Focus
March 2009
Do something "Notable?"
Complete the SFA Notables Form and tell us about it! Your accomplishment will be mentioned in the next issue of Focus.
This month's desktop calendar wallpaper
In this issue
Jill Carrington, Art, presented “The Globe of the Tommaso Rangone Monument, San Giuliano, Venice” at the sixth quadrennial Italian Renaissance Sculpture Conference at the Rhodes College and Brooks Memphis Museum of Art in Memphis, Tenn. in November. Highly specific stone reliefs of a terrestrial and a celestial globe flank the life-size statue of Tommaso Rangone on the facade of the church of San Giuliano in Venice. While globes in art are commonly understood as symbols of erudition, Carrington’s paper is the first to consider the specific imagery of the globes. The celestial globe shows five of the 12 zodiac signs and 26 of the 48 Ptolemaic constellations. In contrast, the terrestrial globe is cutting edge, the contours of its land masses likely based on some of the numerous globes and maps Rangone owned and bequeathed to a grandiose but unrealized library.
David A. Lewis, Art, will present a paper titled, "More than Gorky's Muse - Corinne Michael West, the Lyrical Abstractions of a Painter-Poet" as a part of a symposium on pioneers of Abstract Expressionism on April 24. The day-long symposium is sponsored by the Hofstra University Museum in Long Island, N.Y. Largely forgotten until recently, Corinne Michael West (1908-1991) was closely associated with Arshile Gorky during the 1930s. In the 1940s and 1950s, West developed her own style of lyrical abstraction in response to Cubism and Surrealism, and to the philosophies of Henri Bergson and Jean-Paul Sartre.
Michele Harris, Chemistry, presented “Isolation and Characterization of a Stereospecific Enzyme from Carrots” at the Southwest Regional American Chemical Society in October in Little Rock, Ark. Preparation of a single enantiomer is a billion-dollar, worldwide endeavor for pharmaceutical and other industries. A variety of methods have been developed to produce enantiomers; however, many enzymes have the ability to catalyze stereospecific reactions. According to Ravia et.al., an enzyme in carrots is able to produce (-)-1-benzyofuran-2-yl- ethanol from benzofuran-2-yl-methyl ketone. The preliminary purification of the enzyme from carrots has been accomplished using standard biochemical techniques, and the characterization of the enzyme is under way. Three undergraduate students were co-authors of the presentation.
Kefa K. Onchoke, Chemistry, presented “Experimental and Density Functional Theoretical Study of Mono-Nitrated Fluoranthenes: Correlations to Mutagenicity” at the Southwest Regional American Chemical Society in October in Little Rock. The molecules 1-, 2-, 3-, 7-, and 8-nitrofluoranthenes are well-known mutagens and carcinogens. These environmental pollutants are emitted to the atmosphere via anthropogenic activities including diesel combustion emissions, residential home heating and reactions of nitrogen oxides gases with fluoranthene. The differential mutagenic potency between nitrated fluoranthenes has been proposed to emanate from the orientation of the nitro group relative to the aromatic plane. To establish the validity of the structure-function correlations requires specific crystal structures, which are unavailable. Fortunately, electronic structure calculations can be done. In this report, the structures of fluoranthene and its mono nitrated derivatives were investigated with the density functional theory at B3LYP/6-311+G** level. The structure-function correlations were examined by comparing reported mutagenicity data with calculated bond lengths, angles and dihedral angles. The relationships between the calculated structures and the reported mutagenicity in the chemical literature were discussed.
Tara Newman and Marie Saracino, Human Sciences, presented “Positive Guidance Strategies for Real Life: There's Method Behind the Madness!” at the International Conference on Parent Education and Parenting in Denton in February. Not understanding the theoretical basis behind the strategies advocated for effective parenting inadvertently results in incomplete implementation of such practices. This session discussed the “method behind the madness” of positive guidance by connecting guidance strategies with research-based theories of the developmental processes of childhood to better equip parent educators as they work with their clients.
Judith L. Lauter, Human Services, presented “The Zebra Brain: Implications for speech-language pathology in therapy and everyday life” and “The Zebra Brain: Implications for audiologists in clinic, classroom and everyday life” at the annual Oklahoma Speech-Language and Hearing Association conference in Broken Arrow. She presented “The Zebra Brain: A new approach to understanding individual differences in children and adults” to the International Parent Education Conference in Denton. She also presented “The brain at your fingertips: Making human neuroscience accessible to students at all levels” at SFA’s Texas Institute for Creativity and Innovation Conference. Lauter also made presentations at a Nacogdoches Independent School District parent education session and at the Expanding Your Horizons conference in February. At the Expanding Your Horizons conference, she was assisted by Jill Milem, Counseling and Career Services.
Kim Archer, Kinesiology and Health Science, presented “Psychological Aspects of Body Image for Athletes: Risk and Prevention Factors” at the seventh annual National Conference on Girls’ & Women’s Health, Physical Activity and Sport in Shreveport in February. The presentation was co-authored by Stephanie Jevas. Archer also presented “Ergogenic Aids & Sport Supplements Used in High School” at the TAHPERD 2008 Annual Conference in Corpus Christi in December.
DawnElla M. Rust, Kinesiology and Health Science, presented “A ‘Game Plan’ for Changing Policy - How Nacogdoches Went Smoke-Free” at the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance AIM Conference in February in Austin. The presentation described the steps in changing policy in rural East Texas, listed the “players” involved in policy change and discussed formulating a “game plan” for policy change.
Jeremy J. Becnel, Mathematics and Statistics, presented “Preliminary Results for the Support Theorem in Infinite Dimensions” at a Probability and Statistics Conference at Lamar University in February. In the talk, Becnel examined how to extend the Radon Transform and Support Theorem, fundamental tools of functional analysis, to an infinite dimensional probability space. He also discussed issues that arise when formulating and proving the Support Theorem in this setting and how these dilemmas can be overcome.
Stephen Lias, Music, represented the state of Texas at the General Assembly of the International Society of Contemporary Music held in Vilnius, Lithuania, in conjunction with the 2008 World Music Days. He served on a panel discussion titled "The Composer's Dilemma."
Brian Utley, Music, was a featured artist at the Northwestern State University Annual Saxophone Festival held in October in Natchitoches, La. He presented a saxophone master class and performed a guest artist recital with Ron Petti. Utley also served as an adjudicator in Louisiana for the Monroe Symphony League's Marjorie Stricklin Emerging Artist Competition in January.
Herbert M. Midgley II, Music, presented “Real Life uses of Music Technology for Music Educators (How to Actually Use Music Notation and Sequencing Software in Your Classroom)” in February in San Antonio at the Texas Music Educators Association conference. The hands-on session on the pedagogical uses of music technology for music educators covered music sequencing and music notation for composition, accompanying and computer-aid instruction. Midgley also presented for the TMEA and the Technology Institute for Music Educators’ conferences “I got a new Mac! How do I use Garage Band, iTunes, iPhoto and iMovie in my classroom?” that explained the pedagogical uses of Apple's iLife suite for music educators. New Apple Macintosh computers are loaded with this powerful suite of software that can be used by the music educator to improve and enhance instruction, and Midgley explained how the suite can be used to make royalty-free soundtracks, edit audio, record audio, covert audio into MP3s, edit digital photos and make a short film using either digital photos or digital video. The developer of a technique of composing a song, recording it and posting it on the Internet all within an hour, Midgley also presented “Songwriting, From Idea to YouTube!” With more than a million downloads of his music, films and educational videos, Midgley has become known by many as "The Internet Legend.”
Scott LaGraff, Music, was a guest soloist during recent performances by the Orchestra of the Pines and the Choral Union. He will present a recital and master class at Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. in March and will sing the role of Schaunard in Opera East Texas' production of La Boheme on June 13. His compact disc titled "Songs by Stephen Lias, Michael Patterson and Lee Hoiby" will be released by Centaur Records in March.
Kenneth R. Austin, Secondary Education, presented “Achievement through Critical, Reflective and Creative Thinking” at the International Conference on Knowledge, Culture and Change at Cambridge University in August. The presentation was based on research that embraced a belief that achievement is best realized through the development of critical, reflective and creative thinking, and an argument is made that any education curriculum or pedagogical practice that does not put into practice a similar ideology is viewed as educationally deficient and incomplete. The development and cultivation of critical thinking skills, exploration of reasoning processes and the expansion of applications of aesthetic inquiry in diverse educational programs can better provide holistic learning experiences. The demands on educational institutions have limited the approaches to inquiry-based education. The same demands are challenging teacher educators to implement creative and innovative ways to promote an inquiry-based education. By embracing and promoting critical, reflective and creative thinking, educators can promote inquiry-based instruction in an inclusive and integrated manner. The presentation discussed the methodologies of the SFA Secondary Education Teacher Education Program that require pre-service education students to develop and articulate a teaching philosophy which embraces critical, reflective and creative thinking as a means through which creativity and academic achievement can be improved.
R. Philip Reynolds, Steen Library, and Linda Black, Secondary Education and Educational Leadership, presented “Google Earth: Cool Tool or Cool Toy” at "Accelerate Technology," the 29th annual convention and exhibition of the Texas Computer Educators Association in February in Austin. The presenters explained how to use Google Earth to teach students the Five Themes of Geography, geography, information literacy and computer skills. The presentation included a lesson plan for educators that supports the TEKS standards and encourages critical thinking and reflection.
Susan Clarke, Steen Library, presented “Texas Tides: Digital Learning Consortium” at the International Cultural Heritage Informatics Meeting in October in Toronto. The TIDES (Teaching, Images and Digital Experiences) program offers a digital gateway to rich historical, cultural and scientific resources held in Texas and Mexico collections. These resources are accompanied by custom-made, standards-based curriculum materials and are available to teachers, students and researchers worldwide. Strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships provide continuing development of these digital resources.
Melinda Colby, Information Technology Services, attended a Project Management Class offered through the Excellence in Leadership Series with the Governor's Center for Management Development in Austin in February.
The 93rd annual meeting of the Texas Folklore Society will be held at the Fredonia Hotel April 9-11, and many special events are being planned to commemorate the society’s 100th anniversary. The Texas Folklore Society has been headquartered at SFA since 1971. F. E. Abernethy, Professor Emeritus of English, ran the organization from the time it arrived on campus until 2004, when Ken Untiedt assumed the role of secretary-editor. The third-oldest academic organization in the state, the society is dedicated to preserving and presenting the legends, customs, beliefs, superstitions, songs and crafts of Texas and the Southwest. This lore has been recorded in 65 full-length books of the Publications of the Texas Folklore Society series, and the Society has sponsored or encouraged the publication of 35 additional books, all of which have been given to the organization’s members as just one of the many benefits of membership. For more information, call 468-4407, visit the Web site at www.texasfolkloresociety.org or stop by the office in the Rusk Building, Room 108.
A review by Jill Carrington, Art, of the book “Depth of Field: Relief Sculpture in Renaissance Italy” was published in the fall 2008 issue of Discoveries, the online newsletter of the South-Central Renaissance Conference. The book was edited by Donal Cooper and Marika Leino,
John T. Moore and Richard Langley, chemistry, have completed the manuscript of the third edition of “Five Steps to a Five AP Chemistry.” They have signed a contract with Freeman Publishers to author a college chemistry textbook to be published late 2010. Their book “Biochemistry for Dummies,” has been selected for translation into German.
Work by Kefa K Onchoke, Chemistry, was published in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of Molecular Structure. Titled “Structure-Mutagenicity Relationships and Energies of 1-, and 2-Nitrotriphenylenes,” the work dealt with the isomers 1- and 2-nitrotriphenylene, which exhibit mutagenic and carcinogenic properties and are present in respirable matter in combustion and diesel exhaust particulates. The structural and electronic properties of triphenylene, 1-, and 2-nitrotriphenylene were investigated with the density functional B3LYP calculations using the 6-311 + G** basis set. The geometrical bond length agreements were noted between the calculated and experimental geometry for triphenylene (TRP), and predictions of the structural data for 1- and 2-nitrotriphenylene are made in the absence of experimental crystal structures. The geometrical distortions of the triphenylene structure upon nitro group substitution, and structural-mutagenicity relationships of this important class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are discussed. The energy and molecular orbital energies (ELUMO) were also investigated and found to yield predictive electrophilic reactivity of the isomers. The study of the structure-mutagenic relationships of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) is important in gaining insights into reasons underlying the differential mutagenic potencies of isomers of specific PAHs. Onchoke’s “Density Functional Theoretical Study of Mono-nitrated Fluoranthenes” was published in the June 2008 issue of the journal of the International Society for Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds. This paper contributes to structure-function relationships of important constituents of particulates in the atmosphere. Structural studies of mononitrated fluoranthenes, carcinogenic and mutagenic constituents of particulate matter were predicted with the use of the Gaussian 03 software for the first time. Structural data is important in apriori predictions of which nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pose mutagenic health risks to human health.
Julia Ballenger, Educational Leadership, wrote a chapter titled “Parental involvement: Low socioeconomic status and ethnic minority parents’ struggle for recognition and identity,” in a book edited by P. M. Jenlink & F. H. Townes and titled “The struggle for identity in today’s schools: Cultural recognition in a time of increasing diversity.”
Judith L. Lauter, Human Services, authored a book titled “How is Your Brain Like a Zebra?” The book presents the author’s theory that there are three major brain types created by sex hormones before birth—Polytropic, Middle and Focal. She makes the argument that these brain types influence many human traits and differences, such as personality, special skills, learning disabilities and a host of medical conditions. The book describes in detail how this approach promises new insights into such puzzling issues as hyperactivity, autism, nicotine addiction, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and dyslexia.
Kim Archer, Kinesiology and Health Science, coauthored “The American Health Deficit: Sleep Deprivation” available online at http://www.pelinks4u.org/articles/sleepDep1108.htm.
Research by Hollie Smith, Student Affairs, was published in the Feb. 20 edition of the Academic Leadership Online Journal. It is titled “A National Study of Community College Retention Rates Segmented by Institutional Degree of Urbanization.”
Michael Maningas, Campus Recreation, recently completed his Lead Climbing Wall Instructor Certification. Currently, there are fewer than 100 certified instructors registered in the country. The PCIA Climbing Wall Instructor Course provides instructors and potential instructors with an in-depth and standardized understanding of the skills essential to teaching climbing in an indoor setting. Certification is granted to candidates who successfully meet all component skills objectives, complete pre-course requirements and score a minimum of 75 on the written exam. The component skills objectives include professional skills, technical understanding, safety skills, educational ability and a strong climbing ability. Maningas has served as SFA’s outdoor pursuits coordinator since September 2006.
The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association recently selected Brian Mills, Campus Recreation, as one of 12 members of the national rules committee. Mills will be featured in the 14th edition of the 2008 & 2009 NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book & Officials Manual. NIRSA provides access to educational resource materials, as well as a professional support network. Today, the challenges of meeting the recreational sports programming needs of more than 2,200 colleges, universities, military installations and local communities are met by highly trained and caring professionals supported through the efforts of NIRSA. Mills is SFA’s intramural sports and sport clubs coordinator.
Brian Oswald, Forestry, has been honored by Northern Arizona University as the School of Forestry’s Distinguished Alumnus for 2009.
Kim Archer, Kinesiology and Health Science, received an award for her poster research presentation for outstanding professional-level research at the TAHPERD Convention in December. The poster was titled “The Role of Personality, Eating Characteristics, and Sport on Depressive Symptoms in Division I and Division III Collegiate Athletes.”
Julia Ballenger, Secondary Education and Educational Leadership, will be presented with the education award from the American Association of University Women on April 14. The award is given to an educator who has made a significant contribution to the field of education. Ballenger has served in public education for 38 years as a teacher, principal, TEA official and central office director, and she currently serves as an associate professor. Ballenger was awarded the E.J. Campbell Distingushed Professor Chair in 2001, the 2007 PDK Educator of the Year Award and the 2007 TCWSE Margret Montgomery Leadership Award. Ballenger has served as president of TCPEA and serves on the following national and state boards: CSOTTE (Secretary), NCPEA Executive Board (Member), AERA/RWE SIG (Membership Chair) and SERA Board (Associate Newsletter Editor).
SFA’s chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa was recognized in February with the ODK President's Award, given to the top three circles in the nation. Michael Preston was nominated by his students and received the Regional Adviser of the Year award. Preston is serving as chair of the 2010 national convention in Houston. ODK is the national leadership honor society and has been inducting students at SFA since 2003.
Jeff Huskey, Campus Recreation, is the chair of the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association’s Outstanding Sports Facilities Award committee for 2009-2010. It is his second year to chair the committee.
Debbie Jones, Campus Recreation, is serving on the 2008-2009 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association’s Career Opportunities Center Committee and the Foundation Scholarship for Professionals committee. She also is a member of the SFA Alcohol Prevention & Harm Reduction Committee.
Elizabeth Ross, Campus Recreation, is serving as chair of the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association’s Creative Excellence Award Committee for 2009 – 2010.
John T. Moore, Chemistry, has been appointed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency to be a member of the Phase II and III state committees that will align the College & Career Readiness Standards with the TEKS Standards. He also was selected as one of 10 members for the Phase II Statewide Science Vertical Team charged with developing the College Readiness Standards for both agencies.
Jo Lynn Corley, Education, is the Post Baccalaureate Initial Certification Coordinator and Certificate Officer. The PBIC program allows students to earn Post-Baccalaureate Initial Certification (PBIC) online in one year. Grants of up to $5,000 are available through the program. For more information, call 468-2901.
Monique Cossich, Enrollment Management, is serving on the Student Select Advisory Task Force for the College Board. The goal of this national task force is to advise the SAT program on the impacts of the new features, provide advice on design and functionality, and review communication plan elements. Student Select is a new reporting feature for students who take the SAT exam. Cossich also serves as chair of the College Board’s Southwestern Regional Council, which has the responsibility of advising the regional assistant vice president on matters related to the activities of the College Board within the region, as well as to plan the annual Southwestern Regional Forum and other forum activities for the Southwestern Regional Assembly. The council brings forth local issues that can be voiced to the national assembly representatives. As chair, Cossich also advises the College Board vice president on appointments and other associational and membership decisions. Council members provide input for national-level discussions regarding College Board programs, services and policy decisions. She previously served as a council member and as chair-elect.
Damon C. Derrick has been appointed as staff attorney in the Office of the General Counsel. Derrick was hired in November to replace legal assistant Lynda Langham, who was promoted to associate registrar. Derrick received a BBA in marketing from Lamar University and a JD from the University of Mississippi School of Law.
Stephen Lias, Music, served as the host for the 2009 Texas Conference of the National Association of Composers in February. The two-day event included concerts, symposia, lectures and awards presentations.
Janice Hensarling, Nursing, is the president -elect of Omicron Eta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society and was part of the planning committee for the "Heart Sense Conference" held in February in Nacogdoches.
Glynn Hart, Physical Plant, has replaced Ronnie Morrow as SFA’s “sign guy.” Ronnie retired in August. Glynn joined the physical plant in 1992 and had been a finisher in the paint department.
Trina Benson Menefee is the new academic adviser for the College of Sciences and Mathematics. Kelly Kahlden is now the administrative assistant in Physics and Astronomy.
Julia Ballenger, Ken Austin and Linda Black, Secondary Education and Educational Leadership, mentored two graduate students who present their action research studies at the TASA Midwinter Conference in Austin in January. Jiashi Zhao’s research focused on Chinese Mainland students and their adaptation to learning, lifestyle and culture at a Texas regional university. Denice McCormick researched plans for attracting qualified culturally diverse applicants to the field of teaching in light of the fact that undergraduate students of color have negative perceptions that teaching is not a valued career.