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In Brief

Sugaring Time Again; Former President Writes Autobiography; Alum Signs with Baseball Team; News from the Nursing and Business Administration Departments and more.

Making Their Mark

Learn about how our community members engage in writing, presentations and exhibitions.

Past as Prologue

Explore Haystack, a portal to the history of Colby-Sawyer College.

Colby-Sawyer Courier

Keep up with campus news from students' perspectives through the Colby-Sawyer Courier.

Solidus

This new literary magazine features creative writing in many genres by current students and alumni, faculty and staff, and a few friends and partners.

Q&Alumni

Find out what Colby-Sawyer alumni have been up to since graduation.

Currents: making their mark

Making Their Mark:

On October 4, 2013, Professor Jennifer Austin and Professor Gregory Austin attended and presented a poster at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. This international conference focuses on the scholarship and practice of teaching.

The poster was titled “Making the Connection: Assessment to Learning Outcomes.” The poster provided practical ideas for incorporating the curriculum constructive alignment model into discipline specific courses. The poster was well received, with some attendees indicating they specifically sought it due to interest in the topic.

Fiona Mills, Ph.D., lecturer in the Humanities Department, presented a paper entitled “Divisive Motherhood: Visions of Maternity in Tree of Life, The Hours and Mad Men” at the 2013 NeMLA conference on March 23 in Boston. She also has been invited to present a paper entitled “A Question of Space: Geography, Race and African Heritage in the work of Puerto Rican Poets Aurora Levins Morales and Rosario Morales” at the upcoming Celebrating African American Literature Conference at Penn State University on October 26, 2013. Lastly, she was elected in mid-May to the Board of Trustees of the Tracy Memorial Library in New London where she will serve a three-year term.

Mike Heffernan, general manager of Sodexo Dining Services, had his article "Eat Well, Live Well: Not Just a Slogan at Colby-Sawyer" published in the April 2013 issue of the Sodexo publication Market Beat NE.

Patrick Anderson, professor of humanities, has been working with students, faculty colleagues and alums on creating a Colby-Sawyer Film Festival, featuring regional movies, which should take place on campus in spring of 2014. He is also giving lectures sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council (one on silent film comedy, in Canterbury in April; another on independent film directors, which will be in Nashua, in June. In January, he served as an outside evaluator at Florida Gulf Coast University, writing reviews for half a dozen films made by a professor who was seeking promotion there.

Jean Eckrich, professor and chair of Exercise and Sport Sciences, Randy Hanson, professor of Social Sciences and Education, and Amy Hebert, internship coordinator, facilitated a session at the AAC&U General Education and Assessment Conference held this spring in Boston. The session was titled "Only Connect: Integrating and Maintaining Liberal Education Across the Curriculum."

The Chargers' coaching staff had a pretty great year! The following were named Coach of the Year for the NAC Conference:

Meghan Medbery – Women's Soccer

Brett Sayer – Women's Volleyball

George Martin – Women's Basketball

Barry Schoonmaker – Men's Tennis

Men's Basketball Head Coach Bill Foti serves as a congress member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and represents the NAC Conference.

Athletic Director Deb McGrath has been named, along with the 1983 Women's Field Hockey team at Wheaton College which she coached, to their first Hall of Fame induction ceremony that will take place in October 2013.

Ben Steele, professor of Natural Sciences, has co-written a paper, “Boldness and stress responsiveness as drivers of nest-site selection in a ground-nesting bird,” that is under review by the journal Animal Behaviour. The paper was written with Martin W. Seltmann, Kim Jaatinen, and Markus Öst, Professor Steele's colleagues in Finland. Professor Steele reports, "It turns out that birds, ducks in this case, have personalities just like people. Some are bold and some are shy, and it affects stress hormone levels and where they choose to put their nests. I will return to Finland this May-June to continue this research, accompanied by Jimmy Montanari '13 a graduating Environmental Studies major who came with me to Finland last year."

Shari L. Goldberg, associate professor of Nursing, will graduate May 18 with her Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

Kellie Spinney, College Communications assistant, will attend the CASE Communications and Marketing Summer Institute in Burlington, Vt., July 7-11.

Lisa Dupuis and Scott Roy, athletic trainers and clinical professors of Exercise and Sport Sciences, will attend the National Athletic Trainers' Associate Annual Symposium and Conference in Las Vegas, Nev., June 24-27.

Ryan Emerson, sports information director, will attend the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Convention in Orlando, Fla., June 12-15.

Kate Dunlop Seamans, assistant director of College Communications, will attend the CASE Marketing and Branding Institute in Denver, Colo., April 24-26.

Rick Goerlitz, head swimming and diving coach, will attend the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Convention in Orlando, Fla., May 2013.

Leslie MacGregor, ARNP-CNP, family nurse practitioner and nursing manager at Baird Health and Counseling Center, will attend the Northern New England HIV-STD-Viral Hepatitis Conference on April, 26, 2013 in Concord, N.H.

Mike Gregory, assistant director of Advancement Communications, will attend the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) conference on Social Media and Community in Boston, Mass., April 17-19.

Jodi Bonewald and Charlie Krajewski, applications and systems analysts for Information Resources, plus Sharon Morse, advanced systems analyst for Advancement, will attend the Envisions 2013 and the Ellucian Live 2013 conferences held in Philadelphia, Penn., in early April. Jerry Volpe, operations manager for Student Development, will also attend the conference as a webinar participant.

Janet Bauer, teacher at Windy Hill, will take a Masters in Education Course, Supporting Children and Families, at Champlain College in Burlington, V.T.

Heather Astle, RN, B.S.N., nurse/wellness coordinator at Baird Health and Counseling Center, attended the 2013 NH Immunization Conference on March 27, in Manchester, N.H.

Sarah Braun, assistant director of Campus Activities and Orientation, attended the 2013 Region Nine Conference of the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) in Albany, N.Y., March 22-23, 2013.

Lynn Cox, Student Learning Collaborative and Access Resources learning specialist, participated in the University of New Hampshire's Institute of Disability workshop on Assistive Technology and Transition, March 21, 2013 in Concord, N.H.

Kara Kidder, M.Ed., LCMHC, clinical counselor at Baird Health and Counseling Center, attended a seminar on Revolutionizing Diagnosis and Treatment Using the DSM-5 in Waltham, Mass., March 14, 2013.

Sheraz Iqbal, resident director, attended the North East Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (NEACURH) Mini No-Frills Conference at Boston's Northeastern University, March 1-3, 2013.

Amy Drummond, Alumni Relations coordinator, attended the Reaching Young Alumni conference in Saint Louis, Mo., February 6-8, 2013.

Allison Faccone, advancement officer, participated in The Polished Professional Online Program through the Charleston School of Prototol and Etiquette.

Mark Brook, Information Resources network adminstrator, participated in a Rapid7 webinar for the company's Metasploit product, a network security testing program.

Pam Spear, director of Baird Health and Counseling Center, Pete Berthiaume, director of campus safety, and Dave Sauerwein, vice president for Student Development and Dean of Students, participated in a training program in January 2013 on how to best assess and serve students with at-risk behaviors, as well as the campus community, within the new legal requirements in Title II of the Disablities Act.

Arthur Grodan, Information Resources systems administrator, attended an advanced VMware training program.

Leigh Bears ARNP, CNP, nurse practitioner in Baird Health and Counseling Center, attended the New England College Health Association (NECHA) Conference on November 7, 2012 in Portland, Maine.

Caren Baldwin-DiMeo, director of Learning Services and coordinator of Writing Services, attended the Writing Centers' Association Conference in San Diego, Calif., October 25-27, 2012.

Dawn Belmore, M.Ed. and Scott Roy, M.S., clinical assistant professors of Exercise and Sport Sciences, and Matthew McCabe, assistant athletic trainer, attended the National Athletic Trainers' Association Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium in St. Louis, Mo., June 26-29, 2012.

Ryan Emerson, sports information director, attended the College Sports Information Directors of America conference in St. Louis, Mo., June 23-26, 2012.

Janet Bauer, teacher at Windy Hill, traveled to Indianapolis, Ind., in June for the 2012 Institute of Early Childhood Professional Development.

Lynn Cox, learning specialist in Disability Resources, and Petra Schaefer, assistant director of Learning Services, attended the 24th Annual Postsecondary Disability Training Institute held June 12-15, 2012 in Philadelphia, Penn.

Karin Berthiaume, assistant director of Residential Education, attended the annual meeting of the Northeast Associations of College and University Housing Officers in Boston, Mass., June 6-9, 2012.

Jen Ensign and Chris Wiest, toddler teachers at Windy Hill, attended the Reggio Emilia Pre-Institute at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., on April 27, 2012 to learn about Sustaining Inquiry: Everyday Experiences and Extended Projects with Children.

Sharon Beaudry, J.D., director of Human Resources, attended the Eastern Regional Conference of College and University Professional Association for Human Resources in Philadelphia, Penn., April 22-24, 2012.

Kraig Larkin, Ph.D., assistant professor of Social Sciences and Education, presented his thesis, “The Marlboro Dad: Depictions of Fathers in West German Consumer Society, 1948-1961,” at the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA) Conference in Boston, Mass., April 11-14, 2012.

Christopher Kubik, D.B.A., assistant professor of Business Administration and chair of the Business Administration Department, will attend the Global Asset Management Education Conference in New York, N.Y., March 29-31. He will also accompany three students who will present their fund investment results in a competitive presentation against other student managed investment funds at competing colleges and universities.

Heather Astle, RN, wellness coordinator in Baird Health and Counseling Center, received funds to attend a nursing symposium, Pursuing Excellence in Nursing, in North Conway, N.H., which will be held March 23-24, 2012.

Jodi Bonewald and Charlie Krajewski, applications and systems analysts in Information Resources, plus Sharon Morse, Lauri Justice, advanced systems analyst in Advancement and Jill Metsch, finance accountant in Financial Services, attended the SunGard Summit held in Las Vegas, Nev., at the end of March.

David Ernster, M.F.A., artist in residence, Fine and Performing Arts, attended the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts in Seattle, Wash., March 28-31. He has also been invited to participate in the group ceramic exhibition to raise funds for the organization.

Caren Baldwin-DiMeo, M.F.A., director of the Student Learning Collaborative, will attend Supplemental Instruction Supervisor Training at the International Center for Supplemental Instruction at University of Missouri-Kansas City in spring 2012.

Mary Mead, M.F.A., assistant professor of Fine and Performing Arts, attended the Southern Graphics Council International Conference in New Orleans, La., March 14-17. To complement the college's cross-cultural populace, Professor Mead participated in the panel discussion of "Migratory Adaptations: Mingling Cultures, Nostalgic Hearts II.”

Sachi Horback, Psy.D., assistant professor of Social Sciences and Education, attended the 29th Annual Winter Roundtable at the conference “Beyond Borders: Transforming Lives Through Traditions and Innovations” at Columbia University in New York City February 24-25.

Maurissa Abecassis, Ph.D., associate professor of Social Sciences and Education, attended the INS 2012 Annual Conference in Montreal, Canada this February 15-18. She presented two posters that focus on the broad area of executive functioning and implications for development. One poster focused on retrospective reports of abuse in childhood and its association with later executive functioning. The second poster focuses on a new method, the Tests of Executive Control (TEC), used to assess children and examine the association between performance on this and several other measures of executive function and family functioning.

Eva Szalvai, Ph.D., assistant professor of Business Administration, attended the Academy of Business Research Spring International Conference in New Orleans, La., March 14-16. She presented her paper, “Alternatives in the Evolution of Financial Market: A Postmodern View On Schweickart's Democratic Economy Model.”

Melissa Meade, Ph.D., associate professor of Humanities, conducted sabbatical research in Los Angeles, Calif., this spring for a chapter of the book manuscript she is writing, Sweeties in the Spotlight: Media Culture, Proto-Feminism and Collective Subjectivity. This chapter, titled “Performing Femininity in Cinema: From Dance, Girl, Dance to Some Like it Hot,” investigates women working together in cinema.

Jennifer Austin, Ph.D., assistant professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences, attended the 2012 SEATA Educators Conference and CAATE Workshop in Atlanta, Ga., this February. The conference and workshop focused on education in the new millennium, and Professor Austin's participation will benefit the college's athletic training education.

Pamela Serota Cote, Ed.D., associate dean of International and Diversity Programs, attended a workshop on changes to Clery Act Reporting held at Fordham Law School in February 2012.

Andrea Kelley, applications analyst, attended the Critical Path's SharePoint Development Workshop in Boston, Mass., in February.

Eric Boyer, Ph.D., assistant professor of Social Sciences and Education, presented his paper “Marx and the Horrific: Of Persons and Things in Capital, Volume 1” to the Southern Political Science Association's annual meeting in New Orleans, La., this January 11-14. His presentation was part of a larger panel discussion of “Marxism and Property in Theory and Practice.” He also chaired a panel on “Radical Political Thought.”

Kerstin Stoedefalke, Ph.D., associate professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences, conducted data analysis and collaborated on possible research related to exercise and protein utilization in children at the University of Exeter, in England, on Jan. 5.

Basia Pietlicki, Psy.D., assistant professor of the Social Sciences and Education, attended the 34th Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology in St. Pete Beach, Fla. Jan. 3-6. Professor Pietlicki presented a poster, “Relationship between textbook format, student performance, and perceived value,” and attended several workshop sessions.

Brett Sayer, head volleyball coach, attended the American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention held in December in San Antonio, Texas.

Jean Eckrich, Ph.D., professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences, took eight students to the two-day NEACSM Conference in Providence, R.I. in November 2011. This conference emphasizes the importance of continued education, student networking and keeping current in the field.

Pamela Payson, coach of the Equestrian Team, will travel to Michigan this spring to attend the USHJA Trainers Certification Program Clinic.

Maryann Allen Ed.D., assistant professor of Natural Sciences, attended the New England Faculty Development Conference on November 18 in Worcester, Mass. The theme of the conference was “Designing and Documenting for Student Success,” and Professor Allen shared her experience in the development and assessment of the college's independent Quantitative Literacy module in order to verify its effectiveness.

Gregory Austin, Ph.D., associate professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences, Jennifer Austin, Ph.D., assistant professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences, Christine Bieszczad, Ph.D., assistant professor of Natural Sciences, and Eric Boyer, Ph.D., assistant professor of Social Sciences and Education, collaborated on a teaching tips session at the New England Faculty Development Consortium in Worcester, Mass., in November 2011. The focus of the conference was “Designing and Documenting for Student Success,” and their presentation, titled “Making Connections: Linking Learning Outcomes to Course Assignments,” emphasized the development of assignments in upper level courses in order to move students toward application and synthesis.

Beth Crockford, Ph.D., professor of Business Administration, and Randy Hanson, Ph.D., professor of Social Sciences and Education, attended the AAUP Conference on Faculty Governance in Washington, D.C. in November 2011. They gave a presentation titled "Corporatization - Satan or Savior? The Transformation of a Small New England College."

"For many academics, the idea of a 'corporatized' and 'entrepreneurial' college or university is at best an oxymoron and at worst an abomination. Yet in an age of needing to do more with significantly smaller budgets and of attracting and retaining students in an increasingly competitive and aggressive market, even the most tradition-bound professors and 'sleepy little colleges' recognize that institutions must adapt and embrace corporate strategies or risk decline or even death," they wrote. "But is this increasing corporatization simply a necessary evil? Or can it also offer universities and particularly small colleges a means to not only survive but achieve traditional goals more efficiently and effectively? Over the last decade, Colby-Sawyer College has utilized some corporate styles and strategies to transform itself from a tiny 'mom and pop' New England school or 'niche college' to an institution that can more effectively compete in the new education market while maintaining its traditional identity as a small cohesive community of engaged teachers and learners."

Ewa Chrusciel, Ph.D., assistant professor of Humanities, poet, critic and translator, attended a poetry workshop in Thetford, Vt. "Writing Into Silences" was taught by Cynthia Huntington, a professor of English and Creative Writing, and explored the shifts in perception, time and space in order to generate new ideas for creative writing. "This workshop helped me with my work on my new book of poems, but also gave me new ideas for my creative writing classes," says Professor Chrusciel.

Courtney McManus, Ph.D., assistant professor of Social Sciences and Education, attended the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology Jan. 3-6, 2012, in St. Pete Beach, Fla. "My goal in attending this conference is to be able to gain insight into new techniques used to teach psychology, both introductory courses (e.g., introduction to psychology, life span development) and upper level courses (e.g.,statistics, research methods, Capstone)," says Professor McManus.

Bill Thomas, Ph.D., professor of Natural Sciences, was awarded a faculty development grant to attend the annual meeting of the Society for Cell Biology in Denver, Colo. Dec. 3-7, 2011. Professor Thomas hoped to learn firsthand the most recent developments in the field, to interact face to face with distant colleagues, and to present recent work. He hoped also to share the experience with two students working on INBRE research.

Eric Boyer, Ph.D., assistant professor of social sciences and education, attended the Popular Culture Association of the South's annual conference Oct. 6-8 in New Orleans, La., and presented his paper, "Zombies All!: The Janus-Faced Zombie of the 21st Century."

Theodore Smith, assistant athletic trainer, received funds for courses offered by the Postural Restoration Institute.

Nancy Knee, M.S., APRN, nurse practitioner in Baird Health and Counseling Center, attended two sessions on pschopharmacology at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., this winter.

Tom Wilkins, mental health counselor at Baird Health and Counseling Center, received funds for two training sessions to benefit his work.

Anup Nepal, admissions counselor, received funds to take the online training course Microsoft Excel and Access 2011 Skills.

Colby-Sawyer faculty, staff, students and alumni are engaged in writing, presenting and exhibiting. Making Their Mark relies on readers to tell us what you've been doing. Did you recently publish a book? Speak to a Rotary club about an environmental issue? Colby-Sawyer Currents wants to hear from you. Please click here to send us an e-mail. Please be sure to include your name, affiliation to the college and information about the mark you've made. Thank you!