Faculty Achievements – December 2015

Matthew Brooks, adjunct professor of music

Research, “Effective Elements of Conducting: A Study of High School Orchestra Directors,” accepted for the Poster Sessions at the Virginia Music Educators Association 2015 Conference, Nov. 20-21, Norfolk.

Ralph Cohen, professor of Shakespeare and Performance and English; Virginia Worth Gonder Fellow in theatre

Contributed a paper, “Stools,” to the seminar on Early Modern Playhouses at the Shakespeare Association of America, Vancouver.

Lead a “Teaching Shakespeare” workshop at the Shakespeare Association of America Conference for 200 teachers from the Vancouver area.

Served as one of five judges for the finals of the English Speaking Union’s National Shakespeare Competition at Lincoln Center.

Served as visiting lecturer for Washington and Lee’s summer symposium on “Shakespeare’s Kings.”

Contributed the forward to Shaping Shakespeare for Performance: The Bear Stage, edited by Catherine Loomis and Sid Ray.

Louise Freeman, professor of psychology

Presented two workshops at “Scholars Teaching Scholars,” the annual retreat for the Emory University Scholars program, on “Psychology from Hogwarts to Panem: How Literature and Science Inform Each Other.”

Nadine Gergel-Hackett, assistant professor of physics

With co-author Peter Ruiz-Haas, an invited talk, “Development of Practical, Low Cost, Portable Water Purification System via Titanium Dioxide Thin Films,” presented by student Alana Rister at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physical Sciences, Oct. 15, Lincoln, Neb.

Drew Gogian, associate professor of nursing and RN to BSN Program director

Elected as forum co-chair for the Augusta Community Health Forum beginning January 2016. She is also serving on the forum steering committee as well as the new “Core Community Coaching Team,” which has partnered with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to identify priority community health needs, set goals, and develop strategies to address those needs for the Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro region.

Lise Keiter, professor of music

Chaired two sessions at the National College Music Society Conference, Indianapolis.

Featured presentation, “Memorization Techniques,” for the Peninsula Music Teachers Association, Hampton, Va.

Kathy McCleaf, professor of health and studies of gender and sexuality

A presentation, “Discussion on Trans Communities and Language,” on the topic of gender diversity as an invited speaker to the Cultural and Linguistics Competency Committee, Western State Hospital, Oct. 6.

Paul Menzer, director of Shakespeare and Performance

A new publication, “Archives and Anecdotes,” in The Oxford Companion to Performance soon to be released from Oxford University Press.

Brenci Patino, assistant professor of Spanish

With undergraduate students Maricruz Valenzuela and Virginia Banda-Garcia, attended the 2015 National Leadership Institute of the ¡Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund.

An invited lecture on music and identity at Washington & Lee University, Oct. 23.

David Paulk, director of Physician Assistant Program

Selected as one of 15 members of the CDC’s mild traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents expert panelists to write the final consensus recommendations/guidelines. The original panel of experts totaled 45 and only 15 were selected to draft the consensus recommendations.

Serving on the community services board of the National Alliance on Mental Health at Western State Psychiatric.

Edmund “Rick” Potter, assistant professor of history

A lecture, “The Importance of Vernacular in the Valley: Exploring Our Architectural Landscape,” as part of the Special Collections Speakers Series at James Madison University.

Paul Ryan, professor of art

Review of the exhibition, “Myron Helfgott: An Inventory of My Thoughts,” at the Anderson Gallery, School of the Arts, VCU, appears in the November 2015 issue of Sculpture Magazine.

Jimmy Sconyers, associate professor of art

Attended a Plenary Session: “Discovering the Self: The Transformative Power of Peace and Justice Work” and the panel: “Perspectives on Peace: Using Fine Art to Build Peace” at the Peace and Justice Association’s 2015 Annual Conference.

Janna Segal, assistant professor of theatre

Participated in the “Theory and Original Practices” Colloquy at the Blackfriars Conference where she shared her paper, “The Private Theatre Response to the Public Theatre Debate in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Lisa Shoaf, physical therapy program director

With Kai Kennedy, presented a program at the Educational Leadership Conference for the American Physical Therapy Association in Baltimore in October. The presentation, “Ready, Set, IPE: Implementing Meaningful Interprofessional Education in a DPT Program,” focused on highlighting some of the innovative educational models being used at Murphy Deming to facilitate interprofessional education in the health professions.

Tamra Willis, associate professor of education

Presented “Engaging High School Students in 21st Century Skills through a Community-Focused Restoration Project,” Virginia Environmental Education Conference, Natural Bridge, Va., Oct.

Invited keynote on “Environment-Based Learning: Why It Works” for Fairfax County Schools Get-to-Green Awards Ceremony, Fairfax, Va., Nov.