger has previously taught in both exercise science and athletic training programs for the university and is set to teach exercise physiology in the coming fall semester to students of both programs.

      Her love for teaching, along with her commitment to these programs, really shines through as she explains that “it is important for a dean to keep his/her finger on the pulse of what is happening with the students and faculty, and teaching is a great way to do that.”

      Source: Patricia Reger, eastern.edu

      In the years immediately following the American Civil War, during the onset of the Industrial Revolution and urbanization, Americans sought out art to once again bring a sense of beauty and expression to their lives. A select portion of these artists bypassed popular oil-based paints in favor of watercolor paints for their unique aesthetics. They also desired to overcome the challenges of working in this medium. Their artwork was often overlooked, as many associated watercolors with that of a woman’s pastime or child’s play.

      However, this dedicated group of individuals came together in New York City on Dec. 5, 1866 to form the American Watercolor Society (AWS), an organization of artists motivated to spread the beautiful messages found in their strokes. The AWS’ organization of the 1866 watercolor exhibition in New York City brought this emerging style of art into the public spotlight, which shined bright in American art history through the 1920s, and some would argue that it continues to this day. By the 1920s, watercolor painting was considered a staple in America’s art scene, the stigma associated with it left far behind with memories of the war and slavery. Every year since their first exhibition, the AWS has sought to celebrate the rich history found in the work of many watercolorists and spread the medium to the general public.

      Marking the 150th anniversary of the AWS’ first exhibition, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is currently displaying an exhibit titled “American Watercolor in the Age of Homer and Sargent” to the public through May 14. This display of more than 175 pieces by various American artists has been sourced from public and private collections across the country, a rare chance to see many of these works and their inspirations side by side. Artists Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent are considered pioneers of the watercolor movement, and 40 of their pieces are being shown in the exhibit, as well as work by many of the other great artists they inspired. Homer was a coveted landscape artist and Sargent a leading portrait painter of his day; each drew from their background to form a unique approach to working with watercolors. Other featured artists include Thomas Eakins, Thomas Moran, John La Farge and Edwin Austin Abbey—to name a few of the many prominent or obscure artists you may see during your visit.

      If you visit the museum to see these wonderful pieces of art, keep in mind the underestimated difficulty in creating such detailed and stunning images through the use of watercolors. The use of water pigmented with metallic flakes on paper allows for a surreal and splendid feel to an artist’s work, but this desirable effect is hard to achieve as one missed stroke of the brush may ruin an artist’s work. Once the pigment absorbs into the paper, an artist cannot simply paint over another color to fix a mistake, as the two will bleed together and form different colors. However, with precise attention to detail, artists have found ways to take advantage of these properties of the medium, creating the masterpieces that are currently on display today.

      Another issue artists and curators encounter when working with this medium is the degradation of the paper and pigments used in these pieces, particularly in the older paintings from the 19th century. To combat this, the entire gallery will be illuminated by dimmer lights than the rest of the museum, because each minute of exposure to light will slowly fade the paintings. For two particularly delicate pieces, Eakins’ 1873 painting “John Biglin in a Single Scull” and Abbey’s 1882 piece “The Sisters,” curtains will be used to protect each piece from light while not being viewed. With the sensitivity of each of these paintings, many of these pieces are hardly viewed by the public, let alone all in one location.

      Any fine arts lover or casual appreciator should not pass up this exhibit for its rarity and historic significance to the local and national art scene of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Not only will the 150th-annual AWS exhibit be taking place, many other exhibits will be on display throughout the museum. Under 20 miles east of Eastern University’s St. Davids campus, it is easily accessible by train and car, and students with a student ID will receive discounted admission to the museum. Students are encouraged to experience this one-of-a-kind display of America’s greatest watercolor paintings.

      Sources: Courier-Post, MetroWest Daily News

      If you are among the many Americans who have embraced the ease of online shopping, you may be unintentionally adding to the decline of brick-and-mortar retail stores across the nation’s malls and shopping centers. Many department stores have announced the closing of numerous storefront locations, leaving alarming implications for the shopping malls that previously held their stores.

      Macy’s announced in August 2016 that it would be shutting the doors of 100 of their 730 locations in hopes of increasing revenue by focusing on their higher-performing stores. According to the Wall Street Journal, this has already had a profound effect on Fort Steuben Mall in Ohio, which foreclosed in May 2016 and is fighting to keep afloat in the midst of both Macy’s and Sears shutting down business in early 2017. Other department store giants such as JCPenney and Kmart also have revealed plans to shut down retail sites. Sears Holdings informed their employees on Jan. 4 of their intention to cease operations of 150 combined Sears and Kmart locations. This follows a rough quarter for the company, whose revenue dropped 13 percent from this time last year according to Business Insider. These mass closures of retail stores across the nation have left thousands without jobs, as Macy’s recently let go over 10,000 employees, leaving many malls to cope with the loss of their largest stores.

      The greater Philadelphia area is not immune to this shift away from physical storefronts, with many department stores shutting down this year after a poor holiday sales season. Macy’s stated their sales for the months of November and December were down 2.1 percent compared to last year, so it comes as no surprise that four locations in our area will be closed down this year, including Macy’s stores in Voorhees and Moorestown, New Jersey, along with two more emptying their shelves in Bensalem and Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. This will displace 347 employees, according to 6ABC. Similarly, of the 107 Kmart stores that are to be shut down, six are in our state, including a Lancaster location, which will be vacant by April. If this trend of poor sales continues, we may see more closures of large and small businesses shutting down closer to home.

      If these closures have not already had enough impact, many smaller locations left within these malls are struggling to bring in customers that were once attracted by large department stores. For example, mall-based retailer The Limited declared they would close all 250 stores the weekend of Jan. 8, stating on their website, “This isn’t goodbye.  The styles you love are still available online–We’re just a quick click away 24 hours a day.” With the lack of larger stores to draw in the masses and the ever-growing allure of online shopping, the move from physical to virtual storefronts has seen the steady decline in the popularity of shopping malls and the retail stores within. By selling products over the Internet, companies are able to avoid much of the overhead costs included in running a large storefront. Despite the ever-increasing generation of exclusive online shoppers, a Macy’s spokesperson says, “We continue to experience declining traffic in our stores where the majority of our business is still transacted.” Perhaps the issue is not with a lack of shoppers, but an outdated sales platform that does not cater toward the tech-savvy generation that generally shops with a specific item in mind and is willing to hunt for bargains. With this mindset, many shoppers find traditional department stores unsuitable for their shopping needs, preferring the near endless options of websites such as Amazon.

      The fate of many of America’s malls may seem uncertain; however, it is clear the retail landscape is changing, and traditional department stores must innovate in order to keep up with their virtual competition. Many that grew up going to shopping malls and buying their clothing at department stores may feel a sense of bitter nostalgia at the sight of all of these closings, yet another generation may see it as an inevitable and insignificant loss compared to the shopping options online. Will the ease of ordering a pair of shoes without getting on your feet outweigh the ability to compare and try on each pair? Are our malls going to the wayside as we await our packages to arrive? One thing is for certain: America’s retail climate is changing, for better or for worse.

      Sources: 6ABC, Business Insider, clark.com, Philadelphia Magazine, The Wall Street Journal

      Eastern University’s Office of Institutional Planning, Research and Assessment is currently administering the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to first-year and senior undergraduate students. The survey will be available to take online through June 1 for eligible Eastern students. Results of the survey will be compiled over the summer and spread throughout campus during the fall 2017 semester.

      The NSSE is a self-funded organization within the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University of Bloomington that aims to record the study habits, work ethic and classroom participation of students in schools across the country. It also seeks to see how each institution allocates its resources toward student learning opportunities, both within and outside of the curriculum and campus. With the results we are shown how undergraduates in more than 560 schools across the nation spend their time.

      The NSSE reports that 322,582 students completed the survey in 2016 and approximately 5.5 million students have participated since the study’s inception in 2000. It proposes questions to students such as, “How many hours per week do you study?” or “How often do you participate in classroom discussion?” With this extensive data, “The College Student Report” creates a comparative study of student habits across each school. This allows participating institutions crucial access to various reports that compare their own students’ responses to institutions of similar status. This data provides a benchmark to measure Eastern’s students’ academic standings, successes and habits. As a result, institutions such as Eastern are given an idea as to which programs or activities need development or attention in order for their students to receive beneficial learning experiences that will shape their future academic achievements and goals.

      This survey was last conducted at Eastern in 2014, and the results have provided the school with information that could be used to encourage student participation in high-impact activities that would bolster their education and experience here at Eastern. In reviewing this information, Eastern administrators noticed a lack of student engagement in service learning projects and sought to implement this in their curriculum. As a result, INST 150 and 151 classes now incorporate a service learning day into their syllabus, and now 92 percent of first-year students reported participating in a volunteer or service learning project in 2014. The 2014 survey results also show that only 22 percent of seniors took part in research projects with their professors, whereas similar schools to Eastern report 27 percent of their students engaging in research with faculty. Although only a small difference between the two, Eastern faculty has actively been striving to incorporate more research opportunities and field experiences into their classes and programs as a direct result of the NSSE survey.

      The NSSE survey is an integral tool in measuring Eastern’s students’ involvement in their academics as well as the effectiveness of our school’s educational programs and opportunities. If you are currently one of the 743 eligible first-year or senior students here at Eastern, you should consider spending 15 minutes to complete the survey because the information gained through your time is invaluable to the University. Currently, only 23 percent of eligible students have completed the survey; the Office of Institutional Planning hopes to receive over 40 percent participation by the June 1 deadline. In hopes to increase these numbers, a raffle of 30 $10-Wawa gift cards, for those who have completed the survey, will be drawn April 21. The survey is available to take through a link sent to eligible students’ emails, Eastern’s Brightspace portal or in person at the Mall Cottage.

      Sources: Thomas Dahlstrom, Laura Sturgill