September 26, 2007
Contact: Paul K. Logsdon, Director of Public Relations and Publications, (417) 865-2815 ext. 7292
Springfield, Mo. — Evangel faculty members Alina Black, assistant professor of organizational leadership, and Dr. Geoff Sutton, associate professor of psychology, were among the presenters at the Gallup Organization’s Building a Strengths-Based Campus Conference June 27-29, 2007, in Omaha, Neb.
“According to Gallup’s research, the StrengthsFinder® self-assessment helps individuals identify their greatest area for potential personal strength,” said Black. “Then, individuals can focus on leadership development activities that maximize these strengths in academics, career roles, and relationships.”
The StrengthsQuest™ program and Clifton StrengthsQuest test is used by 250,000 students on more than 400 colleges, including Evangel University.
Conference guests were made up of faculty and staff members from several “strengths-based” universities, including University of Nebraska, Texas Tech University, University of Kansas, University of South Dakota, Washington University-St.Louis, and University of Missouri-Columbia.
“It is thrilling that Evangel University has partnered with Gallup and is significantly contributing to the strengths-based development research,” Black said.
Black’s presentations were titled “Leveraging Strengths During Employment and Graduate School Interviewing” and “Maximizing Strengths-Based Development: Curriculum for the Classroom, Student Leadership Programs, and Faculty & Staff Development.”
Her sessions focused on techniques students can use to get the job they want, as well as how Evangel University incorporates the StrengthsQuest program in the classroom.
Black and Sutton also co-presented the results of two studies that were completed with Sheri Phillips, Evangel’s director of career development, and Brad Bartle, senior research student, who were unable to attend the conference.
The first study, “Analysis of Clifton StrengthsFinder Signature Themes in a Midwestern University Sample: Campus Patterns and Implications for Teaching and Learning,” summarized the patterns of strengths in a sample of more than 500 students. For example, Belief and Developer were common themes on Evangel’s campus.
The second presentation, “StrengthsFinder Signature Themes and Measures of Positive Psychology: A Validity Study With Implications for Teaching, Learning and Research,” connected the StrengthsFinder instrument to psychological variables such as spirituality, forgiveness, hope and the meaning of life.
Black also submitted a student success story that was published by StrengthsQuest. The story focused on 2006 Evangel graduate Tesheba “Sheba” Wadley, a social work major who was able to speak to 150 students about developing their own strengths.
Wadley leveraged her strengths in her graduate school admissions process, and during her formal interview she used her strengths as a topic of discussion. As a result, Wadley received a $20,000 scholarship to pursue graduate studies at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis.
For additional information, contact Alina Black (417) 865-2815 ext. 8625.
Additional information about the StrengthsQuest.