Avila Now

Angela Danley, Ph.D., returns to Avila as the new Director of Clinical and Field-Based Experiences, where she earned her Special Education degree and obtained Missouri certification in elementary education and Special Education K-12 in 1996.  “As a first-generation college student, I chose Avila because of the rigorous program in education and the proximity to my...

Carnegie Hall called, and Avila Chair of the School of Performing Arts and Professor of Music Amity Bryson, Ph.D. answered. Bryson was invited to this residency opportunity in 2021 with the promise that she would bring 75 singers to Carnegie for the showcase concert. Her background of excellence in music and leading Avila’s programs to...

After nine years of teaching at Avila, Malcolm Gold, Ph.D., was awarded Professor of the Year. Gold teaches three courses in the BSBA Business Core (Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, and Statistical Analysis) and one MBA Core (Applied Microeconomics) class.   What does winning Professor of the Year mean to you? It is an honor...

Avila Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science Jordan Wagge, Ph.D., received a $267,741 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant from the Division of Undergraduate Education to fund, evaluate, and enhance the activities of the Collaborative Replications and Education Project (CREP). “CREP is a group I have worked with since 2014; I became executive director in 2019...

Avila Associate Professor Kris Proctor, Ph.D., along with two colleagues (Richard E. Niemeyer – United States Air Force Academy and Kyle Trieber – Co-Director of the Centre for Analytic Criminology), visited with Cambridge scholars and presented research in-person and via Zoom on a panel to an international group of professors and criminology research scholars across...

What do you get when you mix Ecology and Literature? The beginning of a fruitful relationship. School of Natural and Applied Science Professor Karin Gastreich, Ph.D. and Associate Professor of English Amy Milakovic, Ph.D. teamed up to teach the Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) course Ecology Through the Writer’s Lens (ETWL).  “Karin has expertise in Ecology, and...

After teaching mathematics for over 20 years at the College of the Ozarks, Avila Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Professor of Mathematics, Craig Haile, Ph.D., moved to the Kansas City area when his wife accepted a new job. He completed his first academic year at Avila and was recently published as a contributing author in...

“I was an award-winning participant in the Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair back when I attended Shawnee Mission West High School in the 1980s,” said Avila Professor Karin Gastreich, Ph.D. “That was the experience that launched my career in science.” At Avila, Gastreich mentors students to help launch their science careers by inviting...

In addition to being a full-time professor of psychology and cognitive science at Avila, Jordan Wagge, Ph.D., is also, among many things, the Executive Director of CREP (Collaborative Replication and Education Project) and, most recently, a podcast star. She led a conference session titled “Our Students Can Be Our Scientists,” which highlighted the following:  Students...

Avila Assistant Professor Lida Khalafi, Ph.D., was recently awarded the Undergraduate Analytical Research Program (UARP) grant ($10,000) from the Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP). This grant is awarded to promote high-quality, innovative undergraduate research in the field of analytical chemistry. This grant aims to promote the training and development of undergraduate students in...