Announcements/ discussion items

1. Graduate Student Orientation and TA Training sessions were conducted on Friday, September 7.  Turn out was quite good. 

Among the topics covered for the Graduate Student Orientation included: 

1.  Graduate Student Handbook
2.  Professional role expectations
3.  Expectations for adherence to ethical guidelines
4.  Department services
5.  The role of your major advisor. 

Topics covered for the TA Orientation included: 

1.  Your role as an instructor
2.  Retention and recruiting issues
3.  Classroom management issues
4.  Safety and security on campus and in the classroom
5.  Academic honesty issues and process
6.  WMU policies such as FERPA privacy policies, mid term grading and non-discrimination policies
7.  Department of Psychology policies, including mid semester evaluations
8.  The role of your faculty supervisor for the course that you are teaching or serving as a TA

2.          Alyce Dickinson is recovering from a herniated disk that has caused severe leg pain.  In her absence, Doug Johnson will be teaching PSY 460 and Heather McGee will be teaching the Psychology of Work (as an overload).

3.          Supplemental Professional Development Support:  For 07-08, the Department will allocate 300 dollars per faculty member to cover professional travel expenses, research expenses or poster printing expenses.  DonÕt forget that faculty may also apply for the Faculty Research and Travel Awards.  Three caveats regarding these supplemental Department funds:  1) you must submit a request for funds to the Department Chairperson, 2) the request must include some justification based on professional development criteria and activities (to attend a conference at which you will make a presentation, to print a poster for a conference, to attend a professional relevant workshop) and 3) the funds will not roll over if not spent within the fiscal year.  These allocations will be drawn from our Gifts Account.  If you know of potential donors for the Psychology Department (e.g., alumni who have done well financially), please pass along names and contact information to me or to Nick McLaren, Development Officer for CAS. 

Calendar of Upcoming Events and Deadlines

September 13, 9AM-11AM	Welcoming reception for President John Dunn and Linda Dunn, Oaklands
September 17	Sabbatical Leave Applications and proposals due in Department
September 17	Latest Date for Department Chair to notify faculty members of eligibility for tenure and promotion considerations
September 20	Major Excitement event, Chemistry building
September 28, 7PM	Reception for Rick Spates @ Fuqua home, 6212 Thunderbluff
October 1	Summer 1 and 2 schedule due on Banner
October 5 & 6	Mid-American Association for Behavior Analysis Conference, Milwaukee (actually Brooksville), WI
October 11	Faculty meeting. Convening of the Department Tenure Committee and the Department Promotion Committee
October 15	Latest date to submit tenure or promotion file to the Department
October 19	Terry McSween, Winner of 2007 Distinguished Psychology Alumni Award, Colloquium title:  Behavior Based Safety:  Multiple Replications and Long Term Success, 3PM 1710 Wood Hall.
October 22	Spring, 2008 registration opens
November 9	Steve Goodman and Margie McGlinchey colloquium
November 15	Latest date for DTCD and DPC to inform faculty members of their recommendation regarding tenure and promotion.
November 21	Thanksgiving recess begins at noon
November 30	Fall, 2008 schedule due on Banner

KUDOS

Publications and Presentations

Laraway, S., Snycerski, S. Baker, L.E. & Poling A.D. (In Press) Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) reduces accuracy and response rates in rats responding under fixed-consecutive-number schedules. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.

Wright, L. W., Jr., Mulick, P. S. & Kincaid, S. B. (2006). Fear and discrimination against bisexuals, homosexuals, and individuals with AIDS, Journal of Bisexuality, 6, 73-84.

Carr, J. E., & LeBlanc, L. A.  (2007).  Autism spectrum disorders in early childhood:  An overview for practicing physicians.  Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 34, 343-359.

Dillon, C. M., & Carr, J. E.  (2007).  Assessing indices of happiness and unhappiness in individuals with developmental disabilities: A review.  Behavioral Interventions, 22, 229-244.

Stewart, K. K., Carr, J. E., & LeBlanc, L. A.  (2007).  Evaluation of family-implemented behavioral skills training for teaching social skills to a child with AspergerÕs Disorder.  Clinical Case Studies, 6, 252-262.

Gravina, N., Hazel, D., & Austin, J.  (in press). Evaluating the effects of workstation changes, the Rollermouse keyboard and behavioral safety on performance in an office setting.  Work: A Journal of Prevention.

Sasson, J. R., Austin, J., & Alvero, A. M. (2007). Behavioral observations: Effects on safe performance.  Professional Safety, 52, 26-32.

Fante, R., Shier, L., & Austin, J. (2007).  Utilizing task clarification and self-monitoring to increase food temperature checks among restaurant staff. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 9(2/3), 67 – 88.

Fante, R., Gravina, N., & Austin, J. (2007). A pre-intervention analysis and demonstration of the effects of a behavioral safety package on postural behaviors of pharmacy employees.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 27(2).

Lebbon, A. R., Austin, J., Van Houten, R., & Malenfant, L. E. (2007). Evaluating the effects of traffic on driver stopping and turn signal use at a stop sign: A systematic replication. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 27(2).

Gravina, N., VanWagner, M., & Austin, J. (in press).  Increasing physical therapy equipment preparation using task clarification, feedback and environmental manipulations. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management.

Cunningham, T. & Austin, J. (in press). Using goal setting, task clarification, and feedback to increase the use of the Òhands-free techniqueÓ by hospital operating room staff.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Sigurdsson, S., & Austin, J. (in press). Investigating the effects of real-time visual feedback on computer workstation posture.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

The following WMU faculty made presentations at the 4^th International ABA Conference in Sydney, Australia, August 12-14, 2007:

• Esch, Barb, Carr, Jim and Grow, Laura. The role of automatic Reinforcement in early speech acquisition

• Carr, Jim, Sidener, Tina and Severtson, Jamie. Reducing high-rate mands of children with autism:  An evaluation of stimulus control and delayed reinforcement procedures.

• Goldsmith, Tina , LeBlanc, Linda and Sautter. Rachael. Teaching Intraverbal behavior to children with autism.

• LeBlanc, Linda, Mathews, Mark, Jay, Allison and Baker, Johathan.  Effects of the Eden Model on Engagement and Affect of Elders with Dementia

• Orizondo-Korotko and Fuqua, Wayne.  Simulation-based assessment and training:  An Overview

• Gross, Amy and Fuqua, Wayne. Behavior Analytic Concepts in the Design of Simulation-based Assessment and Training

• Gullickson, Amy, Loewy, Shannon and Fuqua, Wayne. Training and Assessing Team Skills: A Review and Synopsis of the Empirical Literature

• Fuqua, Wayne, Hamman, William, Beaubien, Jeff, Gullickson, Amy, Lammers, Rick, Rutherford, William and Seiler, Beth.  In Situ Simulation:  Assessing and Training Clinical Operations in Health Care Settings.    

Grants and Contracts Awarded and/or Submitted

Ron VanHouten,  Pilot test of strategies to reduce alcohol impaired pedestrian crashes, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 369K

Linda LeBlanc & Jim Carr - Service contract with Kalamazoo County Community Mental Health to provide behavioral services for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders - $57,765

Cindy Pietras' research accomplishments were recognized with B.F. Skinner Young Researcher Award for 2007 from Division 25 of the American Psychological Association

Ron VanHouten was elected as a Fellow of the Association of Behavior
Analysis.

Poling, A.D. and Baker, L.E.  Enduring Cognitive Effects of MDMA/THC/Dextromethorphan in Rats. AREA grant submitted to NIH, June 2007.

Panos, J.J. and Baker, L.E. Animal Models of Schizophrenia. F31 submitted to NIH. August 2007.

Awards and Recognition

Ron Van Houten was elected as a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis. 

John Austin was appoint as Associate Editor for Behavior Analysis in Practice
John Austin was promoted from co-editor to editor in chief of JOBM
John Austin received the Outstanding Contributions Award for the OBM Network at ABA 2007