Daily Brief

Fares Secures KU Research Grant to Advance Hip‑Hop Pedagogy and Student Belonging

The College of Education proudly congratulates Marlene Nanouh Fares, Ed.D., assistant professor and academic advisor for exploratory studies, and Stephen Walker, academic coach and success navigator, on securing a Kutztown University Research Grant Award for their project, Moments Create Movements II: The Re‑mix. This innovative, student‑centered initiative expands the collaborative work that began with Fares and Walker (TRIO) on culturally sustaining hip‑hop pedagogy by engaging KU students as co‑researchers in workshops on spoken word, lyrical composition, DJing, beat‑making, graffiti art and more. The project culminates in a campuswide Hip‑Hop Showcase and a digital “Campus Mixtape” that celebrates student voice, belonging, creativity and community connection. With support for student wages, honoraria for creative practitioners and culturally grounded programming, this grant strengthens KU's commitment to inclusive excellence and arts‑based research. Please join us in celebrating Fares and Walker for advancing meaningful scholarship that uplifts KU's student communities.

College of Education

Learn to Rank Higher on Google Maps with Kutztown SBDC

Graduate students working with the Kutztown University Small Business Development Center will lead a virtual educational workshop, Ranking Higher on Google Maps Fast, 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12, via Zoom. The session will be presented by Soufiyane Belyamani and Alexandra Skidmore, graduate assistants at the Kutztown SBDC, and is open to Pennsylvania small-business owners, entrepreneurs and community members interested in learning more about local digital marketing. The workshop addresses common questions frequently searched by business owners, including why a business is not showing up on Google Maps even when the listing is verified and what to post on a Google Business Profile for better ranking. Participants will gain practical guidance focused on improving visibility in local search results and increasing customer engagement. Through their roles at the Kutztown SBDC, graduate students receive real world, hands-on experience that allows them to apply academic learning to client-facing scenarios. Belyamani is pursuing a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Decision Making and Leadership, while Skidmore is pursuing a Master of Public Administration. Both students build professional portfolios by developing educational resources, delivering training and translating graduate level coursework into applicable solutions for small businesses. The session will also cover how to add keywords to a Google Business Profile description, how to use categories and services to strengthen local relevance and how to improve visibility in "near me" searches using proximity-based tactics. Additional topics include capturing and managing five-star reviews, responding to negative feedback, posting offers and events, adding photos that convert and measuring performance using Google Business Profile Insights and UTM tracking. This workshop demonstrates the applied value of a Kutztown University graduate degree and highlights how continued master's-level education supports experiential learning, workforce readiness and community engagement through the Kutztown SBDC.

Ranking Higher on Google Maps Fast

Rachael Wolfe, Kutztown University Small Business Development Center

SCUPA Union Lunch

Employees represented by the SCUPA union are invited to the first open lunch meeting of 2026, noon Tuesday, Jan. 13, 312 MSU. This will be a time to receive updates related to the union and SCUPA work. Attendees will be able to ask questions related to contracts, classification, other union matters and discuss any other information with union representation. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Megan Rutter, SCUPA Campus President

Nuventive Training for Administrative Units

There will be a Nuventive training session for administrative units 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, via Zoom. All participants should have access to Nuventive prior to attending a session. If you plan to attend and have not yet requested access, please reach out to Karen Rauch as soon as possible at rauch@kutztown.edu.

Karen Rauch, Office of the Provost

University Curriculum Committee

The next University Curriculum Committee (UCC) meeting is Thursday, Jan. 29. The proposal deadline is noon Thursday, Jan. 15. Please submit proposals to the UCC SharePoint site. Contact Brian Meares at meares@kutztown.edu with any questions.

Brian Meares, University Curriculum Committee