Recent Lindenwood University graduate Samantha Goewert is defying the odds as she follows in the footsteps of mentor and former professor at Lindenwood, Dr. Sara Bagley. Goewert is a graduate student at Saint Louis University (SLU) and is part of their experimental psychology program with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience.

It is safe to say that when students began spring break last March that we did not expect to spend the next year separated from our friends and family, nor did we foresee having to adapt to an entirely new learning format online. This passing year has been a time of adjustment and has perhaps challenged our ideas of what it means for education and success to be accessible to all people. When faced with these challenges, students and faculty here at Lindenwood have showcased their resourcefulness and determination to build safe learning environments that still encourage students to pursue their passions.

Since being enacted in 2000, the Colleges of Distinction list has been determined to challenge the standard school rating system and target, what they feel, to be the more reputable aspects of a successful undergraduate experience. By using four main areas of distinction—engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities, and successful outcomes—the Colleges of Distinction list has recognized Lindenwood University as a valuable next step for many students entering undergrad, and seeking an experience that’s determined to support their educational journey every step of the way.

In the classroom, Melissa Qualls is electric, lighting up the room with her joyful laughter, sharp wit, and deep philosophical and literary intellect. Her excitement about topics like Gender Studies and Existentialism is infectious, and students leave her classes feeling a little lighter and a lot smarter, their minds abuzz with the words of great thinkers like Albert Camus, Jean Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir. Qualls is not in the business of facilitating dull rote memorization; she constructs classes that center on something much more important: wisdom.

Dr. Jeffrey Smith, Senior Professor of History at Lindenwood, has had two recent successes in the publication world. His article “Death and Dying at the Founding of Missouri,” in which he explores the changes of burial services during the 1820s and 30s in the rapidly growing city of St. Louis, was published in the Saint Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly, an organization that was founded in 1968. The Quarterly reached out to Dr. Smith to put together a piece about the local history of burials which is how his article came to be published.

Dr. Ted Cohen, associate professor of history and geography, was announced as a recipient of the 2021 Howard F. Cline Book Prize in Mexican History. His book, “Finding Afro-Mexico: Race and Nation after the Revolution at the Conference on Latin American History,” was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020.

Mrs. Beverly Porter, chair of LindenGiving’s community outreach endeavor committee, announced the February initiative today. This month, the Lindenwood community will come together to support Five Acres Animal Shelter. The shelter has served St. Charles for close to 50 years and expanded to two locations in 2020.

Lindenwood University’s Black Student Union and Lindenwood Student Government announce programming for the month of February in recognition of Black History Month. As part of Lindenwood’s commitment to embracing diversity, this programming is open to the campus community and all are encouraged to participate. More information is available on InvolveU.

Lindenwood University announces its inaugural Day of Dialogue as a virtual event scheduled for Wednesday, March 3. The Day of Dialogue is a campus-wide event where participants can examine their individual role in building a shared community at the University. The educational programming is free and open to all campus community members, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as members of the general public. Registration is encouraged in advance through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.

Lindenwood University has been recognized for its honorable commitment to engaged, experiential education by Colleges of Distinction, which is celebrating its 20-year anniversary as a one-of-a-kind guide for college-bound students. Colleges of Distinction boasts its longstanding support for student-centered schools that traditional rankings often overlook. As an institution whose primary goals are based on student success and satisfaction, Lindenwood University confirms its honor as one of the renowned Colleges of Distinction.