September 2012 Scholarly News

Submit scholarly news—publications, paper presentations and professional awards and service (appointment to boards, etc.)—to Janet Smith in Public Affairs at smithjl@jmu.edu or 568-8008.

GRANTS

Emily K. Akerson (Associate Director, Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services) received two grants – $9,210 from the Valley Program for Aging Services Inc. to provide educational and administrative services and $800 from the Shenandoah County Community Service Act for "Healthy Families Shenandoah County" to continue to meet the needs of at-risk families in Shenandoah County by providing education, resources and support.

Dr. Cheryl L. Beverly (Professor, Learning, Technology and Leadership Education) received $270,448 from the U.S. Department of Education for "Middle Matters: A Collaborative Partnership Between James Madison University and Hopewell City Public Schools Fiscal Year 2" to provide accelerated, alternative teacher preparation and traditional professional development to increase the number of highly qualified and effective middle grade science and mathematics teachers in Hopewell City Public Schools.

Dr. Timothy J. Carter (Head, Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Professor, Sociology) received $4,206 from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources for "Camp Misery Project Final Phase" to analyze and interpret recovered artifacts and complete the documentation of the recovered assemblage from the site of Camp Misery in Stafford County, Va.

Dr. David B. Daniel (Professor, Psychology) and Dr. Krisztina V. Jakobsen (Assistant Professor, Psychology) received $4,250 from the International Mind, Brain & Education Society for "Pedagogical Innovations Project" to contribute to the funding and growth of IMBES and the creation of a journal, Mind, Brain, Education.

Dr. Daniel M. Downey (Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry) and Dr. Gina M. MacDonald (Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry) received $46,253 from the National Science Foundation for "REU Site: Integrating Hearing and Deaf Students in Chemical Research" to provide undergraduate chemistry research students with the opportunity to develop improved communication tools and methods in science, as well as enhance day-to-day communication between hearing and deaf students.

Dr. Kimberlee Hartzler-Weakley (Administrator, Institute for Health and Human Services) received $76,054 from the Virginia Department of Education for "Education Consultant-Fiscal Year 2013" to provide educational assessments to children birth to age 21 with special education needs in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Virginia Board of Education. Hartzler-Weakley also received two grants for Gus Bus Site Visits, $4,900 from Page County Public Schools and $940 from Harrisonburg City Schools to provide weekly support in the surrounding area to encourage early learning and literacy.

Dr. Melinda G. Ivey (Professor, Early, Elementary and Reading Education) received $16,878 from the Virginia Department of Education for "English Capstone Collaborative Pilot Program" to provide high-quality professional development for high-school English teachers.

Dr. Robert A. Kolvoord (Interim Director, Engineering; Professor, Integrated Science and Technology) received $49,953 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for "The Evolving Role of Visualization in Science and Education: Gordon Research Conference, Workshops and Visionary Grants to Advance Visualization Research in Science and Education" to address a research gap in the dual use of visualization tools for the advancement of science and for the improvement of education in and outside of the classroom.

Dr. Reid J. Linn (Dean, The Graduate School; Professor, Exceptional Education), Cheryl L. Henderson (Co-Director, T/TAC) and John T. McNaught (Coordinator, T/TAC) received $316,000 from the Virginia Department of Education for "Self Determination Project" to provide direct instruction, models and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior beginning at the elementary level and continuing through the student's educational career.

Dr. Thomas E. Moran (Assistant Professor, Kinesiology) received $28,000 from the Merck Foundation for "Empowerment3 – Empowering Individuals with Disabilities, Empowering Professionals, Empowering Communities" to provide mentorship programming and instructional skills for underserved children.

Gary S. Race (Fiscal Technician, Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services) and Jane Hubbell (Associate Director, Institute of Innovation in Health and Human Services) received $38,000 from the Virginia Department of Health for the "HIV Consortium for Northwest Region 2012-2013" to assure the provision of comprehensive, essential health and support services for individuals and families with HIV infection.

Dr. Barbara A. Reisner (Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry) received $19, 711 from Earlham College for "IONiC: Transforming Education Through Collaborative Development of Materials at the Frontiers of Inorganic Chemistry" to develop, share, implement and refine educational materials and teaching strategies for inorganic chemistry.

Dr. Kenneth R. Rutherford (Director, Center for International Stabilization and Recovery, Professor, Political Science) received $59,000 from the U.S. Department of State for "Center for International Stabilization and Recovery Activities to Further PM/WRA Goals and Objectives" to provide a training opportunity and additional staffing support for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs/Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement through the Frasure-Kruzel-Drew Humanitarian Mine Action Fellowship.

Dr. Sean T. Scully (Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy) received $10,361 from NASA Goddard for "Continuing Studies of the Intergalactic Background Light" to continue studying intergalactic background light, concentrating on high redshifts and the UV-optical energy range.

Dr. Margaret B. Shaeffer (Associate Dean, College of Education) and Dr. Lee G. Sternberger (Associate Provost, Academic Affairs; Executive Director, International Programs) received $174,852 from the U.S. Department of State for "International Leaders in Education Program" to create a community of learners among the International Leaders in Education Program Fellows and to connect and amplify the diverse International Leaders in Education Program experiences while providing basic instruction in fundamental principles and techniques of lesson planning, classroom management, student-centered learning, assessment, differentiated instruction, adult learning, facilitation and leadership.

Nick D. Swayne (Interim Director, Education Support Center; Coordinator for External Relations, College of Education; Instructor, Learning, Technology and Leadership Education) received $30,000 from the Rockwell Collins Charitable Corporation for "FIRST LEGO League-Rockwell Collins Support" to help promote growth of the first LEGO League in Washington, D.C., as well as in rural areas and school divisions with Title 1 designation. Swayne received two grants of $6,990 and $4,532 from Virginia City and County Donors for "Robotics STEM Project" to provide sponsorship of robotics teams.

HONORS

Dr. David Herr (Professor, Exceptional Education) has been recognized by Kappa Alpha Theta, Eta Kappa Sorority as one of the "Ten Outstanding Faculty Members" for contributions to colleges and universities where Theta chapters are present.

Sang Y. Yoon (Professor, Graphic Design) received a Fulbright Scholar Grant to teach in the Department of Visual Information Design at Kyung Hee University in South Korea for 10 months beginning in March 2013.

PRESENTATIONS

Dr. Thomas Adajian (Assistant Professor, Philosophy and Religion) presented a paper, "Disjunctive Definitions of Art, Clusters and Institutionalism" at the British Society of Aesthetics annual meeting at The Queen’s College, Oxford, on Sept. 23. Adajian also presented "Demarcation, Definition Art" at the Seventh Annual International Conference on Philosophy on May 28 in Athens, Greece.

Dr. Tracy Lupher (Associate Professor, Philosophy and Religion) Dr. Thomas Adajian (Assistant Professor, Philosophy and Religion) and Christopher Runyon (Graduate Psychology and Philosophy and Religion) presented "Ways of Teaching Logic: Traditional, Online and Blended Classes" at the American Association of Philosophy Teachers' Nineteenth International Workshop-Conference on Teaching Philosophy in Austin, Texas, in July.

PUBLICATIONS

Dr. Thomas Adajian (Assistant Professor, Philosophy and Religion) published a chapter, "Defining Art," in "The Continuum Companion of Aesthetics" (London: 2012).