Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and News Briefs – January 2025

In this issue, we celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff in art, business, Counseling Center, English, political science, and psychology. We also include a reminder about The President’s Porch, a new communication tool that debuted in December.

Dr. Yunsik Choi, associate professor of operations management, was honored by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) for his contributions to Quality Management. He received the 2025 Gryna Award for his paper “Nurses’ Perception of a Hospital’s Process Improvement on Patient Satisfaction,” published in 2024 in the Quality Management Journal, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 77-101. The Gryna Award is given to the paper published in the previous year that the committee determines has made the most significant contribution to the understanding and advancement of the philosophy, principles, or methods of quality management. The American Society for Quality (ASQ) is the global leader in quality management, dedicated to advancing excellence through quality initiatives. 

Assistant Professor of Art Holly Fischer has a solo exhibition featuring 16 sculptures on view at UNC Pembroke’s A.D. Gallery through February 6.  There is a reception and artist talk on Wednesday, January 29 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Learn more about the exhibition

Instructor of English Heather Frese was featured in West Virginia University’s newspaper, The Daily Athenaeum, and had a book review published in the North Carolina Literary Review.

Counseling Center Assistant Director Cassidi Long has joined the Licensed Clinical Counselors of North Carolina (LCCNC) board as their new secretary.

Associate Professor of Political Science Whitney Ross Manzo reports that Meredith College was well represented at the annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, which was held from January 8-11 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the conference, International Studies Senior Elise Rammalaere, ’25, presented her senior thesis project, “The Road to Sovereignty: Internal and External Factors of Successful Independence” as well as her summer research project, “The Mother Tongue: Identifying the Change in Official Language and the Cause in Former French Colonies of Africa.” Political Science: Pre-Law Senior Faith Keen, ’25, also presented her senior thesis project, “Incarcerated Voter Disenfranchisement.”

Dr. Manzo presented a paper written with Heather Rimes from Western Carolina University, “Professional Background and Legislative Effectiveness within US State Legislatures,” which examines whether women from professional backgrounds that are closer to politics, like law or nonprofit leadership, are more or less successful than women from other professional backgrounds. Manzo was also invited to speak on a roundtable that examined the 2024 election, where she served as the expert on the role gender played in the election. She was elected Secretary of the SPSA, a position she will hold until 2028.

Dr. Joseph Mazzola, Associate Professor in Psychology, had two panels and a poster accepted at the upcoming Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology conference taking place in April. The panels are on the topics of Wellness Initiatives and Career Exploration for I-O Graduate Students, respectively. 

Assistant Professor of Psychology Candalyn Rade and two psychology students, SarahElla Harlan and Brynn Oliver, have a publication that came out on January 15. It’s based on the work they have been doing in collaboration with the Student Success Center over the past year.  The piece, “Undergraduate student perceptions of and barriers to accessing student success center resources,” was published in The Learning Assistance Review. 

News Briefs
In Case You Missed It – Visit the President’s Porch
In December, the first issue of The President’s Porch was published. The new website features campus celebrations. In the Fall issue, President Aimee Sapp and Meredith’s Executive Leadership Team shared some 2024 milestones. Visit the President’s Porch at meredith.edu/president/presidents-porch.