Accomplishments - September, 2016
Steven Taylor, College of Education and Human Services, presented “Access and Completion: Supporting and Retaining First Generation College Students,” at the Illinois Academic Advising Association’s Fall Drive-In Conference, Sept. 23, in Springfield. The presentation focused on the importance of stakeholders, university based programs and faculty members being connected in a collaborative effort to retain first generation college students.
Scott Blackwood, English, earned a major national literary award with his novel, "See How Small," which won the PEN Center USA's 2016 Fiction Award. Blackwood will be among the literary award recipients honored at the 26th annual Literary Awards Festival on Wednesday, Sept. 28, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The work of Jerry Monteith, School of Art & Design, is featured in a show at Gallery 210 at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. The 14-week show runs until Dec. 3, 2016, and features works by artists who have shown in the gallery's annual "Exposures" exhibition over the last 10 years.
Cynthia Sims, interim associate dean for academic and student affairs, College of Education and Human Services, presented “Colorism in Mexico: Exclusionary Workplace Practices that Disempower Latinas,” at the Sixteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations, in July, in Granada, Spain.
Saran Donahoo, chair, Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education, will receive an award in November from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Region IV-East. She will be honored for Outstanding Contribution to Student Affairs Through Teaching at the NASPA Region IV-East/West Regional Conference, Nov. 16, in St. Louis. Award criteria include: contributions through the development of professionals, research and publication, and active involvement in professional organizations. NAPSA is the “leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession,” according to the organization website.
“Our First Times,” a play by Jacob Juntunen, Theater, was commissioned and performed recently by the Core Artist Ensemble of New York City. Juntunen is also the new recipient of the James Fisher Fellowship, awarded by American Theatre and Drama Society. Both the fellowship and the premier follow the publication of his book, “Mainstream AIDS Theatre, the Media, and Gay Civil Rights: Making the Radical Palatable,” in February.
Andy Wang, dean, College of Applied Sciences and Arts, recently was recognized by ABET, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., for his work as a program evaluator. ABET is the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. In his role as program evaluator, Wang assists in reviewing more than 3,500 programs at more than 700 institutions in 29 countries.
Ulrich Reichard, Anthropology, is co-author and editor of “Evolution of Gibbons and Siamang: Phylogeny, Morphology and Cognition,” published by Springer. With co-editors from Japan and Italy, the research “provides the first comprehensive analysis of gibbon and siamang cognition.” The introduction states the volume “provides insight into gibbon diet and community ecology, the mating system and reproduction, and conservation biology, all topics which represent areas of substantial progress in understanding socio-ecological flexibility and conservation needs of the hylobatid family."
Joseph Schafer, Criminology and Criminal Justice, will be included on Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice Wall of Fame. Fewer than 100 graduates of more than 10,000 have received the honor. The award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the school of criminal justice, recognizes those with the highest level of professional accomplishments and the highest standard of personal integrity and character. The induction ceremony is October 21.
Karen Johnson, Aviation Technologies, has been appointed to serve on The Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) Journal Editorial Board. The ATEC Journal is a peer-reviewed, electronic publication published twice a year, and provides an opportunity for educators, administrators, students and industry personnel to share teaching techniques and research.
