Re:Search Graduate Studies & Research at Salisbury University 2013 Edition

Into the Wild: DISCOVERING THE ANSWERS THAT ANIMALS HOLD “There is less to say” by Jinchul Kim. Read about Kim’s work on page 13.

Volume 03 • 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS PRESIDENT Dr. Janet Dudley-Eshbach PROVOST & SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Into the Wild: Discovering the Answers that Animals Hold ...... 3 Dr. Diane Allen Pub Night @ the Library ...... 8 DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES & RESEARCH Dr. Clifton Griffin Promoting Mutual Understanding: SU’s Fulbright Scholars Legacy ...... 9 GRADUATE PROGRAM MANAGER Painting a Brighter Picture of Research Across the Liberal Arts...... 13 Jessica Scott ’08 After the Storm: Students Take the Lead in Sandy Damage Assessment...... 15 ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS Susan Maxwell Eagle Protecting Vulnerable Children: The Title IV-E Education COPY EDITOR for Public Child Welfare Program...... 17 Christine B. Smith M’02 STAND4YOU: Raising Awareness and Promoting Treatment...... 18 VISUAL IMAGES COORDINATOR/PHOTOGRAPHER Kathy D. Pusey ’86 Connecting the Business Community with the University: FEATURE WRITER The Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center ...... 19 Terry Cardillino External Grants Critical to SU’s STEM Programs...... 21 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dr. Ann Barse Dr. Karen Olmstead Checking In: Doctor of Nursing Practice Year One...... 23 Jason Curtin ’98 Dr. Molly Parsons Katie Curtin Kristen Paul Faculty Mini-Grant Program ...... 25 Anisa Diab ’08 Dr. Judith Pike Dr. Janet Dudley-Eshbach Dr. Brian Polkinghorn The SU Foundation: 40 Years of Academic Support ...... 28 Dr. Beatriz Hardy Dr. Dana Price Dr. Gary Harrington Jason Rhodes Graduate RAP Grant Program...... 29 John Hickman Dr. Ed Robeck Jinchul Kim Dr. Kathleen Scott Faculty Books...... 30 Dr. James King Dr. Lisa Seldomridge Dr. Dean Kotlowski Dr. Ryan Taylor A Banner Year for Student Research ...... 31 Dr. Arthur Lembo Dr. Eugene Williams Dr. Karl Maier Jennifer Wright SUSRC 2013 & NCUR 2013 ...... 33 Tina Melczarek Dr. Ying Wu Dr. Rita Nutt Salisbury University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, Re:Search is published annually for friends of Salisbury University by the disability, genetic information, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected Office of Graduate Studies and Research in conjunction with the Office of characteristics in its programs and activities. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to Humberto Aristizabal, Director of Publications, with the generous support of Salisbury University. Fair Practices & EEO/AA, Title IX Coordinator, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Avenue, Holloway Hall 131, Salisbury, MD 21801-6860; Please send comments, news and address changes to: Tel. 410-548-3508. Office of Graduate Studies & Research, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801-6860 Salisbury University is a proud member of the University System of Maryland. 1 • GS&R • 2013 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

“We are proud to be a recognized leader that is helping our state provide the highly trained people and resources needed ...”

Welcome to the 2013 edition of Re:Search. I am excited to present the third issue of Salisbury University’s magazine devoted to the research and scholarly activities of our faculty, staff and students. With each issue, we continue to showcase the impact that research and scholarship has on our ability to provide a distinct and holistic education to our students. This issue demonstrates the depth and breadth of the commitment our faculty have to their disciplines. For example, by venturing into the wild, our Biological Sciences Department faculty have been able to bring current, real-world examples back into the classroom, which has supplemented their teaching of basic ecological theory. This combination of theory and practice has proven to be an extremely powerful and effective teaching model; we hope to continue expanding opportunities like these across the disciplines moving forward. Once again, we take great pride in sharing our success in building an exceptional STEM program at Salisbury University. In her Q&A section, Dr. Karen Olmstead, dean of the Henson School of Science and Technology, shares compelling answers and insights into our ability to build strong STEM majors. Dean Olmstead also highlights our ongoing efforts in providing a University-wide support system aimed at bolstering SU’s role in this critically important area. Salisbury University continues to show its support for the surrounding community, and all of Maryland, through our stewardship of a long-term Title IV-E grant that is dedicated to training social workers across the state, particularly in the area of child welfare. We are proud to be a recognized leader that is helping our state provide the highly trained people and resources needed to increase vital social services for our fellow citizens, especially in rural areas. I am deeply proud of the continued recognition that our faculty receive internationally. Salisbury University has a nationally recognized history of excellence within the Fulbright program. In this edition, we are excited to highlight a handful of the faculty who received Fulbright awards over the past few years. It is a privilege to share how their efforts abroad have renewed their passion for their discipline once they return to our classrooms. As you can see, our faculty, staff and students continue to expand the reach of our University both nationally and beyond. Salisbury University is on the forefront of discovering answers to real-world problems and training the future civic and technological leaders of tomorrow. We are a campus that is on the move as our reputation as A Maryland University of National Distinction continues to grow. It is my hope that you will enjoy the following pages and consider becoming more involved in supporting our research efforts.

Janet Dudley-Eshbach, Ph.D. President Salisbury University

2013 • GS&R • 2 “… from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882), The Origin of Species ―

A complex mixture of mating sounds in the drives the evolutionary change of male jungles of Panama calls out to SU researchers Frog Communications courtship signals.” This breeding behavior involves males offering them a link to understanding human Signaling: Providing Insight who congregate at a pond and begin speech and communication. The sandy shores of into Speech Comprehension calling. Taylor continued to explain: “On a typical night, the many calling males at the Assateague Island, with its population of wild Ryan C. Taylor, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Sciences pond produce a cacophony of overlapping horses, help researchers understand information calls. Analogous to the human listener at a noisy cocktail party, female frogs must Male túngara frogs, found from Mexico impacting our agricultural pasturelands on the segregate individual vocalizations and to northern South America, emit a series of mainland. A fish population found in the frigid correctly assign them to their source. In whines and chucks as part of their mating addition to the vocalization, male frogs also waters of Iceland begs for scientific study, as behavior. This phenomenon is being studied inflate an elastic sac in their throat when by Dr. Ryan Taylor. Recipient of the SU 2013 researchers search for answers on adaptability to they vocalize. One strategy that female Outstanding Research Mentor Award, Taylor frogs employ is to watch for the movement temperature change. And the billfish found in the conducts fieldwork with his students at the of this inflating vocal sac. Like the human lip Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in blue coastal waters of the mid-Atlantic host reader, doing this improves their ability to Panama and recently published a study in segregate the calls of individual males, parasites for examination, ultimately leading the journal Science, the most prestigious thereby allowing them to select among the general science journal in the world. researchers to knowledge about the ecology and potential mates.” evolutionary biology of this game fish and the “Frogs have evolved to use acoustic signals (vocalizations) as their primary mode host-parasite relationship. of communication for courtship,” explained Four distinguished members of SU’s Taylor. “Males stake out small territories and vocalize; females listen to these males and Biological Sciences Department and their students then select a mate. Females have strong have gone beyond the classroom “Into the Wild” preferences for certain types of vocalizations (e.g., lower pitch or calls with to study animals and discover the unique answers additional notes). Males who do not make that only the animals can give us. attractive vocalizations fail to mate, and hence fail to pass their genes and traits into the next generation. On any given night, there are far more males at the pond than females, generating intense competition among males for mates. Female mate choice then determines which males pass their genes into the next generation. Thus, female choice is an important force that Taylor testing the robotic frog system 3 • GS&R • 2013 ENGAGED FACULTY “Our study has the potential not only to help us understand signal evolution in nature, but may also provide insights into human speech comprehension in noisy environments.” – Dr. Ryan Taylor

of speech and signals expedites (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, communication through a process that Republic of Panama), Paul Clements would not be possible if only one signal was (Salisbury University) and Dr. Kim Hunter used. “Multimodal communication is (Salisbury University). Michael Ryan and widespread in the animal kingdom. There Rachel Page are co-principal investigators are relatively few species, however, where on the currently funded National Science the role of individual signal components can Foundation grant. Barrett Klein designed be neatly dissected to provide an and fabricated the robotic frog bodies. Joey understanding of how individual as well as Stein and Paul Clements designed and combined signal components influence fabricated the mechanical system for the communication. Like frogs, humans inflation of the robotic frog vocal sac, and integrate audio and visual information (lip Kim Hunter was a collaborator on reading) during speech comprehension. Our experimental design. study has the potential not only to help us understand signal evolution in nature, but may also provide insights into human speech comprehension in noisy Robotic túngara frog environments,” said Taylor. The National Science Foundation has Taylor’s team designed and fabricated a funded the research with two grants robotic túngara frog that is extremely amounting to approximately $1.5 million. effective in accurately imitating a live male The findings of this research also have been frog. “The timing of inflation of the robotic spread widely through a book on animal frog’s vocal sac can be set to match the call communication in addition to publication in (as occurs in nature) or can be altered to both scientific and news journals. The inflate asynchronously with the call. This robotic frog system was spotlighted in the allows us to conduct experiments to assess Wall Street Journal. The BBC is documenting how female frogs integrate both audio and Taylor’s work in Panama with a film showing visual components into their mate choice the utilization of robotics and how they are Dung Beetles: decisions. Doing these experiments has instrumental in helping researchers given us a profound insight into the process understand evolution and behavior. The The Farmer’s Friend that drives the diversity of courtship signals broadcast of this film will give those who are Dana L. Price, Ph.D., Associate Professor, in the natural world,” said Taylor. This study not scientists a chance to acquire a broader Biological Sciences on the túngara frog’s mating communication, knowledge of the discipline. It also will with its array of vocalizations and visual cues increase recognition of the excellent science Dung beetles are essential to within a noisy environment, will help the being performed at SU. agricultural ecosystems because of their researchers grasp an understanding of how “The research questions that I am important role in recycling animal waste. humans listen and process the complicated addressing with the robotic túngara frog Dr. Dana Price is currently developing a system of audio and visual components system were originally conceived by me. biodiversity inventory of Maryland Scarab which comprise human speech. However, it is important to note that this beetles (Superfamily Scarabaeoidea). Much SU students are instrumental in the research program has truly been a of her recent research has focused on dung research being done on this program. Nine collaborative effort with contributions from beetles, which she has studied for over 12 students have traveled to Panama with a number of other talented researchers,” years. Dung beetles are Scarabs so they fit Taylor since 2007. There he has taught them said Taylor. The collaborators include perfectly into her research goal: to create frog-collection procedures and how to Dr. Michael Ryan (University of Texas at a taxonomic guide to the Scarabaeoidea perform the behavioral experiments, both Austin), Dr. Barrett Klein (University of of Maryland. activities occurring throughout the night. Wisconsin, LaCrosse), Joey Stein of Moey “Research in Maryland dealing with The students are exposed to many aspects Inc. (New York, NY), Dr. Rachel Page Scarabs has been limited to a species of science, which develop their professional checklist provided in 1984. No one has skills in biology, physics, electronics and Kyle Wilhite, Ryan Taylor and Kelsey Mitchell in Panama conducted a bioinventory of these experimental design. They are also crucial in important species in Maryland, nor has helping Taylor collect data, allowing the anyone provided keys to the species for information gathering to be done much identification. This research will provide the more quickly with their assistance. first taxonomic guide for Scarabaeoidea in Humans, along with most animals, use Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region and several different modes to communicate. valuable taxonomic keys that anyone will be Human communication involves the audio able to use for the identification of these component of speech in addition to visual species as well as natural history data and signals such as body posture, gestures and locality data,” explained Price. facial expressions. This multimodal system

2013 • GS&R • 4 “SU students, both undergraduate and graduate, are the driving force for my research. I would not be able to do it without them.” – Dr. Dana Price (left, with graduate student Mallory Hagadorn)

Undergraduate student Simone Nemes lab has enabled me to grow as a person, is preparing the “Illustrated Keys to the develop as a biologist and discover an area Dung Beetles (Scarabaeinae) of Maryland.” of science that I love,” said Hagadorn. “Working in Dr. Price’s lab gave me the These research projects support Price’s invaluable experience of working on a long-term goal of creating a taxonomic project that was both well-suited to my guide to the Scarabaeoidea of Maryland needs as a student and exciting to me on a that will ultimately be beneficial for anyone personal level. I was able to deepen my wanting to conduct Scarab research in understanding of ecology through practical Maryland and the surrounding states. experiences. Dr. Price worked tirelessly to “The dung beetle research has allowed make doing research in her lab an awesome us to meet local farmers from Maryland. experience,” said Nemes. This will help us to provide outreach and to “Scarabaeoidea of Maryland’s Eastern create a fact sheet that will provide Shore” is the scholarly undertaking of information to farm managers about how to undergraduate Jennifer Shaughney. increase dung beetle populations on their “Dr. Price was always engaging and farms and to improve pasture management. enthusiastic as a mentor. I feel very lucky to We are making local connections and have had the opportunity to do field meeting people who care about improving Scarabs have been reported as both research with someone so knowledgeable. their pasture ecosystems,” explained Price. economically and ecologically important Working in her lab not only helped me insects in natural and agricultural discover my interest in entomology, but also ecosystems. The feeding habits of May and gave me invaluable experience attending June beetles, along with Japanese beetles, conferences and accomplishing my own Adaptability of Arctic Charr have a negative impact on a variety of crops research project as an undergraduate,” to Temperature Change: and ornamentals. Scarabaeinae dung noted Shaughney. If They Don’t Use It, Will beetles, on the other hand, are beneficial in Mallory Hagadorn is an M.S. student in They Lose It? that their feeding and nesting behaviors the applied biology program who is working help recycle nutrients back into the soil and with Joseph Restein and Kaitlyn Mitchell, E. Eugene Williams, Ph.D., Professor, reduce runoff and the abundance of dung- both of whom are supported on a Guerrieri Biological Sciences Department breeding nematodes and flies. Dung beetles Undergraduate Summer Research Grant. also are among the most cost-effective of all This summer, they are studying beef and “Are fish that have been isolated and animal taxa for assessing and monitoring dairy cattle farms across Maryland to living at a single temperature for thousands biodiversity, and consequently they are examine dung beetle diversity and of years still able to adapt and do the things considered a model organism for abundance on organic and conventionally that other fish can do when exposed to a understanding broad biodiversity trends. managed cattle pastures. Hagadorn was new temperature? If so, are they able to “SU students, both undergraduate and awarded a National Science Foundation adapt as well as their cousins who graduate, are the driving force for my Graduate Research Fellowship to complete experience temperature change all the research. I would not be able to do it this work (see page 32). She will be studying time?” asks Dr. E. Eugene Williams, winner without them,” said Price. Some recent the gut organisms (endosymbionts) of of the SU Outstanding Research Mentor examples of projects include the following. Onthophagus taurus dung beetles across Award in 2005 and the recipient of a The study “Dung Beetles of Wicomico Maryland. “Dr. Price is an exceptional University System of Maryland Board of and Worcester County Maryland” was mentor, whose excitement for her research Regents Excellence in Mentoring Award in published with two undergraduate research has fueled her students’ desire to learn. She 2006. Williams received an SU research mini- students. is extremely dedicated to her students and grant in addition to a Fulbright Scholarship “Species Diversity and Succession of has worked side-by-side with us in the field to research these questions by studying Dung Beetles to Horse Dung on Assateague and lab. Thus far, my time spent in the Price Icelandic Arctic charr. Along with his primary Island” was a research initiative of graduate research on the effects of temperature student Elizabeth Rentz. Rentz studied the change, he is working in collaboration with dung beetle species diversity and two scientists from Hólar University College abundance on the island in comparison to in northern Iceland on a total of three that of the mainland. The diet of the horses studies involving Arctic charr. on the island consists mainly of salt marsh “What makes Iceland unique is that the grass, which has a different salt content Arctic charr there have become separated than the diet of mainland horses. Rentz’s into distinct populations that no longer study found that most dung beetle species interact with one another. Biologically, the are not attracted to the island horse populations are able to interbreed with one deposits, suggesting a potential problem another but do not do so because they are with dung build-up on Assateague. physically separated. They live in ponds,

5 • GS&R • 2013 ENGAGED FACULTY

streams and lakes in different parts of the during the last Ice Age in Lake island. The result is that they don’t Thingvallavatn, the largest lake in Iceland. interbreed, but they all remain members of These charr have evolved to fill in all the the same species. So Iceland gives us the possible niches in the lake since they are the opportunity to look at fish that are all very only vertebrates that live in the lake’s closely related, and that have experienced complex environment. The charr are all the different environmental conditions for same species, but they are evolving so that thousands of years,” explained Williams. some feed on plankton, some feed on other Why are these fish of such great fish and some live on the bottom. There are interest? As the glaciers thawed during the four different lifestyles, almost like different last Ice Age about 12,000 years ago, the species, but they are all the same species. charr were trapped in different locations They do not interbreed with each other within Iceland. Some of these locations have Student researchers in Iceland (although they could) because they have temperatures that change all the time. physiological and behavioral barriers that Water temperature goes up and down – in keep them from doing so such as different the daytime it gets warmer; nighttime it mating dances, sexual maturity rates and gets colder; summertime it gets warmer; timing of reproductive cycles. They are wintertime it gets colder. As a result, the evolving into different body shapes and charr that live in those particular locations one can see the differences just by glancing feel temperature change daily. On the other at them. hand, there are locations in Iceland where “This is a rare opportunity for scientists the same species of fish have been living at to watch a species evolve from a common a constant temperature because they swim ancestor,” noted Williams. in spring-fed water from the glacier runoff. These fish have been residing at a constant temperature of 5ºC since the last Ice Age. They have never seen 6ºC; they have never Monogenean Parasites in seen 4ºC. If you take a typical fish such as Billfish: Presenting a Clearer the charr (which is related to salmon and the charr tissue samples and beginning to Picture of the Host-Parasite trout) and move them from one analyze the data. Relationship temperature to another, they do a whole set The second study is being done in of things biochemically and physiologically collaboration with Helgi Thorarensen, a fish Ann M. Barse, Ph.D., Associate Professor, to make up for that temperature change. So physiologist and professor of aquaculture at Biological Sciences the questions remain: Are the fish that have Hólar University College. It is a study on the been stranded for thousands of years still nutritional status of stock fish. There is a A group of parasitic flatworms pose a able to do those things? How will they huge aquaculture of charr in Iceland, potentially disease-producing threat to handle the change and which groups are whereby researchers can investigate several billfish species. Dr. Ann Barse most vulnerable? metabolic capacities and temperatures on received an SU research mini-grant to study SU students were introduced to the fish these farm-raised fish, searching for answers monogenean parasites. The work includes of Iceland during on-site class study from on questions such as optimal growth rates documentation and study of these prevalent 2009-2011 through Hólar University and harvest times. SU students are currently parasites on three sought-after billfish College. The Fulbright Scholarship for the looking at the metabolic enzyme activities species in Maryland waters: white marlin, temperature adaptability study allowed and gene expression rates of these charr blue marlin and roundscale spearfish. Williams to collect charr samples in Iceland while performing their lab experiments. Barse studies parasites of estuarine and from August through December 2012. SU The third study is on speciation, the marine fishes, and a few invertebrates as students are now involved on the SU evolutionary process by which new well, from an ecological and evolutionary campus in performing lab experiments on biological species arise. It is being perspective. The group of parasites focused conducted in collaboration with Bjarni on in this study is the Subfamily Capsalinae, Kristjánsson, an ecologist and associate Class Monogenea and Phylum professor at Hólar University College. SU Platyhelminthes, more commonly known as students are not yet involved in analyzing flatworms. These parasites inhabit the data as the study is still in its infancy. It surfaces of skin, fins, gills, mouth and nasal involves a group of charr that got trapped passages on large fishes living in the open ocean, potentially damaging their host if large numbers build up on the fish. “Are fish that have been isolated and living at a Billfishes are one such charismatic group single temperature for thousands of years still able of oceanic game fishes. It includes 10 extant to adapt and do the things that other fish can do when exposed to a new temperature?” – Dr. E. Eugene Williams 2013 • GS&R • 6 ENGAGED FACULTY “A benefit gained from this research is the clarification and correction of the literature on these parasites … This work will resolve these inaccuracies in the literature so there is a clearer picture of billfish host-parasite relationships.” – Dr. Ann Barse as well as its exact infection site (its “microhabitat”) on the fish. By the end of a typical tournament, they will have collected hundreds of monogeneans with information on the host preferences and microhabitat information for every worm. Barse and a student also have attempted to collect capsalines from swordfish off the Florida coast where recreational anglers can catch them less than 10 miles off the coast. Although swordfish do occur off the Maryland coast, there is virtually no sport fishery for them in Maryland. Many SU students have been instrumental in the research, assisting over the years in the examination of fish hosts and in collecting parasites at the dock. species worldwide: broadbill swordfish, Outside of collecting specimens, students sailfish, blue marlin, black marlin, white have assisted in investigating all records of marlin, striped marlin and four species of billfish-monogenean associations reported spearfish. Sport fishing has aided biological in the literature. This is a tedious task due to study of these species. There has been a the numerous changes in the taxonomic names of both hosts and parasites over the recreational fishery for billfish off the Barse is excited that in the future, students last century, as well as numerous errors in Maryland coast in the Mid-Atlantic Bight will also be able to participate in this most reporting on host and parasite dating back to pre-WWII days. The sport important aspect of her investigative work identification. Every record must be began after the formation of the Ocean City on parasites. evaluated for accuracy. Students also have inlet in the aftermath of the 1933 “A benefit gained from this research is assisted in the lab in staining parasite Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane, which the clarification and correction of the specimens and in the preparation of allowed passage of fishing boats to the literature on these parasites. Currently, the museum-quality permanent slides. productive offshore fishing grounds. White literature is full of errors, with much of it While on sabbatical in fall 2011 at marlin and blue marlin are the primary published in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Auburn University, Barse and colleague Ash billfish species for which Maryland anglers There are inaccuracies in depicting parasite Bullard re-described a capsaline species fish. In 2007, anglers and scientists morphology (e.g., labeling major nerve using state-of-the-art microscopes, including recognized that some of the white marlin cords as intestine, omitting details of the one with Differential Interference Contrast were actually roundscale spearfish. Today, reproductive system) and in correctly (DIC) optics. With financial donations from boats travel 50 to 100 miles from the Ocean recording parasite-host species associations the Henson School of Science and City inlet in search of these three billfish and geographic localities. This work will Technology, the Biological Sciences species in a catch-and-release fishery. resolve these inaccuracies in the literature Department, Maryland Sea Grant, the Ocean One exception to the routine of so there is a clearer picture of billfish host- City Light Tackle Club, the International releasing billfish back to swim another day parasite relationships,” noted Barse. Light Tackle Tournament Association, the SU is during the White Marlin Open. August The ultimate goal of the research is to Foundation, Inc. and the generosity of 2013 marks the 40th year of this five-day evaluate the use of monogeneans as a tool private individuals interested in the research, fishing tournament where hundreds of for learning about the ecology and Barse was able to obtain a DIC microscope boats compete for prize money, mostly evolutionary biology of billfish. In addition, with accessories and software for imaging, targeting offshore marlins and tunas. A Barse is focusing her attention on drawing and measuring parasite specimens. small fraction of the fishes caught are conducting thorough investigations of the brought to the weigh dock and are identification, naming and classification of accessible to scientists for biological the parasites, along with study on their investigations. Barse and her students development and evolution. v examine all external surfaces of these fish for monogeneans, and all specimens found are heat-killed and then placed in fixative in a vial. Vials are labeled so that it is known which individual fish the parasite came from

7 • GS&R • 2013 HONORING EXCELLENCE

Pub Night @ the Library By Beatriz Hardy, Ph.D., Dean of Libraries and Instructional Resources On February 22, 2013, several hundred people gathered at Blackwell Library to celebrate the achievements of Salisbury University’s faculty and staff. Pub Night @ the Library, jointly sponsored by Blackwell Library and the Office of Graduate Studies and Research (GSR), originated five years Honorees (from left) Drs. Molly Parsons, Carol Wood (for Deborah Matthews) and Kathleen Scott with Dean of Graduate Studies and Research Clifton Griffin ago as a formal reception. The event evolved last year into the more casual, their SU careers. This year, we additionally boards for international journals to festive and popular Pub Night, with the acknowledged faculty and staff who committees of professional organizations Library’s Current Periodicals Section received outside honors or recognition and and state advisory councils and transformed into a British-style pub those who volunteer with professional or commissions. These awards and activities for the occasion. other non-profit organizations at the state, reflect three of SU’s core values: excellence, SU faculty members earn wide national or international level. community and civic engagement. recognition for their outstanding teaching, Three people – Deborah Matthews of The Library staff is pleased to join GSR winning numerous state and even national the Social Work Department, Molly Parsons in honoring our faculty and staff. We take awards. What is less well known is their of the Nursing Department and Kathleen great pride in what they have accomplished, excellent record of scholarship and service. Scott of the SU Counseling Center – passed because in some small way their At last year’s Pub Night, GSR and the the milestone of $500,000 in grants this accomplishments are ours. What we do in Library joined to honor faculty and staff year, joining last year’s 21 honorees. Clifton the Library – selecting and providing who had published scholarly materials in Griffin, the dean of Graduate Studies and access to resources, finding the esoteric the previous year as well as those who had Research, and Diane Allen, provost and articles that researchers sometimes need, won grants of $500,000 or more during senior vice president of academic affairs, supporting classroom instruction, making presented the three with certificates and, faculty aware of what we have – helps the appropriately for Pub Night, gift cards from faculty and staff of SU to achieve the very SoBo’s Wine Beerstro. accomplishments we honor at Pub Night. Pub Night honors the wide range of And, of course, we also take great pride in accomplishments of SU faculty and staff. the Library staff members who were Scholarly publications ran the gamut from honored for their service and publications. textbooks and monographs to countless Beyond pride in our collective scholarly articles. Honors included Fulbright accomplishments, the Library staff is also Scholarships and fellowships at Brown, pleased to participate in Pub Night Stanford, and European and Asian because it is just plain fun. As librarian universities to awards from professional Stephen Ford observed, “Pub Night organizations and state councils. Service provided a pleasant, relaxing social encompassed everything from editorial atmosphere to chat with other faculty and to reconnect with those we see way too seldom in our busy work life.” Who knew Current Periodicals could be such fun? v

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AROUND THE GLOBE

Promoting Mutual Understanding: SU’s Fulbright Scholars Legacy

It all started with a nudge. When Dr. Tom for 2010-2011, and yet again on a renewed understanding of the difficulties Erskine, English Department, returned in Fulbright Chair appointment for 2011-2012. encountered and the enormous rewards 1989 from his first Fulbright experience in It may well have seemed to my colleagues accrued by someone living as a “stranger in Jordan, he nudged his colleagues to follow at University of Marie Curie-Sklodowska in a strange land” for an extended period. in his footsteps. Many of them did, and they Lublin that I simply refused to go away. For my Fulbright appointment, I taught went on to keep those nudges of Fulbright When applying for the 2010 American literature to senior-level inspiration going with other faculty. Then in appointment, I very briefly considered undergraduates and to graduate students, 2010, The Chronicle of Higher Education applying for a Fulbright elsewhere, and then all of whom were fluent in English. One day, acknowledged that those nudges had in a moment of clarity I asked myself though, I had a graduate student begin to transformed into something special when “Why?” I couldn’t come up with any speak Polish in response to one of my they named SU among that year’s top compelling answer because my 2002 questions. She was a bit embarrassed, but I producers of Fulbright Scholars in the Fulbright stay in Poland was terrific in told the students that responding in their United States. Salisbury was the only every respect. My 2010-2012 appointments native tongue wasn’t a bad strategy in my master’s-level institution in Maryland to proved to be every bit as productive class. First of all, since I don’t speak Polish, I earn the distinction. To gain a glimpse into and rewarding. could hardly disagree with whatever anyone this highly acclaimed academic opportunity, Being in Poland on a Fulbright provided said in that language; secondly, I’d be a few of SU’s recent Fulbright Scholars me with the opportunity to exchange ideas obligated to remark to any student who share reflections on their unique with those whom I likely wouldn’t have responded in Polish, since it would quite experiences abroad. encountered otherwise – I’m referring not literally be true, that “I never thought of the only to Polish professors, but also to fellow matter in quite that way before.” A Less-Than-Innocent Abroad Fulbrighters and to Polish students. I feel as In class, I was deeply gratified to though my understanding of the material in discover the students’ genuine interest in By Gary Harrington, Ph.D., Professor, my field has been substantially enhanced American literature. I’ve returned to the U.S. English Department through my having become acquainted with with an enhanced sense of the importance Many have said that being on a Fulbright is “outsider” perspectives on American of teaching American studies since I saw so a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; I feel culture, and my Fulbright experience helped clearly during my Fulbright appointments incredibly fortunate to have had it be for me me to grow not only as an educator but as a that an interest in American culture is most a thrice-in-a-lifetime experience. I was in person. The incredible warmth and emphatically not confined only to those Poland as a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in generosity of the Polish people were within the borders of the U.S. I hope that I 2002, then again as a Distinguished Chair inspiring, and I now have a first-hand contributed in some small way to the Polish understanding of America in all its infinite and invigorating complexity. Establishing Historical Context By James King, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, English Department I was a Fulbright fellow during the spring semester of 2010 and worked as a senior lecturer within the English Department at the University of Ghana at Legon. I taught a graduate course on the early literature of W.E.B. Du Bois. My experience with my graduate students was enlightening in that I discovered that the Ghanaian students had only a little knowledge of American history, pertaining to our involvement in the Atlantic slave trade, and the conditions, rhetoric and policies that undergirded this terrible aspect of our national history.

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locate SU faculty and educators from within between Richard Nixon and Philippine the Wicomico County school system in President Ferdinand Marcos, the latter Ghana as participants in an educational mostly unfamiliar to Americans in their late program that will provide them instruction teens and early 20s. At our last class on Ghanaian culture, language and life-ways session, the students presented me with a from Ghanaian instructors, and the wooden calendar with “Philippines” In order to allow Du Bois’ texts to opportunity to visit sites of cultural and emblazoned on it. As I accepted the resonate and impact the students in the historical significance; experiences and present, one blurted out: “Sir, are you manner I felt they should, I found it instruction they can return with to Salisbury going to miss us?” I answered necessary to revise my planned classroom to facilitate the development of new resoundingly: “Yes!” activities during the early weeks in our term curriculum informed by their experiences. While in Manila, I researched archival to include a significant amount of lecture materials relating to the life of Paul V. related to this historical context. To the McNutt, U.S. high commissioner to the credit of these master’s-level students, once Making History Vivid and Inspiring Commonwealth of the Philippines (1937-39 that contextual/historical information had and 1945-46) and U.S. ambassador to the been received, they tackled the texts and By Dean Kotlowski, Ph.D., Professor, Republic of the Philippines (1946-47), for a then began to present formidable abilities History Department biography that will be published in 2014 by for synthesis of the information received, as My sponsors were the friendly and Indiana University Press. The collections I well as innovative skills of analysis regarding examined in the Philippines added a the ways that Du Bois’ work reflected the enormously generous staff at the Philippine- American Educational Foundation, and my valuable international perspective. For influence of his early trip to Africa and example, a photograph of McNutt and research on the continent in the early part hosts were the splendid staff and faculty at De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila. The Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon of the 20th century. seated together, laughing, underscored While in Ghana, I recorded interviews students I taught at DLSU were memorably outstanding, as young scholars and as their easy relationship. Upon McNutt’s with individuals who had worked within the death in 1955, Philippine President Ramon administration of Ghana’s first president, human beings. In fall 2008, I taught “The United States Magsaysay hailed him as the “architect” of Kwame Nkrumah. I interviewed one of the the “close” ties between the United States persons responsible for creating Ghana’s in the 1970s” to 16 enthusiastic students. They absorbed the material, the policies of and its former colony. Although a later first television broadcast company, GTV, as generation of historians, in both countries, well as the founder of the University of the presidents of the decade, the fads and trends, and the popular culture as well as would rightly be critical of McNutt’s Ghana at Legon’s Institute for African handiwork and see the U.S. bases, parity Studies, ethnomusicologist Kwabena the lectures and books that brought this information to light. I also covered topics rights and preferential trade in the Nketia. These interviews will be used to Philippines as examples of America’s create a text discussing the early years of that I would not be able to teach to American students, such as the relationship exercise in “neo-imperialism,” my research Ghana’s developing national culture and shows that it was not always seen that way. infrastructure. In February 2010, I was My time in the Philippines has led me to invited to give the opening lecture for the be more conscious of Asia in my teaching of centennial celebration of Kwame Nkrumah. world and U.S. history. I regularly use The lecture was broadcast nationally on images and anecdotes from the Philippines radio and discussed as part of national news in my courses, especially when I discuss broadcasts the following day. In addition, Western imperialism and World War II in the my experience has contributed to research Pacific. The “Pacific War” had a devastating re-casting Du Boisian Double Consciousness impact on Asia in general and the for the 21st century. Philippines in particular. Living in the Continuing the SU-Ghana connection, Philippines also has encouraged me to visit two Fulton School students are traveling to other countries, in Europe as well as Asia, Ghana in the fall to pursue coursework at and to bring those experiences to our Legon as part of a new student exchange students and thus make history, and also program. In addition, I am the lead writer on international travel, accessible and inspiring a Fulbright-Hays grant proposal that would to them. Members of Dean Kotlowski’s “The United States in the 1970s” class, De La Salle University, Manila, December 2008

2013 • GS&R • 10 Research_09_12_2013_fulbright_Layout 1 9/3/13 9:48 AM Page 3

The Importance of Being family had an apartment in Kuala Lumpur, in the Field people from all of those cultures came out to share the festivities. As easy as it is to By Brian Polkinghorn, Ph.D., Professor, take for granted the cultural patterns that Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution Department; are part of daily life, one benefit of traveling SU Center for Conflict Resolution Executive Director to another country is that it provides a contrast against which one can more readily I had the pleasure of working in an recognize those customs that surround us in international program at Tel Aviv University our own society. where I had 36 graduate students from 22 research designs, proposals and tools. It While in Malaysia, I worked with countries. Many were already deep into also has provided several new approaches as teachers in schools to explore how their careers or at least had some notable to how U.S. researchers can fundamentally instructional technology can be used professional experience (United Nations recast our beginning assumptions and effectively to teach science. In those schools peacekeeper, several who were assistants to subsequent methods of framing social and classrooms, there was an emphasis not prime ministers, former ambassadors, etc.). conflict. I also have brought resources and only on teaching children the formal The average number of languages spoken welcomed people into the SU classroom curricula, but also on inspiring them by this cohort was four, and about half who speak from direct experience. regarding the power of learning and already possessed a graduate degree. The Fulbright experience opened a creative thinking. This led me to wonder The faculty were among the best in the thousand and one doors for me. I am now about the role that motivation and creativity field of conflict resolution and enjoyed hard wired into several Israeli and are given in U.S. schools. I saw that personal reputations for their harrowing Palestinian conflict resolution networks. As Malaysian teachers trust students to do exploits. My small faculty group had two an American within these networks, I have things like maintain the classrooms through Oslo Peace Accord negotiators, a military been invited to work on cross-border such simple acts as sweeping the floor and negotiator, a former ambassador, and the cooperative efforts between Palestine, wiping down desks, which made me mediator who extracted the Palestinian Israel and Jordan. I now, routinely, lead question the extent to which teachers in the gunman out of the Church of the Nativity in private meetings between Palestinian, U.S. could put the same faith in students. Bethlehem and subsequently defused a Jordanian and Israeli delegations in neutral Importantly, too, I saw the physical situation that could have led to war. locations such as Oxford on sensitive cross- spaces of schools arranged to deliberately My experience reinforced two important border cooperative efforts. This continuing encourage the sharing of ideas among points about teaching conflict resolution. experience has helped me in the classroom teachers, which made me think about the First, we must constantly engage in practice and in several boardrooms. extent to which collaboration is encouraged and be in the field improving our art in in the work of teachers in U.S. schools. order to make teaching and research more Making Deliberate Choices These experiences reminded me that meaningful. Second, in places such as Israel education, in terms of both the formal and the West Bank, the most instructive for Teaching curriculum and informal expectations means of teaching is to make use of current By Ed Robeck, Ph.D., Professor, embedded in educational practices, on-the-ground case studies. Teacher Education Department depends on choices. They are choices based While in Israel, the incredible level of on what is considered important for children safety and security came as a pleasant In Malaysia, there is a saying that translates to learn and how the work of teachers surprise. Granted, it takes a little getting roughly as, “we follow the customs of the is valued. used to seeing the first and last parent on place where we are.” To do this, however, the elementary school field trip bus carrying requires that one be near people who are a rifle and the young people in the military willing to share their culture and customs toting automatic weapons (as you see in the openly. While engaging in a Fulbright picture at the Western “Wailing” Wall fellowship in Malaysia, I found myself [above]). While it is common to see people surrounded by such people who shared with automatic weapons everywhere, it is their customs and, much more, their also extremely unlikely to experience friendship. physical violence. The customs of Malaysia include those Since 2010, I have gone back often to of the Bumiputra – native Malaysian culture work with Israeli researchers on several well- – but also a mix of cultures from India, conceived multi-disciplinary research China, Indonesia and elsewhere, working projects. These post-Fulbright experiences together to balance that diversity through have helped me in modifying my own mutual respect. When the Olympic torch was carried past the building where my

11 • GS&R • 2013 Research_09_12_2013_fulbright_Layout 1 9/3/13 9:48 AM Page 4

In many ways, the questions I found myself asking while on my Fulbright fellowship in Malaysia continue to be central to my work at SU. As a teacher-educator, I work to help my students, as well as teachers in area schools, recognize the ways SU FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS that teaching can be undertaken n Thomas Erskine – English: deliberately, based on a set of conscientious Jordan 1989-90, Thailand, choices. With those students and teachers I Romania 2000-01 continue to explore ways to shape the working with a group of Chinese and n Edna Quinn – Nursing: Thailand customs of schooling so that they put into American students at a conference. My practice those ideas that are most valued. theme group had eight students from n Connie Richards – English: Germany, Pakistan, Columbia, the U.S. and Spain 1995 China, and each student’s perspective Bridging Nations n James Welsh – English: ‘Too Big to Fail’ helped shape our group presentation. Romania 1993-94, 1998-99 Everyone was so engaged that our group By Ying Wu, Ph.D., Professor, discussion went beyond the stipulated n Gary Harrington – English: Economics and Finance Department time and the conference coordinator had Poland 2002-03, 2010-12 As part of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar to “wake us up” to attend the next n Andrew Sharma - Communication program, my duty was to teach and conduct scheduled program! Arts: India 2006-2007 research at China’s University of My time in China not only enhanced my classroom teaching but also provided a n Michael Waters – English: International Business and Economics in Romania 2006-07 Beijing. I also traveled to a number of great deal of insights and first-hand Chinese universities to give lectures on such observation that have both broadened and n E. Patrick McDermott - topics as “Monetary Policy Effectiveness in enriched my understanding of the Management and Marketing and the Post-Bubble Era” and “China’s contemporary Chinese economy. My Legal Studies: China 2007-08 Monetary-cum-Exchange Rate Policy.” I was recently completed article “China’s Monetary-cum-Exchange Rate Nexus Under n Edward Robeck - Teacher a panel speaker and theme group facilitator Education: Malaysia 2007-2008 at two international student conferences Financial Repression: Theory and Evidence” organized by Hong Kong’s U.S.-China is truly a fruit of my Fulbright experience. In n Tylor Claggett - Economics and Center: the China and America in the Next addition, based on my conference panelist Finance: China 2008-09 speeches, I wrote an article that is to be Century Conference, and the Rise of China Dean Kotlowski – History: published by Peking University Press. These n and Its Changing Image in the Global Philippines 2008-09 System Conference. I also attended a U.S.- research works have been presented at Shekar Shetty - Economics and China Fulbright Conference organized by both Salisbury University and University of n U.S. Consulate General Shenyang. Maryland College Park; some of them are Finance: Estonia 2008-09 further carried on to an expanded book The Fulbright experience is a journey of n Brian Polkinghorn - Conflict learning. Students of different nationalities project with faculty of China Foreign Affairs Analysis and Dispute Resolution: University, which is partly funded by China’s frankly present themselves while carefully Israel 2009-10 listening to each other. This is great, State Administration of Foreign Experts n James King – English: exciting and incredibly remarkable, as Affairs, and I am the principal investigator of Ghana 2009-10 American students and Chinese students the research project participated by are engaging in a candid, civil and face-to- several faculty members of China Foreign n Ying Wu – Economics and face dialogue that builds a bridge between Affairs University. Finance: China 2010-11 the young generations of two great nations. While the Fulbright takes a year of professional leave, what it brings back to SU n Eugene Williams – Biological It is such experiences that convince me that Sciences: Iceland 2012-13 the U.S.-China relation is not only “too big is far beyond what a year can measure. to fail” but also a hopefully win-win Being a Fulbrighter allows me to experience n Richard Hoffman – Management prospect to each. personally what bridging nations means and and Marketing: Estonia 2012-13 promises. v Chinese students are fascinated about If you know of a faculty member group work and class presentations. They who was a Fulbright Scholar while at are so open and willing to try new ways of SU and omitted from this list, please learning. I had a remarkable experience let the Graduate Studies and Research Office know.

2013 • GS&R • 12 ENHANCED LEARNING

Painting a Brighter Picture of Research Across the Liberal Arts By Tina M. Melczarek, Philosophy Department Program Management Specialist

Jinchul Kim: Establishing a Gallery of Success Whether it’s creating a series of paintings, Jinchul Kim, associate professor in the Art Department, uses paint to studying the stress effects of the H1N1 pandemic explore and express his ideas and worldview in his creative works. His style of contemporary realism with figurative work is shown at five on a population or exploring a lesser-known galleries worldwide and at many shows during the year. He says that Brontë sister, SU’s Fulton School of Liberal Arts teaching informs his art and vice versa. “As artists, we must have a creative body of work. I need to be a faculty are actively pursuing their research, successful and professional artist before I stand in front of students. I also bringing it to their current courses and involving try to be a good role model. To be a successful and professional artist means you have to support yourself with your own art, have gallery SU students in research, mentoring them toward representation, sell and move your work, and exhibit your work excellence in school and beyond. nationally and internationally,” Kim said. He models this for his students by running his own self-supporting Much of this is made possible by the Fulton 3,000 square-foot studio, where he takes in student interns each summer. curriculum reform passed in 2008, which changed There the students learn everything from the basics of canvas preparation to eventually graduating to painting the first layer of Kim’s faculty work load from teaching up to four classes paintings if they show enough skill. The Fulton curriculum reform has a semester to teaching only three greatly helped him with his painting schedule. Before the reform, he could paint only in winter and summer, since the spring and fall semesters were filled enhanced classes each semester, thus freeing up with teaching. more time for exploring this type of scholarly Kim also inspires and mentors his students by finding ways for them to show their work outside of the classroom. work, which results can then be brought back into “Students sometimes do solo exhibitions. In the Guerreri University Center there’s the Art Space, which is a 20-foot-long wall. One of our the classroom. Students take four, four-credit students, Leah Lewman, has shown there twice. It’s more work for me to courses instead of five, three-credit courses. The curate this space, but it’s so important for the students to have their work be seen,” Kim said. rationale is that it enables students to delve more One of his students, Jee Hwang, who graduated in 2006, has gone deeply into the content, not with increased on to garner representation in a New York City art gallery, which is the pinnacle of success for many artists. classroom time, but by doing more work and “I share their stories with my art, and I share my art with them. It’s engaging in more project-based experiences full circle,” said Kim. outside the classroom. This has led to an increase in the number of undergraduate research projects and faculty mentoring activities within the school. Every major within the Fulton School had to be re-designed to accommodate the four-credit course load. Faculty began engaging and mentoring their students in research projects as a way to add depth and enrichment instead of simply increasing classroom time or giving students more assignments.

13 • GS&R • 2013 Judith Pike: Celebrating the Lesser-Known Brontë Sister Unearths Vacuum in Critical Area Sometimes studies show not what is present, but what is missing. When Dr. Judith Pike, associate professor in the English Department, was researching the Brontë sisters, she realized that there was a wealth of research yet to be done about Anne Brontë. Of the three, Anne is the lesser-known Brontë, Pike explained. “Surprisingly, her [Anne’s] derelict brother who died from an overdose is more celebrated and has more of a presence than she does, even though she published two books,” Pike said. She translates this research into a seminar for her students, who in Karl Maier: Seeking to Solve Global Issues and turn learn how to critically read scholarly articles and add to the Study their Stressors continuing discussion. “We had to learn how to read critical scholarly articles in graduate In the Psychology Department, Dr. Karl Maier, associate professor, school, but it was more of a ‘sink or swim’ mentality,” Pike said. has expanded his stress-based health psychology research program to “What they don’t understand is that one article is often in response encompass more global issues, including pandemics and climate change. to another article.” He and his students, whom he considers junior collaborators, run both Recently, 10 of Pike’s students were accepted to the National basic and applied stress research out of the department’s Behavioral Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). Medicine Laboratory. His students are integral to designing and building “I had a student who went against the foremost scholar on author their projects, collecting data, and reporting the findings at student and Jane Addams and found some textual evidence that went against what professional conferences. the criticism was saying. It was brilliant,” Pike said. “They learn from me and I learn from them,” Maier shared. In summer 2013, Pike traveled to England to present at the Research One of his studies was funded by an SU mini grant and a Fulton Society in Victorian Periodicals. She says this level of scholarship has Faculty Grant. “Those types of grants are critical to pursuing this type of been made possible by the change in her curriculum load. research. It’s difficult to get external funding for relatively small projects “There was no time to do research during the year,” Pike said, when they are about studying basic research questions,” Maier explained. regarding the pre-curriculum reform teaching schedule. Not only does Maier mentor students in the classroom, but he also Pike’s work will appear as a chapter in the The Blackwell Companion to works with his current and former students to publish empirical articles the Brontës (forthcoming in 2015). in peer-reviewed journals on findings based on their collaborative efforts in the lab. “In the lab, we have just finished data collection from one experimental study looking at perceptions of climate change. Do the messages that people receive change their perception of climate change? At what point do people feel prompted to action? Or do they feel as though all’s well if they’re told climate change is only affecting part of the globe?” Maier pondered. In addition to his lab work, students will be grappling with these basic research questions and more in a special topics course he’ll be co-teaching in fall 2013, Psychology and Global Climate Change. This mentoring also leads beyond the walls of SU for Maier’s students. “By mentoring them, I can help them put together a competitive application for graduate school,” he insisted, stating that many students go on to pursue master’s or doctoral programs in psychology, and some have even gone on to pharmacy and medical schools. “This broad mix reflects the interdisciplinary nature of what we do in the lab.” And that interdisciplinary nature is what Fulton School Dean Maarten Pereboom encourages. “One of our goals as an institution of higher education is to ensure that all SU graduates leave here with the tools to conduct meaningful research and become innovators in their chosen fields,” said Dr. Pereboom. “One of our strengths as a University is in our ability to Faculty extending themselves and their research are a firm benefit of integrate research across academic disciplines and schools. Fulton faculty the change from multiple three-credit hour classes to the enhanced members have sought numerous ways to enshrine research within the curriculum. “Our reformed curriculum enables our finest scholar-teachers liberal arts curricula,” he added. to be sustainably active in their disciplines while inspiring their students to take up those disciplines actively and successfully,” said Pereboom. By adding to their respective bodies of research work, Fulton faculty continue to expect excellence in the classroom. SU students reap the rewards by learning from engaged scholars and creative minds, then expand that into the world beyond the walls of Salisbury University. v

2013 • GS&R • 14 After the Storm: Students Take the Lead in Sandy Damage Assessment

By Arthur Lembo, Ph.D. of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Associate Professor, Geography and Geosciences Department They labeled damage to homes and And SU’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative Technical Director buildings on grids using a four-level classification provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They also compared photographs to Superstorm Sandy was the second most determine how high water levels rose. Before destructive hurricane in United States history Their data was immediately shared with – striking the eastern seaboard in late ImageCat, Inc., an international risk- and October 2012 – causing an estimated disaster-management company contracted by $70 billion in damages. In the wake of New Light Technologies, Inc. of Washington, Sandy’s devastation, agencies from around D.C., to support FEMA’s effort. ImageCat the country engaged in relief and recovery compiles the data with other teams’ to help efforts. Efforts by first responders were provide the federal government with an critical to provide life-saving activities for overall damage assessment. This damage those immediately affected by the storm: assessment was used by FEMA to determine rescuing people stranded in their homes and areas that required immediate assistance and giving medical attention to those injured also to provide a rapid estimate for potential After during the storm. Secondary responders recovery costs. worked tirelessly to bring the areas back to a more civilized state by restoring utility services, securing damaged structures, and SU GIS Students Are Respected providing food, water and shelter. as Professionals Within Their As these efforts were underway, I Discipline coordinated a team of some 50 Salisbury SU students were the largest contingent University geography students, training in to assist ImageCat and the company paid GIS and map interpretation, who assisted students for their time. We used to seek out with storm damage assessments. Working these kinds of opportunities to give our around the clock in Henson Science Hall on students real-world experience. Now, in the the weekend following the storm, the team, last few years, the reputation of our students led by four graduate students, examined has grown so much that organizations seek before-and-after Google Earth aerial images us out.

15 • GS&R • 2013 ACROSS THE NATION

Before After

the lab to complete the recovery efforts students showed that they could quickly throughout the evening. “Without the assemble a data-collection and oversight diligence and professionalism of our team, and our undergraduates performed students, this work could not have been as well as any other team I have worked completed,” Skeeter added. with in this sort of situation. With many of the faculty tied up in “This project is a wonderful opportunity Baltimore and the PGS meeting, managing for SU students and faculty to aid fellow the work activities became the responsibility citizens who were hit by Superstorm of the resident graduate students in the Sandy,” said Dr. Karen Olmstead, dean of SU students successfully engaged in department’s M.S. in GIS Management SU’s Henson School of Science and similar damage assessment work when an Program. These students quickly found Technology. “By providing much-needed earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, and SU’s themselves no longer talking about technological and analytical support, they track record of being able to provide dozens managing a large GIS activity in a classroom are helping others and gaining practical of capable geographers for image setting, but they now were actually experience. I am so pleased with the interpretation and GIS-related skills implementing a large-scale project at a Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative positioned SU’s students for consideration for moment’s notice. Alexander Nohe, one of and geography program’s real-time the Sandy activities. Having worked in the four GIS management grad students assistance with the impacts of the storm.” professional sector for many years, I spearheading the project, said he The project ran the risk of not even understand the efforts required to assemble a appreciated being able to apply technical getting off the ground. “While the technical team on short notice. It is very difficult for any and managerial skills he learned at SU. challenges of mobilizing so many people in organization to respond at a moment’s notice, “Large organizations can work in unison a short time are formidable, we’d be drop everything and coordinate an effective on disasters,” said Nohe. “The damage did kidding ourselves if we didn’t recognize the strategy to get the work done. Doing this not look that bad here, but seeing aerial administrative tasks necessary to complete within the context of an undergraduate views [of states further north] really opened a project of this scope,” said Michael Scott, institution is even more formidable. my eyes to what happened. This project is director of the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Nonetheless, SU’s geography students definitely a resume builder; it shows Cooperative (ESRGC). demonstrated the professional competency employers that I can be useful in working in a Lauren McDermott, the program to complete the work and the professional stressful environment with minimal manager for the ESRGC and an SU alumna, ethics to balance their workloads. information.” ensured that all the contractual paperwork The other student managers were was in place so that the work could begin. SU Students Understood the Chapman Cole, Eric Flint and John O’Brien. The task of preparing the paperwork for 50 Importance of the Challenge “This is a great chance to manage a students was tackled by Jennifer Stevens, and Made No Excuses diverse group of people,” O’Brien said. the program management specialist in the “You always learn from projects like this, Geography and Geosciences Department. According to Dr. Brent Skeeter, especially when you can get your hands on “It would be impossible to get the students Geography and Geosciences Department real data and work under a deadline.” contracts in place within two days, and our chair, Sandy struck at a particularly busy Cole added: “It’s a good feeling to know students showed great professional time in the semester. “Corresponding with we are helping further educate FEMA on maturity by beginning the work assignment the recovery efforts performed by our the damage so they can provide necessary even before their contracts were signed,” students, our GIS group was called away to assistance to those affected as soon as said McDermott. Baltimore for important statewide meetings, possible.” Flint noted the importance of Scott, an expert in the field of disaster while the rest of our department was collaboration between organizations in response, added: “in most response hosting the Pennsylvania Geographic order to effectively collect, compile and situations, professionals often have to realize Society (PGS) Conference on campus,” analyze data. that the work comes first and then trust that he shared. Like most natural disasters, Sandy came other issues like getting paid will eventually In addition, late October was a time that ‘out of the blue.’ Having done this sort of get worked out. We are so proud of the many students were having to complete work for 25 years, I was impressed to see professionalism shown by our students and mid-term assignments. Many of the how rapidly this group of young GIS applaud the great work by our administrative students gave morning presentations at the students rose to the occasion and staff to ensure that this work was able to PGS Conference and then dashed back to completed the work effort. Our graduate begin in a timely manner.” v

2013 • GS&R • 16 REGIONAL IMPACT

Protecting Vulnerable Children: The Title IV-E Education for Public Child Welfare Program

By Terry Cardillino, in an interview with Jennifer Wright, LCSW-C, Social Work Department Director of Field Education

The three primary goals of public child the program or choose not to fulfill the welfare are the safety, permanence and well- employment obligation must repay being of children. The Title IV-E Education their stipend. for Public Child Welfare Program is designed The program is very competitive, and specifically to meet these goals by recruiting the number of stipends is limited to and training competent social workers to available funding. Training includes field enter the field of public child welfare. placement in a local Department of Social Federal Title IV-E child welfare funds Services. Students attend six child welfare support an educational partnership between seminars per year in addition to the the University of Maryland School of Social required field seminars that all M.S.W. Work and the Maryland Department of candidates attend, and a specialized Child Human Resources. Within this partnership, Welfare elective is required. Title IV-E Title IV-E specialized training is offered at students also are provided competency test Salisbury University, the University of training and take the competency exam as Maryland Baltimore County and Morgan “My supervisor and administration at the part of their IV-E training at SU, giving them State University. The challenging program at Talbot County Department of Social Services the advantage of entering their job with Salisbury University is open to Master of that higher skill level. Social Work (M.S.W.) students. helped me understand that getting my M.S.W. “Title IV-E is an excellent stepping stone SU has played a major role in bringing would be a ‘good thing.’ Not only was my into the public child welfare arena and career the Title IV-E education program to all areas agency able to support me through the advancement,” Wright commented. “To be a throughout the State of Maryland, supervisor at a local Department of Social especially to the rural areas, by starting four process, but DHR’s Title IV-E program helped Services in the state child welfare system, satellite locations. Technology is used to me financially. If it were not for the financial one must have two years post-M.S.W. provide distance education in addition to experience and pass an advanced licensing on-site instruction beyond the main campus. help, I would have most likely not been able to exam along with the competency test.” Approximately one third of SU program finish the M.S.W. program. Thanks to the Title Title IV-E social workers serve to protect field students are training at satellite IV-E program, I have been able to obtain my children by performing many functions. They locations in Hagerstown, Elkton and the work with Child Protective Services on abuse Higher Education Center at Chesapeake M.S.W., sit for and pass both the LGSW and and neglect investigations. They provide College in Wye Mills. The fourth site will LCSW-C, and I am now a supervisor – in-home services to children and their open fall 2013 in California, MD, in Saint parents by helping them solve difficulties Mary’s County. encouraging others to pursue such as navigating the school system, linking This continued outreach into the rural their advanced degree!” parents to addiction and mental health areas will have a significant positive impact. – Jenifer DuBosq, LCSW-C services, and helping parents advocate for Throughout Maryland, local Departments of Child Protective Services Supervisor, their children and become better role Social Services need highly qualified and Talbot County Department of Social Services models. These workers also provide out-of- well-trained social workers to protect home services by recruiting and training vulnerable children. Public child welfare is fulfill a great need for the delivery of public foster parents, monitoring children placed in the largest service area within these county child welfare services.” foster care or homes for adoption, and departments, and Title IV-E education is The Title IV-E program is unique in reporting to the court system. focused on this need. several ways. Students receive a financial The field of public child welfare is “Prior to Salisbury University offering stipend of between $8,000 and $9,500 per certainly challenging, but the work can be the Master of Social Work, the Eastern school year to help pay for tuition and fees. extremely rewarding. “Research on the Title Shore did not have enough supervisors in Upon graduation, they are guaranteed a job IV-E program has shown that graduates are public child welfare,” said Jennifer Wright, with the Maryland Department of Human more satisfied with their job, as they have LCSW-C, SU’s director of field education for Resources. This is a contractual agreement had the proper training and know what to the Social Work Department. “The to work in public child welfare. For every expect, and because of this job retention is advanced training and field experience academic year of participation in the higher,” Wright explained. The result is a required were not easily accessible there, program, there is an employment obligation win-win situation for both the graduates and and candidates were required to travel to of 12 months. Students who withdraw from the children and families they serve. v the Western Shore. The satellite locations

17 • GS&R • 2013 STUDENT SUPPORT

STAND4YOU: Raising Awareness and Promoting Treatment By Kathleen Scott, Ph.D., Counseling Center Director & Anisa Diab, NCC, LGPC, STAND4YOU Program Coordinator

Thanks to a three-year, $302,883 grant be effective in its goals and is listed as a from the U.S. Department of Health best practice with the Suicide Prevention and Human Services’ Substance Abuse Resource Center and the American and Mental Health Services Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Administration, SU’s Counseling Center To date, 52 faculty, 156 staff and 463 and a cross-discipline team of faculty students have completed the training, and staff have developed including almost all Student Affairs Office STAND4YOU. This suicide-prevention staff and student leaders such as resident program’s goals include using assistants, orientation leaders, SGA board awareness campaigns, discussion members, supplemental instruction leaders, peer educators and student mentors, groups, e-trainings and outreach among others. For the majority of faculty consultations to foster early detection and staff who completed the training, this of mental health issues and change was their first time receiving any kind of student behavior by increasing their suicide prevention training. For students, openness to seeking help. 92 percent (N= 313) indicated that they would recommend the training to a friend/ Suicide is the second leading cause of peer. Anecdotally, those who completed the death in college-age students, and an training reported that they enjoyed the increased number of students are coming to interactive nature of the training, felt that campus with more complex and severe the scenarios were relevant and applicable problems than in the past. to their professional and personal life, and SU students are not immune to mental thought that the information and training health problems. Of concern are students were useful. whose behavior is disruptive or alarming, First-year and transfer students are students who stop going to class or being asked to complete the training prior completing their homework because they to their arrival on campus in the fall. To mental health promotion. Awareness events are too depressed to get out of bed or lack complete the training, faculty and staff can slated for the fall include World Suicide motivation, students whose thought go to www.kognitocampus.com/faculty and Prevention Day on September 10 and processes are distorted or obsessive, and students can go to www.kognitocampus.com/ Depression Awareness Month in October. students who have had to take time off student and use Enrollment Key: There also will be an “Out of the Darkness from school due to family tragedies and Salisbury51. Walk” for suicide awareness and prevention circumstances that demand their attention Another component of the program is taking place on September 28 on the and alter their mood and priorities, among Let’s Talk, a drop-in consultation service for boardwalk in Ocean City. These events other problems. The need for adequate students in satellite locations around provide an opportunity to engage and mental health services has never been campus modeled after a program educate students about suicide and mental so clear. developed at Cornell University. Let’s Talk health issues. The good news is that treatment can allows students to receive feedback about STAND4YOU has built partnerships both help improve mood and functioning, and multiple topics of concern, ask questions on and off campus and is working to further that counseling helps students remain in about counseling and engage in less formal expand these collaborative efforts. A school and perform better. SU’s Counseling contact with Counseling Center staff to STAND4YOU student team also has been Center launched the STAND4YOU suicide assist with reducing the stigma to seeking created, and any student or organization is prevention and mental health promotion counseling. If appropriate, Let’s Talk welcome to join. The purpose of these program in January 2013, and there are a counselors recommend that students teams is to identify needs and plan events number of program components being participate in counseling; otherwise, the and programs that will effectively reach implemented to help our students. consultation itself is the assistance students and contribute to a campus that is One component is Kognito at-Risk, an provided. No appointments are needed and proactive in addressing the mental health online interactive simulation training that services are free. issues of students. uses avatars and realistic scenarios to teach The STAND4YOU program also If you would like to become involved participants how to recognize problems in sponsored awareness events such as the with STAND4YOU or have questions, visit: students, intervene effectively with those program kick-off in February and “Step it www.salisbury.edu/counseling/STAND4YOU v students and make referrals to appropriate Up!” held in May, as well as student resources. The training has been shown to trainings related to suicide prevention and

2013 • GS&R • 18 IN THE COMMUNITY

Connecting the Business Community with the University: The Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center

By Terry Cardillino, in an interview with John N. Hickman, Eastern Region Director, Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center

Both budding entrepreneurs and the business that must be answered in order established business professionals share a to make the decision whether the expansion similar need. They must make the right is a logical extension for them. These are decisions for their business in order for it to not simply market research questions, but grow and prosper. The Maryland Small internal operational questions. For example, Business and Technology Development does the business have the internal capacity Center (SBTDC) Network, with its Eastern to manage an expansion, and if not, where Region headquarters located on the are they going to go for that? What does Salisbury University campus, is here to help the expansion mean from a personnel them. “Businesses must focus on three key standpoint, or from a budgetary aspects for success: Money, Management standpoint? and Marketing,” explained John Hickman, Eastern Region director of the SBTDC. SU Students Serving the “We provide businesses a continuum of Business Community services throughout their life cycle from start up to maturity.” SU student projects are generally The U.S. Small Business Administration conducted with established organizations. A provides grants to colleges, universities and confidentiality. We pride ourselves on the SBTDC consultant will serve as the lead on a state governments in order to provide fact that everything we do for our clients is student project. Students meet with business training and advice to both confidential, unless they ask us for it not to business owners who have identified a existing and start-up small businesses be. For example, a client might request the need, and then the students develop through its Small Business Development SBTDC to talk with a lender on their behalf. guidelines as to what will be accomplished Center (SBDC) program. The State of This working relationship is important for that business owner. Students utilize Maryland recently went through a special because clients want to know that when their research, writing and project accreditation to set up a technology they come to us to discuss a need for their management skills to accomplish this. program within their SBDC framework, thus business, the SBTDC is here to work with An excellent example of a successful earning the designation of SBTDC. In order them and help them, not to serve as a student project was a case of a small family to gain this accreditation, a strategic plan reporting agency.” business that had grown well beyond the and methodology were implemented. A Each year, hundreds of clients come to casual working relationship of related family group of consultants was made available to the SBTDC for one-on-one business members. As a result, the business needed work with the different needs and counseling. Scores of attendees learn about a policy and procedure manual. SU students mechanisms that technology firms require, better business practices through training interviewed the owner in order to identify and specialized training was made available programs. For example, the “Smart Start” the needs, researched the best practices in to better assist these businesses. prestart business course helps that industry, drafted an outline for the The Eastern Region SBTDC covers the entrepreneurs learn the basics of what they manual, and got input on the policies and eight counties on the Eastern Shore from need to do before starting a business. procedures that would work best for the Kent County south to Worcester County. Many referrals are provided to businesses company. “When the project concluded, the Eastern Region locations include the regional on where to get information, such as a owner had an excellent policy and headquarters at SU, a sub-center at business license. procedure manual that was put into use,” Chesapeake College at Wye Mills and an Often the SBTDC will help a client who noted Hickman. office in Cambridge within the City of has a new idea for a business. “The These student projects are conducted Cambridge Office of Economic Development. approach is not to tell them whether it is a on an undergraduate level as part of the SU A counseling office is located in Berlin, MD. good idea or not, but to work with them Small Business Consulting coursework. The SBTDC network serves as an through planning and guidance, thus “Student projects range from documenting entrepreneurial development entity allowing the potential entrepreneur to make processes and procedures to market throughout the state. “Because of this an informed decision as to the success of assessment of products, services and statewide network, if a specific expertise is their idea,” explained Hickman. marketing avenues,” continued Hickman. not available in the Eastern Region, we can Assistance with business expansion is “Students also are taught the importance of reach out into our network for co-counseling another service provided by the SBTDC. For client confidentiality as they go into the to assist a business,” said Hickman. many businesses, this is harder than the business world, preparing them for a “Another important aspect of our work is initial start up. SBTDC poses questions to professional service firm.”

19 • GS&R • 2013 Success Stories: How SU Student Teams Work with Local Businesses

It gives me great pleasure to write this letter of thanks to the Small Business Development [and Technology] Center and the Perdue School of Business for your entire help and great job with scrutinizing MTS Broadcasting and coming up with a great plan that will be a part of this company for years to come. The Small Business Development [and Technology] Center/Perdue School of Business met with me and my staff to get an idea of what we were looking for as a small business. After that meeting, a partnership was formed and the Perdue School of Business went to work. Investigating the competition and taking our ideals to a new level, they gave us the SU’s Role in Entrepreneurship pros and cons of our business and made significant changes while giving us reasons why SU encourages entrepreneurship whenever the changes were needed, how to implement the changes and showing possible income possible. For example, the Franklin P. sources of the changes. Perdue School of Business event, the Thanks for all your help and I look forward to Bernstein Business Plan Competition, was working with the Small Business [and Technology] recently expanded into a three-phase Development Center/the Perdue School of entrepreneurship competition. The SBTDC Business again in the future. helped coordinate and design a poster Sincerely, competition called “Invest In My Idea,” Troy D. Hill which was part of the event. They provided General Manager training to students in preparing their plan, MTS Broadcasting (WAAI -FM, WTDK-FM, making sure their idea was communicated WCEM-AM/FM), Cambridge, MD well. A panel of judges then chose the businesses in which they would most likely invest. The top 15 finalists from the poster John Hickman, Eastern Region director of the SBTDC, suggested a student project: competition went on to compete for the research the end market for sorghum bagasse. The goal was to develop a cost structure grand prize of $10,000. to convert sorghum into a dried stalk that can be stored, and a pelletized material that The Eastern Region SBTDC connects the can be bagged and then sold. The student group, with Lois Haggerty from SBTDC as business community to the SU academic their mentor, presented their findings to Solar Fruits Biofuels. They included sweet community, making sure there is access to sorghum opportunities, fuel potential, financial information, supporting data, and the valuable resources available. Often recommendations to Solar Fruits Biofuels. Jeff Benner businesses do not know how to uncover the and Todd Stephens of Solar Fruits Biofuels were expertise obtainable from educational extremely satisfied with the results: “It was an institutions. The SBTDC helps pave the way exceptional project. It was on par with several to a working relationship. professional consulting reports that I have had prepared Internships and employment for me,” said Benner. “It was a great help for us in opportunities often materialize from this redirecting our business plan just before we make our collaborative effort. The SBTDC works final adjustments prior to launching our company.” closely with the Applied Business Learning Experience (ABLE) program through the Perdue School of Business along with the The team set up a Thank God It’s Gluten Free (TGIGF) Career Services office, connecting students, Facebook page, Twitter and Pinterest accounts for graduates and businesses. Elizabeth Davis, owner of TGIGF, linked them to her Web site and taught her how to use them effectively. The team The Pursuit of Excellence also researched gluten-free product tradeshows to attend, generated a list of local restaurants that serve The SBTDC can help your business excel by gluten-free menu items, provided merchandising ideas giving you the opportunity to work with an and options, and supplied options for publishing an experienced business consultant on a e-book of recipes. Davis bought an iPhone at their direction and now is blogging, no-fee, confidential basis; by connecting Tweeting and posting photos to Facebook. Elizabeth is ecstatic about the help she you to the correct service provider for your received. “The SBTDC has helped me every step of the way from licensing to marketing,” business; by working closely with the she said. “I have gained so much knowledge concerning business development and am economic development office in your region truly grateful for the services they provided.” to make sure you are connected on a local level so that your project is successful; and by providing valuable information on various funding mechanisms and sources so crucial to success. v

2013 • GS&R • 20 STEM IN FOCUS

External Grants Critical for SU’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Programs What current grant-supported Have you seen any impacts of this Karen activities does Salisbury NSF-funded program since it University have to increase the started in 2010? Olmstead, Ph.D. Q: number of STEM graduates? Q: Henson School of Yes, we’ve had tremendous Science and Building on SU’s strong tradition of increases in applications to our Technology Dean science and math outreach, targeted STEM majors and undergraduate research, and enrollmentsA: are up by about 37 percent & teachingA: innovation, Dr. Tom Jones (former overall in these majors. Enrollments are up Kristen Paul SU provost and Henson School dean) and more than 60 percent in computer science SU STEM others applied for and won a $996,303 and physics! The number of graduates from Coordinator grant from the National Science Foundation our targeted STEM majors is also up (NSF) in 2010 to increase the number of significantly, and we anticipate being on students in five of our STEM majors target to meet or exceed our goal of a (chemistry, computer science, earth science, 75 percent increase by 2015 when the NSF mathematics and physics). The goal of the grant ends. program, called Bridges for SUCCESS (Salisbury University’s Connections to Careers for Every STEM Student), is to increase the total number of graduates in the selected STEM disciplines by 75 percent Who is involved in supporting in just five years. To do this, we have STEM programs at SU? dramatically ramped-up marketing and social media and engaged hundreds of Q: Support of STEM programs is a pre-college students in STEM through campus-wide activity at SU. A STEM outreach programs like Science Nights and student might be an information Science Camp at SU, special lectures, and systems major in the Perdue School of A: the Eastern Shore Tournament of the Business, or take education courses while Maryland Science Olympiad held on our majoring in physics in the Henson School or campus each spring. When students begin focus on math skills development as an their studies at SU in one of these rigorous elementary education major in the Seidel STEM majors, we try to increase their School of Education and Professional engagement and retention through our Studies. In the Fulton School of Liberal Arts, STEM Living Learning Community, funded history and English faculty teach specially research experiences and internships. We developed courses in our STEM Living also want to reach out to transfer students Learning Community. And STEM majors are to make sure their transition to a four-year active in the Bellavance Honors Program, STEM major is as seamless as possible and study abroad experiences and student are developing a STEM transfer student government. It really does take the whole peer-mentor program. campus to support all of the types of experiences we want to provide SU STEM majors.

21 • GS&R • 2013 How do you know that these SU has a national reputation for What grant-funded programs enrollment increases aren’t just undergraduate research. Do does SU have related to teacher the result of more students being faculty have grants to support preparation? Q: interested in STEM careers rather Q: undergraduate research Q: Several SU faculty have won grants than all the outreach and experiences for STEM students? to support teacher preparation, marketing you are doing? Absolutely! For example, Dr. Annie continuing education for in-service Great question! Certainly, more Lu in the Department of teachersA: and other K-12-targeted programs. students are being drawn to STEM Mathematics and Computer Science For example, Dr. Ed Robeck in the Seidel and health care majors given the A:has a $306,408 NSF Research Experiences School has received funding from the A:good employment prospects in these fields. for Undergraduates (REU) grant in the area Maryland State Department of Education To determine if the growth in STEM majors of Parallel Computing. This REU program, (MSDE) to develop two new STEM at SU was due to our focused efforts or just called EXERCISE (EXplore Emerging education courses in partnership with reflective of a general trend, we compared Computing in Science and Engineering), is science faculty and Ward Museum staff that our growth with other institutions in the an interdisciplinary project that explores help teachers make STEM instruction highly University System of Maryland (USM). This emerging paradigms in parallel computing relevant and up-to-date. Dr. Robeck and comparison clearly showed greater growth with computationally intensive applications other faculty also are working with local in our targeted STEM majors since 2010 in science and engineering. In the EXERCISE school districts on Race to the Top-funded (when our funding started) than at other projects, students apply emerging parallel projects to encourage teachers’ use of USM campuses. Overall, the total number of computing models within local and current technologies in instruction, including students in the five targeted STEM majors distributed parallel processing systems to digital cameras, GPS devices, digital at other USM institutions has grown tackle problems in computer networks and microscopes and QR codes, and to develop ~10 percent since 2010, while collective security, image and signal processing, and elementary STEM liaisons with respect to enrollment in these majors at SU has grown geographic information systems. The integrating STEM standards into core ~37 percent in the same time period, program involves eight students from SU instruction. Dr. Anjali Pandey in the English with even more marked increases in and around the country each summer in Department won a $2 million grant from the some majors. funded research experiences. U.S. Department of Education to aid rural Delmarva teachers in better assisting English learners, especially in STEM. Hers was the only Maryland proposal funded in the 2011 competition.

How can I get involved in SU’s STEM efforts?

Q: We are always eager to have volunteers for student mentorship, our outreach activities and to supportA: the development of professional networks for our graduates. We also seek funding for scholarships, student travel and research, and the Eastern Shore Tournament of the Maryland Science Olympiad. If you are interested in getting involved in STEM at SU, please contact us at [email protected] and check out our activities at: www.salisbury.edu/henson/stem v

2013 • GS&R • 22 INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

By Lisa Seldomridge, Ph.D., Professor and Nursing Department Chair; Molly Parsons, Ed.D., CRNP, Associate Professor and Nursing Department Director of Graduate and Second-Degree Programs; & Rita Nutt, D.N.P., Assistant Professor, In fall 2012, Salisbury University Nursing Department began accepting students into its first doctoral program – the Doctor The first offering of the D.N.P. was for students and/or colleagues. One D.N.P. of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.). experienced professionals with master’s student is the clinical simulation coordinator degrees in nursing. These students are for Chesapeake College, while another is the Designed for nurses in advanced completing a 38-credit post-master’s coordinator of the nursing resource labs at practice roles, the program is curriculum so they can move into leadership SU. Both of these nursing educators use evolving to meet the needs of its roles within their respective organizations, be simulated patient-care experiences with students and the profession. innovators in healthcare practices and shape nursing students as well as nursing policies to improve healthcare outcomes. We professionals to develop and refine clinical expected these students to be very bright, decision-making skills in a safe setting, with highly motivated, accomplished professionals no risk to themselves or their patients. – and they have exceeded our expectations! Current D.N.P. students also are Students in the current program come employed in healthcare administration, from a variety of nursing roles in the including a regional-care coordinator for a community, with many of them serving in large private health insurance company who more than one professional capacity. Several is instrumental in establishing a new model of of them are employed in area hospitals as healthcare delivery across the Eastern Shore. Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Known as “medical homes,” this multi- Practitioners, educational leaders and professional approach will provide more executives. One student holds dual coordinated, cost-effective care mandated certifications as both an Adult/Geriatric by recent Affordable Care Act legislation. Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and as a D.N.P. students culminate their program Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). He works as with the completion of a comprehensive a Nurse Practitioner at Peninsula Regional doctoral project. Our students are Checking In: Medical Center in the Emergency encouraged to identify their project focus Department and in Occupational Health. early in the program and the foundation for Another student is certified in Critical Care these projects begins in one of their first Nursing and works at Peninsula Regional courses where they identify a problem and Doctor of Medical Center providing clinical care in possible interventions/strategies to improve different settings, including the emergency patient outcomes. They then turn to the department, intensive care unit, and medical- evidence – research studies that compared Nursing surgical areas. A third student is a Clinical these interventions/strategies – to determine Nurse Specialist for Shore Health System and which was most effective. These projects works as an educator and clinical resource for have the potential to make important Practice hospital staff. healthcare changes and will have a significant Other students come from the academic impact on the health of the populations world and are currently employed as faculty they serve. (D.N.P.) in area nursing programs, including Salisbury One student recognized that oral health University, Wor-Wic Community College, is a significant problem in elderly residents Chesapeake College and Wesley College. who live in long-term-care (LTC) facilities. She Year One The educational responsibilities of the D.N.P. examined the research evidence to see if an students vary, but include the coordination oral-health education program for nurses of clinical resources for nursing students, could improve the identification of oral- classroom teaching, and clinical instruction health issues within this population. The and supervision in numerous healthcare evidence clearly demonstrated that oral- settings. health education improved staff compliance Clinical simulation has become a with proper oral-health maintenance as well mainstay in nursing education, and some of as the identification of oral problems. The the current D.N.P. students have an active student made a clinical recommendation that role in using simulation to educate nursing all nurses working in LTC facilities undergo a

23 • GS&R • 2013 multi-faceted education program that improve the quality of healthcare and ensure includes not only the steps in the oral-care better patient outcomes in the future. In this process but also identifying signs of dental first year of the program, students have problems and tools for managing difficult learned about information technology and resident behaviors. informatics, and the many ways that medical Another student who currently works in data can be collected and used to monitor occupational health as an FNP questioned and change healthcare practices. They also which type of pre-employment examination – have studied organizational leadership and physical exam versus focused functional how to work with health professionals from a exam – provided the greatest reduction in variety of disciplines. Most recently, they the number of workplace injuries. A physical engaged with legislators in Annapolis to see examination is considered a more generic how health policy is shaped and what is type of exam and incorporates a health required to make changes at the state level. history and head-to-toe assessment; As we look beyond this year, a logical, whereas, a functional exam uses more next step is creating multiple paths of entry targeted assessments based on the physical for the D.N.P. program. Beginning in fall requirements of a specific job. The evidence 2014, we offer a new option for those with a indicated that the functional examination was B.S. in nursing who wish to become Family a better indicator of whether an individual Nurse Practitioners while earning a doctoral was up to the physical demands of a job and degree. These credentials (FNP with D.N.P.) would therefore reduce work-related injuries. will be necessary as all advanced practice As a result of this project, the student nursing moves to require a doctorate. The 80 developed a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) credit post-B.S. to D.N.P. curriculum will with the goal of providing healthcare blend existing FNP master’s-level courses practitioners with the latest evidence with D.N.P. courses. recommendations as they make decisions Ultimately, we envision three routes to a about pre-employment examinations. D.N.P. at Salisbury University: Option 1 for A third student was interested in those with a master’s degree in nursing who comparing single-use blood pressure (BP) wish to earn a D.N.P. with a focus on cuffs with multi-use BP cuffs on the incidence leadership; Option 2 for those with a of hospital-acquired infections. The evidence master’s degree in nursing who wish to earn clearly identified that when single-use BP D.N.P. and FNP credentials; and Option 3 for cuffs were used, infection rates were lower. guideline to recommend disposable BP cuff those with a B.S. in nursing who wish to earn Despite this finding, many hospitals continue use. As this project continues to evolve, the D.N.P. and FNP credentials. to utilize a multi-use BP cuff that is cleaned student will make a case that single-use cuffs Stay tuned to our website between patients rather than a disposable are a fiscally responsible choice when (www.salisbury.edu/nursing/dnp) as this compared to the cost of treating hospital- single-use BP cuff because of the price exciting and innovative program evolves. v differential. This procedure represents a acquired infections. departure from evidence-based practice, and As their research is proving, the post- the student developed a clinical practice master’s D.N.P. curriculum was designed to develop nursing leaders who would work to

Members of the first D.N.P. cohort of students: (standing from left) Kimberly Allen, Annette Hall-Barnes, Kathryn Fiddler, Deana Kenney, (seated from left) Amy Stafford, Stacey Kram, Aaron Sebach, Lisa Tayman and Heather Westerfield

2013 • GS&R • 24 INTERNAL GRANT FUNDING

Faculty Mini-Grant Program

The SU Faculty Mini-Grant Program provides awards up to $2,500 to encourage faculty to develop research, scholarly or creative programs that provide the potential for sustained professional development and extramural support. It is intended to support faculty in areas that traditionally have difficulty securing funding to increase their research and scholarly activities output. The following is an overview of this year’s awardees.

How Does My Tan Look?: Changing Literacy Skills: Mixing Messages and Methods: Who’s On First: A Case Study Understanding the Influence of What Readers Need Today Examining News Content From of Internal Communication in a Peer and Expert Source in Laurie Andes, Ed.D. News Publications on Facebook Growing Non-Profit Comparative Tanning Risk Professor, Teacher Education and Twitter Organization Perception Among Andes considers, given the present rate of Jennifer Cox, M.A. Lori DeWitt, Ph.D. College Students change in the types of literacy materials Assistant Professor, Communication Arts Assistant Professor, Communication Arts Vinita Agarwal, Ph.D. and media available to readers today, what Cox examines Twitter and Facebook As a human communications scholar, Assistant Professor, Communication Arts literacy skills are needed by current postings from a random sample of five U.S. DeWitt has an interest in the Recognizing that findings suggest readers? What are the most effective daily newspapers focused on local coverage communication systems of Non- awareness of the risks associated with teaching strategies that should be employed during a two-week period to determine Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and tanning lamps does not lessen use among by literacy professionals today? what types of stories get posted on the Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs). She college students, Agarwal is exploring the An examination of 19th and 20th social media sites, what news topics and proposes a comprehensive case study influence of messaging on these behaviors. century literacy materials reveals that the values those stories possess, and at what assessment of the internal communication Agarwal proposes to demonstrate the approaches to teaching literacy skills have time the stories are published to find out structures of the Salisbury-based Hope and influence of comparative risk and message remained fairly consistent over the last 200 whether certain types of stories get Life Outreach (HALO), a local NPO that source type (peer, authority) on tanning years in the United States. Many of the published at certain times more than others. serves the area homeless population. behaviors. There is a gap in understanding teaching strategies, adapted from those Cox anticipates Facebook will feature HALO has grown rapidly and now of how a comparative risk message source used in the United Kingdom in the 18th more lifestyle, user-friendly and oddity provides over 70,000 meals a year to the (peer or authority) influences tanning century, can be found in classrooms today. stories that attract attention; whereas, news area’s homeless. It also operates a day behavior decisions among young adult In contrast, 21st century literacy organizations will use Twitter more for center for education and training services, a women. Understanding the contribution of activities include reading e-books, breaking crime, political and other forms of shelter for homeless women and children, message source in the context of evaluating and using Web sources, and hard news. She also anticipates lengthier and a thrift store. HALO employs a staff of comparative risk perception is important writing for and with multicultural team issues-based stories will come out in the four and relies on over 700 volunteers. This because the greater contribution of members. Andes explores what literacy morning when workers are just beginning rapid growth has made a huge impact on comparative risk presentation as compared skills are needed by literate individuals to their day; whereas, event-based stories will the homeless community, but the number to absolute risk information presentation enable these modern activities. Data appear in the afternoon when the events of volunteers has become difficult to has been demonstrated for areas such as collected by teacher candidates in the occur and when workers are thinking about manage and successful communication breast cancer risk assessment. University’s May Literacy Center on their weekend and evening plans. structures are needed to further growth. This research investigates the influence children’s digital literacy skills serve as a If news content differs across social DeWitt is observing City Union Mission of source on tanning lamp use messages as baseline for this and further investigations. media platforms and throughout the day, in Kansas City, MO, an established well as the contribution of comparative risk readers are left without valuable pieces of organization that has achieved many of the in tanning message design. Because of the information. Twitter and Facebook also goals to which HALO aspires. She is greater influence of peer sources in this age allow people to share information within conducting a thorough communication audit group, it is hypothesized that a message communities faster, which could lead to of HALO and developing a clear assessment coming from a peer source – particularly emphasis of some issues over others and of their internal communication processes one that targets beliefs of attractiveness even misinformation. and identifying areas of strengths and and healthy appearance as an outcome of weaknesses. tanning – might be more persuasive than the same message coming from an authoritative source.

25 • GS&R • 2013 Opting Out on the Bill: A Multi-Cultural Comparison of Genes, Behavior and Evolution: Vascular Dysfunction in Animal Voluntary Adequacy Funding an End-of-Life Decision-Making In Two Species of Frogs Models of Muscular Dystrophy in Maryland Educational Intervention Kim Hunter, Ph.D. Victor Miriel, Ph.D. Maida Finch, Ph.D. Katherine Hinderer, Ph.D. Professor, Biological Sciences Associate Professor, Biological Sciences Assistant Professor, Education Specialties Assistant Professor, Nursing Hunter is examining how two signal In view of the paucity of data regarding the Finch is researching the following questions: Hinderer is exploring the effects of an components interact to influence mate role of the dystroglycan complex in vascular What have been the implications of advanced care planning (ACP) educational choice in two species, the spring peeper physiology and pathophysiology, Miriel is Maryland's 2002 voluntary push for intervention on knowledge, attitudes and (Pseudacris crucifer) and túngara frog determining the extent and location of adequate and equitable funding in K-12 advanced directive (AD) completion rates in (Physalaemus pustulosus). Comparing vascular dysfunction in animal models of education?; How do outcomes differ for community-dwelling adults from different the two promises to provide a deeper muscular dystrophy by studying isolated districts that provided an equitable cultural backgrounds. understanding of how signal combinations vascular segments in vitro. education as opposed to those who did Specifically, she aims to explore the are perceived by individual receivers Muscular dystrophy is a family of not?; and How has state equity been effect of ACP education on knowledge, and how this generates selection for diseases caused by mutations in genes impacted as a result of the decisions in attitudes and AD completion rates in signal diversity. encoding proteins that form the some districts to not increase funding to the community-dwelling adults in the Specifically, Hunter’s goal is to dystroglycan complex and lead to skeletal “adequate” level? community that Salisbury University serves understand how the call and vocal sac and cardiac muscle dysfunction. While To answer these questions, she is and to study the effects of ACP education interact as a complex signal to influence mutations in the dystrophin gene lead to collecting data on the “net local on knowledge, attitudes and AD completion female mate choice. For humans, watching the most common forms of muscular appropriation” and the “maintenance of rates in Chinese-American community- a speakers’ lips in noisy environments dystrophy, mutations in genes encoding effort” for each of Maryland’s 24 districts dwelling adults. improves speech comprehension. She other proteins of the dystroglycan complex from 1992-2012. Finch also is including Hinderer’s study is intended to build on hypothesize that a similar process may be can lead to other forms of muscular district-level information on student pilot work conducted in 2011 and 2013. occurring in frogs. dystrophy. The skeletal muscle and cardiac achievement, demographic statistics, Feasibility studies have been conducted in She is examining how individual signal muscle pathologies associated with these enrollment and student-teacher ratios. both community-dwelling adults in the components (audio + visual) are weighted mutations are well documented, but more These data are supplemented with community SU serves and in a group of in each species. Hunter is determining how recently it has become appreciated that qualitative material on Maryland’s state Chinese-Americans. This proposal moves the females of each species respond to isolated components of the dystrophin-glycoprotein assessments. She is constructing a project forward in several ways. It supports acoustic signals, visual signals and complex are expressed in vascular smooth database that consolidates this information an additional educational offering and study variations of these in composite. In muscle and the vascular endothelium found and permits statistical analyses to answer that would directly benefit residents of the addition, she is collecting genetic samples in blood vessels. her research questions. local community by providing funding from both males and females of mated Several groups have postulated that By investigating a voluntary school necessary to offer another seminar. She pairs for microsatellite analysis. Individual alterations in the dystroglycan complex may reform policy, it allows Finch to make an proposes to use pilot findings to improve microsatellite data is compared to male explain the abnormal vascular responses initial exploration of the generalizability of upon the format of the original project and signal value (measures of vocal properties) reported. Some studies have suggested that research on court-mandated reforms. Do the explore a population who has not been and with female mate choice in vascular dysfunction contributes to the principles of adequacy and equity provoke widely studied in regard to ACP: experiments in the behavioral experiments. cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction similar results in Maryland? Does a Chinese-Americans. seen in muscular dystrophy; however, voluntary policy produce different results in few of these studies actually tested terms of equalizing school finance? vascular function.

2013 • GS&R • 26 INTERNAL GRANT FUNDING

Data Collection and Archival Body Encounters and Affective Building Inclusive Communities Warring with a Long-Distance Research at the University of Ties Between the Naval Officer Through Peaceful Play: Enemy: The Politics of the West Indies - St. Augustine Eduardo Massera and Marta Strategies for Resolution to Tamil Diaspora and the for a Book Chapter and Lynch During the Argentinean Conflict in Sport Sri Lankan State Proposal Military Dictatorship Dean M. Ravizza, Ph.D. Ignaciyas Soosaipillai, Ph.D. Darrell Newton, Ph.D. Corinne Pubill, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Health and Sport Sciences Assistant Professor, Conflict Analysis and Associate Professor, Communication Arts Associate Professor, Modern Languages and Ravizza explores the inherent opportunities Dispute Resolution Newton has been asked to contribute to an Intercultural Studies in sport to empower key stakeholders in the Soosaipillai studies the Sri Lankan Tamil anthology for Oxford University Press on At the 2013 Pacific Ancient and Modern Gulu and Kitgum districts of Northern diaspora projects in the United Kingdom and BBC radio and its influence upon musical Language Association Conference, Pubill Uganda to strategically respond to conflict the way the Sri Lankan state responds to genre and audience reactions. He is writing explores the representations of affective ties within school and community-based youth these projects. The Sri Lankan Tamil about Caribbean transnational radio in Marta Lynch’s novel Informe bajo Llave sport programs. In doing so, his project tests diaspora has become very active in the broadcasting by the BBC, focusing upon (Locked Down Report) as they are shaped strategies for resolution to conflict in sport West following the military defeat of the musical styling. The anthology’s co-editors by the context of political violence and and analyzes the timing and effectiveness Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam, the propose to bring together 12 different repression. of these strategies to promote more predominant militant group that points of view about music and radio, using Pubill concentrates on Lynch’s last inclusive playing environments with the goal spearheaded the violent struggle against the the BBC as a point of departure. novel Informe bajo Llave, written in 1983 of transferring such strategies to conflicts of Sri Lankan state. Newton is researching at the University – two years before her suicide. This novel low intensity outside the sport setting. Soosaipillai’s research sheds light on of the West Indies - St. Augustine, which emphasizes the psychological, as well as More than five years since the ceasefire the reasons and the way diaspora recently was awarded the sound and the physical violence, perpetrated by brokered between the government and the communities mobilize members of the written archives from the BBC’s Caribbean Admiral Massera during the Argentinean Lord’s Resistance Army, the focus of peace- community and carry out a political Service. This new information includes a military dictatorship. Informe bajo Llave building activity in the former conflict region campaign against the government of the series of contemporary transnational radio stands out, thanks to a discourse based on of Northern Uganda has been on recovery. homeland, and the strategies government broadcasts, notably the Calling the the abuse of power through violence and Despite concentrated efforts to rebuild of the homeland use against a hostile Caribbean programs (1939-2011) that sexuality, to form part of the direct communities, renew livelihood activities and diaspora. Tension between the Sri Lankan featured musical interludes, letters read by testimony of Argentina’s collective memory tackle the root causes of conflict, low- Tamil diaspora and the Sri Lankan West Indian troops to families in the islands that positions Lynch’s work at the center of intensity disputes still remain potent at the government has created serious law and and social commentary. current critical debate. community level, creating a need to build order issues in the West. A better Newton is examining programming Pubill demonstrates that the character local capacity to resolve conflict. understanding of the issues may help deal and printed documentation that relates of Adela personifies the destiny of a whole Ravizza’s project works with education with the conflict more effectively. to programming decisions, schedules for nation where the construction of the and sports officials and NGOs to include Soosaipillai is collecting primary data radio shows and broadcast scripts. This country, by way of being a masculine training sport teachers, community coaches in the U.K. mainly through key informant material will help to inform their ultimate project, rules out female intervention and and youth in the implementation of conflict interviews and through observation impact upon well over five million West does not allow another way out except in resolution strategies through a series of methods. He is paying particular attention Indian listeners. death, uniting themselves to the fate of an field-based workshops. to the operation of the Global Tamil Forum, Newton is also using portions of his entire generation of intellectuals and people which is one of the major Tamil research for his Calling the Caribbean: BBC with progressive ideas for Argentina in the organizations operating in the West. West Indian Radio book proposal. ’70s and early ’80s.

27 • GS&R • 2013 FULFILLING ITS PROMISE

The SU Foundation: 40 Years of Academic Support By Jason E. Curtin ’98, Assistant Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

This year, the Salisbury University donor’s estate, the Robert Parker Fondes Foundation, Inc. is celebrating its 40th Research Fellowship was established. anniversary. The mission of the Foundation, Its purpose is to support a fellowship(s) for created in 1973, is “to accumulate funds, by research to be done at the Nabb Research gift and investment, and to foster, Center for a scholar(s) studying Chesapeake encourage and enrich the activities, history or some facet of Chesapeake culture. educational programs, athletics and The scholar(s) should be pursuing or have scholarships of Salisbury University.” obtained an advanced degree. Furthermore, it is the intent of the SU Foundation to promote, sponsor and carry Graduate Fellows Program out educational, scientific and charitable Graduate education has become an purposes and objectives for the benefit of Guerrieri Research Fund important component of SU’s distinction, SU and its students. Through the generosity with the number of graduate students and of major benefactors, corporations and programs steadily growing. In fall 2012, SU foundations, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, began offering its first doctoral degree, a and friends, the SU Foundation is fulfilling its Doctor of Nursing Practice. There is much promise to the SU community. demand for high-quality graduate students to help strengthen our research, scholarly Research and Scholarship Funds and teaching activities. In order to attract When thinking about graduate studies high-achieving graduate students, funding and research and the SU Foundation’s opportunities need to be created that are contributions to these activities, it all starts competitive with our peers. To that end, SU with people: specifically our students, faculty and the SU Foundation have created the and staff. Over the past 40 years, many Edward H. Nabb Research Center Salisbury University Graduate Fellows for Delmarva History and Culture donors have put their resources back into Program. This fellowship program is our students and research opportunities. designed to attract high-quality applicants One shining example is the Guerrieri who intend to enroll full time in an SU Research Fund, which was established in graduate program and is open all United 2000. It provides financial support for new States citizens. It is granted based on a science equipment purchases, scientific formal nomination and evaluation process instrumentation, laboratory materials and, supervised by the dean of graduate studies. specifically, program support for Each award is $5,000 per year for up to undergraduate research, research grants, two years. materials and fellowships. Another example is the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Salisbury University Culture. Through the generosity of one Graduate Fellows Program

Holloway Society Honors SU’s Legacy of Giving

The Holloway Society is a new SU n Bequest predetermined future date. You also n Charitable Lead Trust The SU Foundation staff hope you will Foundation giving society established A bequest is the simplest and most can decide when the income A charitable lead trust provides for include Salisbury University when you to celebrate Salisbury University’s traditional way of giving through payments begin within a future time the payment of income to SU and /or are considering your lifelong financial heritage and honor Founding your will, either as a specific sum, a frame, determined when you make charitable beneficiaries selected by planning priorities and with it, a way President William J. Holloway by specific percentage of your estate, or your gift. In any case, your income is you for a period of years. Upon the to support your interest in graduate recognizing those who have made the rest and remainder of your estate taxed at a favorable blended rate. expiration of the trust, the remainder studies and research. If you would planned-gift provisions for the after debts, taxes, expenses and reverts to you or to members of your like to talk further about these University. As we look to the future, specific bequests to your heirs. n Charitable Remainder Trust family, as you choose. opportunities, please contact me at there are a number of opportunities A charitable remainder trust is created 410-543-6176 or that can allow individuals to support n Charitable Gift Annuity when you irrevocably transfer cash, n Other Planned-Giving [email protected]. v research efforts and graduate A charitable gift annuity is a simple securities or other property to a Options education at SU. Members of the contract between you and the SU trustee, who may be yourself, the You might also consider naming the Holloway Society help build the Foundation that offers a tax- school, a bank or another individual. Salisbury University Foundation, Inc. Foundation’s endowment through advantaged way to provide for This trust provides you with income a beneficiary of the remainder of a tax-deductible gift arrangements. income during retirement. In the during your lifetime. Upon pension fund or an IRA; transferring Planned-giving opportunities include: future, your gift will provide support termination of the trust, the principal ownership of a life insurance policy to for Salisbury’s mission. You can begin would pass on to the SU Foundation. the SU Foundation; or donating art, a to receive income right away or at a home or other property to the school.

2013 • GS&R • 28 INTERNAL GRANT FUNDING

Graduate Research and Presentation (RAP) Grant Program The Office of Graduate Studies and Research provides research grants, up to $500, to help support graduate students develop research and scholarly projects with a faculty supervisor and present their projects at various conferences and meetings. The program enables students to receive recognition for their work and provides networking opportunities and professional development in their field of study.

Population Trends of Forest Interior Birds as Minnesota. In early spring, the male frogs congregate at of the Lower Delmarva Peninsula ponds and vocalize to attract mates. Females arrive at the Marshall Boyd, Applied Biology pond and evaluate potential mates based on their (Fall & Spring Semester Awards) vocalizations. Laird, Mitchell and Wilhite are completing a thorough data set of natural male calls for spring peeper Chandler S. Robbins et al. (1989) studied forest habitat populations in both Maryland and Louisiana. A complete call requirements of breeding bird species in the Mid-Atlantic data set will enable geographic variation in male calls to be states from 1979-1983, using point counts to sample bird detected. A southern-to-northern cline occurs in many communities. Boyd is re-sampling each point from the species; whereby, traits show changes commensurate with Robbins’ study within the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. variance in geographic location. Forests were sampled during the breeding season from mid-May through the beginning of July in 2012 and 2013. its members embracing prohibition around the turn of the Microsatellite Genotyping and Female Each point was visited three times per season, but only 20th century. Harlow is researching the Eastern Mennonite sampled once per day. Forest variables quantify the habitat Mate Choice in Spring Peepers University archives for church conference minutes and letters (Pseudacris crucifer)) of the study forests in accordance with the parameters set between church leaders, and the University’s historical by the study. Vegetation surveys measure several variables library for copies of the Gospel Herald, the quasi-official Kelsey Mitchell, Applied Biology and are conducted once at each candidate forest. church paper, published from the late 1800s. He also Mitchell examines how female mate choice in the spring explores the Sword and Trumpet, an opinionated unofficial peeper, a species of North American tree frog, provides a The Writing Center as the Bridge: magazine arguing for the embrace of fundamentalism. mechanism driving the diversity of animal traits and the How To Create Exigency for Writing and genetic basis underlying female preference and mate choice Stabilize a Writing Center; or, A Call for Altering Microalgal Nutritive Qualities at the individual level. Males produce vocalizations in order Workplace Writing in the Writing Center Through the Use of Microbial Symbionts to attract a female mate, and the females evaluate these calls to choose a mate. In most frog species, females Alexandra Guerriero, English Stephen Kelly, Applied Biology exhibit strong preferences for specific characteristics of male Guerriero explores if writing center workshops with a focus Kelly’s research seeks to further study the relationship vocalizations. In addition to male call pitch, Mitchell is on workplace writing help to develop student exigency for between pink-pigmented facultative methyltrophs (PPFM) testing female preference for other call characteristics, writing and if outside community interaction with the and microalgae, an important food source for larval shellfish including call duration and call rate to determine whether writing center helps create a more stable environment for a such as oysters and clams. Kelly is using over-producing female choice is operating on a parameter other than pitch. writing center in the university. She is surveying students at strains of PPFM to increase nutrient levels in microalgae, York College to assess their perceptions of writing and which would then be used as feedstock for oyster larvae. If writing needs and purposes, and whether they see transfer Collapsing Student Hierarchies: Assessing higher levels of vitamin B12 can be produced in microalgae and Addressing the Needs of Graduate from the writing they do in their coursework to their future through the use of PPFM, it could reduce the need for Students in the Writing Center careers. She also is surveying 40 employers that tend to expensive B12 supplementation by hatcheries, and may hire York College graduates to determine what writing and help improve larval oyster growth. He also is examining the Molly Phelan, English rhetorical concepts new hires with recent college degrees physical association between PPFM and microalgae to Phelan studies whether the graduate students frequenting should know. determine if the bacteria are attached to the cell surface or the SU Writing Center are receiving all the help they need by free-living in the water. researching what methods have been used to assist graduate What Caused the Mennonites of Virginia students in writing centers and exploring what aspects of to Embrace Abstinence on an Geographic Call Variation, Mate Choice and these methods would be helpful at SU. She is researching Institutional Level? Genetic Influence in the Spring Peeper graduate student needs and their perceptions of the Writing Center. She also explores the services graduate students and Timothy Harlow, History (Pseudacris crucifer) professors would like to develop at the Writing Center. Harlow explores how social changes following the Second Krispen Laird, Applied Biology Phelan is performing need-assessment surveys of graduate Great Awakening, which saw a decline in alcohol Kelsey Mitchell, Applied Biology students and faculty, and focus groups of graduate students consumption, interacted with Virginia Mennonites, who had Kyle Wilhite, Applied Biology who frequent the Writing Center and those who do not. long tolerated moderate use of alcoholic beverages prior to The spring peeper is a North American arboreal frog that ranges from southern Louisiana to Canada and as far west

29 • GS&R • 2013 FACULTY BOOKS

Species Diversity and the Succession Facilitating Basic Writers’ Progress: With Commodore Perry to Japan: The Journal of of Dung Beetles to Horse Dung on The Impact of Feedback and Confidence William Speiden, Jr. Assateague Island on Student Writing Co-edited by David Ranzan Elizabeth Rentz, Applied Biology Kathryn Trantin, English University Archivist, The objectives of Rentz’s research are to determine the Trantin proposes a quantitative descriptive study that will Blackwell Library species diversity of dung beetles on Assateague Island serve to identify the styles of teacher feedback that are The text offers a personal account throughout the three habitats and to determine whether the most conducive to improvements in basic writers’ of Commodore Matthew Calbraith dung beetles are attracted to the horse dung on the island. motivation, self-awareness, confidence and, hence, Perry’s expedition to Japan Dung beetles are coprophagous scarabs widely known for improved writing. She is studying a basic writing course and through the eyes of a 16-year-old feeding on and breeding in mammalian dung. There are monitoring students’ confidence, self-awareness and purser’s clerk of the U.S.S. currently over 160 feral horses on the Maryland side of motivation through surveys and interviews; improvement Mississippi. The documentary edition, endorsed by the Assateague Island. As the population of horses has grown, through graded papers and rubrics; and teacher feedback by National Historic Publications and Records Commission, problems with destruction of the island’s natural habitats coding responses on drafts, rubrics and feedback provided provides excellent coverage of the political mission of the have been occurring. This overgrazing on the beach during conferences. She aims to determine what styles of Perry expedition, the opening of relations with Japan and grasses could continue to harm the dune habitats if no feedback instructors should use to best serve their students’ of the social history of a naval warship as well. Also action is taken. needs and to identify a relationship between confidence included are 55 illustrations ranging from hand-drawn, and improvement. pen-and-ink scenes of everyday life sketched by Speiden Developing an In Vitro Assay to and other members of the crew to exquisitely detailed pith Study Angiogenesis Using the Return to Sender: Authentic Audience and paintings by Chinese artists. Dissected Mouse Aorta a Haphazard Community of Writers Naval Institute Press, 2013 Kavya Shroff, Applied Biology Jessica Weber, English Biological Science, Shroff is developing an in vitro assay to study angiogenesis Weber’s research focuses on the benefits of community 5th Edition using dissected mouse aorta. Angiogenesis is the sprouting engagement writing events held within the campus Illustrated by Kim Quillin. of new capillaries from pre-existing vessels, resulting from community, particularly with the combined efforts of writing Lecturer, Biological Sciences stimulation of the endothelial cells that line the vessel wall. centers and student-run extracurricular groups. She posits Research indicates that true Due to its potential as a therapeutic target and its that these events can produce multiple benefits for mastery of content requires a participation in numerous pathological conditions, it is students, faculty and the community as a whole. move away from memorization important to understand the biochemical and cellular Specifically, she is looking into how students’ senses of toward active engagement with the material in a focused, mechanisms that regulate this process. New strategies for audience, purpose and self-efficacy can be improved with personal way. Biological Science is the first introductory treating these diseases involve the regulation of this proposed model. Weber is developing her methodology biology text designed to equip students with a strategy to angiogenesis, and in vitro methods such as the one into a portable and potentially sustainable model so that accurately assess their level of understanding, predict their proposed by Shroff are used to screen potential therapies. other universities can also explore the benefits of these performance and identify the types of cognitive skills that types of extracurricular programs. need improvement. HDL Independent Mechanisms Pearson Higher Ed, 2013 of Nicotinioc Acid Secondary Metabolite Comparison in the The Postsecular Joseph Tracey, Applied Biology Polyploids of a Dominant Desert Shrub Imagination: A 2001 trial suggested that niacin (nicotinioc acid) provided (Larrea tridentate) & Postcolonialism, additional protection against atherosclerosis, hardening of Interactions Within a Desert Ecosystem: Religion, and Literature Utilizing Citizen Science to Investigate the By Manav Ratti the arteries, when added to standard treatment. Tracey Assistant Professor, English suggests that for niacin to be advocated as a potential Role of Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid in the Ratti presents a rich, anti-atherosclerosis treatment, a better understanding of the Success of the Dominant Shrub interdisciplinary study of cellular targets is needed. He is using the LDL receptor (Larrea tridentate) postsecularism as an affirmational knockout mouse in combination with a high-fat diet to Kristin Zuravnsky, Applied Biology political possibility emerging through the potentials and replicate the disease. In the absence of an LDL receptor, the Zuravnsky is investigating the role nordihydroguaiaretic acid limits of both secular and religious thought. While liver will not be able to remove LDL from the blood stream (NDGA) might play in the survival of L. tridentata in its secularism and religion can foster inspiration and leading to widespread atherosclerosis. This disease model extreme desert environment. Preliminary data reveals creativity, they also can be linked with violence, civil war, effectively mimics human atherosclerosis and makes it significant correlations between ploidy level, season partition, majoritarianism and communalism, especially possible to study niacin’s LDL receptor independent (temperature) and NDGA concentration from a select few within the framework of the nation-state. Through close mechanism of action. L. tridentata grown in a greenhouse. She is pursuing a readings of novels that engage with animism, Buddhism, two-part project to first analyze field-collected samples from Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism, Ratti examines each ploidy collected by Citizen Scientists, and then analyze how questions of ethics and the need for faith, awe, samples from 30 plants that were maintained in the lab. wonder and enchantment can find expression and Zuravnsky is analyzing the lab-collected samples and significance in the wake of such crises. quantifying the concentrations of NDGA from these samples Routledge, 2013 to serve as a comparison to the natural environment. Books identified as of May 2013.

2013 • GS&R • 30 A Banner Year for Student Research

For three Salisbury University student-researchers, the 2012-13 academic year provided national and international recognition for their efforts. From a highly coveted award, to a competitive graduate research fellowship, to the notice of Washington, D.C., lawmakers, all three are examples of how undergraduate research can lead to amazing accomplishments at SU and beyond.

Cambridge Bound pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry at the renowned University of university working on developing molecular therapies for Dominique Kunciw earned one of the world’s most Cambridge. Established by the Bill and Melinda Gates treatment of diseases affecting people around the world.” prestigious international scholarships, the Gates Cambridge Foundation, the highly competitive scholarship is akin to Kunciw will study under Dr. David Spring of the award, to explore the development of drugs, especially for Oxford’s Rhodes scholarship, or the Marshall, which also Chemistry Department and will be a member of the 600+ antibiotic-resistant diseases. In the process, she is fulfilling a supports study in the United Kingdom. year old Gonville and Caius College. Among its notable lifelong dream to study near her birthplace in England. At Cambridge, she will gain further experience in small fellows are physicist Stephen Hawking. Twelve Nobel Prize Chemistry major Kunciw – whose father Bohdan teaches in molecule drug design and synthesis. “My goal,” she said, winners also are graduates, including Francis Crick, who SU’s Mathematics and Computer Science Department – will “is to be a research chemist affiliated with a major research co-discovered the structure of DNA.

31 • GS&R • 2013 STUDENT RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Inspiration in the Dung A Congressional Presentation Mallory Hagadorn’s fieldwork on an organic farm near Sharing research on robotic arms, Samim Manizade Federalsburg last summer turned out to be the inspiration presented at Posters on the Hill, a national event attended for an expanded project that has earned her a National by U.S. Congressional leaders and others. Selected by the Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship valued at Council on Undergraduate Research from among some 800 $126,000 to further study dung beetles on farms across applicants nationwide, Manizade was one of only 60 Maryland. Her three-year grant provides $30,000 in annual student participants and the sole representative of a research stipends and covers tuition for her M.S. in applied Maryland campus. biology from SU. A physics/pre-engineering major, Manizade explored Working with Dr. Dana Price, a faculty member in SU’s the “Computational Modeling of Robotic Arm Kinematics.” Biological Science Department, and Dr. Anne Estes of the His project modeled a variety of arms with a computer- University of Maryland Medical School’s Institute of Genome algebra system and used mathematical techniques to show Sciences, Hagadorn is identifying and comparing their uses and applications in the field of electrical populations of dung beetles on organic versus engineering. conventionally managed pastures. Manizade was funded by SU’s Bridges to SUCCESS “Dung beetles play a crucial role in ecosystems,” program, which is made possible by a nearly $1 million Hagadorn explained, citing their ability to rapidly bury and National Science Foundation grant dedicated to supporting remove animal waste, thus reducing pests attracted to it; the recruitment and retention of students in science, aerate soil and cycle nutrients; and help maintain an overall technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) natural balance. disciplines. He hopes to continue exploring robotics at SU. Dominique Kunciw with some of her greatest supporters: Combining ecology with her growing interest in “I had the most fun talking to the other undergraduate (from top) Dr. Kristen Walton, SU’s national fellowships population genetics, Hagadorn’s project also includes DNA researchers,” Manizade said, describing some of their advisor, who mentors and guides high-caliber SU students sequencing for the microorganisms that live symbiotically in projects, including bio-concrete. He also appreciated through the application process for such awards; her the beetles’ guts. She wants to provide a further experiencing such an interesting “environment of parents; and Bruce Cort, SU Foundation, Inc. board understanding of how they influence the functions and the development.” member, whose Cort Scholarship in Chemistry helped fund distribution of the species. Beyond his academic research, Manizade has her education. been appointed Student Regent for the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents for the upcoming academic year. v

2013 • GS&R • 32 Nearly 200 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the 12th annual Salisbury University Student Research Conference (SUSRC), held on Friday, April 26. Sustainability and technology were important at this year’s event as presenters and attendees used electronic programs or mobile apps to find sessions, and #SUSRC was trending as “Tweeters” could follow events on their Twitter accounts. In addition to celebrating students, SU recognized several faculty for their efforts. This year, Dr. Ryan Taylor (opposite page, top, far right) was recognized as the overall Outstanding Research Mentor for his contributions to furthering student research at SU.

33 • GS&R • 2013 National Conference on Undergraduate Research University of Wisconsin • La Crosse

Salisbury University takes research seriously! Just ask the young researchers who attended the National Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in La Crosse, WI. This year, nearly 400 universities and colleges attended NCUR to promote and celebrate undergraduate research in all fields of study. With a contingency of 30 students, SU was the most represented university from Maryland … but it was not an easy trip. Experiencing breakdowns, treacherous weather, delayed (and later canceled) flights and lost luggage for nearly half the SU students, it took the group nearly 24 hours to reach La Crosse! Faced with the adversity of little sleep and borrowed clothes, the students shined. Armed with their presentation, poster or artwork, SU students did an amazing job presenting their research to faculty and fellow peers from across the United States and world. Though weather may have dampened the event, it did little to dampen the spirits and camaraderie of our students. They are fine examples of the caliber of students we enjoy at Salisbury University and our dedication to education through research.

2013 • GS&R • 34 non-profit org. U. S. postage PAID Salisbury, Maryland permit no. 65 Office of Graduate Studies and Research 1101 Camden Avenue Salisbury, MD 21801-6860

Address Service Requested

Graduate Studies at Salisbury University

MASTER’S PROGRAMS n Applied Biology (M.S.) n Applied Health Physiology (M.S.) n Business Administration (M.B.A.) n Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution (M.A.) n Education (M.Ed.) n Educational Leadership (M.Ed.) n English (M.A.) n Geographic Information Systems Management (M.S.) n History (M.A.) n Mathematics Education (M.S.M.E.) n Nursing (M.S.) n Reading Specialist (M.Ed.) n Social Work (M.S.W.) n Teaching (M.A.T.)

CERTIFICATES n Health Care Management n Teaching and Learning with Technology n Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

DOCTORAL PROGRAM n Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)

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