Faculty Focus

IF YOU’RE READING THIS MAGAZINE, THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE YOU KNOW CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR DAN PRATT, PHD, ’81 — OR SOME OF HIS COUSINS. PROFESSOR PRATT IS CONNECTED.

He is part of the legacy fabric of Graceland University. One of his initial conversations with people is usually on the line of “how are we connected?” and, undoubtedly, he will find the link.

Pratt has been teaching chemistry at Graceland for nearly 20 years and is famous for his grueling organic chemistry courses. Hundreds of students have had to pass the course to continue in their pursuit of a science career. In his defense, he is aware of the class stigma, and to prepare his students, he holds study-group meetings in his home. “Cookies and milk help,” he explained.

An atmosphere of trust and respect is cultivated with his students, and Pratt tries to provide them with experiential opportunities. His wide net of connections, through a large family of Graceland graduates, Community of Christ affiliation, six different universities and his growing number of student devotees, provide him with a vast map of contacts to tap into when students leave Lamoni.

Quick to share the spotlight, Pratt will point to the success of many of his students and boast about what they’re up to after graduating, peppering names with impressive achievements.

Pratt was awarded a summer fellowship at the University of Iowa through their program Fostering Undergraduate Talent Uniting Research and Education (FUTURE). What made it especially rewarding for him was that he was able to include his student Ryan Sheehy ‘10.

Sheehy went on to earn a PhD in 2015 and is now a professor at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

Pratt encourages his students to question and to be curious about their world. “I do not believe there is a ‘stupid’ question,” he relayed. “Students should be able to ask questions without feeling intimidated.” He requires them to dissect problems into smaller pieces, solve the small problems first and then go on to the more complex ones. “These are skills that are not only important to become a good scientist, but they are necessary to successfully survive in today’s workplace.” He also asks them to communicate their scientific findings in written form as well as verbal presentations, preparing them for future graduate work.

Pratt graduated from Graceland in 1981 and received a PhD from the University of Washington. His fields of expertise include organic synthesis, analytical chemistry and instrumental analysis, and he has conducted two postdoctoral studies — one at Iowa State University and the other at the University of Kansas. Additionally, he spent a short stint in industry working for a small pharmaceutical company in New Jersey.

In March, Pratt was named first chairholder of the Daniel E. and Alice D. Waite Endowed Chair in Science. In his acceptance, Pratt told of his connection to the Waites and that his intent was to promote the science programs at Graceland and to help students — both science majors and nonmajors — see the relevance of science in daily life.

“ The Graceland faculty encouraged, ‘Jolene, how did you do it at UMKC?’ They’ve wanted me to share my previous experience and perspectives.”

– Jolene Lynn, PhD, RN
Associate Dean – School of Nursing (Graduate)

AFTER JUST ONE YEAR AT GRACELAND, JOLENE LYNN, PHD, HAS TAKEN ON THE ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS. LYNN BRINGS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE TO GRACELAND.

A registered nurse for 36 years, she graduated from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). She has been a nurse educator for over 20 years, teaching for Johnson County Community College and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) nursing programs. Her practice experience includes emergency, day surgery and wound care.

Serving as the BSN Program Director at UMKC for over nine years, Lynn completed her MSN-Nurse Educator at UMKC and her Doctor of Philosophy-Nursing at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis.

Q:Describe your new position?

My position deals with administrative responsibilities like budgets and planning, but since we’re such a small group of faculty for the nursing program, we do a lot of things together. We meet on Mondays and address all kinds of issues — from student concerns to teaching techniques — and have a good team approach. With nearly 700 students in the nursing program, our relatively small staff is busy.

I’m still teaching the introduction courses and am the lead for the Theory of Nursing course — my favorite.

Q:How did you choose nursing?

I’m a first-generation college student, and my parents were adamant that my sisters and I continue our education. My dad was frustrated without a degree to get ahead and wanted better possibilities for us. I was a candy striper in junior high, and the nurses were so kind and inspiring. They treated me like I was part of the team even though I was just passing out water and magazines. It was because of that experience that I went into nursing.

I was the first nurse in my family. My husband was a respiratory therapist for 30 years and six years ago went to nursing school. My son is a nurse, and my niece is a nurse now too. I guess I’ve been recruiting for nursing school! It’s such a good career and so flexible.

Q:Why did you move into academia?

I had worked in an emergency department and ran a wound care center, but we needed to adjust our schedules to accommodate child care, so I actually moved to teaching for the flexible schedule.

I started out at Johnson County Community College and then got my master’s at UMKC, which was starting a BSN program, so I got in on the ground floor. It was perfect for raising our three sons. I don’t know how it happened, but they’re all grown!

Q:Best part of your job?

I love the collegiality of Graceland and the process of problem-solving at the lowest level. You can’t get that at a lot of places. Everyone’s been so welcoming to me as a new person. When new nurses came to UMKC, they would drone on and on about their last place, so I was hesitant to say much. The Graceland faculty encouraged, “Jolene, how did you do it at UMKC?” They’ve wanted me to share my previous experience and perspectives.

I originally didn’t think I wanted to be in administration again, but the faculty was very supportive, and Dr. Jan Rice was so organized and helpful in the transition. In the past, I had to invent or create my position, so it is exciting to find that there are such good pieces already in place.

Q:Hobbies?

Reading fiction, bargain thrifting, Royals baseball, boy scouting — my husband and three boys are all Eagle Scouts —  and our 1920s house is a hobby all in and of itself.

“ I had a vision of where we wanted to go — to bring in a stronger scientific base. We want students to know what they’re doing, but also why.”

– Bryan Gatzke, MS
Division Chair – Health and Movement Science

Bryan Gatzke, MS, is the division chair for Graceland’s health and movement science program.

Health and movement science has concentrations in allied health, coaching, health, health education and physical education, which often leads to graduate work in physical therapy, occupational therapy or chiropractic studies.

Gatzke has been leading the program toward an evidence-based practice model using research and experience to help drive the decision-making process as a practitioner.

Gatzke is up to date with this changing and prevalent area in higher education. Currently, all the health and movement science professors are working toward their terminal degrees — the highest in their field. Gatzke is in a doctoral program in human sport performance at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah.

He plans to complete his dissertation in strength conditioning with the Graceland women’s volleyball team and coach Stew McDole.

“I was in Utah for my doctoral work and spent time with physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, athletic trainers, strength conditioning folks and all kinds of professionals, which really let me collaborate with them. I’m always concerned for Graceland’s students and thinking of ways that we can make our program better. We are trying to prepare them at this level for what they’ll need at the next.”

Growing up in Wisconsin, Gatzke comes from a blue-collar factory working family and is a first-generation college graduate. He nearly didn’t make it through undergrad and had never considered graduate school as an option, but once he found his path, he made up for lost time.

“I changed my major four times — I can relate to many students who haven’t found just what they want to do yet. I had terrible grades and took time off; I just wasn’t focused,” explained Gatzke. “I had to come back from that. I was readmitted conditionally at the university. I switched over to fitness management and took anatomy physiology, and it turned out to be the best class I’d ever taken. Something clicked, and I realized I needed to put in serious effort. I couldn’t get through by guessing — I needed to really know the content. There is no easy street. It was the first class that really instilled my academic work ethic.”

Gatzke finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in fitness management. He made an amazing comeback from a 1.0 grade point average to finish top of his class for fitness management students. While he was there, he worked in their biomechanics lab, presented at the state symposium and attended a few national conferences.

Now working on his doctorate, he realizes the importance of the academic field and brings his expertise to the classroom. Gatzke is making sure Graceland students are as well-equipped as any in the country.

Student-athlete Lucky Lovan ’19 noted the time Gatzke has taken to answer questions from lectures and help him prepare for physical therapy school: “Professor Gatzke is very knowledgeable in his field and values my learning by explaining the material in great detail,” says Lovan. “He expects the most out of his students and wants us to succeed in our future endeavors as clinicians.”

KAREN GERGELY
Awarded six-week artist residency

Assistant Professor of Art Karen Gergely was awarded a six-week artist residency at Brickscape in Charlestown, West Virginia, this summer. Gergely was one of 10 artists selected to create an immersive, socially-engaged installation responding to the history and culture of the Charleston community. The residency culminated in an exhibition for FestivALL June 15-24.