May 3rd, 2012

From Karrie Kalich, Health Science:

Early Sprouts recently expanded its initiative from working with preschool age children to also children in kindergarten through 6th grade participating in afterschool programs. In the afterschool setting, Early Sprouts continues to focus on nutrition by engaging children in gardening, exploring, and cooking fresh produce. However, a new addition has been incorporating activities that also foster math, science, and art skills.

Dr. Beverly Ferrucci and her fourth-year math students graciously partnered with the Early Sprouts team to create fun and engaging math activities that utilized the Early Sprouts vegetables. For example, children explore the connection between the size of a squash and the number of seeds it contains, determine the volume of a bell pepper by measuring how much water it holds, and calculate the perimeter of a room using green beans.

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Beverly J. Ferrucci (Mathematics) has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to attend the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME) in Seoul, Korea this summer. ICME is held once every four years and is one of the largest international congresses in mathematical education. The Congress serves as a forum for mathematics educators, researchers, mathematicians, and practicing teachers from all over the world to present their latest research and to discuss trends in mathematics education from international perspectives.

Dr. Ferrucci was selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants by a committee comprised of representatives from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Mathematical Association of America, the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, the American Mathematical Society, and the U.S. National Commission on Mathematics Instruction. She will serve as the editor of the Congress’s international research publication that will be published jointly by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Mathematical Association of America.

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Dr. Patricia Pedroza, Women’s & Gender Studies, will present at The Summer School: “Decolonizing Knowledge and Power: Postcolonial Studies, Decolonial Horizons” which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, July 9-19. The submission of her Performance-Essay “La Morena y el Toro/TORITO: A Mestiza Possibility when Serpent is not the Symbol of Female Sexuality” was accepted as analysis and investigation of the impact of the teaching about decolonial paradigms in the sphere of knowledge and higher education. This seminar is offered through the Center of Study and Investigation for Global Dialogues, in Barcelona, Spain, in collaboration with the Ethnic Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley.

In April of 2012, Gina Velasco, an assistant professor in Women’s and Gender Studies, was invited to give a public lecture at Colgate University, titled “Performing the Filipina ‘Mail Order Bride’: Queer Neoliberalism, Affective Labor, and Homonationalism.” In addition to her lecture, Professor Velasco co-taught a faculty workshop on teaching queer studies within a transnational framework. Professor Velasco also organized and participated in a roundtable discussion on Asian American queer performance at the Association for Asian American Studies national meeting in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jim Chesebrough (assistant professor of Music) and Rob Skrocki ’14 were invited to present a workshop entitled “The Playground’s No Fun If You Can’t Work the Slide! Trombone Articulation” at the New Hampshire Music Educators Spring Conference held at the Grapone Conference Center in Concord on April 13. This clinic reviewed the basic techniques for teaching slide/articulation skills to young trombonists. Rob Skrocki is a talent scholarship recipient at Keene State College, majoring in Music Education with a concentration in trombone.

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Later this year, Jamie Landau, an assistant professor of communication, will publish an  article in the academic journal, Women’s Studies in Communication. The article is titled “Reproducing and transgressing masculinity: A rhetorical analysis of women interacting with digital photographs of Thomas Beatie” and was adapted from a chapter of Landau’s dissertation. In addition, Landau recently received a Faculty Development Grant to cover the costs of reprinting images with this article, as her study examined what a sample group of women of childbearing age thought, felt, and did with digital photographs of Beatie, known as “The Pregnant Man.” Landau’s study parts ways from existing feminist scholarship on images of pregnant men that suggest they are patriarchal.

Emily Porschitz, Management, has had a chapter entitled “Going through the Mist: Early Career Transitions of Millennial Generation Chinese Returnees” accepted for publication in Managing the New Workforce: International Perspectives on the Millennial Generation, to be published 2013.

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Beverly J. Ferrucci (Mathematics) and Eileen Phillips (Director of the Math Center) presented “Liven up Your Classroom with Motivating Mathematical Activities for all Ability Levels” at the New Hampshire Teachers of Mathematics’ annual meeting at Plymouth State University. Their interactive workshop presented examples of effective instructional strategies and activities for elementary school teachers to use to differentiate mathematics instruction within their classrooms.

Barbara Ware, Modern Languages, attended the 7th Interdisciplinary and Multicultural Conference on Food Representation in Literature, Film and the Other Arts, sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, College of Fine and Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The international conference was held at the University February 23-25. The inaugural speaker was Dr. Renée S. Scott of the University of North Florida: “Curb your appetite: Consumption and the Body in Latin American Women’s Fiction.” Prof. Ware presented on the panel “Contemporary Spanish Novel” with her paper “The Pedro Carvalho Series by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán: A Passionate Exploration of Cuisine and Contemporary Society.”

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Sally Southwick, Associate Director of the Office of Sponsored Projects and Research, was named volunteer of the month by the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). Nominated by an external colleague, Sally’s work on behalf of Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions nationally was cited.

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Sally Southwick, Associate Director of Sponsored Projects and Research, co-authored the article “Research Development at PUIs (Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions): It’s What We Do” with Mickie Kreidler of Dakota State University. The article was published in the January/February 2012 edition of NCURA Magazine published by the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA).

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Mark C. Long, professor of English, attended the annual convention of the Modern Language Association convention in Seattle January 6-9. Mark presented a paper at the session he organized for the MLA’s Office of Research, “Academically Adrift? Language, Literature, and Learning in the Small College English Department.” The session, a response to Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa’s Academically Adrift? Limited Learning on College Campuses, also featured presentations by Suzanne Parker Keen, from Washington and Lee University, and Paul Hanstedt, from Roanoke College. Mark also served as a Job Counselor for the MLA during the convention.

Kirsti Sandy, Associate Professor of English, had two creative nonfiction pieces published:  “Unnecessary Lessons” in the online literary journal BioStories, and “Voodoo Economics,” forthcoming in The Boiler Journal.

Miguel Rivera-Taupier, Modern Languages, had an article published in the journal Hispamérica. The paper studies the unmappability of the Latin American megalopolis in a short story by Argentinean writer Alan Pauls. Pauls, one of the most important contemporary Latin American writers, has been translated to several languages. His novel El pasado won Herralde Prize and was adapted as a movie in 2007.

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Mona Anderson, Assistant Director of the Counseling Center, had an article published in the online newsletter Student Affairs News. The piece is about the Critical Incident Stress Team at Keene State, and has initiated a number of inquiries from other institutions around the country about our special work in this area. You can read the whole article at Student Affairs News’s site.

Dr. Jose Lezcano, Professor of Music, performed his “Canciones para Alfonsina” cycle with soprano Carrie Culver at the College of Wooster Nov. 1, and a solo recital at Oberlin College (Nov. 4), where students also performed a complete program of his chamber music (Nov. 5). He also performed solo recitals in Ecuador, featuring his own works and Latin composers, at the Casa de la Musica in Quito (Nov. 28) and at the International Guitar Festival of Cuenca (Nov. 29), and taught masterclasses or guest lectures at all these institutions. With harpist Francizka Huhn, he played a duo concert at Middlesex Community College, MA, on Nov. 18.

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From Yi Gong, Education:

The School of Professional and Graduate Studies has been exploring international relationships with institutions outside the U.S., including Chile, South Africa, England, and China, with the goals of increasing global awareness, researching best practices from different education systems, and ultimately improving our program quality. Under the leadership of Drs. Melinda Treadwell, Shirley McLoughlin, Dottie Bauer, Yi Gong, and Ms. Deirdre McPartlin, the Education Department has initiated conversations with Wuxi Teachers College and Nanjing Experimental Kindergarten in China for potential collaboration in educational research, international classroom teaching experiences, and professional development opportunities. Nanjing Experimental Kindergarten, currently a partner with the KSC Child Development Center (CDC), is planning to send a visiting team in the spring of 2012 to further this recently established partnership.

On Friday, October 14, a team of Chinese educators visited Keene State College and presented to education faculty and students on current practices in Chinese elementary education. Members of the team included the principal of a school for academically talented students (Mr. Wei Jiang), a public elementary school teacher (Ms. Ye Hua), and two school board members (Ms. Kefang Mei and Mr. Jian Shi). The team also toured the Marlborough School, one of Keene State’s partnership schools, and observed a fifth grade classroom. They participated in a social studies lesson taught by Ms. Ashley Rouse (Ms. Sue Pomasko’s classroom), an Elementary Education major and methods student. This visit was coordinated by Marlborough School Principal Reuben Duncan; Dr. Nancy Lory, Professor of Special Education; and Ms. Linda Vermouth, Instructor and field supervisor for Elementary Methods. The visiting Chinese educators noted the engagement of the elementary students and commented on the students’ ownership of their learning. They also discussed teacher preparation, differentiated instruction, and the innovative model of personal learning plans.

The School of Professional and Graduate Studies is committed to increasing the international awareness and experiences of its graduates through this and other similar initiatives.

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Beverly J. Ferrucci, Professor of Mathematics, and Craig Sheil ‘03 presented a workshop titled, “Blending Mathematics and Technology Meaningfully” at the annual conference of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in New England (ATMNE) in Warwick, RI. Their workshop shared ways in which technology can be incorporated into mathematics courses for grades 7-12. They included examples of mathematics activities for teaching algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, and calculus. A discussion of other mathematical resources along with projects and lessons that can help students and teachers followed the presentation. More than 600 mathematics teachers at all levels were in attendance at the conference.

Professor Daniel Patterson of the Theatre and Dance faculty has been asked to adjudicate for the David Mark National Playwriting award given by the Kennedy Center. This will be the second year in a row that Prof. Patterson has adjudicated for that award. In addition, Prof. Patterson has been asked to participate in the Kenney Center American College Theatre Festival in Region VIII (California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada) as a Festival Respondent and adjudicator for the Irene Ryan acting scholarship award.  Prof. Patterson will be on sabbatical in the Spring of 2012 and is currently working on two scripts for possible presentation at KSC when he returns.

Director of Campus Safety Amanda Warman recently completed the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators’ (IACLEA) Executive Development Institute at the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety in Evanston, Illinois. Warman received a Motorola Foundation Scholarship to attend the program.

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Karen Cangialosi and Scott Strong, biology, received a grant of $550 from the Turks and Caicos Reef fund to support their coral reef monitoring work, including a pilot of a snorkeling education program with students from the Clement Howell High school on Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Dr. Lara Bryant, geography, served as an invited member on the opening panel session for this year’s GIS Educator’s Day at the New England ArcUsers Group conference in Saratoga Springs, NY, November 13. The panel, “Educating Indispensable Geospatial Professionals for the 21st Century,” was moderated by Richard D. Quodomine, from the New York State Department of Transportation, and also included Tora Johnson, from the University of Maine at Machias, and Tao Tang, from Buffalo State College. This panel was sponsored by the New York State GIS Association and was the first of two panels aimed at sharing perspectives for improving the preparation of geospatial professionals for careers in both the public and private sector. The panel members shared the methods used in their courses, as well as their ideas about what skills are needed for employees in the current geospatial workforce. Dr. Bryant discussed the need to be able to not only apply learned GIS skills and knowledge in the classroom but the ability to determine which technology and skills are most appropriate in a variety of settings to enhance learning within a variety of disciplines. There is also a need for educators to build a foundation of GIS skills that can begin in the public elementary schools. The panel also focused on the two different types of skills needed in a geospatial career, the knowledge and capability to use current technology, as well as the ability to think critically, and work with others. Much of the discussion focused on service learning and community involvement. All of the panel members discussed how they require their students to complete meaningful projects that are relevant to their local communities.
Senior Kayla Reeves also presented a vernal cache lesson she and her senior seminar group created. The lesson is one of four lessons piloted as part of her senior Geography seminar project and utilizes GPS technology. Instead of teaching GPS as a separate skill, this lesson teaches students to use the technology in the context of learning how to identify vernal pools. Her presentation was attended by educators from many organizations, including the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the New York iMapInvasives program, and was very well received.

Penny Miceli (Office of Sponsored Projects & Research) co-led a half-day professional development workshop entitled “Compliance Issues for Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions” at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the National Council of University Research Administrators in Washington DC on November 6, 2011. The workshop was presented with colleagues from Agnes Scott College and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and was attended by research administrators from around the country.

Alex Brown, Coordinator of Greek Life & Student Leadership, recently presented a program entitled “Fraternal Inception” at the New England Greek Summit at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The summit brought students, professionals, and volunteers together from across the northeast to address challenges and issues within fraternity and sorority communities, and find new, revolutionary ways to create stronger leaders, organizations and communities. Alex’s program, “Fraternal Inception,” weaves pop culture with education by connecting plot points from the hit movie Inception with tangible lessons helping students understand the importance of taking ownership of their current reality, recognizing the power of ideas, and initiating change.

Sally Southwick (Office of Sponsored Projects & Research) organized and co-led a half-day professional development workshop entitled “Finding the Right Research Administration Situation” at the Society of Research Administrators International annual meeting in Montreal, Quebec, on October 23. The workshop was presented with colleagues from Dakota State University and Christopher Newport University and attended by research administrators from six countries.

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Three Keene State College professors presented their research on a panel about “Seeing Gender” at the 20th annual Women & Society Conference at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Running from October 21 to 22, this interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference covered a wide range of issues related to women’s and gender studies and modeled feminist inquiry for undergraduate students. Ann Atkinson, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication, Journalism & Philosophy, presented her paper titled, “Seeing Supreme Court Justices: A Feminist Rhetorical Analysis of Images of Sandra Day O’Connor and other Women on the Court;” Sara Hottinger, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, presented her paper titled, “Visualizing Rationality: An Examination of Portraits in History of Mathematics Textbooks;” and Jamie Landau, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication, Journalism & Philosophy, presented her paper titled, “From Myopia to a Hybrid Gaze: The Visuality of Halle Berry.”

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Beverly J. Ferrucci, Professor of Mathematics, presented a talk entitled “Cases in Technology-Enriched School Mathematics” at the 15^th Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics at Abant İzzet Baysal University in Bolu, Turkey. The presentation discussed research that Beverly conducted with colleagues while on sabbatical at the National Institute of Education in Singapore. She also presented a workshop, “Technology-Rich Learning Experiences from the Web for the Secondary Mathematics Classroom” for a group of Turkish teachers. Mathematics teachers, professors, and education professionals from 25 countries were in attendance.

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During July 2011 Maura Glennon (Professor of Music) was invited to be a faculty in residence at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music’s Summer Chamber Music Workshops. During her time there she worked with chamber music groups from around the world, including artists from Greece, Turkey, Ireland and the U.S. Additionally, she performed in the summer faculty concert with the Apple Hill String Quartet in Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Piano Quintet.”

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