Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and News Briefs 10/15/25

In this issue, we celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff in art, music, the School of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, and the School of Business. We also share news about the open enrollment period for benefits.

Assistant Professor of Art Holly Fischer’s sculpture, Destiny, won Best in Show, the Betsy J. Sykes Award, at the 2025 North Carolina Artists Exhibition. The exhibition is on display at CAM Raleigh through November 9, with a closing reception on First Friday, November 7, from 6-9 p.m. Learn more on the Raleigh Fine Arts website.

Associate Professor of Operations Management Yunsik Choi earned a certificate in Driving Operational Performance from Coursera. The certificate program bridges finance and operations using the Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) framework, connecting key variables for informed decision-making. Earning this certificate optimizes Dr. Choi’s ability to support students as they analyze processes, optimize efficiency, and link operational tactics to a company’s bottom line. He has also incorporated diverse examples from the certificate program in classes to enhance students’ learning and skill development.

Dr. Nancy Johnson, Assistant Professor – Accounting, was invited to address UCB’s Women In Leadership on the topic of Financial Literacy. UCB is a global biopharma organization dedicated to developing female executive leadership within the organization. Her interactive workshop was centered on wealth building, with an emphasis on proactive investment and savings strategies. Participants explored the complexities of compensation structures, retirement planning, and savings, as well as practical illustrations related to IRMA and RMD planning. The session engaged approximately 50 women, equipping them with the tools and confidence to overcome barriers to wealth building and strengthen their financial self-sufficiency.

Dr. Jeff Langenderfer, Professor – Marketing and Law, introduced an innovative teaching method in his BUS 150 Business and Society course to help students understand income and wealth disparities in the United States. He invited guest speakers Dr. Anne York, who spoke on income equality, and Molly McKinley, who addressed entrepreneurship. Students actively participated in a wealth distribution activity, with individuals representing population deciles and receiving funds in proportion to real-world income and wealth levels. The exercise highlighted the realities of economic inequality, deepened understanding of key measures, and fostered appreciation for the significant disparities that shape the U.S. economy.

Dr. Sheryl Long, Dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, has been appointed by Dr. Hope Williams to serve as the NCICU representative on the North Carolina Principal Fellows Commission. In her letter of appointment, Dr. Williams writes that Dr. Long is well-suited to serve on the Commission and to represent independent higher education and cites her leadership role at Meredith College as well as her experiences in educator preparation at Salem College and Chowan University. The North Carolina Principal Fellows Commission is responsible for overseeing the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program, which provides competitive, merit-based scholarships to prepare future principals for North Carolina schools. 

Dr. Kent Lyman, Professor of Music, was invited recently to return to his hometown of Blanding, Utah, for a concert sponsored by the Kigalia Fine Arts Council. The concert occurred on Friday, September 19, 2025.

Dr. Lyman was chosen to give last year’s Faculty Distinguished Lecture at Meredith, which occurred on February 27, 2025, and was titled “Doing the Time Warp: An Exploration of the Power of Music to Connect Us Across Time.” During that presentation, Dr. Lyman staged an interaction with a younger version of himself from 1977, the year he graduated from high school in Blanding. “Young Kent” and “Old Kent” ended up playing a duet with each other using a Spirio Steinway grand piano. The piece they played was Dr. Lyman’s own adaptation for piano duet of a song from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Let’s Do the Time Warp Again.”  It was a real hit with the Meredith audience. When Dr. Lyman was invited to perform in Blanding, he realized that it would be perfect to repeat the Meredith lecture in Blanding, in the very same high school where “Young Kent” graduated in 1977. It was a great treat for the hometown crowd. The next day, Dr. Lyman invited piano students from the community to play in a master class using the Spirio Steinway. He was able to use the piano’s recording capability as a powerful teaching tool, and the students were fascinated by its ability to exactly recreate their performances for them to listen back to immediately.

Dr. Aaron Nichols, Assistant Professor of Marketing, developed a new MBA course, Contemporary Issues in Marketing, for the new curriculum in the Meredith MBA. This course explores how brands navigate pressing challenges such as corporate advocacy, data privacy, personalization, DEI backlash, dark patterns, and the use of AI in persuasion. Through real-world cases, structured debates, and applied projects, students engaged deeply with the ethical, cultural, and business implications of modern marketing practices. The course equips graduates with the critical frameworks needed to navigate today’s rapidly evolving marketing landscape, preparing them to make informed decisions that balance growth opportunities with responsibility to diverse stakeholders.

Dr. Bing Yu, Professor of Finance, earned a Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Business through Wharton Online. This course covers the fundamentals of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning. This course taught the fundamentals of big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generative AI. The program emphasized how these technologies can be incorporated into business strategy, equipping participants to adapt to rapidly evolving innovations. This achievement directly informs curriculum development, enabling the integration of AI into classroom learning. As a result, students benefit from enhanced AI and financial literacy, preparing them to apply emerging technologies in creative and practical ways.

News Briefs

Open Enrollment Starts Soon
The Meredith College Benefits Open Enrollment period for benefit-eligible employees will start on Monday, October 27, and will end on Friday, November 7, 2025. More information is coming soon from Human Resources.