Investing in the Future

When Ryan Ratzlaff received the Beverly C. Allen ’73 Endowed Scholarship, he knew it would help him achieve his goal of earning his graduate degree in special education from Avila. But it wasn’t until he met Bob De Yong, the scholarship’s benefactor and member of the Avila Heritage Society, that he learned about the legacy of special education he was continuing.

Fansher, Eckinger Dating App Research Highlighted in Psychology Today

Psychology Today recently featured research from Avila researchers Ashley K. Fansher, Ph.D. and Sara Eckinger about differences between users and non-users of dating apps. Fansher, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies, and Eckinger, Program Coordinator for Eagles Aware, originally published their study in the academic journal Deviant Behavior in March earlier this year.

Avila Awarded Title III-Strengthening Institutions Grant

The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded Avila University $2.2 million in funding through the Title III-Strengthening Institutions Program. This grant will support the development of Project RISE, a new initiative designed to increase graduation and persistence rates among Avila students.

Undergrad Aiding Transfer Students Adjust to Avila

After Hayley Thagard graduated in 2015 from high school in Sabetha, Kansas, a small town near the Nebraska border, she was not ready to choose a career, or even a major. Community college made sense as a lower-cost, lower-risk choice to continue her education while she decided what she wanted to pursue.

Avila Theatre Launches Intern Program

When the curtain rises on the New Theatre and Restaurant’s production of “Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood” on November 22, Avila University will be well-represented both on- and backstage, highlighted by the professional debuts for undergraduates Gavin Merrill and Sam Stratton.

Politics, Sex and Religion Focus of Avila Professor’s Latest Book

The interplay of politics, sex and religion in the United States concerns Leslie Dorrough Smith, associate professor of religious studies at Avila University, in her most recent book, “Compromising Positions: Sex Scandals, Politics, and American Christianity,” published on November 1 by Oxford University Press.

STEM Scholar Tacking Neurology, Cognition

Alexis Delgado, a junior biochemistry premed major at Avila University, spent her summer break a bit differently than most of her classmates – she was crunching MRI data in support of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Miami as part of a “research experience for undergraduates”, or REU.

Shaw Delivers Truman Lecture to Packed Pavilion

A capacity audience rapt with attention listened as Reggie Shaw shared his powerful, heart-breaking story of a moment’s inattention that changed his life forever during the 2019 Harry S. Truman Distinguished Lecture on October 14 in the Avila University Athletic Pavilion.

Avila Heritage Society: Rod & Jo Anne Cyr

Avila Heritage Society: Rod & Jo Anne Cyr

Growing up down the road from Avila University, Cathy Cyr Nigro witnessed the evolution of the school since it relocated to its South Kansas City campus.

“As a young girl, I went to school just up the hill from Avila, and you couldn’t leave without going by Avila,” she said. “Avila has been in my memory as far back as I can remember. We’ve seen it develop, grow and adapt to the community.”