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SHSU Update For Week Of Sept. 18, 2011

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Seminar To Showcase 'Journeys' Of Faculty


A new lecture seminar through the Elliott T. Bowers Honors College will introduce the SHSU community to faculty who “have overcome great odds, accomplished something interesting or surprising, been awarded some honor or recognition from their field or the university, or who just have an interesting journey to share.”

Craig Henderson, SHSU associate professor of psychology, will kick off the Journeys Seminar on Monday (Sept. 19), at 4:30 p.m. in Smith-Hutson Building Room 186.

Devised as an Honors 3332 class, the one-hour seminar will be hosted each Monday throughout the semester, according to class instructor Patrick Lewis, assistant professor of biological sciences. Though the lectures are presented as part of a class, they are open to the public.

“Our goal with the Journeys seminar is to show students what characteristics lead to success. We hope to accomplish this by bringing 10 of the most innovative and successful members of the academic community to give one lecture each. Speakers range from administrators to professors, from new faculty to those who have served the campus for decades, and come from a diversity of backgrounds.

Henderson, who has taught at SHSU since 2005, said he plans to discuss the career development skills of effective graduate students and lessons he has learned along the way.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Howard Payne University, his master’s degree from Hardin-Simmons University and his doctorate from the University of North Texas.

He currently serves as principal investigator for a nearly $1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for which he is researching gender and ethnic differences in multidimensional family therapy.

He is also conducting grant-funded research on family interventions for teens with alcohol-related crises in the ER; integrated HIV risk reduction and drug abuse services for young offenders; and long-term outcomes and the economic impact of detention, among many other projects.

Drinks and snacks will be provided and an informal question-and-answer period will follow the seminar.

For more information, contact Lewis at pjl001@shsu.edu or 936.294.3397.

 

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Music Prof To Kick Off Fall Grassroots Series


Sergio Ruiz, director of keyboard studies at SHSU, will share his “roots” with members of the Bearkat and Huntsville communities, discussing his life, career path and the challenges he has faced along the way on Tuesday (Sept. 20).

The Grassroots Speaker Series presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Advising and Mentoring Center, in College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building Room 170.

Ruiz earned his bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, his master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and his doctorate from Rice University.

He has been teaching at SHSU since 2004, during which time he has helped establish the university’s first Latin arts festival, Festival Inspiración, and has been recognized with SHSU’s Faculty Excellence in Service award.

Following the discussion, a meet-and-greet with refreshments will be held in the Student Advising and Mentoring Center, located in CHSSB Suite 170.

The “Grassroots: A Series of Conversations on Leadership in a Diverse Community” was created approximately seven years ago with the aim of promoting the career aspirations and academic achievements of minority students by bringing to campus notable leaders from all over the state.

“Grassroots brings community and state leaders to our campus to speak about their leadership experiences, their paths to success, and lessons they’ve learned in diversity,” said Chrystal Golden, SAM Center student assistant. “Students not only listen to these speakers, but they’re also given an opportunity to interact with them in an informal environment.”

The lecture is sponsored by the SAM Center’s academic support programs; the Elliott T. Bowers Honors College; the International Hispanic Association; Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.; the NAACP; the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program; Student Success Initiatives office; and Women United.

For more information, contact Bernice Strauss, SAM Center director for academic support programs, at sam_bss@shsu.edu or 936.294.4455.

 

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Presentation To Update Veterans, Military On Services


SHSU’s Veterans Success at Sam, in conjunction with the SHSU Army ROTC, will present one of two seminars aimed at “taking care of veteran/military needs on campus as a whole” on Thursday (Sept. 22).

The Veterans Fall Leadership Seminar will be from 6-8 p.m. in College of Humanities and Social Sciences Room 070.

“These seminars are an effort to update veterans and active military on numerous topics including but not limited to leadership development, educational benefit changes, medical help/readiness, legal support, and much more,” said Jacob Bullion, recruiting coordinator for Veterans Success at Sam.

“The Veterans Resource Center has undergone some major changes this summer and what was known solely as the veterans effort on campus, the Veterans Resource Center, is now known as Veterans Success at Sam, an all-encompassing initiative designed to take care of veteran/military needs on campus as a whole,” he said. “Our new motto is ‘Taking Care of Sam Houston's Own’ and we intend to do just that.”

The seminar is geared towards veterans here on the SHSU campus as both a networking opportunity as well as overall development via the skills and experiences that they gained during their time in the military, according to Bullion.

It will also allow SHSU vets to become acquainted with the local veterans and military support network within Walker County and the City of Huntsville.

The event is open to all veterans; active duty, guard and reserve servicemen and women; and their dependents.

For more information, contact Bullion at 936.294.4079 or veterans@shsu.edu.

 

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Biological Sciences Seminar To Focus On Evolution


Puni Jeyasingh, assistant professor of zoology at Oklahoma State University—Stillwater, will link ecology and evolution using chemical elements on Thursday (Sept. 22).

The Biological Science Department Seminar Series lecture will begin at 4 p.m. in Lee Drain Building Room 214.

Jeyasingh’s research on evolution hinges on the idea that while we know how ecology shapes evolution, we know little about how evolution affects ecology, he said.

“Of late, we have realized that evolutionary change (i.e., shifts in the frequency of genotypes) can have major impacts on ecological processes such as primary production, nutrient recycling, etc,” he said.

Jeyasingh will present an organizational framework based on tracking key chemicals elements in biology, such as carbon or phosphorus, that is useful in understanding not only how evolutionary change affects ecology, but also how such altered ecology can further impact subsequent evolution, he said.

“Data from experiments on the freshwater crustacean, Daphnia, at multiple levels of organization will be presented,” he said. “The unique biology of Daphnia allows us to conduct such experiments on genotypes ‘resurrected’ from resting eggs laid several decades ago and compare them to their descendants swimming in lakes today.”

Jeyasingh has taught at Oklahoma State since 2009.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Madras Christian College in Chennai, India; master’s degrees from Pondicherry University in India and from Murray State University; and his doctorate from the University of Oklahoma.

His lecture is open to the public.

For more information, contact Madhu Choudhary, assistant professor of biological sciences, at 936.294.4850.

 

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Beto Lecture To Feature Distinguished Sociologist


Charles R. Tittle, a distinguished sociologist specializing in criminology, will discuss "The Uses of, and Technology for, International Surveys" as part of the first Beto Lecture of the fall semester on Friday (Sept. 23).

The lecture will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom.

Tittle is the Goodwin-Glaxo Wellcome Professor of Social Sciences at North Carolina State University.

His landmark book “Control Balance: Toward a General Theory of Deviance” won the American Society of Criminology’s Michael J. Hindelang Award and the American Sociological Association’s Albert J. Reiss Distinguished Scholarship Award. He also was recognized by the ASC with the Edwin H. Sutherland Award in 1998 for his outstanding contributions to the discipline of criminology.

Tittle earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Ouachita Baptist College in Arkansas and his master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Before joining North Carolina State University in 2000, he served on the faculties of Washington State University, Indiana University and Florida Atlantic University.

Best known for his research on crime, deviance and social control, Tittle’s publications also include “Social Deviance and Crime: An Organizational and Theoretical Sanctions” and “Social Deviance: The Question of Deterrence,” as well as dozens of articles in academic journals.

For more information, contact Beth Kuhles, College of Criminal Justice public relations officer, at 936.294.4425.

 

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‘County U’ To Offer Insight, Access To Local Government


Participants from the 2009 County U

How do the county commissioners and the county judge prepare Walker County’s annual budget? How does the district attorney prepare for an extensive murder trial? How does the county contract with local non-profits to provide needed services?

These and other county business practices will be addressed during the Political Science Junior Fellows’ third annual “County U,” a series of five, one-night classes designed to describe and highlight services and programs provided by various county offices.

This fall’s “County U” will meet on Wednesday evenings beginning Sept. 21, from 6-8 p.m., through Oct. 19.

“‘County U’ highlights the daily work of county officials and employees, allows residents to meet their local elected officials up close, provides information on various county-provided services, and helps show transparency in county government,” said junior fellows president Christian Bionat. “We’re excited to be able to partner with Walker County again on this program.”

Each session focuses on a different department, area or service provided by the county and is held at different venues, from county facilities to historical homes. Various presentation methods will be used: handouts, tours, interactive activities, round-robin discussions, and PowerPoint presentations.

“Last year, in addition to the usual presentations, we incorporated interactive activities to help the participants grasp some of the issues elected official face, such as allocating budgets,” said Robert Loughran, junior fellows co-president. “The participants ranked these activities high on evaluations, so we’re bringing them back this year.”

Local elected officials, including the county judge, county commissioner, district attorney and county sheriff, as well as staff members, will discuss the duties, responsibilities, procedures, and services within their particular area or department.

Earlier this summer, Walker County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to contract with the Political Science Junior Fellows to help coordinate and conduct the series.

“‘County U’ fits nicely within the junior fellows’ stated objective to promote education, public service, and professionalism,” said Mike Yawn, group adviser. “This event typifies the work we strive to do in the community. We feel fortunate that the county supports and trusts the junior fellows with running such an important countywide program.”

The program is limited to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration is free, but participants must register in advance to enroll and commit to attending the programs. The deadline for registration is Monday (Sept. 19).

For more information, or to reserve a spot, contact Yawn at 936.294.1456 or at mike.yawn@shsu.edu.

 

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Group Collects School Supplies For Wildfire Victims


The Sam Houston Council for Exceptional Children is seeking to help those directly affected by the Texas wildfires through a drive that will collect school supplies for the children in those areas.

The SCEC is requesting backpacks, notebook paper, folders, pencils, spirals, colored paper, pens and any other typical school supplies for the Disaster Relief Backpack Collection. Cash donations will also be accepted, with the goal of filling 100 backbacks, according to SCEC faculty co-adviser Cindy Simpson.

A drop box for the will be located on the first floor of the Teacher Education Center at the student worker desk through Sept. 23. Materials can also be left with Simpson or Jessica Rueter in the College of Education’s language, literacy and special populations department.

"SCEC has been very active in supporting the community and in the past have worked with disaster relief efforts such as providing childcare and books to children after Hurricane Ike and delivering supplies to those children impacted by Hurricane Rita,” Simpson said. “The student organization was made aware that many children returning to school would be without the necessary educational materials. We immediately brainstormed ways to assist these children and felt that collecting backpacks filled with supplies would be a meaningful way for our students to support the children and families impacted by the wildfires.

"This service project offers our SCEC students the opportunity to meet the needs of families through these disastrous, life-changing events and at the same time exemplifies the SHSU motto, 'The measure of a Life is its Service,'" she said.

For more information, contact Simpson at cindysimpson@shsu.edu.

 

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College Seeks Nominees For Wall Of Honor


The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is seeking outstanding alumni to be recognized as part of its Wall of Honor.

Nominations are being accepted for “individuals who have distinguished themselves throughout their careers through personal and professional achievements and who have made significant contributions to SHSU, the students, and to society, and thus have brought honor and distinction to our college and university,” according to John de Castro, CHSS dean.

“They must be graduates from one of the departments or programs of the college, but can be from any era in the history of SHSU including the present,” he said.

Nominations can be made online through the CHSS website at http://www.shsu.edu/~hss001/honor/alumni.html.

Recipients are selected by the CHSS alumni advisory board.

The wall was introduced last spring, recognizing Walter Bennett, Joseph Clark, John Hannah and Ferol Robinson, all of whom were recognized during a ceremony with plaques and a video presentation about each recipient.

The deadline for nominations is Oct. 1.

For more information, contact Toni Abshire, in the dean’s office, at abshire@shsu.edu or 936.294.2205.

 

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Event To Prepare Students For Job, Graduate School Fair


Career Services will help students and alumni prepare for its upcoming Career Expo and Graduate School Fair with kickoff party during which attendees can meet with corporate representatives on Tuesday (Sept. 20).

The Career Expo and Graduate School Fair Kick-Off Party will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Mall Area.

"Students will be able to network with the company recruiters while enjoying pizza and lemonade, and resume template packets and an up-to-date list of organizations and graduate schools attending the expo will be available to help students prepare for the event," said Pam Laughlin, Career Services director.

“We recommend that job seekers use this list to research the companies attending,” she said. “First impressions count and students who are knowledgeable about an organization prior to meeting that organization's recruiter at the expo will make a great first impression with that potential employer."

The Career Expo and Graduate School Fair is scheduled for Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

For more information, contact Career Services at 936.294.1713 or careerservices@shsu.edu.

 

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Invitational To Bring High School Musicians To SHSU


Approximately 200 high school students who are preparing for the Orchestra Division All-State Auditions will be on the Sam Houston State University campus on Saturday (Sept. 24) for the 46th Annual String Invitational TMEA All-State/All-Region Audition Workshop.

The workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center and Music Building.

Sessions will be taught by SHSU School of Music faculty and members of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, including HSO members Assia Dulgerska, assistant concertmaster; Wei Jiang, viola; Jeffrey Butler, cello; and David Malone, acting principal bass; as well as SHSU string faculty members Javier Pinell, violin; Naomi Gjevre, violin; Rene Salazar, viola; Daniel Saenz, violoncello; Deborah Dunham, double bass; and David Cole, director of orchestral studies.

“There will be two levels of instruction on the all-state etudes. A morning session for less experienced players who wish to focus on the etudes exclusively, and an afternoon session for more advanced players,” Pinell said. “In addition, there will be morning sessions on the all-state orchestra audition excerpts, led by members of the Houston Symphony.

Also during the day, there will be sessions on audition preparation and instrument care, and participants will have the opportunity to try out instruments and purchase music and other accessories from displays by the Amati Violin Shop, Sam's Strings, and Quantum Bass Center.

Students interested in attending can register on-site on the day of the event.

For more information, call the School of Music at 936.294.1360.

 

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Professor’s New Book Connects Music, Autism


A new book by Hayoung Lim, an assistant professor of music therapy and coordinator of SHSU’s graduate program in music therapy, “makes a valuable connection between the two traits to showcase music as an effective way of enhancing the speech and language skills” of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

“Developmental Speech-Language Training through Music for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Theory and Clinical Application” which was released last week by London’s Jessica Kingsley Publishers, serves as a comprehensive guide to Lim's “Developmental Speech-Language Training through Music” approach.

“The conclusion of the book is that although children with autism spectrum disorders frequently have various kinds of language deficits, most of children show an intact ability to perceive important linguistic information embedded in music stimuli organized by principles of pattern perception, and produce the functional speech-language,” Lim said.

“Providing effective intervention to develop communication skills and language in children with ASD by utilizing their intact capacity is a high priority in efforts to treat ASD; and throughout my extensive music therapy clinical experiences for children with ASD, speech language training in various musical experiences has been very effective for treating their speech-language deficits,” she said.

Called “essential reading for music therapists, speech and language pathologists and other professionals working with children with autism, as well as researchers and academics in the field,” the book is also a comprehensive guide to Lim’s own approach of using music in speech-language training for children ASD, based on a theoretical foundation that employs the most up-to-date research.

“All of the suggested/recommended approaches and protocols came directly from my own music therapy practice with children with ASD,” she said. “I have designed each of the music therapy interventions in the book; and all of the interventions have been practiced in real clinical music therapy settings.”

“Developmental Speech-Language Training through Music for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Theory and Clinical Application” is available for $36.95 on the JKP website, at http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781849058490, and on Amazon.com.

 

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Indian Tribes Learn Leadership Skills At Workshop


CMIT hosted the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal correctional managers from 10 states for a national training on jail leadership and succession planning.

The Correctional Management Institute of Texas recently hosted the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal correctional managers from 10 states for a national training on jail leadership and succession planning.

The National Jail Leadership Command Academy, run in conjunction with the American Jail Association, is designed for mid-level correctional managers to develop leadership skills for top administrative positions in the future. The program is taught by national experts in their field both in the profession and in academia.

“It helped put together a lot of information,” said Frank R. Hecht, American Jail Association president and jail administrator for Tohono O’odham Nation Corrections, one of the main instructors for the program. “It gives them the knowledge and skills in the leadership, management and overall understanding of the organization. It provides a sense of commonality. It also reenergizes them and recommits them to their community.”

Corrections in the Indian nations includes the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, contracted facilities and those operated by different tribes. Participants came from Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Washington.
Delores Greyeyes, of the Navajo Nation, said it made the process of strategic planning much easier.

“I have all the tools and resources now,” Greyeyes said. “It will help me with overall management, through self-development and actualization applications for working with personnel and facilities.”

It also helped motivate correctional leaders to make changes at their facilities.

“The training made me look at myself and how I do things,” said David Charles, of the Navajo Nation. “We want a legacy of leadership. But there are things you can’t change, you can only change yourself.”

One of the key issues to tackle is communication.

“I looked at myself and I thought I was sharing information,” said Sherry Begay, of the Navajo Nation. “There are a lot of good things I thought I was doing that I was not doing.”

 

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Today@Sam Submission Guidelines Change

In order to assist members of the Sam Houston State University community in publicizing events, the SHSU Communications Office (Today@Sam) is now requesting that students, faculty and staff submit information about events, accomplishments or ideas for feature stories online.

Submission criteria and guidelines, including deadlines, have now been placed online, at /guidelines.html. This information is also accessible through the “Submissions” link in the right-hand navigation on Today@Sam.

From there, those submitting ideas can access forms that will allow them to provide detailed information about their idea, as well as attach event calendars, vitas/resumes or photos, depending on the type of submission.

Ideas submitted to the SHSU Communications Office are directly utilized in several ways: as news stories, “slider” or SHSU home page stories, hometown releases, and on the Today@Sam calendar.

If your submission qualifies for distribution, we will either contact you for more detailed information, or we will edit the information using SHSU/journalistic style and forward the final release to the appropriate media.

All information is verified before release, so please provide complete, accurate and timely information. Please type all responses in appropriate upper and lower cases.

For more information, contact the Communications Office at 936.294.1836 or today@sam.edu.

 

 

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SHSU Media Contacts: Julia May, Jennifer Gauntt
Sept. 16, 2011
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu

 

 

 

This page maintained by SHSU's Communications Office
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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.


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