Thursday, April 17, 2014

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Building a sense of community

Several groups of nursing students recently applied their community health lessons from the classroom to the community through a series of public health fairs in Milton and Sunbury. Students helped residents learn healthy lifestyle habits through displays and discussions on nutrition and healthy eating, smoking cessation, and coping strategies for aggression and substance abuse. The work of the nursing majors was just the latest example of the many different ways Huskies have impacted and connected the community in recent weeks. Among them include:

• Two interns organizing a fun, interactive fundraiser for the United Way
• A record amount raised by BU’s Relay for Life
• Graduate students assisting the University of Scranton in its assessment efforts
• BU Toy Library launched its six-week early literacy programming
• Annual Science Iditarod attracts nearly 100 regional high school students
• Siblings’ and Children’s Weekend brings first big event of the year to the Quad
• A record number of volunteers participate in The Big Event
• COST hosts weekly science-based workshops
• Kappa Sigma dodges to donate for the hungry
• Delta Phi Epsilon helped campus become a voice and not an echo

BU enters dual admissions partnership with RACC

An agreement signed on Wednesday, April 16, by David L. Soltz, president of Bloomsburg University, and Anna D. Weitz, president of Reading Area Community College, formalized plans to bring BU’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical Leadership to RACC students. BU forged a similar agreement two years ago with Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville, enabling students who earn an associate’s degree in applied science to complete courses for the bachelor’s degree at the community college campus. The program’s upper-level courses help provide graduates with the skills needed for supervisory and leadership positions.

The agreement establishes program-to-program guaranteed admissions for students who complete the requirements for an Associate of Applied Science degree at Reading Area Community College to enter into the Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical Leadership degree program. Planning is currently underway to ensure that students will complete the entire degree requirements on RACC’s campus or online.

The Technical Leadership program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to assume leadership roles in workgroups and project teams — skills necessary for career advancement in a rapidly changing, globalized workplace. The leadership focus of the program covers areas sought by employers, including:

• Effective communication and collaboration
• Team leadership and project management
• Staff training and development
• Workplace and cultural diversity
• Financial and supervisory knowledge
• Conflict management and resolution

Campus Announcements: What you need to know!

Blood Drive — Thursday, April 17 at the Nelson Field House from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk-in donors welcome, but appointments are first priority. Call 1-800-Red-Cross or go to redcross.org to schedule an appointment. All presenting donors during the month of April are automatically entered to win a $250 VISA Gift Card.

Audiology Thesis Defense — Amanda Bukoski, a doctoral student in the department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, will be presenting her thesis defense, “Comparing the Number of Refers of a Behavioral Checklist and Performance Based Central Auditory Processing Screener,” on Thursday, April 17, at 9 a.m. in Centennial Hall 301. The university community is welcome to attend.

Open Mic Night — Thursday, April 17 at 8 p.m. in the KUB Fireside Lounge. Register by April 14 at the Kehr Main Desk. Must be a BU student to perform.

Happy Birthday — Program Board General Meeting on Wednesday, April 23 at 9:15 p.m. in the Kehr Multi B. It’s Everybody’s Birthday!

The Lego Movie — showing in the Kehr Hideaway on April 23, 25, and 27 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Free admission with a BU ID all others $1.

36th Annual Renaissance Jamboree — Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. downtown Bloomsburg. Held rain or shine.

Relax — Sign-up for a free 10 minute head, neck and shoulder massage April 29, 30 and May 1 from noon to 5 p.m. in the Kehr Fireside Lounge. Sign-up om advance at the Kehr Union main desk for a 10 minute slot. Walk-ins will be welcome if available. Massages given by personnel from The Center for Health and Wellness.

RoboCop — showing in the Kehr Hideaway on April 30 and May 2 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Free admission with a BU ID all others $1.

New York City Bus Trip — Saturday, May 3. Departs BU Hospital lot at 7 a.m. Departs NYC. at 8 p.m. $30 per person with BU student ID and paid Spring ’14 Activity fee. $35 for those with BU student ID only and guests. Sign up in Student Activities Office.

Want to be an International Peer Mentor? — BU's Office of Global Education is seeking volunteers to be International Peer Mentors for 2014-15. International Peer Mentors assist new international students at Bloomsburg University in making a smooth transition into university life.

Campus Child Center Enrollment — BU's Campus Child Center is accepting enrollments for the summer. Please contact Judy Coleman Brinich, director, at jcoleman@bloomu.edu or call 570-389-4547.

Wanted Kidsburg Crew — to help rebuild Kidsburg from Wednesday, April 30, to Sunday, May 4 at the Bloomsburg Town Park. Flexible Shifts and free food and childcare. To register call Deb at 301-518-7089.

Summer Downtown Student Parking Permits — are available for students living in the downtown area for summer sessions. Permits are valid in all the Zone areas of the parking lots excluding the Zone G: Library Lot. Permits go on sale May 1, and are valid from May 5 to August 15, 2014, cost is $60. Must have the following to obtain a permit: Photo ID (BU ID), current signed lease or utility bill, and vehicle registration card.

Are you a freshman or senior?

Each member of Bloomsburg University’s first-year and senior classes is invited to share opinions about their experiences at BU by completing the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). According to Sheila Dove Jones, assistant vice president for planning and assessment, answers to the online survey will reveal students’ views on the quality of their education and their level of involvement in activities outside of the classroom. Results will be used to improve the undergraduate experience and as a baseline measurement for BU’s general education requirements.

You can win one of several prizes!

• More than $400 in Amazon gift cards, including a top prize of $150
• BU travel mugs
• BU stadium blankets
• iPod arm bands

Student winners have already won more than $300 in BU memorabilia and Amazon gift cards – take the survey today for your chance to win! Based on last year’s survey, students have a one in seven chance of winning. Complete the online survey by Friday, April 25!

Students present Honors Independent Study projects

Honors students take two three-credit independent study courses where they work with a faculty mentor to complete a year-long research project. The final piece of their assessment is a 30-minute oral presentation along with a written research paper, which is open for submission for publication. Presentations will be held in the Honors classroom in Luzerne Hall, Room B-9. All are open to the campus community. #CollaborativeLearning

Tuesday, April 22

• 3:30 p.m. — Chai Williams, What are the constitutional limits to the punishments of violent juvenile offenders with Laura Davis
• 4:00 p.m. — Matt Hess, Influences of Socioeconomic Factors on the Locations of Drilling Sites in the Marcellus Shale Region of Pennsylvania with John Hintz

Wednesday, April 30

• 1:00 p.m. — Casey Young, An Investigation of Students’ Opinions of the Reinforcement System Use in Behavior Intervention and Support with Barbara Wilson
• 1:30 p.m. — Grace Barry, Effect of Noise Statistics on Detection of Sinusoids with Petula Vaz
• 2:30 p.m. — Kristin Pyle, The Effects of Manipulating Visual Feedback During Computerized Dynamic Posturography with Jorge Gonzalez

Thursday, May 1

• 2:00 p.m. — Gabrielle Vielhauer, Understanding the Hopewell: A Comparison of Two Cultures within the Hopewell Tradition with DeeAnne Wymer
• 2:30 p.m. — Ryan McCampbell, Capitalization of Sustainability with Edward Pitongolo

Friday, May 2

• 2:00 p.m. — Morgan Kaye, Bloomsburg University’s Views on Female Athletes with Kelly Dauber
• 2:30 p.m. — Chelsea Stoner, The Effects of Socialization on Health Perceptions and Promotion within a Geriatric Population with Debra Sanders and Michelle Ficca
• 3:00 p.m. — Meghan Ruland, Hearing Aid Non-User’s Perceptions of Hearing Aids with Tom Zalewski
• 3:30 p.m. — Rebecca Cole, Self-Perception of Skill in Therapeutic Relationship Development in the Clinical Setting with Margie Eckroth-Bucher

Campus explores digital humanities

BU’s Institute for Culture and Society’s Digital Humanities Symposium, sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, kicks off Monday, April 14, with a series of discussions of digital tools and projects relevant to faculty and student creative work and scholarship, and of the future of digital liberal arts. #CollaborativeLearning

• Faculty Panel Discussion: Digital Tools and Projects in the Arts and Humanities — Monday, April 14, at 3 p.m., Centennial Hall 239, featuring Sue O’Donnell (art and art history), Alla Myzelev (art and art history), Robert Dunkelberger (library services), Stephanie Schlitz (English), Christopher Podeschi (sociology), Jennifer Whisner (environmental, geological, geosciences) and M. Safa Saracoglu (history)
• Student Panel Discussion: Digital Projects In and Out of the Classroom — Wednesday, April 16, at 7 p.m., Centennial Hall 108, with an all-student panel will discuss class-based projects, internship projects and student participation in University-related programs (e.g., the BU Writing Center, the Center for Community Research and Consulting, the University Archives, and the Magee Archives Project)
• Featured Guest Lecture: Professor William Pannapacker — Monday, April 21, at 7 p.m., McCormick Center 1303, presenting "Stop Calling it Digital Humanities, Start Calling it Digital Liberal Arts." Pannapacker, professor of English at Hope College, has been a leading figure in the digital humanities/digital liberal arts movement. He is founding director of the Hope College Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Scholars Program in the Arts and Humanities, which has become a model for the integration of digital technology into undergraduate research in the humanities.

College of Liberal Arts' Celebration of Scholarship

Whether practical or theoretical, research is done through many methods and for many purposes — even to simply introduce a historical figure to the Internet.

And Curtis Bratton, a senior history major, is doing just that. He’s helping to bring the legacy of Harry L. Magee, a well-known Bloomsburg business owner of the 20th century and a collector of many things, into focus for today’s digital generation. This semester Bratton archived a collection of Magee's scrapbooks that will be used to create an online searchable database. His work, “Woven into the Fabric of the Community: The Harry Magee Digital Archives,” will be among the wide variety of College of Liberal Arts’ research and scholarship projects on display later this month.

The COLA Celebration of Scholarship will be held on Thursday, April 24, and Friday, April 25, featuring a visiting artist gallery talk, student art exhibit, research presentations and stylistic performances, as well as the annual PADME exhibition. A majority of the events will be held in the McCormick Center with art focused in the Haas Galley of Art and PADME taking place at the Caldwell Consistory. #CollaborativeLearning

Women's intramural basketball brings home championship

The Bloomsburg University women’s intramural basketball team recently won the championship title at the Pennsylvania Intramural Recreational Sports Association State Basketball Tournament at Shippensburg University. BU played three teams in their pool before advancing to the championship game. The team won their games against Shippensburg University, 36-31; Dickinson College, 29-23; and East Stroudsburg University, 32-31. These three wins secured their spot in the championship game against East Stroudsburg.

They had a strong start in the championship game with two 3-point shots by Saige Hilsinger. Bloomsburg won the championship game against East Stroudsburg with a score of 38-26. The top scorer in the tournament was Shelby Weikel averaging 10 points per game. The team was lead to victory by the captain Saige Hilsinger.

“Overall the tournament was a lot of fun and the competition level was good,” said Hilsinger, describeing her appreciation of her teammates by adding. “I was extremely proud of everyone. It was a long day, but definitely worth leaving at 7 a.m.” #HuskyUnleashed

Chemistry major’s gunshot research showcased on national stage

Tom Malinski, a senior chemistry major, recently presented his X-ray fluorescence analysis of Pb (lead) from gunshot residue at the annual American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting and Exposition in Dallas. His work was supported by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Summer Scholars research award program, which has been funded annual by the Office of the Provost since 2007.

With more than 161,000 members, the ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and one of the world’s leading sources of authoritative scientific information. A nonprofit organization, ACS is at the forefront of the evolving worldwide chemical enterprise and the premier professional home for chemists, chemical engineers and related professions around the globe.

In addition, ACS publishes numerous scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. It also gives more than $22 million every year in grants for basic research in petroleum and related fields. #CollaborativeLearning

Making a Change, One Movement at a Time!

Bloomsburg University’s newly established student organization, The Movement, has spent this past school year promoting creative arts across campus. As a dance troupe of committed, energized and passionate students, The Movement thrives on the facets of art and desire to “spread the love” to you.

Taught by renowned choreographers — Laurieann Gibson, VMA-winning choreographer and Emmy-nominated director, and Ian Eastwood, choreographer and dancer on DanceOn's Dance Showdown and MTV's “Return of the Superstars” — The Movement offers the ability to choreograph, teach and perform for its fellow Huskies.

Join us! We host dance classes every Friday at 5 p.m. in the dance studio at Centennial Hall 134. (L-R) Tyhera Johnson, Daryl Gatewood, Corey Webb, Dreland Goar and Shaakirah Bradshaw. #CoCurricularLearning

The Voice takes New York

Thirteen editors from The Voice recently visited New York City to attend the national College Media Convention, joining approximately 1,500 other college journalists and advisers from across the country to hear from professionals and fellow journalists and advisers about the latest in their field.

Two of the 270 sessions were presented by representatives of The Voice. Editor in chief Gabby Vielhauer and Arts Editor Keara Hozella presented a session along with adviser Mary Bernath called "Why College Editors Get Jobs," the result of a survey they did of past editors of The Voice and Bloomsburg University graduates to find out how much their experience on the paper helped them on the job market. The other, by managing editors Rae Meade and Adina Evans, along with adviser Mary Bernath, called "Word Smarts," looked at how editors can help staff do their best writing, using techniques borrowed from our BU Writing Center.

Front (L-R): Jessie Napkora, Felicia Carey, Rae Meade, Keara Hozella, Kathryn Saulinas, Adina Evans. Back (L-R): John Catona, Cole Tamarri, Cole Kresch, Matt Healy, Anthony Patrick. Absent from photo: Gabby Vielhauer, Courtney Dunn. #CoCurricularLearning

Graduate students gain valuable insight from national conference

BU’s Master in School Counseling and College Student Affairs program was well represented at the 2014 annual convention of NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education in Baltimore, Md., where thirteen graduate students attended educational sessions, learned about opportunities for involvement in NASPA and expanded their understanding of college student learning and development.

The conference experience was made possible by support from the Bloomsburg University Foundation, which enabled students to attended such sessions as:

• Navigating the Role of a New Professional: Transition, Trials, and Tips in the First Year
• Effective Practices in Partnering with Academic Affairs
• Orienting Parents and Families: How is Higher Education Serving the Parents of Students of Color, First-generation, and Low-income Students?

Student attending the conference included Sara Bates, Luke Betley, Alyssa Bunch, Karalynn Carter, Dan Haverstock, Monica Johnson, Kaity Krasucki, Jorge Maldonado, Keashla Marengo, and Alyssa Meyers. #CollaborativeLearning

Model Arab League participants reach national stage

Bloomsburg University’s Model Arab League recently participated in the National University Model in Washington, D.C., where the delegation represented the Republic of Turkey as an Observer Country. They visited the Turkish Embassy and met with the Counselor prior to the conference.

MAL Delegates

• Thomas Rando
• Eric Petrozino
• Nick DeMarco
• A.S.M. Tuhin
• Eric Pangelinan
• Chad Haney
• Robert Nixon
• Madalyn Goss

To join MAL, please contact Nawal Bonomo, advisor, at nbonomo@bloomu.edu. #CoCurricularLearning.

Business students showcase talent at national competition

Bloomsburg University’s Master of Business Administration students were among the top performers recently at the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) XVI competition out of more than 70 schools. The two-day competition at Kennesaw State University is the oldest and largest sales competition in the country.

• Overall Second Runner-Up — Boris Harhaji and Jason Firch
• Third Round: Follow-Up and Expansion — Firch placed first
• Second Round: Team Selling — Harhaji and Firch, placed third

(L-R) Michael DiVona, Jason Firch, Monica J. Favia (coach), Michele Welliver (co-coach), Boris Harhaji and Derek Franchino. #CoCurricularLearning.

Faculty Members Awarded TALE Grants

BU’s Teaching and Learning Enhancement (TALE) Center promotes a commitment to teaching excellence. The TALE Teacher-Scholar Awards program supports faculty who desire to enhance teaching and learning in courses at Bloomsburg University. The program awards grants to faculty in support of the development of new classroom strategies, research, course offerings, community-based service learning and instructional technology.

The following faculty members are recipients of the Spring 2014 Teacher Scholar Grants, listed with the names of their proposals.

• Omer Ari (developmental instruction) — Print Processing Skills of College Readers
• Mary Waibel-Duncan (psychology) — BU Toy Library: Sensorimotor Play
• Swapan Mookerjee (exercise science) and Helmut Doll (Instructional Technology) — Development of Fitness Norms and Assessment Module
• Kimberly Olszewski and Cheryl Jackson (nursing) — Virtual Graduate Nursing Clinical Evaluations: Bridging the Gap of Nursing Faculty and Cost Saving Initiative
• Safa Saracoglu (history) — A self-reflective assessment of working assumptions on Islamic Art through a museum visit
• Stephanie Schlitz (English) — Digital Humanities Methods in the Undergraduate Classroom

Huskies’ Help 5k/Walk brings added experience to education majors

Bloomsburg University Huskies’ Help 5K/Walk will be held on Saturday, May 17, at 9 a.m. at Lehigh University with registration behind the football stadium, from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m.. The 5k begins promptly at 9 a.m. with the one-mile walk stepping off at 9:15 a.m. It’s a scenic course with the top three males and top three females receiving prizes. All proceeds benefit the Bethlehem and Easton area school districts.

The 5K/Walk event is one of several community service projects performed on the Saturday between the two school weeks, which the Bethlehem and Easton Area Urban Practicum encompasses. This will be the 9th year of the practicum, involving more than 400 Huskies who have participated in the experiential learning program.

According to Frank D’Angelo, associate professor of early childhood and adolescent education, the two school districts offer a valuable teaching experience for our education majors. He says given the tremendous heterogeneity the district embrace, our students are immersed in school settings which not only challenge their teaching techniques but also their abilities to work in environments which often greatly differ from their own school settings. Further, the cooperating teachers in the program challenge our students often times allowing them to teach multiple lesson over the course of their two-week stay.

Early registration is $20 with event T-shirt ($10 without T-shirt) and $25 after Thursday, May 1. Contact D’Angelo at fdangelo@bloomu.edu or 570-389-4812 for details. Register today!

Gender Studies research draws conference spotlight

Albra Wheeler and Jacqueline Whitman, two gender studies students, recently presented research papers at The Multiple Faces of Activism: Feminism in the 21st Century conference at the University of Akron, which was open to undergraduate and graduate students from several states.

Wheeler's paper, "The Wonderbra: Oppression vs. Liberation in a Patriarchal Society," traces the evolvement of modern brasseries and looks at the bra through historical and feminist perspectives and aims to establish whether the “Wonderbra” signifies submission to or emancipation from the patriarchal society.

Whitman's paper, "Womanhouse: Opening the Closed Door," is a study of three bathrooms, “Nightmare Bathroom,” “Lipstick Bathroom,” and “Menstruation Bathroom,” which symbolically represent the anguish women endure in their private lives. Both students are recipients of the Student Professional Development Awards from the College of Liberal Arts.

Additionally, Wheeler won the Emerging Scholar Award, given to a conference presenter by the Committee for Research on Women and Gender of the University of Akron in recognition of a student who displays exemplary scholarship. This award also recognizes a student with a demonstrated commitment to women's and gender issues. #CollaborativeLearning