Faculty and Staff Sketches

In the News

Troy Farley, director of Career Services, was interviewed by WZZM-TV for a story about internships, career fairs and job placement.

Paul Lane, professor of marketing, was interviewed by the Detroit Free Press for a story about gas prices and spending habits.

Todd Willams, assistant professor of psychology, was interviewed by WZZM-TV for a story about the psychology of rising gas prices. 

Sketches

Regional Math and Science Center staff members Karen Meyers and Michelle Bunton gave a presentation, “Partnerships in Mediated Professional Development: University and Local Facilitators Improving the Learning of Spatial Measurement,” at the Association for Mathematics Teacher Educators Annual Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Meyers gave a presentation, “25 Years of Science Education,” at the Michigan Science Teachers Association Annual Conference in Lansing.

Amy Russell, assistant professor of biology, received a grant from Bat Conservation International for a project, “Analyzing Population Limits and Gene Flow in Perimyotis subflavus with Application to White-Nose Conservation.”

Azizur Molla, assistant professor of anthropology, gave two presentations, “Power of Culture in Sustaining Safe Water and Sanitation Use in Rural Bangladesh: An Ethnographic Study” and “Veterans’ Healthcare: Has it Improved or Worsened Overall Quality of Life?– An Ethno-scientific Analysis,”at the Society for Applied Anthropology meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. He also gave a presentation, “Sustaining Use of Safe Water and Sanitation in Rural Bangladesh: An Ethnoscientific Analysis,” at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

John Stevenson, associate dean for Graduate Studies, gave a presentation, “Student Success Programs at Master’s Comprehensives: PACES Program Overview,” at the 68th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools in Chicago.

Kingshuk Majumdar, associate professor of physics, and Doug Furton, professor of physics, co-wrote an article, “Effects of Ring Exchange Interaction on the Neel Phase of Two-Dimensional, Spatially Anisotropic, Frustrated Heisenberg Quantum Antiferromagnet,” for publication in Physical Review B.

Jean Silbar, visiting professor of allied health science, gave presentations, “Champion Readers Workshop: Building Family Literacy” and “Read to Me: Parent Literacy Development,” at the Michigan Speech-Language Hearing Association Conference in Kalamazoo.

Steve Mattox, associate professor of geology, received a grant from the National Science Foundation for a project, “Track 2: Collaborations for Building Michigan Geology Talent.”

George McBane, professor of chemistry, co-wrote an article, “Multi-State Analysis of the OCS Ultraviolet Absorption Including Vibrational Structure,” published in the Journal of Chemical Physics.

Annukka Thelen, student services coordinator for the College of Education, received the Grand Rapids Area Higher Education Network Outstanding Adult Learner Award for 2012.       

Craig Benjamin, associate professor of history and honors, gave a presentation, “Turkmenistan at the Center of the Ancient Eurasian World System,” at the Medieval Cities of Turkmenistan Conference in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Writing Center staff members Ellen Schendel, Patrick Johnson and Michelle Sanchez gave a presentation, “Not Just for Students: Extending Writing Center Services to Faculty,” at the East Central Writing Centers Association in Indianapolis in March.

Ellen Schendel, director of the Writing Center and associate professor of writing, gave a presentation, “(Re)Conceiving of the Writing Center as a Site of Transfer,” at the Conference on College Composition and Communication in St. Louis, Missouri. She also facilitated discussions at the Research Network Forum.

Nanette Reynolds, who served as senior advisor to former President Mark Murray, will receive the 2012 Harvard Graduate School of Education Alumni Council Award for outstanding contributions to education.

Gleaves Whitney, director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to complete his project on Michigan Sen. Arthur Vandenberg. The grant will be used to bring historians, political scientists, and commentators together in a nationwide town meeting on bipartisan cooperation in Washington, D.C., in November.