2006 Achievement Notes
January
Robert DeLong, director of Environmental Safety, has recently been appointed as a member of the Board of Regents Environmental Safety Advisory Council (ESAC). The council is responsible for looking at topics that may impact the University System of Georgia institutions, such as environmental safety, chemical waste, homeland security, etc.
Scott Doner, director of University Police, recently received certification as an Incident Command Systems Instructor from the U.S. Department of Justice and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Doner was one of the 16 selected from a group of 70 who applied for the training and received the certification. Doner has taught courses to colleges and universities throughout the U.S., Canada, and Africa.
October
Mark Kiyak, assistant professor and Mike Savoie, associate professor, Communication Arts Department recently received an award that will allow them to continue operation on the City of Valdosta channel 96 program. The program is a governmental access channel that provides information to the general public.
Dr. Chere Peguesse, English Department and Director of the Student Success Center, Carlyn Maddox, adjunct and Karen Morris, Instructor, English Department recently presented at the Wiregrass Literature and Literacy Festival held on September 14-16. Maddox’s presentation was entitled “Revamping the Research Project: Using Research Skills in Multi-genre Writing,” and Morris’s presentation was entitled “Writing With Visuals.” Both Maddox and Morris are teaching consultants for the Blackwater Writing Project, which fosters professional development by offering teachers opportunities to demonstrate effective practices, stud current writing research, and practice writing in meaningful ways.
November
Dr. Marty Giddings, director, of the Division of Social Work, recently received an award from Family Connection Partnership Inc. that involves a collaborative project for the purpose of establishing educational practica for Valdosta State University students in the MSW Practicum. Students are assigned to local Family Connection collaboratives in area counties and assist in completing community needs assessments.
Mr. Mark Williams, coordinator, Alcohol and Other Drug Education, received an award from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety for his Georgia Highway Safety Young Adult Grant Application. The goal of this continuing grant is to increase awareness and compliance with DUI/Seat Belt laws among Valdosta State University and the Valdosta community.
Dr. Philip L. Gunter, dean, College of Education, recently received an award from the University System of Georgia/Georgia Institute of Technology for the third year of the PRISM Satellite Award, A Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics Education.
Dr. Julia M. Lee, professor, Special Education and Communication Disorders Department, recently received an award from the Georgia Department of Human Resources for the continuation of the Babies Can't Wait program for FY2007 (Year 12). This project provides community-based services for children with disabilities, their families, and their service providers.
Dr. L. Wayne Plumly, department head and professor, Marketing and Economics Department, along with College of Business Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), received an award through the University of Arizona from Take Charge America, Inc., to support Duel in the Swamp, one of 12 regional personal finance case study competitions. The competition was held at Valdosta State University on November 9-11, 2006, and provided an outstanding opportunity for students to learn and practice the fundamentals of personal finance.
Dr. Donna N. Sewell, director of the Blackwater Writing Project and professor, English Department, received an award from the National Writing Project for a Professional Writing Retreat. This retreat will allow area teachers who participated in the Blackwater Writing Project (funded earlier by the National Writing Project) to transform their teaching demonstrations and their teaching stories into articles of dissemination.
Dr. Carl Cates, department head and professor, Communication Arts Department was recently selected as the administrator of the year by the States Advisory Council. He was presented his award at the 2006 convention of the National Communication Association (NCA).
February
An article co-authored by Dr. John Pascarella, associate professor in the Biology Department, entitled “The Demography of Miconia prasina (Melastomataceae) during Secondary Succession in Puerto Rico” has recently been accepted for publication in Biotropica, the journal of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation. The article is based on a collaborative research project with Dr. T.M. Aide and J.K. Zimmerman of the University of Puerto Rico and uses demographic modeling of a pioneer shrub species to verify a separate chronosequence study of tropical forest regeneration in abandoned agricultural lands.
An article co-authored by Dr. John Pascarella, associate professor in the Biology Department, entitled “Plant-animal Interactions in Random Environments: Habitat-stage Elasticity, Seed Predators and Hurricanes” has been published in Ecology 86: 3312-3322. The article is a collaboration with Dr. C.C. Horvitz of the University of Miami and Dr. S. Tuljapurkar of Stanford University. It uses a new mathematical derivation of elasticity from stochastic simulation models to determine the ecological and evolutionary significance of a plant-insect herbivore interaction.
March
Dr. George Gaumond, University Librarian, has been chosen as a member of the grant review panel for the 2006 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. Dr. Gaumond will join other panelists in Washington, DC, at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to review and recommend favorable proposals. IMLS is an independent agency within the Executive Branch established by Congress to improve museum, library, and information services. The Laura Bush Program is a $25,000,000 initiative that is designed to help recruit a new generation of librarians.
Dr. Philip Gunter, Dean of the James L. and Dorothy H. College of Education and Dr. Ivan Nikolov, Director of International Programs, have recently received an award from the Azerbaijan Ministry of Education. Gunter and Nikolov submitted an international education reform assistance project that won in an open international competition, organized by the American Councils on International Education (ACIE). The award will sponsors a five-month program at VSU for a visiting Azerbaijani scholar.
April
Donovan Stokes, instructor in the Music Department, was recently the guest artist and clinician for the San Francisco Symphony Education Department’s “Bass Bash” presenting master classes and a solo recital of original compositions. Stokes was also a guest recitalist at the University of Washington’s Brechemin Hall.
Dr. Thomas Hardy, director of Housing and Residence Life, co-edited the “Gambling on Campus” volume of “New Directions for Students Services,” along with George McClellan and Jim Caswell. The volume offers information, suggestions for research, frameworks for policy development, and models for practice related to campus gambling. Hardy also co-authored two of its chapters titled, “The Gambling Action Team: A Cross-Divisional Approach to Gambling Education and Intervention,” and “Learning and Living with the Genie.”
Deborah Davis, archives librarian for the Odum Library, has recently received an award from the Georgia Council for the Arts for her proposal entitled, “South Georgia Folklife Project Collection.” The grant will enable the transfer and processing of the South Georgia Folklife Collection to the VSU Archives. This collection was developed by the professional Folklorist and Ethnomusicologist Laurie Sommers and reflects the criteria of traditionality, community taste, and authenticity important to the field of folklore.
Dr. Richard Carter, professor in the Biology Department, recently received an award from the Georgia Botanical Society for his project entitled, “The Vascular Flora of Camden County, Georgia, with Emphasis on Crooked River State Park.” This project involves the compilation of a vouchered list of indigenous and naturalized vascular plants and descriptions of the plant communities in Camden County.
Dr. Viki Soady, department head and professor of Modern and Classical Languages, has received an award from the Georgia Project through NASA. The grant covers in-state tuition and other fees during the spring and summer semesters for VSU graduate students who are working to obtain English for Speakers of Other Languages Endorsements on their teaching certificates.
Dr. Kate Warner and Dr. Martha Laughlin, associate professors in the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department, recently received an award from the Lowndes Associated Ministries to People, Inc. (LAMP) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for their proposal entitled, “Lamp Homeward Bound Program.”
Dr. Susan Wehling, associate professor in the Modern and Classical Languages Department, will be honored, on May 11, 2006, at the 21st Annual Governor's Awards in the Humanities, in Atlanta. She will receive an award presented by the Georgia Humanities Council for "humanities heroes" of our state.
Dr. Brian L. Gerber, associate dean of the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education, recently received an award for his Teacher Quality Grant from the U.S. Department of Education/UGA for his proposal entitled “Middle School Science: Inquiry and iPods.” The project is a collaborative partnership to improve teaching and learning in science in middle schools of the Coastal Plains Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) area.
Suzanne Barnett, director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) received a continuing award from the U.S. Small Business Administration and UGA to assist in the operation of VSU’s SBDC during 2006.
Christia Williams, coordinator of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, has received a continuing award from the Georgia Department of Labor to administer Georgia Quality Assurance Screening to applicants requesting certification of Sign Language Interpreting and Transliterations.
May
Lynn C. Minor , associate professor of the Early Childhood and Reading Education Department, recently received an award from the Georgia Department of Education through the University of Georgia for her project entitled, " Georgia Teacher Success Model Initiative . "
Marty Giddings , director of the Division of Social Work, has received a continuing award from the Georgia Department of Human Resources to provide capacity building analysis services, reports, and training for the New Social Services Case Manager and New Supervisor Certification Program .
Ivan Nikolov , director of International Programs, was recently received an awarded from the American Councils for International Education to host an Azerbaijan ( Southwestern Asia, between Iran and Russia) fellow at VSU for six months, a project sponsored by the Government of Azerbaijan and the World Bank.
Dr. James LaPlant, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, recently received a continuing award from Georgia Public Broadcasting/Kennesaw State University to conduct research on user satisfaction with GPB services and products.
Dr. Barry Hojjatie, assistant professor in the Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences Department and coordinator of the Pre-engineering Program, recently received an award from Hewlett-Packard for his proposal entitled, "Using Mobile Technology to Improve Visualization and Computational Skills of Engineering and Science Students and to Facilitate Student Learning." . Ms. Homa Hooshmand, temporary assistant in the Biology Department, is a co-principal investigator on the project.
June
Catherine A. Schaeffer, associate professor in the Communication Arts Department, presented a workshop entitled "Integrating Somatic Pedagogy in the College Dance Class" and performed an original duet entitled "Little Buddha" at the Eastwest Somatics Network international conference, SUNY Brockport, NY.
Catherine A. Schaeffer, associate professor in the Communication Arts Department, earned her credentials as a Certified Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator (CSMTE) via Eastwest Shin Somatics Institute, completing her final sixth level of course work and writing a somatic case-study in June and July.
September
Dr. Marty Giddings, director, Division of Social work, has received two grants. The first was funded by the Southeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging, A Division of the Southeast Georgia Regional Development Center, to continue the Alzheimer's Day Care Services Program at VSU, a program that provides quality adult care services for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Dr. Marty Giddings, director, Division of Social work, has received two grants. The second grant was funded by the Georgia Department of Human Resources for a continuing project entitled IV-E Child Welfare Grant for MSW Students, a program designed to increase the number of Master of Social Work (MSW) graduates who seek and obtain employment with the Social Services Unit of the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), to increase the number of DFCS employees with the MSW degree, and to better prepare MSW graduates for DFCS Social Services employment.
Mimi McGahee, director, Educational Technology Training Center, recently received two grants from the Georgia Department of Education. These grants will allow the ETTC to continue to assist school systems in the VSU service region by training educators to use technology effectively.
Julie Bowland, Art Gallery director and assistant professor, recently received two awards for the Georgia Council of Arts. One grant will support an exhibition in the VSU Art Gallery featuring internationally acclaimed Native American Painter Juane Quick-to-See Smith, in partnership with the Georgia Art Education Association Conference to be held in Valdosta in November. The second grant supports the FOLK A.R.T. Is Exhibition, featuring works displayed in the Art Gallery in February 2007 by 21 of the best-known self-taught artists from the Southeastern United States, including five from Georgia.
Dr. Mark Blackmore, professor, Biology Department, recently received an award from the Lowndes County Board of Health. This award will continue a mosquito collection project in Valdosta Lowndes County for West Nile Virus research.
Deborah Davis, Archives librarian, was recently awarded a grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts to continue her “South Georgia Folklife Collection” project. This grant will allow VSU Archives to process and make accessible through the internet selected field documentation and public programs of the South Georgia Folklife Project (1996-2005). The collection--developed by professional Folklorist and Ethnomusicologist Laurie Sommers, reflects the criteria of tradition, community taste, and authenticity important to the field of folklore.
Dr. Wallace Koehler, professor/director of the Department of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) Program, recently represented Valdosta State University at a national chapter officer-training workshop for The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Koehler currently serves as president of the Valdosta State University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.