Faculty/Staff News of Note
September 2004
Congratulations to Dave Raydo, maintenance worker, who celebrated 25 years of service to Penn State Behrend on September 16.
Anne Danielski, Pennsylvania Sea Grant education specialist, was on the award-winning team that received the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Outstanding Program Award for her work on the sixteen-page newspaper insert entitled "Great Lakes Invasion" that appeared in the Erie Times News April 15, 2003. This insert was Pennsylvania Sea Grant's contribution to a larger project conducted by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network entitled: ESCAPE from Exotics: Break out of your classroom routine by exploring the interesting world of exotic aquatic species.
Dr. Clare Porac, professor of psychology, recently submitted an article for publication in Developmental Neuropsychology titled "Patterns of handedness and footedness in switched and non-switched Braziliam left-handers: Cultural effects on the development of lateral preferences."
Dr. Syed Saad Andaleeb, professor of marketing, recently returned from Bangladesh after a full-year stint as a Senior Fulbright Scholar where he was hosted by East West University and the Health Economics Unit of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Andaleeb accomplished many things during the year and published an article in the Journal of Health and Population in Developing Countries titled, "Family Planning Field Workers in Bangladesh as Influence Agents: Some Policy Implications." Check this interesting story at http://www.terradaily.com/2004/040206125408.hd46bw6j.html.
George Looney, assistant professor of English and creative writing, recently won the White Pine Press Poetry Prize for his manuscript The Precarious Rhetoric of Angels. The prize includes a $1000 cash award and publication. His book will be published early fall 2005.
Dr. Greg Morris, professor of American Literature, had an essay titled "Boy with Loaded Gun: The Confessions of Lewis Nordan" printed in the spring 2004 issue of The Southern Literary Journal, which is published by the University of North Carolina.
Dr. Bruce Wittmershaus, associate professor of physics, has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant in the amount of $179,468 for a three-year grant period. His proposal, "Multiple-dye Luminescent Solar Concentrators: Extending Lifetime and Absorption," will continue his work on capturing sunlight more efficiently for possible future applications to solar power. Behrend undergraduates will assist in his research.
Congratulations to Chuck Burchard who was recently promoted to the rank of senior lecturer in computer science in the School of Science.
Jana Goodrich, lecturer in marketing and management, and Mary Beth Peterson, director of the Career Development Center, were recognized by Jane Price Harmon, president of Lambda Sigma Society, for their work as advisors to the Penn State chapter. They also received recognition from Penn State President Graham Spanier for their time and effort and for representing Penn State in a positive way. The entire group was named an Honor Chapter.
Dr. Roger Knacke, director of the School of Science, presented the paper, "Possibilities for Remote Observations of Land Microorganisms on Extrasolar Planets" at the Bio-astronomy 2004 - Habitable Worlds meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, July 12-16.
Brian O'Leary, lecturer of integrative arts, gave a presentation titled "IMAX and the Return of Verticality to the Image: Why It Matters," on July 23, 2004 at the Center for the Cognitive Study of the Moving Image Convention at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
O'Leary also gave a presentation titled "Gus Van Sant's 'Elephant' and the Return of Verticality to the Image: Why It Matters," August 5, 2004 at the University Film and Video Association Annual Convention, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.
Robert Nelson, lecturer in MIS and computer science, presented a paper at the 2004 America's Conference on Information Systems in New York City in early August. The paper was co-authored with Dr. Ido Millet, associate professor of MIS, and the title of the presentation was "Data Flow Diagrams verses Use Cases - Student Reactions."
Dr. Dawn Blasko, associate professor of psychology, was elected secretary of the Penn State University Faculty Senate for the 2004-2005 academic year. As a member of the three- person leadership team, she will help to set the agenda for senate work and will visit campus locations across the state to learn about the successes and challenges faced by faculty and students at different locations. Dr. Blasko is the first faculty member from Penn State Behrend to be elected to university wide faculty leadership.
Dr. Jay Amicangelo, assistant professor of chemistry, presented two papers and a poster at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Philadelphia, August 23-26. The papers were titled "Theoretical Study of a Photochromic Platinum Complex using Density Functional Methods" and "A Theoretical Study of the Bensene Excimer Using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory."
Dr. Mary Chisholm, professor of chemistry, presented a poster titled "Identification of the Most Intense Odorants in Honey Tangerines" at the American Chemical Society's National Meeting in Philadelphia, August 21-24.
Dr. Alan Jircitano, lecturer in chemistry, attended the American Chemical Society's Academic Employment Initiative in Philadelphia, August 22-24.
Dr. Tracy Halmi, lecturer in chemistry, also attended the ACS meeting.
Dr. Martin Kociolek, assistant professor of chemistry, attended the American Chemical Society's National Meeting for the purpose of faculty recruiting.
Cathy Mester, senior lecturer in communications, along with Dr. Cathy Roan, assistant professor of journalism, and Mel Sundin, lecturer in advertising, attended the annual meetings of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in Toronto, Ontario, in early August.
Drs. Diane Parente, associate professor of management, Peggy D. Lee (Penn State Great Valley), and Michael Ishman (Niagara University) presented a paper at the Annual Academy of Management recently in New Orleans. The paper was titled "At the Intersections of the Disciplines: Null Set or Collaboration in SCM Research?" Parente also hosted a session on "Drivers for Management in the Engineering Curriculum," which included several representatives who attended the Business & Engineering Conference at Penn State Behrend in April 2004. Parente, Randy Brown, lecturer in management, and John Stephan (Florida Atlantic University) presented a professional development workshop co-sponsored by three Academy of Management divisions. The workshop was titled, "Integrating Theory, Role Play, and Simulation in the Classroom: A Capstone Experience."
Dr. Thomas Wortman, assistant for academic administration, has been appointed to the executive board of the Technology Council of Northwest Pennsylvania. Wortman is chairing the nominations committee. The Technology Council of Northwest Pennsylvania is a resource to stimulate the development and growth of technology in the Northwest Pennsylvania region by providing support to organizations and businesses, creating a brain gain, and by facilitating regional education and linkages.
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