College of Liberal Arts
Dr. Craig Byron, assistant professor of biology, had a paper accepted for publication. “Temporalis Muscle Enlargement and Alterations in the Lateral Cranial Vault” will be published in Integrative Comparative Biology.
Dr. Heather Bowman Cutway, assistant professor of biology, received a research grant from the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council for her work on invasive species removal and seed dispersal in the Ocmulgee National Monument.
Dr. Jeff Denny, associate professor of mathematics, gave a talk entitled “Advice on Preparing for an Academic Job Search” at the Mathematics Graduate Student Seminar at Florida State University, Feb. 22.
Dr. Jeff Denny and Dr. Keith Howard, associate professors of mathematics, gave the talks “Transitioning to Higher Mathematics Via Programming and Proofs, Parts I and II” at the American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Association of America Joint Meetings in San Diego, Calif., January, based on their use of computer programming in MAT 225 (Discrete Mathematics). The talks invited the students to explore ideas, demonstrate applications of the mathematical topics, and develop thinking and communication habits that are helpful in advancing their understanding of proofs.
Dr. Keith Howard, associate professor of mathematics, has agreed to serve a three-month term on the Advisory Panel for the “Interdisciplinary Training of Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences” that will meet April 30-May 1 at the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Janell Johnson, assistant of Christianity, presented the paper, “The Pedagogical Possibilities of The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggeman,” for the Society of Biblical Literature at the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion, Atlanta, March 7.
Dr. Ajaz Karim, assistant professor of earth and environmental science, participated in a three-day symposium entitled “Geographic Information Systems in Teaching and Research.” This year’s symposium included a focused workshop entitled “GIS for Conservation in Georgia” and was held at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Feb. 13-15. Karim also published a paper, “Net Ecosystem Production in the Great Lakes Basin and its Implications for the North American Missing Carbon Sink: A Hydrologic and Stable Isotope Approach,” in the March 2008 issue of Global and Planetary Change. This volume is a special issue titled “Carbon Cycling and Hydrology in the Paleo-terrestrial Environments.”
Dr. Sheng-Chiang “John” Lee, assistant professor of physics, gave an invited paper at the 4th International Conference and Exhibition on Device Packaging held by International Microelectronics and Packaging Society at Scottsdale/Fountain Hill, Ariz., March 17-20. The paper, titled “A Variant of the First Fully-Differential Capacitive Sensor for Use in Scanning Probe Microscopy Applications to Nano-Fabrication,” was given with Dr. Randall Peters, department chair and professor of physics, in an MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) section.
Dr. Paul Lewis, associate professor of Christianity, attended the Integrative Designs for General Education and Assessment Conference, Boston, Mass., Feb. 21-23, which was organized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
Scot J. Mann, assistant professor and theatre director, recently choreographed violence and gunplay for The Horizon Theatre Company’s production of “In Darfur,” a compelling work and call to action. Mann also traveled to Louisiana Tech where he taught several master classes in film/stage combat and character movement at the 17th annual Louisiana Stage Combat Workshop. The workshop featured instructors and professionals from the film and theatre industries from the U.S. and England. At Mercer, Mann recently directed, choreographed and designed sound for Mercer Theatre’s production of “Rashomon.”
Dr. Lydia Masanet, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures, was selected by an honorium to give homage to the Catalonia writer Mercedes Salisachs. As a member of this group of scholars, Masanet prepared an article about her autobiographic novel to be published on the electronic journal Espéculo, published by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. The paper, “Excavando en el Pasado: Mercedes Salisachs Recuerda,” was published in a special issue entitled, Homenaje a Mercedes Salisach: Más de Cincuenta Años en la Literatura, Espéculo, v. 38, March, 2008. Masanet also chaired the session “Twentieth Century Prose and Poetry: Reconstructing the Past and Fashioning Identity” at the Southeast Coastal Conference on Languages and Literatures held at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, March 28. She also presented a paper entitled “Referents Autobiográficos en El Mundo de Juan José Millás” at the same conference.
Darlene Murphy, administrative secretary for the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts, was one of several artists who participated in the Federated Garden Club Center’s “Taste of the South” event, which featured tours, luncheons and a special selection of original works of art. The exhibition ran from March 31-April 3. The Vineville Garden Club honored Murphy when it chose her to create a finial for the fountain at Washington Park in honor of the late Tommy Robinson.
Dr. Matthew Oberrieder, assistant professor of philosophy, organized a three-talk presentation series on Plato for the philosophy department for this spring. The series brings three advanced philosophy graduate students from Emory University to Mercer’s Macon campus to deliver guest-talks for philosophy students and other interested students and faculty. The first talk, “Discourse and Knowledge in Plato’s Theaetetus,” was Feb. 21. The second talk, “Plato on Poetry, Myth, and Allegory,” was March 13. The third talk, “Augustine’s Appropriation of Platonism,” will be Thursday, April 10, at 4:30 pm in Knight 210.
Dr. Randall D. Peters, department chair and professor of physics, published the first chapter, titled “Building on Old Foundations with New Technologies” of Nova Publishers’ book, Science Education in the 21st Century, pp 9-68 (2008).
Dr. Ami L. Spears, assistant professor of psychology, presented a poster with student An Mai at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference, March 6-9. The project, “Exploring the Effects of Familiarity and Synchrony on the McGurk Effect,” won a Psi Chi Regional Research Award.
Dr. Margaret Symington, associate professor of mathematics, received funding for two “Teacher Quality” grants that she wrote. Each grant supports a week-long professional development workshop for teachers in Coffee County that Symington will develop and facilitate in collaboration with Marsha Sanders-Leigh, an educator from Georgia Institute of Technology’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing. While on a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, to collaborate with a colleague, she also gave a talk titled “Exploiting Symmetry: The Geometry of Linkages and the Spherical Pendulum” at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences.
JoAnna Watson, professor of sociology, and Dr. Jean Fallis, Service Learning consultant, led a workshop entitled “International Service Learning” at the annual conference of the Gulf-South Summit on Service Learning in Nashville, Tenn., March 13-15.
Bryan Whitfield, assistant professor of Christianity, attended the Southeastern Regional meeting of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion, Atlanta, March 7, and the meeting of the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion, Atlanta, March 7-8.
Dr. Fletcher Winston, assistant professor of sociology, accompanied eight sociology majors at the Southeastern Undergraduate Student Symposium at Emory University, Feb. 25. Winston also received a Student Travel Grant from Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society. The grant will help fund the travel of five sociology majors who will present papers at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in Richmond, Va., April 10-12.
Dr. Carolyn Yackel, associate professor of mathematics, and Sarah-Marie Belcastro edited “Making Mathematics with Needlework,” which was published in late 2007 by AK Peters. The book, which is available in bookstores and online, contains both scholarly mathematics and a variety of interesting needlework patterns to make wonderful summer reading for stitchers of all stripes. The book received an excellent review in the newsletter of the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and one of the chapters was republished in part in issue six of Craft magazine, proving the diversity of audience to whom the book appeals. In February, Yackel gave two invited talks at Spelman College.
Walter F. George School of Law
Jim Fleissner, professor, spoke to lawyers attending a Continuing Legal Education program hosted by the Law School on March 7. His presentation reviewed criminal law and procedure cases currently before the United States Supreme Court. Fleissner addressed over 100 law students at Florida Coastal Law School, Jacksonville, Fla., March 8. The speech was entitled “The First Amendment, Reporters, and Confidential Sources in the CIA Leak Case.”
Jack Sammons, Griffin B. Bell Professor of Law, presented a paper entitled “The Practice as Parable” as part of symposium on Pluralism, Law, and Religion at Seattle University School of Law, March 9. His most recent article, “Justice as Play,” will be published in New Literary History by the University of Virginia.
School of Medicine
Dr. Frank Bowyer III, chair of Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Asa Black Jr., professor of basic medical sciences, and Dr. Henry Young, professor of basic medical sciences, along with several students and residents, presented 12 posters at the Keystone Symposium on Tumor Suppressors and Stem Cell Biology, Vancouver, B.C., Feb, 25:
“Regeneration of a Broncho-Pulmonary Segment in an Adult Rat Lung via Primitive Stem Cells,” “CEA-CAM-1 Positive Stem Cells from the Brain of the Adult Rat,” “Variation in Primitive Stem Cell Numbers in the Adult Porcine and Adult Rat Spleens,” “Maintenance and Repair of the Pancreas of the Adult Rat by Primitive Stem Cells,” “Primitive Stem Cells in the Dermis and Fat of the Adult Pig,” “Spontaneous Repair of Interventricular Septal Myocardium in the Adult Pig by Primitive Stem Cells,” “SSEA-4 Positive Stem Cells and CEA-CAM-1 Positive Stem Cells in Adult Porcine Myocardium,” “Primitive Stem Cells in the Adult Porcine Pancreas,” “Primitive Stem Cells in Adult Feline, Canine, Ovine, Caprine, Bovine, and Equine Peripheral Blood,” “Primitive Stem Cells in Human Peripheral Blood,” “Increase in Primitive Stem Cell Numbers in Equine Peripheral Blood Following Stress” and “Decellularized Native Matrices + Primitive Adult Stem Cells + Donor Islets Form Islet Organoids for the Treatment of Type-I Diabetes Mellitus.”
Dr. Steve Livingston, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science, and assistant director of the Family Therapy Program – Atlanta Piedmont Hospital campus, presented “Family Therapy with Suicidal Adolescents: Considering Family Structure and Role Assignment” and “Integration Through Collaboration: The Successful Integration of an MFT Program and Practice into a Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Department in a Medical School” at the 16th International Family Therapy Association World Congress, Porto, Portugal, March 26-29.
Dr. Mike U. Smith, director of AIDS Education and Research, and professor of medical education, published “A Multi-Year Program Developing an Explicit Reflective Pedagogy for Teaching Pre-service Teachers the Nature of Science By Ostention” in Science & Education (special issue on instruction in the nature of science), 17(1-2):219-248.
Dr. Yudan Wei, assistant professor of community medicine, gave a presentation at the 47th Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, the largest toxicology conference in the world, held in Seattle, Wash., March 16-20. The title of her presentation was “Reducing Lead Levels in the Contaminated Soils by Phytoextraction Using Sunflowers.”
School of Engineering
Dr. Richard Mines, professor and program director of environmental engineering, was invited by Dean David Huddleston of Tennessee Technological University at Cookeville to serve as an external reviewer of the Masters Program in Civil & Environmental Engineering. Mines visited the TTU campus on Feb. 28-29 to perform the review and assessment of their program.
Dr. Scott Schultz, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, was invited to speak at the Dixie Crow Symposium, an annual gathering of Electronic Warfare professionals, at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins. The title of his talk was “Critical Chain Management—Reducing Depot Maintenance Flow Days”.
Tift College of Education
Dr. Richard Binkney, assistant professor of education, presented “Teaching the GACE I Basic Skills in Reading and Writing” at the Georgia Middle School Association’s 31st Annual Conference at the Marriott Riverfront Hotel, Savannah, Feb. 26.
Dr. Peter Ross, assistant professor of education, was named to the Reviewers Task Panel to review and recommend papers submitted to the International Intellectbase Consortium for presentation and/or publication
Georgia Baptist College of Nursing
Dr. Linda A. Streit, professor and associate dean for the graduate program, has been selected to serve on the Nursing Research Council for St. Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta.
College of Continuing and Professional Studies
Dr. Karen Lacey, assistant professor of English and College of Continuing and Professional Studies representative to the University General Education Committee, attended the Association of American Colleges and Universities Network for Academic Renewal Conference, “Integrative Designs for General Education and Assessment.” The conference was held in Boston, Mass., Feb. 21-23.
Dr. David Lane, associate professor of counseling and human sciences and coordinator of the Master of Science in Counseling Program, presented “How Good People Make Tough Choices,” an ethics workshop for mental health professionals on March 13. Sponsored by Catalyst for Care, a statewide child advocacy group, the six-hour workshop was attended by professionals from across the state of Georgia.
Dr. Art Williams, chair of the department of counseling and human sciences, and Dr. David Lane, associate professor of counseling and human sciences and coordinator of the graduate program in counseling, led a training session for MARTA police officers in Atlanta who will apply for promotion to sergeant. Williams and Lane led a role-play examination designed to score each MARTA police officer on communication skills. The training program, coordinated by Georgia State University, included faculty members from throughout the Southeastern United States.
Dr. Art Williams, chair of the department of counseling and human sciences, was interviewed by Atlanta’s CBS affiliate, Channel 46, on the topic of serial murderers. Williams discussed the definition of serial killing, childhood characteristics of serial murderers, types of serial murders and reasons individuals commit serial murders.
Dr. Andrea L. Winkler, assistant professor of history, collaborated with Diane Kovach of Atlanta’s Southern Flames, the local chapter of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, to create a display of handmade glass beads and glass working tools. The display, which showcases local Atlanta area glass artists, will be on display through April in the Swilley Library on Mercer’s Atlanta campus. For those who cannot make it to see the display in person, the library has a link to photographs in the Swilley Library blog.
Townsend School of Music
Dr. Douglas Hill, professor of music, adjudicated bands, orchestras and jazz ensembles from Virginia and Ohio at the Festivals of Music in Atlanta, March 28. He performed as a member of Colony IV Brass Quintet in the “Organ and Brass Concert” at St. Joe’s Catholic Church as part of the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival, Macon, March 31. Hill also toured with Townsend School of Music students and faculty members Dr. Monty Cole, associate professor of music and chair of Jazz Studies; Dr. Marcus Reddick, assistant professor of music, and Jonathan Swygert, adjunct lecturer, to Milton, Marietta, Etowah and Sequoyah High Schools, April 3-4.
Amy Schwartz Moretti, associate professor and director of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, was featured as soloist with the Omaha Symphony and Music Director Thomas Wilkins in Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No.5” at the Holland Performing Arts Center, Omaha, Neb., March 28-29. Moretti performed in recital with the Moretti Duo for the Linfield College Chamber Orchestra Series in Ice Auditorium, McMinnville, Ore., March 7, and with Trio RPM, including cellist Christopher Rex, distinguished artist and cello chair of the RMCS, and pianist Elizabeth Pridgen for “Classical Music at the Palace,” at the Palace Saloon in Amelia Island, Fla., March 13.
Division of Libraries
Geoffrey P. Timms, instructor and Electronic Resources/Reference Librarian at Tarver Library, reviewed John C. Stevens III’s Court-Martial at Parris Island: The Ribbon Creek Incident for Georgia Library Quarterly, the publication of the Georgia Library Association. Timms also attended the 3rd Electronic Resources and Libraries conference in Atlanta, March 18-21.
Mercer Engineering Research Center
Stephen Boswell, principal software engineer in the Applied Sciences Directorate, presented “Digital Receiver Sensitivity Improvements through Statistical and Artificial Intelligence Processing” at the 2008 Dixie Crows Electronic Warfare Symposium held at the Robins Air Force Museum, Warner Robins, March 17-20. Boswell, who holds a Master of Science degree in Software Systems from Mercer’s School of Engineering, has worked at MERC since 2000. He presently conducts research to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms and advanced mathematics to find solutions to difficult and computationally intensive problems. His presentation discussed the use of statistical methods and Wavelets processing to improve the detection capability of RF signals below the noise threshold. His techniques enhanced the detectability of signals at the pulse level as well as pattern recognition for identifying the type of transmitter.
Peter Bryant, principal engineer in the Applied Sciences Directorate, presented “Deinterleaving in a Low Pulse Density Environment Using Singular Value Decomposition (SVD)” at the 2008 Dixie Crows Electronic Warfare Symposium held at the Robins Air Force Museum, Warner Robins, March 17-20. Bryant, who holds a Master of Science in Engineering from Mercer’s School of Engineering, has worked at MERC since 1989 and is one of three patent holders for the MERC Rotational Doppler Geolocation technology. His presentation included a discussion of how to use the SVD to match pulses across sparse collections containing less than 5 pulses. He also discussed MERC-developed techniques to use a minimum Mahalanobis Distance metric as a means of distinguishing between pulse collections derived from two sources of the same type of transmitter. All of this work was performed using intra-pulse I-Q data gathered during the actual flight test of a particular experimental digital receiver at the Eglin AFB test range in Florida.
Staff and Administration
Dr. Barry Jenkins, vice provost for Institutional Effectiveness, received the Eldridge W. Roark, Jr. Meritorious Service Award at the 2008 National Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Summit in Atlanta. Jenkins served as the co-chair of the conference. He is the faculty adviser to Mercer’s circle of Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society.
Sarah May, director of Institutional Research, and Cindy Glance, research analyst, serve as president and vice president, respectively, of the Georgia Association of Institutional Research, Planning, Assessment, and Quality. May and Glance will host the group’s 2008 annual meeting April 9 at the Macon Hilton Garden Inn on the Mercer campus. Speakers at the meeting include Dr. David Carter of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and presentations by group members on institutional effectiveness topics.