HPU Students and Faculty Highlighted for Academic and Professional Achievements

High Point University honored nine recent graduates who served as AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) and dedicated a year of service to the local community. Pictured from left are Kimberly Drye-Dancy, executive director of HPU’s Center for Community Engagement, Itamar Amora, Alec Garfield, Assistant Director Lovelle McMichael and Sarah Barlow with the VISTA Collaborator awards.

Professor’s New Book Spreads Joy, Recent Graduate’s Film Wins Honors.

HIGH POINT, N.C., July 27, 2023 – High Point University faculty and students recently received the following academic and professional awards and recognitions.

HPU Graduate, Instructor Win History Awards

Maeve O’Dea, who graduated in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in history, won the 2023 Midgette Award from the North Carolina Association of Historians (NCAH). This is the third consecutive year an HPU undergraduate history major has won the award for the best student paper presented at the annual NCAH conference.

“This impressive record is even more remarkable because our undergraduates compete for the award against undergraduate and graduate students from universities across the state who presented at the NCAH conference,” said Dr. Joey Fink, interim chair of the History Department. “Our history students receive one-on-one mentorship and ample opportunities for professional development.”

O’Dea’s paper, “An Enduring Balance of Power in 19th Century Europe,” was developed from research for her senior seminar course with guidance from Dr. Andrew Tzavaras, instructor of history and secondary history program coordinator. Receiving the award was a wonderful surprise, said O’Dea, who also credited history instructors Dr. Michael Kennedy and Dr. Frederick Schneid as her mentors.

“The support I received from my peers and professors when writing and presenting this paper was truly incredible,” said O’Dea.

Kennedy won the Brewster Award for the best paper presented by a faculty member at the NCAH conference for his paper, “The Strategy of Procrastination: Delays to the Integration of Major League Baseball, 1947-1959.”

Kennedy’s research assistant was Jayne Eaves, ’23, who will pursue a master’s in history at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Eaves and O’Dea were two of the four students Kennedy guided to participate in a professional conference. The other recent HPU graduates were Kenan Althoff and Bonnie Showfety, who will pursue M.A.s at the University of North Texas and the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, respectively. This is the fifth year HPU history majors have presented at the NCAH conferences under Kennedy’s guidance.

“Encouraging the love of history and the sense of accomplishment that comes from a job well done is priceless,” said Kennedy.

Volunteers Honored for Community Service

High Point University honored nine recent graduates who served as AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) and dedicated a year of service to the local community during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Each VISTA worked with a nonprofit to build sustainable programs to address local needs, such as either food insecurity or education. The VISTAs serve as a vital part of HPU’s new Center for Community Engagement, connecting students and faculty to service opportunities in the city. The Greater High Point Food Alliance, Growing High Point, Macedonia Family Resource Center, the city of High Point’s Neighborhood and Community Development Division, the Qubein Children’s Museum and World Relief of the Triad are a few of the organizations the VISTAs work with.

The following awards were presented:

For the 11th year, HPU is hosting AmeriCorps VISTAs in 2023-2024 to provide thousands of hours of service to local organizations. HPU invests nearly $200,000 annually to provide housing, meals, office space and access to student volunteers to carry out projects with their partner agencies.

Professor’s New Book Boosts Joy

Dr. Joy Greene, professor and associate dean for experiential education in HPU’s Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, recently published a book, “A Prescription for Joy – Overcome Worry with Five Steps.” In her new book, Greene uses her medical knowledge, Biblical knowledge and her personal experiences to teach women how they can live their lives free from the chains of worry and anxiety.

“Millions of people (adults and adolescents) struggle with worry and anxiety and the majority of those people are women,” said Greene. “Over 31.1% of adults in the U.S. experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. In my book, I explain what happens inside our bodies when we feel worried and anxious. I also provide practical advice and tools that can be used daily to help manage these feelings. Worry can try to steal our joy, but with God’s help we can overcome worry and live peaceful and joyful lives.”

In June, the pre-order (Kindle edition) of Greene’s book was tagged as Amazon’s No. 1 new release in the Christian Self-Help category. In early July, her book was tagged as Amazon’s No. 1 new release in the category of Christian Women’s Issues. In addition to her work at HPU, Greene is president of Joytime Ministries, a nonprofit Christian organization in the Triad. She hosts a nationally syndicated radio feature, speaks at women’s events, hosts an online women’s weekly Bible Study and encourages women on her Joytime Ministries’ social media platforms.

Alumni’s Short Film Wins Honors

Ben Frondorf, ’23, popular culture and media production major and creative writing minor, won Best Student Film in Paris, France, for the film “The Source.” Frondorf also won Best Director at the summer Couch Film Festival, an international festival of short films hosted in private homes and alternative locations. The film also was nominated for Best Long Short and Best Cast in Toronto, Canada.

“The Source” received an official selection at the Direct Monthly Online Film Festival, an international online film festival designed for filmmakers. It was also an official selection at the Golden Short Film Festival in Rome, Italy. The film will be considered at eight other film festivals this fall.

Frondorf thanked HPU faculty and credited friends and crewmates for their help making the film and motivating him to achieve more in life.

“The Source would not exist without Tom Poole, the producer and creator,” said Frondorf. “His pitch and combined leadership with myself and our director of photography Alex Draeger really highlighted what we could do. That, mixed with a great sound team led by Greg Christian, helped us capture our dialogue and influenced sound effects. Kierce Tarmy added her wonderful makeup skills.”

He also noted assistance from the sister film, “What a Coincidence,” and its student crew of Olivia Rugg, Davis Ritenour, Ben Berninger, Natalie Belsha and Elizabeth Bado.

“I think the awards validate our work,” said Frondorf. “There is always the nagging voice in the back of your mind when making things to be consumed by others if they will be well-received. To get that news and be recognized for above-and-beyond talent feels wonderful and proves to us all that we are good at our jobs.”

At the end of the spring semester, Frondorf was selected for the Excellence in Media Production Award by the faculty of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication media production department. Frondorf has joined AmeriCares in Stamford, Connecticut, as a multimedia intern. In his role, he edits and manages data and assets including photography and video footage.