Pam Bailey, assistant professor of education
Contacted mathematics teacher educators/professors from around the state to determine their interest in establishing a state affiliate of the national association of mathematics teacher educators. Bailey worked with a JMU and a VCU professor to write all needed documents, and she planned and held the first meeting using Blackboard Collaborate. The application has been submitted and verbally approved for the group to become the Virginia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. Bailey was also voted to become the first president of the group.
Matthew Davies, assistant professor of Shakespeare and Performance and English
Won the Richmond Critics Circle award in November, informally called an Artsie, for Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of Shylock in Quill Theatre’s production of The Merchant of Venice over the summer.
After a protracted ten-week rehearsal period, he performed Prospero in JMU’s production of The Tempest at the Forbes Theatre, early December.
A review of Garry Wills’ Making Make-Believe Real: Politics as Theatre in Shakespeare’s Time appeared in the 2016 fall edition of the journal History.
Doris Dodson, assistant professor of social work and director of field experience
Awarded her second grant from the High-Impact Engaged Education Fund awarded by the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement for continued work in Haiti. Dodson has established potential partnerships with the Institute of Social Work and Social Sciences and the Be-Like-Britt Orphanage, both in Haiti, toward the development of a social work service learning experience and the development of a course in international social work. Plans are to travel to Haiti over spring break to meet with both potential partners and to teach at the Institute. The ultimate goal will be to finalize plans for students to study and participate in service learning opportunities with Haitian social work students.
Dodson was also elected vice-chairperson of the Virginia Social Work Education Consortium.
Beth Easterling, assistant professor of criminal justice and sociology, co-director of the Criminal Justice Program
Presented a paper, “Negative Experiences, Positive Outcomes: Educating College Students with Histories of Familial Criminal Justice System Involvement,” annual conference for the Virginia Association of Criminal Justice Educators, Roanoke.
Serving as vice president for the Virginia Association of Criminal Justice Educators for the coming year; Professor Doug Davis is president.
Paula Kiser, instruction and electronic resources librarian
With Anaya Jones, information literacy librarian, a presentation, “Back to the Whiteboard: Large Whiteboards and Group Activities in Library Instruction,” annual Virginia Library Association conference.
A review of the app “London: A City in Time” was published in the latest edition of Internet Reference Services Quarterly.
Kathy McCleaf, professor of education and gender and sexuality studies
Delivered an invited Continuing Medical Education presentation, “Trans Communities: Understanding Gender Variance,” November 16, Western State Hospital.
Cathy “Cat” McPherson, associate professor of business
Attended the Fall Faculty Retreat at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC, in October, as one of eight Sullivan Foundation Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows. The fellowship is focused on supporting faculty who are interested in incorporating social innovation and entrepreneurship into new or existing classes and/or proposed projects that serve to deepen knowledge of students interested in the field and faculty impact in the community. For her project, McPherson chose to develop a strategic plan for the Women Entrepreneurs Living/Learning Community, scheduled to launch in September 2017.
Paul Menzer, professor of Shakespeare and Performance and English, director of the MLitt/MFA Program in Shakespeare and Performance
An invited lecture, “Right and Sinister,” as part of the World Shakespeare Congress, August 5, King’s College, London.
An invited lecture, “Anecdotal Jonson,” September 16, Henry Huntington Library, Pasadena, California.
An invited lecture, “The Globe Was Flat,” November 16, New York University.
Roderic Owen, professor of philosophy
A talk, “Forgiveness and Anger: a Contemporary, Pragmatic Foundation,” Ahimsa Center Conference on Giving and Forgiving, November 18-20, California Pomona campus.
Served on the Peace University (NC) Faculty Status Committee as an external reviewer for the Chair of the Philosophy/Religious Studies Dept. in the fall.
Delivered a paper on the “Teaching of Ethics and Compassion,” annual American Association of Philosophy Teaching Meeting, summer 2016, Saginaw, Michigan.
Gave a guest lecture focused on religion, conflict and peace-building to a Global Honors course at JMU, October.
Brenci Patiño, associate professor of Spanish
With undergraduate students Valerie Baires, Ashley Garcia, Natalie Hernandez, and Demi Vicente-Martinez, invited panelists at a forum about the experiences of first-generation college students, organized by the Virginia Latino Higher Education Network, November 5, Roanoke.
Edmund “Rick” Potter, assistant professor of history
A review of William Walker’s “Betrayal at Little Gibraltar: A German Fortress, a Treacherous American General, and the Battle to End World War I” published on H-War, H-Net Reviews, November.
Jim Sconyers, associate professor of art
Exhibited his work, 3H2O, Shenandoah Valley Art Center’s Annual Exhibit of Beverley Street Studio School’s Artists and Instructors, Invitational Gallery, November.
Stephanie Sebolt, assistant professor of education
A presentation, “Connecting Content with Students’ Funds of Knowledge,” WATESOL Conference, October, Potomac, Maryland.
A presentation, “Teaching as Giving,” Ahimsa Conference at CalPoly, November, Pomona, California.
Katherine Turner, professor of English
Two articles accepted for publication in 2017:
“Daphne du Maurier’s Mary Anne: Rewriting the Regency Romance as Feminist History,” University of Toronto Quarterly
“‘Ill-designing people’: Revisiting Philip Thicknesse’s Recollections of Georgia,” Georgia Historical Quarterly
Tamra Willis, associate professor of education
Presented a keynote speech, “Get ‘Em Outside: It’s the Natural Way to Teach Science,” Virginia Association of Science Teachers Conference, November 18, Williamsburg.
From MDCHS Occupational Therapy Program:
Allison Ellington, assistant professor and director of clinical education in occupational therapy
Provided a workshop, “Ethics in Fieldwork,” Virginia Occupational Therapy Association conference, October 2016, Glen Allen.
Provided an invited presentation, “Development and Implementation of the Doctoral Experiential Component for Entry-Level OTD Programs,” Academic Leadership Conference, October 2016, San Diego, CA.
With Lisa Burns, assistant professor of occupational therapy, presented a poster, “Everybody Wins: Occupational Therapy Student, Practitioner, and Faculty Member Collaboration Enhances Use of Performance-Based Cognitive Assessments,” Virginia Occupational Therapy Association conference, October 2016, Glen Allen.
With Sandy Wagoner, assistant professor of occupational therapy; Pam Stephenson, assistant professor of occupational therapy; Greg Hansen, assistant professor of occupational therapy; and Lisa Burns, assistant professor of occupational therapy, presented a poster, “The Doctoral Experience: Questions & Answers” and provided an education session, “The OT Doctoral Experience,” Virginia Occupational Therapy Association conference, October 2016, Glen Allen.
Pamela Stephenson, assistant professor of occupational therapy
With occupational therapy student Maggie Sheffield, presented a poster, “Mental Health First Aid,” Virginia Occupational Therapy Association conference, October 2016, Glen Allen.
With occupational therapy student Ashley Bone, presented a poster, “The Role of Occupational Therapy in Addressing Cystic Fibrosis,” Virginia Occupational Therapy Association conference, October 2016, Glen Allen.
With MBU faculty member Carolyn Moore, provided a presentation, “Cardboard Collaborations,” American Physical Therapy Association’s Educational Leadership Conference, October 2016, Phoenix, AZ. The pair also presented on this topic for the online OT4OT Making It Together conference, October.
Lisa Burns, assistant professor of occupational therapy
With Occupational Therapy student Hannah Leaman, provided a presentation, “Fall Prevention,” Virginia Occupational Therapy Association conference, October 2016, Glen Allen.
Provided a session, “Implementing Comprehensive Interprofessional Education: Lessons Learned During Our First Three Years,” Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions conference, October 2016, New Orleans, LA.
Presented a poster, “Developing the Core Competencies: Graduate Students’ Perceptions of Learning About, From, and With Each Other During an Interprofessional Course,” Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions conference, October 2016, New Orleans, LA.