Pfeiffer University News

Friends of the Library presents New York Times best-selling author John Ramsey Miller Oct. 26

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Published on Tuesday, October 05, 2010 ( 8:52 pm )

The Pfeiffer University Friends of the Library will present New York Times best-selling author John Ramsey Miller during its annual fall event brunch from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The public event will be held on the second floor of the G.A. Pfeiffer Library on the Misenheimer campus.

The author of seven suspense thrillers, including “The Last Family,” “Inside Out,” “Smoke & Mirrors,” and the “The Last Day,” Miller’s novels have been characterized as “more than a mere book; he writes an experience," by fellow New York Times best-selling thriller novelist John Gilstrap. The writer has been nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award and a Barry Award, which is in honor of American critic, Barry Gardner, who passed away in 1996.

Miller’s first novel, “The Last Family,” was a Literary Guild Main Selection and was optioned by Hallmark Entertainment.  His works have been published in thirteen different languages and converted to audio format.
He was one of 15 authors of the audio serial book “The Chopin Manuscript,” which earned the 2008 Audie Award for the audio book of the year, and was selected from nominees like Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows.  Miller is also the author of “Nothing Quite So Evil,” a screenplay bought by Universal Pictures, but not yet filmed.

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The Village Church presents Christian comedian David Ferrell Oct. 17

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Published on Tuesday, October 05, 2010 ( 11:06 am )

Wholesome entertainment offers worshippers hilarious, family fun

Ever wanted to meet the characters from your favorite cartoons or movies? How about celebrities like American Idol’s former star judge Simon Cowell or the donkey from Shrek? Christian comedian David Ferrell brings you close to those characters and others through his realistic, wholesome and hilarious impersonations.

Ferrell will perform his ministry at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17 in the Henry Pfeiffer Chapel on the Pfeiffer University campus in Misenheimer. The event, which will end at 7:30 p.m., is part of the “Sunday Night Alive!” series sponsored by the Village Church at Pfeiffer. It is free and open to the public.

For more than 15 years, Ferrell has performed his impressions and voices to give a presentation of the Gospel, including his own testimony. He uses his act as a way to encourage churches to employ comedy to bring people into their congregations, particularly those who would not normally attend a church function.

A 2006 and 2007 nominee for the Inspirational Comedy Act of the Year by the Inspirational Country Music Awards, Ferrell is one of the most active touring Christian comedians, performing more than 150 dates annually.  In his personal time, he is active in his church and participates regularly with fundraisers for schools and hospitals as well as non-profit organizations.

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Pfeiffer presents “Angular Find” by award-winning sculptor Trey Gossett

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Published on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 ( 9:44 am )

Work by award-winning sculptor and artist in residence at the Appalachian Center of Craft, Trey Gossett, of Smithville, Tenn., will be exhibited during the show “Angular Find” in the Grace and Cameron West Art Gallery at Pfeiffer University from Oct. 2 – 28.

An artist reception will be held from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27 in the gallery, located on the second floor of Goode Hall on Pfeiffer’s Misenheimer campus. The reception and exhibition are free to the public. The Grace and Cameron West Art Gallery is open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For nearly a decade, Gossett’s work has been exhibited numerous times in galleries and venues throughout northern California and the Midwest in more than 20 group exhibitions and three solo displays. His art is part of the permanent collection at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., where he earned his MFA.  As a result, he has earned several prominent awards. This emerging artist is constantly creating new work and finding ways to remain deeply involved in the art community.

“Building, drawing, and creating objects have always been part of my life,” Gossett said. “In a world where physical discovery has been mapped out and pin pointed, it is my desire to discover the physical through my own creation.”

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Chick-fil-A president, VP visit Pfeiffer during strong families campaign

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Published on Monday, September 27, 2010 ( 9:41 am )

Motorcycle Ride conducted by Chick-fil-A focuses on marriage, families with stops across the southeast

The WinShape® Foundation and Chick-fil-A®, Inc. have announced plans for the inaugural WinShape Ride for the Family, a week-long motorcycle ride through the southeastern United States to highlight the importance of strong families. During their ride through North Carolina, the riders will stop for lunch at Pfeiffer University.

The ride, which spans from Sept. 30 – Oct. 7, begins in Peachtree City, Ga., and takes participants on a seven-day excursion across four states, with community events, guest speakers and evening entertainment, will include an hour-long stop at the Pfeiffer campus in Misenheimer at 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3.

The purpose of the ride is to support communities along the ride route by raising awareness for family organizations and resources, and drawing attention to the need to make family a priority. Among the participants will be Chick-fil-A’s Dan T. Cathy, president and chief operating officer, and Don “Bubba” Cathy, senior vice president. The Cathys, whose father, S. Truett Cathy, founded the Atlanta-based quick-service chicken restaurant chain, will be riding alongside motorcyclists from across the U.S.

 “We want this ride to encourage people to take a step back from their busy lives and make family their number one priority,” said Dan T. Cathy. “Family members who encourage, motivate and spend quality time with one another also make positive contributions to the communities in which they live.”

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Pfeiffer students take environmental science field trip to state's coast

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Published on Friday, September 24, 2010 ( 8:59 am )

Dr. Luke Dollar, associate professor of biology, and students from Pfeiffer recently visited the North Carolina coast during an environmental science field trip. These students visited North Carolina beaches, the Duke Marine Lab and Bird Shoal. During their excursion to the coast, the students learned about marine biology experiments, coastal forests, tidal and light patterns, Outer Banks ponies, crabs, urchins, shrimp, and the environmental impacts of marine recreation and dune conservation.

 

Pfeiffer hosts Marriage & Family Therapy Networking Expo Oct. 7

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Published on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 ( 10:42 am )

Event raises awareness, provides resources, supports October’s Mental Illness Awareness Week

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans  — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, according to a report from the National Institute of Mental Health. Because mental illness is a leading disability, which impacts 57.7 million people annually at a cost of more than $100 billion, the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program at Pfeiffer University will host the MFT Networking Expo in Charlotte on Thursday, Oct. 7 to increase awareness of mental health and provide access to resources.

The free, public community expo will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Pfeiffer’s Charlotte campus, 4701 Park Rd. The event is held during Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), which is the first week of October and on National Depression Screening Day on Oct. 7. Free depression screenings will be offered and stress management workshops are scheduled throughout the day. 

Several of the university’s community resource partners will be present to provide information, including United Family Services, the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, Integrative Pastoral Psychotherapy Training Program of Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), the Renfrew Center, the Pfeiffer Institute for Marriage and Family Therapy and others. Therapists from Eden Therapy & Massage will give free neck and shoulder massages. Food and beverages will be provided by area restaurants and bistros.

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"Banking on the Future: Microfinance as Service" Colloquium held Oct. 1

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Published on Monday, September 20, 2010 ( 9:13 am )

Charlotte event to discuss link between finance, faith, and service to the economy

Pfeiffer University will join academics, theologians, and microfinance practitioners to explore the principles, methods and best practices in microfinance and its multifaceted link to servant leadership by hosting a daylong, free public colloquium “Banking on the Future: Exploring Microfinance as Service” on Friday, Oct. 1.

Experts and professionals from around the globe will present their views during this second annual event, which will be held from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Pfeiffer’s Charlotte campus, 4701 Park Rd.

Microfinance is referenced as one of the best resources to combat poverty and spawn economic growth and development in emerging economies. Because nearly half the world’s population lives on less than $3 per day, many activists, entrepreneurs, scholars and theologians believe microfinance could be part of a global solution to help the poor – and others – become more self-sufficient.

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Soccer team of refugees, The Fugees Family founder share remarkable stories of triumph Sept. 24-25

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Published on Friday, September 17, 2010 ( 3:44 pm )

New York Times article on players, coach prompts a book and Universal Pictures movie

The Fugees Family is not your stereotypical family unit. In fact, many of them aren’t related, although some in the group are siblings. However, this nonprofit organization works with child survivors and refugees of war through soccer, stability and structure. Its members derive from dozens of war-torn countries and they each share some unimaginable, horrific stories about life in their native lands. Some of these stories will be shared when the group visits Pfeiffer University on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24-25.

On Friday at 10 a.m. in the Henry Pfeiffer Chapel on the Misenheimer campus, the group’s founder, Luma Mufleh, will share her own story of escape and fulfillment. A Muslim from Amman, Jordan, Mufleh moved to the south shortly after graduating from Smith College in search of something more in life. While driving through the town of Clarkston, Ga., she noticed a group of boys playing soccer in the street. They played without some of the most basic equipment -- but they played for the sheer enjoyment of the game -- something that reminded her of home. In the summer of 2004, she made fliers announcing tryouts for a soccer team, which she coaches. Universal Pictures has netted rights to make a feature about the Fugees. The studio has paid $2 million against $3 million for the rights to an article by Warren St. John that ran in the  New York Times. St. John plans to turn his article into a book, which will be part of the rights package. Also included are life rights to Mufleh’s life story.

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Pre-nursing student Christel Muhirwa receives scholarship from The Great 100

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Published on Friday, September 17, 2010 ( 10:41 am )

Pfeiffer pre-nursing student Amnazo Christel Muhirwa, of Charlotte, is a recent recipient of the 2010 Great 100 Scholarship Award. The junior, who is also majoring in psychology, receives a $2,000 award and will be recognized during a special gala hosted by the North Carolina organization on Sept. 18 in Greensboro.

Dr. Dianne Daniels, assistant professor of nursing and chair of the Department of Nursing at Pfeiffer, also received special recognition from The Great 100. Daniels is named among this year's Great 100 nurses, a prestigious, peer-recognition award, for her work in the field of nursing.

Earlier this year, Muhirwa, was also a recipient of the North Carolina Nurse Scholars Program (NSP), a competitive and prestigious award. She and fellow pre-nursing classmate Hayley Rogers, of Albemarle, will receive $5,000 annually from  NSP, which is a merit-based scholarship available to students who have chosen to enter the nursing profession.

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Pfeiffer hosts information meetings for adult learners in Charlotte, the Triangle

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Published on Friday, September 17, 2010 ( 1:00 am )

Sessions to discuss degree programs designed for working adults

Prospective students are invited to learn more about the adult undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered at Pfeiffer University during several upcoming information meetings held this fall on the university's Charlotte and Triangle campuses.

During these meetings, interested students will have the opportunity to talk with current students, faculty and program directors about the admissions process to their programs of interest. Prospective students will also be able to attain information about the six undergraduate and 10 graduate degree programs offered through the Schools of Graduate and Adult Studies on the Charlotte campus. Students in the Triangle will be able to obtain information about MBA, MHA, MSL, and dual degree programs that are also available through the university’s School of Graduate Studies.

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Pfeiffer students volunteer during 9/11 National Day of Service

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Published on Thursday, September 16, 2010 ( 8:45 am )

To commemorate Sept. 11, Pfeiffer University students supported 9/11 National Day of Service by volunteering with a Stanly County Habitat Build in Oakboro, N.C. The house is being built for Reba Poplin, a Pfeiffer employee who works in the business office. Organized by the Francis Center for Servant Leadership, the student crew built a back deck for the house, constructed a roof for a utility shed, and installed insulation under the house.

“We always say Pfeiffer is a family but working on Reba’s house put action to those words. Families help each other, and now we can really say we are family, said student volunteer Diamond Pate.

The service project is part of a series of Saturdays of Service developed by the Francis Center to promote and expose students to volunteer opportunities. Participants with the September 11, 2010 Habitat Build included students Ruth Dimmett, Jenny Hicks, Steven Jordan, Eric Sekercan, Chris Rain, Derek Roach, Beth Kauffman, Will Wright, Diamond Pate, Clarissa Reece, Alex Ellenburg and faculty/staff advisor Jonathan Rowe.
 
The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is the culmination of a seven-year effort started by 9/11 family members and support groups to establish the service day as a way to honor the victims and heroes of 9/11 and to rekindle the spirit of unity and compassion that followed the attacks. September 11 was officially recognized as a National Day of Service and Remembrance by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, passed with strong bipartisan support and signed into law by President Barack Obama in April.

For more information about service opportunities at Pfeifffer, please contact the Francis Center for Servant Leadership at (704) 463-3440 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 

Confucius Institute at Pfeiffer hosts visiting Chinese monks, Kung Fu artists through November

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Published on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 ( 5:27 pm )

The 1,500-year-old tradition of Shaolin Kung Fu, a unique expression of China's Zen Buddhist culture, will debut in Charlotte through the Confucius Institute at Pfeiffer University. Four longtime and well-respected Kung Fu masters are visiting the university from the Hunan and Shanxi Chinese providences to offer martial arts courses and performances now through Nov. 20.

The Yandong Shaolin Kung Fu Troupe will offer two non-credit, 10-week sessions on Saturdays in the student center on Pfeiffer’s Charlotte campus, 4701 Park Rd. Beginners’ Chinese Kung Fu 1 will be held from 1 p.m. –1:45 p.m. and will introduce students, ages 15 and up, to basic Kung Fu techniques, five-step boxing and Shaolin-Linked boxing styles. The course is $120. Chinese Kung Fu Beginners’ 2 will be held from 3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. This more advanced course will focus on techniques and jumping styles. Cost for this 10-week session is $240.

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