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SHSU Update For Week Of May 17
- ROTC Commissions 11 As Second Lieutenants
- Alumni To Take Annual Trip To Astros Game
- SHSU Acquires Academic Journal ‘Inquiry’
- Freshman, History Prof Awarded First Mentoring Prizes
- Sessions Orient New, Transfer Students To Campus
- Campus Votes ‘My Sam’ As New Portal Name
- Student Musicians Provide Elementary Piano Lessons
- Today@Sam Seeks Summer Calendar Info
- Send Update Items Here
ROTC Commissions 11 As Second Lieutenants
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Earning their commission as second lieutenants are (front row, left to right) James Decell, Hollian Woods, Andrew Enriquez, Patrick Nguyen and Gerald Rogers, as well as (back row, left to right) Michael Keracik, Trey Blanton, Andrew Barnes, Isaac Horn, Matthew Thraen and Travis Troutman. |
Eleven cadets joined the ranks of the U.S. Army as second lieutenants during the Bearkat Battalion Commissioning Ceremony on Friday (May 14) afternoon.
Those commissioned include Andrew Barnes, Trey Blanton, James Decell, Andrew Enriquez, Isaac Horn, Michael Keracik, Patrick Nguyen, Gerald Rogers, Matthew Thraen, Travis Troutman and Hollian Woods.
Barnes has received an active duty commission and will serve as a transportation corps officer, and his first duty assignment will be in Germany.
Blanton has been selected for active duty service with a branch assignment to military intelligence and branch detail to infantry, serving his first duty assignment at Fort Bliss.
Decell received a reserve duty commission and will serve in the Texas Army National Guard as a military intelligence officer with the 636th Military Intelligence Battalion in Austin.
Enriquez received an active duty commission as a military police officer, serving first as a gold bar recruiter at SHSU before his first duty assignment at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Horn received a reserve duty commission and will serve in the Texas Army National Guard as a military intelligence officer with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1/112th Cavalry Regiment in Bryan.
Keracik has been selected for active duty service as a transportation corps officer, serving his first duty assignment at Fort Carson, Colo.
Nguyen received an active duty commission as an infantry officer, serving first as a gold bar recruiter at SHSU before his first duty assignment in Alaska.
Rogers received a reserve duty commission as a military intelligence officer in the Texas Army National Guard as a platoon leader with the 636th Military Intelligence Battalion in Austin.
Thraen received a reserve duty commission and will serve in the U.S. Army as a chemical corps officer for his first duty assignment with the 369th Chemical Company Detachment 1 in Waco.
Troutman received a reserve duty commission and will serve in the U.S. Army Reserves as a corps of engineers officer. He will first serve as a gold bar recruiter at SHSU before his first duty assignment in Conroe.
Woods received a reserve duty commission in the Texas Army National Guard as a transportation corps officer, serving her first duty assignment as an Alpha Company platoon leader with the 536th Brigade Support Battalion in Houston.
Alumni To Take Annual Trip To Astros Game
Sam Houston State University students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends can watch the Houston Astros take on the Washington Nationals during the SHSU Night at Minute Maid Park on June 2. The game will begin at 7:05 p.m.
Food and drinks will be served at a pre-game reception at Champions Pavilion inside the park. The reception will begin at 6 p.m.
“The event has grown over the years from its inception with approximately 65 attendees to more than 330 attendees last year,” said Alumni Relations director Charlie Vienne. “This year the SHSU ROTC Color Guard will present the colors for the National Anthem prior to the game and university President Jim Gaertner will throw out the first pitch.
“We anticipate an even larger gathering of alumni and friends this year,” he said.
The alumni association will provide chartered transportation to the game departing from Bowers Stadium at 4:15 p.m.
A total trip package including transportation, the reception and game ticket is $60. Game tickets and the pre-game reception are also available through the association for $40 per person, or attend just the reception for $20 each.
The reservation deadline for the charter bus and reception is May 28.
Individuals not choosing to purchase an alumni package can obtain game tickets online through the Houston Astros Web site at www.astros.com/shsu. Various seating options are available.
For more information, or to make a reservation for the chartered bus or pre-game reception, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 936.294.1841 or 800.283.7478, or visit http://ww2.shsu.edu/alum02wp/.
SHSU Acquires Academic Journal ‘Inquiry’
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| Inquiry managing editor Frank Fair, SHSU professor of philosophy, shows off the first issue of the academic journal published at the university during a launch party on May 11. |
Sam Houston State University is undertaking the task of reviving the “premier journal in the nation whose focus is on disseminating research on the theory, practice and pedagogy of critical thinking” as the new publishers of the academic journal Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines.
Funded by the deans of SHSU’s five colleges, the first issue published at the Sam Houston Press and Copy Center was released this week during a formal launch party.
SHSU acquired the journal from Bowling Green State University in Ohio after funding was cut there due to the economic downturn, according to Frank Fair, SHSU philosophy professor who has taken over as managing editor.
“The journal had fallen on hard times and essentially ceased publication a couple of years ago, so we have the challenge of re-building the base of subscribers,” Fair said. “The members of the editorial advisory board are some of the most important figures in the field of critical thinking education. We surveyed them, and they assured us that the journal has no real competition and fills an important niche in the academic world.”
Because the journal takes a cross-disciplinary approach to the theory, practice and pedagogy of critical thinking—including helping scholars understand what it involves, how to do it better and how to teach it—SHSU’s editorial staff reflects a variety of disciplines.
Associate editors include SHSU professors Valerie Muehsam, business analysis; John Miller, business analysis; Marcus Gillespie, geography; Jeff Anastasi, psychology; Mike Vaughn, criminal justice; and Daphne Johnson, curriculum and instruction.
“If our efforts at reviving the journal are successful, SHSU will be home to the premier journal in the nation whose focus is on disseminating research on the theory, practice, and pedagogy of critical thinking,” he said.
Submissions may be sent electronically to criticalthinking@shsu.edu and will be accepted following the standard academic process for journals, according to Fair.
The journal will publish three times a year, with the spring 2010 issue (Vol. 25 Issue No. 1) currently available for purchase through subscription, which can be made through the Philosophy Documentation Center at http://pdcnet.org/. The summer 2010 issue is expected to be available soon.
Freshman, History Prof Awarded First Mentoring Prizes
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| Freshman Monica Sandoval (above) and associate professor of history Kenneth Hendrickson were the first winners of SHSU's mentoring award. They were recognized during a ceremony and awarded their $1,000 prize on April 29. |
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SHSU freshman Monique Sandoval and history associate professor Kenneth Hendrickson were recognized for their work with a professor and student, respectively, as the first recipients of the SHSU Mentoring Award on April 29.
For their work, they were each awarded a $1,000 prize, disseminated through the Student Advising and Mentoring Center.
Sandoval, a victim studies major and psychology minor was nominated by Bernadette Russo, an English department pool faculty member, who wrote, “when I consider the growth and development that Monique Sandoval has achieved since August 2009, the words bravery, persistence, courage, integrity, and determination flash through my mind like neon lights.”
Hendrickson was nominated by history graduate student Erica Thomas, who wrote, “Dr. Hendrickson saw something in me that even I could not. He gave me hope that I could still accomplish everything I desired, but I would have to work a bit harder than I had planned.”
With 14 student and 20 faculty and staff nominations, SAM Center staff associate Candi Harris said they were pleased with the response for the inaugural award.
“We really looked for students who gave back,” she said about selecting a winner. “Ms. Bernadette Russo, who nominated Monique Sandoval, wrote in her essay how she discovered that Monique had discreetly taken what she had learned and shared with other students, tutoring them and forming study groups.
“Regarding mentors, we wanted someone who had gone above and beyond and who took a personal interest in their students,” she said. “Erica Thomas, a grad student here, wrote about Dr. Kenneth Hendrickson and how he had helped her work through several family issues that had come up during the semester.
“Erica wrote, ‘A mentor who is willing to share past experiences just to inspire me to continue to work hard…is one who deserves to be honored,’” Harris said. “While most mentoring relationships begin with academic/professional pursuits in mind, the selection committee decided that true mentoring branches out into the personal.”
Sessions Orient New, Transfer Students To Campus
Students entering Sam Houston State University in the fall will have multiple opportunities to learn more about the campus and navigate the logistics of starting college, or switching colleges, with new student and transfer orientations this summer.
The New Student Orientation program hosts organized, purposeful, and positive introduction sessions for all new SHSU students and their families,” said Leslie Sullivan, assistant director for New Student Orientation. “These sessions help them become familiar with services and programs vital to their successful transition as full and active members of the SHSU community.
“Partnering collaboratively with other university offices and departments, these sessions help students gain the skills, information and meaningful relationships important to successful long-term academic and personal outcomes,” she said.
New Student Orientation is mandatory for all incoming freshmen, regardless of the number of college credit hours earned while completing high school.
Sessions will be held June 10-11, June 17-18, June 24-25, July 8-9, July 15-16, July 22-23 and July 29-30. The registration deadline for each session is the Friday before (for example, June 4 for the June 10-11 orientation).
Transfer orientations, for those who graduated high school before the 2009-10 school year, will be held May 28 and Aug. 6, the registration deadlines for which are May 21 and July 30, respectively. Unlike New Student Orientation, it is not mandatory.
“Transfer and returning students are encouraged to attend transfer orientation,” Sullivan said. “Since no two schools are alike, you will find lots of useful information to help you acclimate to the SHSU environment.”
Spaces are limited for each orientation session and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. All students must reserve their spaces and pay for orientation by the registration deadline for each session. The cost is $120 for students and $50 per guest.
For more information, or to register, call 936.294.1782 or visit http://www.shsu.edu/enrollment/orientation/.
Campus Votes ‘My Sam’ As New Portal Name
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| "My Sam" project coordinator Stephanie Brim (left) and assistant director of Undergraduate Admissions Diane McCormick presented Paula Teague and Jenny Zoch iPods for their participation in the portal survey. |
The campus community has voted for “My Sam” as the name of SHSU’s new campus portal.
“My Sam” will go live in the fall for faculty, staff and students to access SHSU’s new single-sign-on Web-based portal.
“‘My Sam’ will be the one-stop shop for all of the features currently found in Banner and SamWeb,” said Nancy Leavell, "My Sam" project team leader. “Additionally, ‘My Sam’ will be the place to go for news about campus events and deadlines. Each person will get to customize their ‘My Sam’ portal to allow them to focus on just what matters to them.
“In spring 2011, as new systems within Banner go live, ‘My Sam’ will become more and more robust and it truly will be the portal to Sam Houston State,” Leavell said.
In addition, Paula Teague, a junior psychology major, and Jenny Zoch, a junior biology and kinesiology major, were chosen to win 4GB iPod Nanos for their participation in the portal name survey.
Student Musicians Provide Elementary Piano Lessons
Ten Samuel Houston Elementary third and fourth graders received 10 private piano lessons from the 10 undergraduate and graduate piano students from SHSU’s School of Music on the elementary campus during the Spring 2010 semester.
Sergio Ruiz, associate professor of music at Sam Houston State University, with Samuel Houston Elementary principal Stacy Bennett and counselor Judy Phillips created a joint project linking music majors with third and fourth graders.
On May 3, the elementary students presented a piano recital for their parents and other guests on the Samuel Houston Elementary campus.
"It was amazing to see the enthusiasm of the students," Ruiz said. "They were so motivated to practice, to work toward a goal and it was just as amazing to see the response of the parents and their pride in the children for their accomplishment and the result of their discipline."
Ruiz said he hopes to continue the collaboration during the 2010-11 academic year.
Today@Sam Seeks Summer Calendar Info
The University Communications Office is now collecting information on campus events for its summer and fall calendar pages.
Departmental calendars or events can be sent to today@sam.edu or jenniferg@shsu.edu or faxed to 294.1834. Please include the date, location and time of the event, as well as a brief description and a contact person.
Information collected for the Today@Sam calendar pages, at /calendars/, is used by various media outlets, as well as the Communications Office for news stories and releases.
All information, including story ideas and update items for Today@Sam, should be sent a minimum of a week in advance of the event in order to make necessary contacts and write a story.
For more information, call 936.294.1836.
Send Update Items Here
Information for the SHSU Update can be sent to the Office of Communications electronically at Today@Sam.edu or to any of the media contacts listed below.
Please include the date, location and time of the event, as well as a brief description and a contact person.
All information for news stories should be sent to the office at least a week in advance to give the staff ample time to make necessary contacts and write the story.
For electronic access to SHSU news see the Communications Web page Today@Sam.
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SHSU Media Contacts: Bruce Erickson, Julia May, Jennifer Gauntt
May 14, 2010
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu
This page maintained by SHSU's Communications Office
Director: Bruce Erickson
Assistant Director: Julia May
Writer: Jennifer Gauntt
Located in the 115 Administration Building
Telephone: 936.294.1836; Fax: 936.294.1834
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu.
