Category Archives: Discovery Driven

Professor visiting scholar in Finland

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

Dr. Charles Henderson returns from serving as a visiting scholar at Finland's University of Jyväskylä.

By Helena Witzke

Dr. Charles Henderson, associate professor of physics, has just returned from Finland, where he was a visiting scholar at the University of Jyväskylä from March 12-15.

Henderson, who has a joint appointment with the Department of Physics and the Mallinson Institute for Science Education, focuses his research on understanding and promoting the spread of research-based teaching strategies in college-level STEM instruction (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

This is not Henderson’s first time at the University of Jyväskylä. In the spring of 2010, he received a Fulbright position to study at the University, hosted by the Finnish Institute for Educational Research. There, he expanded on his current research related to instructional reform in higher education, and also collaborated with faculty and graduate students in U.J.’s Department of Teacher Education.

Because of his previous work there, Henderson was asked to return by the leaders of U.J.’s Research-based Interactive Teaching and Learning Project, which seeks to develop interactive teaching methods within of its academic departments.

While there, Henderson gave a public lecture titled “Promoting and Supporting Pedagogical Change in Higher Education.” He also consulted with teams from each participating academic department, discussing with them the project’s goals, methods, and vision.

“It is amazing that, given the many differences in the higher education systems between Finland and the U.S., that the basic problems of creating changes in teaching practices are remarkably similar,” Henderson says of his experiences. “Being able to study these problems and solutions from different cultural perspectives allows researchers like myself to be able to better separate the core issues from the contextual or cultural issues.”

A widely published researcher, Henderson is currently the Physics Education Research Editor for the American Journal of Physics and a member of the National Research Council Committee on Undergraduate Physics Education Research and Implementation.

 

Links:
Dr. Henderson’s homepage
University of Jyväskylä
Read more about Henderson’s research field: Association of American Universities

Posted in Discovery Driven, Globally Engaged

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WMU Women’s Caucus Names Steinke as 2012 Gender Scholar

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

The Western Michigan University College of Arts and Sciences Women’s Caucus is pleased to recognize Dr. Jocelyn Steinke, professor of communication, as the recipient of the 2012 Gender Scholar Award.

Dr. Steinke's gender representation project website.

Supported by more than $789,000 of funding from the National Science Foundation, Steinke’s interdisciplinary research explores the significance of gender in media representations of scientists, assessing its impact on adolescent girls’ career aspirations. Her collaborative work investigates television depictions of scientists and evaluates media literacy training aimed at middle-school students.

In addition to numerous academic publications and presentations, many coauthored with WMU students, Steinke’s efforts to teach critical thinking about gender stereotypes in science, engineering, and technology are showcased on a website for teachers, parents, and students, www.stereotypestompers.com. Her newest project explores female scientists’ perceptions of workplace culture and their career trajectories, drawing from blogs authored by female graduate students and professors working in the sciences.

Steinke will present her research in a talk entitled “A Lab of Her Own: Gender, Science and Media” at noon on Wednesday, April 11, in 3025 Brown Hall.

Dr. Jocelyn Steinke is a professor in the School of Communication and holds a joint appointment with the Gender and Women’s Studies Program. Steinke’s most recent research illustrates an influence of media images of women scientists and engineers on adolescent girls’ conceptions of gender roles and career ambitions.

This research has been printed in the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Science Communication, Public Understanding of Science, Journalism Educator, and other journals. Her research was funded by two grants from the National Science Foundation.

Links:

Jocelyn Steinke’s official page
Stereotype Stompers’ official page

Posted in Discovery Driven, Faculty News, Learner Centered

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Emeritus, Alumna Keeping Busy

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

by Helena Witzke

Johnston and Percy in their home in Kalamazoo.

Writers are known for their addictions. However, the biggest addiction writers face often isn’t given enough credit: the writing itself. And if there are two writers in Michigan who are proving that they’ve caught the bug for life, it’s WMU’s own Dr. Arnold Johnston (emeritus chair and emeritus professor of English) and his wife, author Deborah Ann Percy (MFA Creative Writing).

Johnston and Percy, who have written collaboratively on dozens of projects over the years, are set to give a recording of ”The Adventures of Goldilocks,” their half-hour radio drama, on March 31. They will be reading before an audience at the First Baptist Church in Kalamazoo as part of the All Ears Theatre radio broadcast series on WMUK-FM. “The GPS Play,” another one-act, will be performed May 4 as part of the Visiting Writers’ Story on Stage program in Ludington, Mich.

Johnston will give a concert, “Songs You Thought You Knew,” at the Kalamazoo Public Library on May 8. He will be performing his translations of songs by Jacques Brel, Gabriel Fauré, Edith Piaf, Kurt Weill, Charles Aznavour, and others.

Clearly, the duo does not have plans for too many quiet evenings in. They just returned from the Feb. 17-19 performance of the one-act play, ”Froth with Complications,” which was part of Brief Acts’ Blizzard of Plays at the Producers’ Club in New York City. Johnston and Percy continue as Arts and Entertainment columnists for the national triquarterly, Phi Kappa Phi Forum, for which they’ve written eight pieces on film, drama, and literature.

After a busy 2011 and fervent start to 2012, the pace is holding strong—apparently, this is one habit that will not be kicked.

Links:

Ms. Percy’s biography
Dr. Johnston’s Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo profile

 

Posted in Alumni Activity, Discovery Driven, Faculty News

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Ph.D. Candidate Earns Poetry Society Place

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

Glenn Shaheen, Ph.D. poetry student and award-winning writer.

By Katy TerBerg

The Poetry Society of America recently announced that Ph.D. poetry student, author and editor Glenn Shaheen has been chosen as a finalist for the Norma Farber First Book Award for his book of poems, “Predatory.”

This award was established by the family and friends of Norma Farber, poet and author of children’s books, for a first book of original poetry written by an American and published in either a hard or soft cover in a standard edition in 2011. Translations are ineligible, as are chapbooks.

Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Shaheen’s life as a scholar has been nomadic. He received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Houston and moved to Michigan to co-edit NanoFiction, a literary journal of flash fiction, or stories with 300 words or fewer. He also serves on the board of directors for the Radius of Arab-American Writers, Inc.

The University of Pittsburgh Press published “Predatory” in August 2011. The book  won the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize and was given glowing reviews by critics and fellow authors Ed Ochester, Quan Barry, Tony Hoagland and Nick Flynn. Flynn described “Predatory” as “a phenomenal first book—who knew a complete guide to catastrophe and mayhem could be so engaging?”

Shaheen has published 27 poems, 12 pieces of fiction and two reviews. He’s also a talented musician, having written, sung, and played the guitar for several songs found on Youtube. He frequently posts on Twitter about upcoming reading events as well as personal quips.

Links:

Poetry Society website
Glenn Shaheen’s official website
Glenn Shaheen’s Twitter
 Shaheen’s interview with WMUK

 

 

 

 

Posted in Discovery Driven, Learner Centered

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Alums are Focus of WMU Leadership Colloqium Panel

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

by Helena Witzke

Communal and personal improvement through making better leaders is the focus of the Leadership Colloquium, an annual event held this past January at WMU. Two College of Arts and Sciences alumni, who were panelists in the event, helped to show their  peers how to take the lead with their WMU degrees.

During the colloquium, participants shared their experiences and perspectives on the qualities of leadership with students, faculty and staff of WMU, as well as the greater Kalamazoo community. Dr. Timothy Greene, WMU provost and vice president for academic affairs, led the panel of discussants.

CAS alumus Dr. Dale Nesbary

Dr. Dale Nesbary and Brenda L. Hunt, both CAS alumni, were two of the four featured panelists at the colloquium Jan. 19. Nesbary, president of Muskegon Community College, earned his master’s degree from WMU in public administration. Hunt, who earned her bachelor’s degree from WMU, also has a master’s in public administration (’86) from Western. She currently serves as the president of the Battle Creek Community Foundation.

CAS alumna Brenda Hunt

Kathy B. Beauregard, WMU director of athletics, and Brad Black, president, CEO and founder of HUMANeX Ventures, were also panelists for the event, which was the best-attended session in memory.

Sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development, the colloquium was created to keep the tradition of continuous improvement in leadership alive. It is held every year, and centers on the sharing of ideas related to leadership on campus, in the larger community and the State of Michigan.

Dr. Andrea Beach, WMU associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology and the director of the Office of Faculty Development, noted a highlight of the colloquium.

“It showcases leaders that have come out of Western,” she says. Panelists such as Hunt and Nesbary provide a “great opportunity for students to take a look at the people they will be in the future.”

Beach emphasized the importance of the colloquium as a way for students to learn how to take firmer hand not only in their academic, but personal education. The colloquium is also a way to recruit for the Academic Leadership Academy—an academic-year-long WMU program which offers faculty and staff an opportunity to hone crucial leadership skills. Members of the ALA showcased their special projects during the reception which followed the panel discussion.

The Fetzer Center Auditorium

Attendants of the colloquium responded warmly as to its impact. In an anonymous feedback survey, one participant wrote this piece of advice: “Follow your passions or ‘talents.’ Just because you have knowledge doesn’t mean you’re meant to do or use that for the rest of your life.”

Another noted changes to be made in everyday professional life: “Based upon today I plan to search for and be challenged rather than intimidated by risks and changes. I have also learned to continually ‘graduate’ and keep learning to fuel my talents and passion.”

This year had a landmark number of attendees; members of the campus and larger Kalamazoo communities came, and several WMU classes were required to attend as part of their curriculum in order to expose them to possibilities of life beyond the university setting. Next year’s colloquium will be held Oct. 7, 2012.
Links:
WMU Office of Faculty Development

Posted in Alumni Activity, Discovery Driven

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Grad Student Granted Fellowship to Study Diversity in Physics Education

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

by Helena Witzke

Ramón Barthelemy, Physics and MISE graduate student.

Gender studies in the sciences is the focus of WMU physics Ph.D. student Ramón Barthelemy, who recently was awarded not only a graduate assistantship from the WMU Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate, but also a fellowship from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium.

Barthelemy, who is pursuing a doctorate in physics education, is focusing his study on the low gender diversity in physics. Barthelemy notes that “although women [are] very poorly represented in physics overall, they [have] high numbers in certain sub-fields of physics”—areas such as physics education and astronomy tend to be more diverse.

“Though physics does attract many talented scholars from around the world, very few American women, Hispanics, African Americans and LGBT students seek degrees in physics,” he adds.

In order to discover why this might be the case, Barthelemy will be using the MSGC fellowship to travel to large universities and interview women studying astronomy and physics education. He will try to understand why these particular fields attract—and retain—more female students.

Barthelemy gives credit for the advancement of his studies to several WMU faculty, including Drs. Nora Berrah (physics), Charles Henderson (MISE, physics), Bill Cobern (MISE, biological sciences) and Megan Grunert (MISE, chemistry). His course of studies is unique, given that he is simultaneously earning his M.A. in Physics and a Ph.D. in Science Education: Physics through the Department of Physics and MISE, respectively.

Barthelemy has made the most of his time at WMU. He as been invited to teach a gender and women’s studies course; speak at an invited talk on LGBT issues at the American Physical Society March conference; and has founded a chapter of oSTEM (Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) at WMU.

 

Links:

Ramón Barthelemy
Michigan Space Grant Consortium
WMU Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate

Posted in Discovery Driven, Learner Centered

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Fort St. Joseph Project Bring Virtual Lectures to Classrooms

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

A group of visitors learn about excavations at the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project in Niles, Mich.

 

Don’t like to get your hands dirty? Dreading the thought of loading 30 screaming sixth graders onto a bus headed to Niles, Mich.? Just want to know what it’s like out in the archaeological wilds?

Now you can, without leaving the comfort of your chair! Western Michigan University’s Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project is offering free virtual lectures on the Project.

Virtual lectures (using a free software called Skype) will discuss the progress and history of excavation of an eighteenth-century French fort in Niles, Mich.  Participants must download this free software and create an account and have access to a webcam, the internet, and a projection area where the lecture may be viewed. The virtual lecture will include PowerPoint presentations, images of authentic artifacts, and face-to-face discussion between participants and students, allowing the public to “enter” the lab where post-fieldwork analysis takes place on a weekly basis.

This virtual lecture program is offered free of charge and can take place in any classroom with a projector and webcam, so no permissions slips are needed (in most cases) for this virtual field trip.

This program is specifically designed to educate students, from grades 3 through 12, about what archaeology is, the history of the French fur trade in the Midwest, and the methods involved in recovering, identifying, and analyzing artifacts and other cultural materials. The program will also consider requests from adult groups interested in learning more about Fort St. Joseph and its importance in our collective heritage. The lectures will be offered on a first come, first served basis, with a variety of time slots and dates available for scheduling the virtual field trip. The program lasts approximately 30 minutes.

Fort St. Joseph is one of the oldest European settlements in the western Great Lakes Region and was occupied by the French, British, Spanish, and Native Americans for nearly a century (1691-1781). After a decade of excavation led by Dr. Michael Nassaney, the FSJAP is expanding its public outreach efforts to future archaeologists through new technologies and software. The FSJAP is a collaborative partnership between Western Michigan University, the City of Niles, the Fort St. Joseph Museum, Support the Fort, and numerous individuals and community groups. It began in 1998 when Dr. Michael Nassaney conducted a preliminary survey, eventually locating the site of the fort, beginning over a decade of excavation and research. FSJ is located in Niles, Michigan, known as the City of Four Flags.

The FSJAP offers a variety of public education and outreach opportunities including our popular summer archaeology camp program for adults, students, and educators, where participants can excavate at the fort site under the supervision of archaeologists for a whole week. Each season the fieldwork culminates in our annual open house that has hosted over 10,000 visitors over the past 5 years in viewing ongoing investigations, informational panels, artifact exhibits, and living history re-enactors who make the eighteenth century come alive. Excavation continues in 2012 as we work to recover the past and reconstruct the history of the French fur trade and the lives of the people of New France.

Links:
Department of Anthropology
Dr. Michael Nassaney

Posted in Discovery Driven

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Senior Journalism Major Wins Comedy Competition at WMU

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

Joe Stando, WMU student and Western Herald reporter by day, stand-up comic by night.

by Helena Witzke

There’s something more than just a little funny about certain CAS students. In fact, three in particular have been singled out for this trait at this year’s Last Bronco Standing, WMU’s annual comedy competition.

The competition’s final round featured only three of the 12 original hopefuls, who had been selected in two different preliminary rounds. All three finalists were students with majors in the College of Arts and Sciences—something rookie comedian and grand champion Joe Stando (B.A. Journalism) did not find surprising.

“As a reporter, I’ve developed the ability to interact with strangers well, and to be comfortable while having conversations,” he says, giving a nod to the School of Communication. “Some people would describe stand-up as being like public speaking…for me it’s more like just having a conversation with an audience. You can tell how they feel by what they’re laughing at and how different jokes are landing, and you can adapt to that,” he adds.

Stando looks forward to continuing his stand-up routines at local venues, encouraged by friend Alec Robbins, who placed second in the competition. Robbins is a film, video and media studies major, with a minor in creative writing. He has participated in Last Bronco Standing for the last three years and is the president of the WMU comedy club. Robbins does comedy locally and in Grand Rapids as a hobby, and recently participated in a weekend opener for Aisha Tyler, of FX’s “Archer.”

Finishing in third place was Brendan Duffy, a freshman at Western majoring in creative writing.

Nicholas Spaleny, Comedy Coordinator of the Campus Activity Board, was impressed with the support the contest received from fellow Broncos. “Around 250 people attended, nearly filling the South Ballroom of the Bernhard Center,” he said. “Last Bronco Standing is a great event for [Broncos] to showcase their talents to other students.”

Between the three of these students, the “funny”—in and around campus—isn’t likely to wear off any time soon. With these students just hitting their stride, there will  be no shortage of laughs in Kalamazoo anytime soon.

Links:

WMU Stand-Up Comedy Club
Check the WMU Campus Activities Board for other upcoming events.

 

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Islamic Studies Professor on Comparative Religion

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

“Amidst all the prognostications in American and European political punditry, really only two diametrically opposed views can be heard; both of which have little merit. One predicts the rise of a radical Islam that will engulf the Middle East and pose a grave threat to democracy and the West. The second envisions the emergence of democratic secular forces that will reject Islam and join the global community of nations in freedom.” — Dr. Blain Auer

Auer, professor of Islamic Studies in the Department of Comparative Religion at WMU, recently posted an article for the Religion Dispatches magazine titled “Neither Radical Nor Secular: The West Struggles with the New Islamism.” This essay addresses the Western world’s common misconceptions about Middle Eastern politics in terms of the religion.

Auer earned his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University in 2009. Auer generally focuses on the religious, cultural, and historical dimensions of Islamic societies, especially in the context of South Asia. A second area of research focuses on modern ritual, pilgrimage, and relics connected with burial places in Islam.

Auer said that his favorite class to teach is his Introduction to Islam class, because it allows students to truly become engaged in the fundamentals of Islam in a greater world context. “They’re learning to uncover some of the mysteries in our communication with the Islamic world,” he said.

Essay for RP Magazine

Meet Dr. Blain Auer, professor of comparative religion:

Posted in Discovery Driven, Globally Engaged

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Witschi book Named Outstanding Academic Title by Choice

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment
By Katy TerBerg

Dr. Nicolas Witschi, professor of English.

Rodeos, shootouts, saloons, and John Wayne?

When you think of the American West, are these the images that come to mind? Why?

WMU professor Dr. Nicolas Witschi reveals in his latest book that the history of the American West is far richer and more complex than the world of “Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza.”

Witschi, professor of English at WMU, recently edited and released a book titled “A Companion to the Literature and Culture of the American West” (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011). The book has been named by Choice—a literary magazine that selects and publishes 7,000 reviews of literary and academic works annually—as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2011.

“I am of course delighted and honored,” noted Witschi, “even as I’m humbled by the recognition that it is the amazing work of my 32 other contributors who have made the book what it is.”

“A Companion to the Literature and Culture of the American West” features essays written by leading scholars in western American cultural studies. The book offers a comprehensive approach to cultural expressions originating in the west, and focuses on the challenges found within and between the different historical and cultural groups that define the west’s  distinctive regions. It examines the familiar icons and ideas about the west (such as cowboys, wide-open spaces, and violence) and their intersections with urbanization and other regional complexities.

According to the Choice announcement, “Every year, Choice subject editors single out for recognition the most significant print and electronic works reviewed in Choice during the previous calendar year. Appearing annually in Choice’s January issue, this prestigious list of publications reflects the best in scholarly titles and attracts extraordinary attention from the academic library community.”

Composed of more than 35,000 librarians, faculty, and key decision makers, Choice was recommended in an independent survey as “the best short critical evaluations of new titles available anywhere.” It is also worth noting that Witchi’s companion book is far and away the only major text to reflect the current state of scholarship on the American West.

The yearly list is very selective, declaring only 10 percent of more than 7,000 reviewed works to be worthy of the Outstanding Academic Title status which includes:
• overall excellence in presentation and scholarship,
• importance relative to other literature in the field,
• distinction as a first treatment of a given subject in book or electronic form,
• originality or uniqueness of treatment,
• value to undergraduate students, and
• importance in building undergraduate library collections.

Witschi’s list of previous publications on the American West is extensive, and he has written on the culture, history and important figures of the region, and on the ongoing impact the American West continues to have in the United States.

Links:
Witschi’s WMU homepage
More Outstanding Academic Titles
“A Companion to the Literature and Culture of the American West” is available online

 

 

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