Feathers in Your Cap Celebration

April Christman served as a panelist for Saint Patrick Catholic School's eighth grade students' 30-minute presentations on their growth and development in relation to the schools visionary document, The Graduate at Graduation.

Benjamin Dobrin was a guest speaker at a recent Zoom meeting of the VA chapter of the American Society for Industrial Security where he spoke about changes in current and future tasks in the workplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was asked to discuss Public Health best practices and lend his expertise in this realm. With Chris Stuart of Top Guard Security, Dobrin also hosted the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and led a talk titled "Decoding Covid Workplace Challenges."

Sue Erickson presented a webinar for Florida public libraries on "Taking Your Library to New Heights with the SOAR Framework for Strategic Planning."

Benjamin Haller will serve as presider for a panel on Reception Studies at the first ever virtual meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. He also served as presider for a paper panel entitled "Reception Studies 4" and as a Round Table participant for the CAMWS Diversity Committee, upon which he serves as a member, at the re-scheduled virtual meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.

Wayne Pollock's proposal, The Practicality of Ethics in Recreational Therapy, was accepted to present at Slippery Rock University's Recreational Therapy Club Annual Conference that was to take place in Slippery Rock, PA in March 2020. Unfortunately, the conference was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. His proposal, A Practical Approach to Ethical Dilemmas in Recreational Therapy, was also accepted to present at the Southeast Recreational Therapy Symposium that was to take place in Myrtle Beach, SC in April 2020. Unfortunately, the conference was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Michelle Albert Vachris' proposal, "Persuasion in Adam Smith and Jane Austen," and “Ralph Ellison and Adam Smith on Ambition and Vanity," co-authored with Cecil E. Bohanon, were accepted to present at the International Adam Smith Society conference that was to take place in Tokyo, Japan in March 2020. Unfortunately, the conference was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Her proposal, "Study Away: Baseball in the Dominican Republic," and "Human Nature and Civil Society in Jane Austen," co-authored with Cecil E. Bohanon, were also accepted to present at the Association of Private Enterprise meetings that was to take place in Las Vegas, NV in April 2020. Unfortunately, the conference was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Vachris was also invited to give a public lecture, "Entrepreneurship and Governance in the Scotch Whisky Knowledge Commons," at the University of Southern Connecticut in April 2020. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Kathy Merlock Jackson's proposal, "Jaws, Quint's Tale, and the Scars of World War II," was accepted to present at the Popular Culture Association Conference that was to take place in Philadelphia, PA, in April 2020. Unfortunately, the conference was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The paper will be included in a book commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the film.

Annette Clayton along with Tory Cox EdD and Rachel Meffe LISSW were scheduled to facilitate a two-part workshop "Ethical Recordkeeping in the Internet Age" at the 23rd National School Social Work Conference in March 2020 in Baltimore Maryland. The conference has been rescheduled for June 27- June 30, 2020 in Baltimore.

Denise Wilkinson's proposal "Creating an 'Escape' Classroom to Enhance Student Engagement and Learning" was accepted to present at Teaching Academic Success Skills National Conference in Ft Lauderdale, Florida in April 2020. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the conference was cancelled.

Kellie Holzer's proposal, "Reproducing Fashionable Society: Courtship and Marriage Jokes in the Norfolk Chat," was accepted to present at the annual Popular Culture Association conference that was to take place in Philadelphia, PA in April 2020. Unfortunately, the conference was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Stephen Leist was to present on Network Outages and Service Changes as part of an Accessibility Issues Panel Discussion at the OCLC Resource Sharing Conference in San Antonio, Texas, in March 2020. Unfortunately, the conference was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Maynard Schaus served as a panelist for the University Business webinar "Supporting Higher Education Leaders During the COVID-19 Crisis" on April 1, 2020.

Allison Hammer completed the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute (VNRLI) professional development program in June. VNRLI is designed for leaders confronted with Virginia's most pressing natural resource issues who seek new skills in conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving.

Terry Lindvall was the guest speaker for Theological Horizons of the University of Virginia in its "Virtual Vintage" series, speaking on "C. S. Lewis: Learning in War-time and during a Pandemic."

Kathy Merlock Jackson presented the President's Address at the Popular Culture Association Governing Board Meeting.

Ben Dobrin and Chris Stuart, of Top Guard Security, presented to 757 COVID-19 Business Recovery Forum on the challenges of reopening businesses from a Public Health and Public Perception standpoint.

Ben Dobrin and Chris Stuart, of Top Guard Security, presented to Volunteer Hampton Roads on best workplace practices for COVID mitigation at Hampton Roads non-profits. Topics included staff, volunteer and customer safety, proper interpretations of the Governors Executive Orders and temperature scans.

Taryn Myers presented a virtual poster entitled "Does being feminist make sexual minority individuals more susceptible to media influences?" at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association. VWU alumna Makayla Kelley was a co-author. This presentation will be available "on demand" for a full calendar year.
 
Taryn Myers' presentation entitled "Does being a feminist matter? Examining the role of feminist attitudes and identification in the relationship between sociocultural pressures and appearance concerns" was accepted for presentation at the Appearance Matters 9 conference, Bath, England, U.K. The conference was rescheduled for 2021 due to COVID-19.

Brian Kurisky presented to the VA, WI, and IN Campus Compact organizations on the Nationally recognized VWU Voter Engagement plan and how the institution is registering, educating, and getting students to the polls.

 Joyce Easter's "Designing assignments for cognitive and communication skill development" abstract was accepted for presentation at 2020 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. Due to the global pandemic, the 2020 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education was terminated by the Executive Committee of the Division of Chemical Education, American Chemical Society; and, therefore, this presentation could not be given as intended.

Benjamin Haller participated in a Round Table Discussion titled "The Challenges and Opportunities of Diversity for Classics and Latin in K-12 Schools" at the Virtual Meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South as part of his duties as a member of the CAMWS committee on Diversity and Inclusion.

Benjamin Haller served as moderator for a panel entitled, "Reception Studies 4," at the Virtual Meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.

Joyce Easter's "Designing assignments for cognitive and communication skill development" abstract was accepted for presentation at 2020 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. Due to the global pandemic, the conference was terminated by the Executive Committee of the Division of Chemical Education, American Chemical Society; and, therefore, this presentation could not be given as intended.

A conference presentation by Gabi Martorell entitled "Interactive Learning in a Hybrid Class" was accepted by the Psychology One Conference at Duke University that was scheduled for June 2020. The conference was cancelled due to COVID-19. Gabi Martorell remotely held an invited presentation on "The Relevance of Human Development Research for Psychology Professionals" at the Universidad Carlos Albizu in San Juan, Puerto Rico in September of 2020.

Robert Ariel served as a panelist for a webinar titled "Online Research Tools and Techniques" conducted by the Association for Psychological Sciences. A recording of the webinar is available here.

Kathy Merlock Jackson was one of four panelists on the "Redefining Popular Culture After Ray Browne Roundtable" at the Midwest Popular Culture Association Conference, held virtually this year. Kathy is currently serving as president of the Popular Culture Association.

 Joyce Easter, along with colleagues Phil Frana (JMU), Daniel Roberts (VSU), and Jackie Smith-Mason (VCU), presented "Cultivating Community" as part of the National Collegiate Honors Council 2020 National Conference.

Audrey Malagon was invited to present at NYU's Math and Democracy Seminar where she gave a talk entitled “Votes of Confidence: Leveraging Mathematics to Ensure Election Security.” She also discussed math and election security, specifically post-election risk-limiting audits, in presentations to Carleton College and St. Mary's College of California this month.

Mandy Reinig was invited to serve as a facilitator for the virtual Lessons from Abroad Conference on the session, "Showcasing your Experience in your Career Search."

Doug Kennedy spoke on the Maine Public Radio program "Maine Calling" to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on outdoor recreation.

Sue Erickson gave an invited lightning talk at the LYRASIS Leaders Forum entitled, "Small and Nimble: Pivoting Libraries as Leaders in Instructional Technology." 

Mindy Gumpert presented "A Virtual Writing Marathon" at the Tidewater Writing Project Open Institute professional development program for K-12 teachers. She co-presented "Culturally Relevant Teaching" at the Virginia Council for Learning Disabilities webinar attended by over 100 educators and future teachers. Mindy also presented "Socioscientific Argumentation and Students with Disabilities" at the Council for Learning Disabilities 2020 International Virtual Conference. 

Mandy Reinig and Jessica Harrington presented "Making Your Global Experience Work for You" on LinkedIn as a part of the multi-day Lessons from Abroad Virtual Conference. 

Kathy Shepherd Stolley and Jeffrey G. Toussaint presented "Using Escape Rooms to Teach Transferable Skills” at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology Virtual Conference.

Benjamin Dobrin facilitated a training on CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive) Threats for the Chesapeake Police Academy.

Lydia Kennedy gave a talk titled "Self-intersecting geodesics on cones with small cone angle" at the Mathematical Association of America's Maryland-DC-Virginia fall meeting.

Elizabeth Malcolm and Bill McConnell co-presented virtually for the Virginia Association of Science Teaching conference. The presentation entitled, "Understanding Environmentally Sustainable Roof Design," highlighted the educational use of the green roof on Greer Environmental Sciences Center and described an elementary science lesson where young students investigated various types of roofs and their impact on the environment.

Within an educational program facilitated by Jill Sturts' students, Clair Berube and Bill McConnell co-presented virtually for educators and volunteers from the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. The presentation entitled, "Informal Learning: Didactic vs. Inquiry-based Methods," provided professional development for more than 30 participants.

Sue Larkin and Maynard Schaus presented "COVID-19 and Faculty Development Initiatives" at the Council of Independent Colleges' 2020 Institute for Chief Academic Officers and Academic Team Members (remote). They shared about the VWU pedagogical workshops to support the shift to remote, hybrid, and dual mode instruction, and led a discussion on how this change has transformed higher education instruction.

Clair Berube presented a paper entitled: "Teachers as Researchers: Best Practices in Schools" at the 2020 Virginia Association of Science Teachers annual conference. The paper discusses teaching research methods to teachers so they can conduct simple quantitative and qualitative research at the classroom level, how to publish the papers and/or present them at their annual content area conferences.

Taryn Myers presented a paper titled "Effects of a brief dissonance-based intervention on body image in women and a pilot sample of men" as part of a symposium at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies annual convention, which was held virtually.

Taryn Myers presented a paper titled "The Roles of Family Pressures and Appearance Ideal Internalization in the Relationship between Outness and Appearance Self-Esteem" as part of a symposium at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies annual convention, which was held virtually.

Taryn Myers presented a poster entitled "The effects of a brief dissonance-based intervention on affect, self-objectification, and muscle dysmorphia in a pilot sample of men" with current VWU student Jessica Gurley and VWU alumni Ryan De Los Reyes and Trevaughn McNeil at the annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, which was held virtually.

Sue Erickson presented the webinar, "Goal Setting in Times of Uncertainty" for library professionals through PCI webinars.

Robert Ariel presented research titled "Improving Younger and Older Adults' Memory for Medication Side Effects with a Retrieval Practice Intervention" at the 60th meeting of the Psychonomics Society which was held virtually this year. 

Ben Haller presented a paper titled "Orpheus and Orfeu: Marcel Camus Eastertide Pagan Temporale" in the Classical Representations in Popular Culture Area of 2021's virtual meeting of the Southwestern Popular/American Culture conference. Ben also serves as area chair for Classical Representations, and assists the conference organizers in assembling the paper panels.

Scott Ramsey presented his paper titled "2020 Vision: How a Global Pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement Focused our Teaching" to the American Association of Geographers Annual Convention in Seattle, WA. The article will be published in the January edition of the European Journal of Educational Sciences.

Sara Sewell's paper, "Train Sounds: Sonic Experiences in Deportation Trains," was accepted to be presented at the conference "Beyond Camps and Forced Labour: Current International Research on Survivors of Nazi Persecution," at the University of London and The Wiener Holocaust Library in London, UK. Unfortunately, the conference was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dan Margolies presented his most recent paper "#QuédateEnCasa y Huapango! Diasporic community and musical wellbeing in streamed live performances of musica huasteca" at the "Sounds of the Pandemic" International online conference, Università di Firenze in December.

Mindy Gumpert was a guest speaker in Bill McConnell's EDUC 621 "Collaboration with Families, Communities, and School Personnel class." Mindy and Bill discussed how the use of reflective journaling in their elementary inclusion classroom improved not only their pedagogy, but also the academic and behavioral performance of their general education and special education students.

Annette Clayton presented an eposter titled "Examining the Relationships between Perceived Microinteractions and Adolescents' Self-Reported Grades and Feelings of Self-Esteem: Gender and Racial Differences and Similarities" at the Society for Social Work and Research 25th Annual Conference - Social Work Science for Social Work Change.

George Jackson, a J. Robert Beyster Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, presented a paper, "Differential Tax Treatment of Debt vs. Equity: How Do You Draw a Line That Doesn't Exist?" at the Institute's annual Mid-Year Fellows Workshop.

Eleven VWU faculty members' proposals were accepted to be presented at the Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy through Virginia Tech's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. This year's conference was held virtually. Presentation titles and presenters included: "Transformation Through Team Teaching" by Sue Larkin, Travis Malone and Bryson Mortensen; "When Will Robot or AI Systems Replace Online Teachers?" by Oliver Hedgepeth; "Faculty/Librarian Collaboration to Improve Transferable Skills Across the Curriculum" by Sherry Matis, Joyce Howell, Kellie Holzer, Rebecca Hooker; and "Love Liberally: Loving, Learning, and Creating Campus Engagement" by Denise Wilkinson, Kathy Stolley, Amber Gruszeczka.

Marielle Postava-Davignon gave a talk titled "Adventures of a Termite Ecologist: Learning to Make the Most of What Nature Gives You" as part of the Adventures in Field Research virtual seminar series hosted by the Lincoln Memorial University School of Mathematics & Sciences.

Joyce Easter facilitated an Introduction to POGIL workshop as well as part of the American Phytopathological Society online workshop series with Tracey Murray, Capital University; Andrew Aspaas, Anakora-Ramsey Community College; and Andrea von Duzor, Chicago State University.

Joyce Easter organized and facilitated an Introduction to POGIL workshop during the International Learning Assistant Conference along with co-facilitators Andrew Aspaas, Anakora-Ramsey Community College; Andrea von Duzor, Chicago State University; Chris Bauer, University of New Hampshire; and Marty Perry, Mount St. Mary Academy.

Joyce Easter facilitated a POGIL Activity Clearinghouse Peer Review Feedback workshop along with co-facilitators Mary van Opstal, Harper College; Brandon Fetterly, University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Asha Brunings, Santa Fe College; Karen Groh, Good Samaritan College; and Chris Oehrlein, Oklahoma City Community College.

The symposium, "Love Liberally," was organized to take place virtually during the month of February by Denise Wilkinson, Kathy Stolley, Amber Gruszeczka, and Stephanie Smaglo. The symposium featured Virginia Wesleyan University faculty and community members who explored the concept of love through a variety of disciplinary lenses through informal "Bob Talk" videos. Featured "Bob Talks" and presenters included: "The Hermeneutics of Love: The Loves of Hermes/Mercury in Greek and Roman Mythology" (Ben Haller, Classics); "Love the Source You're With" (Amber Gruszeczka, Research Librarian); "Puppy Love: Including Animals in Wedding Ceremonies" (Kathy Stolley, Sociology); "For the Love of Clay" (Phil Guilfoyle, Art); "#OUTLOVE: More than Just a Hashtag" (Brandon Elliott, Athletics); " What's Love Got to Do With It? The Impact of Texting on Interpersonal Communication" (Robin Takacs, Communications); "A Kiss is Not Just a Kiss: Saying Goodbye to a Dangerous Biblical Practice" (Craig Wansink, Religious Studies); "Valentines in the Bible" (Terry Lindvall, Religious Studies); and, "Loving Our Earth" (Ashley Roehrman '21, Earth and Environmental Science).

Takeyra Coats presented as the Invited Guest Speaker on the Doubted Success Podcast, Episode 5: "Be The Change.

Kelly Jackson served as a facilitator for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities’ Diversity Dialogue Day. The day-long event brings high school students together to increase understanding of what prejudice is, its harmful effects on individuals, groups, and communities, and to give students tools to create school and community environments free from the distractions of prejudice, stereotypes, and bigotry. 

Taryn Myers presented a paper entitled "Feminist beliefs: Helpful or harmful in viewing media?" as part of a symposium titled "Feminist Identity: Changing Times, Changing Directions" at the virtual conference of the Association for Women in Psychology.

Sue Erickson presented "Infusing a Coaching Mindset into Your Work and Life for More Powerful Conversations" at the virtual inaugural Conference on Academic Library Management (CALM).

Denise Wilkinson presented the session "Creating an 'Escape' Classroom to Enhance Student Engagement and Learning," virtually, at the Teaching Academic Survival and Success (TASS) national conference.

Lisa Lyon Payne presented "Popular Pieces and Peer-reviewed Publications: An Overview of College Media Review" as part of the Spring National College Media Convention, which took place virtually. Payne is in her fourth year as editor of College Media Review, the flagship journal of the College Media Association devoted to research on teaching, advising and producing college media.

Audrey Malagon, together with colleagues from NYU, Stanford, and Portland State University, organized a National Science Foundation funded workshop, Lessons Learned: Navigating a Presidential Election Through a Pandemic. The workshop brought together academics in mathematics, computer science, and political science together with election officials and other experts to discuss the relevant research questions most affecting our democratic process.

Mindy Gumpert presented “How to Navigate Inclusive Practices in Today's Classroom to K-12 educators.” The majority of students with disabilities are taught in today’s general education classroom, making an understanding of inclusive practices and co-teaching crucial for general and special educators alike. The professional development equipped participants with the knowledge and strategies to successfully teach in an inclusion classroom.

Kellie Holzer presented a paper, "Matrimonial 'Murder' in Translation: Dickens-Corelli-Hossain" at the Nineteenth-Century Studies Association 2021 virtual conference.

Mandy Reinig presented a presentation titled "COVID Video Queen" as a part of the Virginia International Educator's (VIE) Spring 2021 Virtual Conference on April 16, 2021.

Student Phoebe Murrell presented research co-authored by Elizabeth Malcolm and Maury Howard--"Problem to Product: Evaluating the Use of Stormwater Pond Algae to Bioremediate Ponds and Generate Compost" at the Virginia Water Conference.

Ben Haller presented a paper titled "Your Friendly Neighborhood Cultural Relativist Cyclops" in a panel sponsored by the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion titled "E Pluribus Unum" at the 2021 meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.

Mandy Reinig, alongside students from Dr. Antje Schwennicke's POLS 499: Immigration and Citizenship class, participated in NAFSA: Association for International Educator's Advocacy Day where she talked with representatives from Senator Kaine, Senator Warner, and Representative Luria's offices about important issues related to immigration and study abroad.

Wayne Pollock presented "A Practical Approach to Ethical Dilemmas in Recreational Therapy" at this year's virtual Southeast Recreational Therapy Symposium.

Ben Haller presented his talk "Friendly Neighborhood Cultural Relativist Cyclops" at the Diversity and Inclusion Committee Panel of CAMWS. The recording of the session is available for a limited time: 

Doug Kennedy was part of a panel sponsored by the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers titled “The road to recovery 2021: Update on litigating child victims act cases.” Attended by over 800 attorneys, his portion discussed victim considerations related to ongoing national bankruptcy proceedings.

Brian Kurisky received a $750 grant from the Campus Election Engagement Project. The grant monies were used to promote voter engagement and provide transportation to the polls for early in-person voting and transportation to the polls on election day.

Brian Kurisky also received a $700 grant from Spread the Vote that was used to transport the campus community and surrounding communities to vote early and in-person and to vote on election day.

The Robert Nusbaum Center, in collaboration with local and national organizations, was awarded a grant from the Virginia Humanities and Hampton Roads Community Foundation as part of a larger, multi-year effort (Beneath the Surface) to advance personal understanding and community dialogue focused on the ways that race has shaped and continues to shape the Hampton Roads region and its communities. The grant supports partnership with the In[HEIR]itance Project, a national arts organization that collaborates with communities using an open playmaking process that explores lived experiences in relationship with sacred texts to stimulate engagement around challenging civic conversations. The project will culminate with the presentation of an original performance at the 2022 Virginia Arts Festival.

Mandy Reinig received NAFSA: Association of International Educator's Region VIII Advocacy Day Grant to participate in the April 20-21, 2021 virtual Advocacy Day where she will have the opportunity to receive training and talk with elected officials about policies related to international education. 

Benjamin Dobrin completed an online training course for Airborne Pathogens from First Response Training International.

Denise Wilkinson, Rebecca Hooker and Gabi Martorell participated in a three-day workshop called "The Best Teachers Summer Institute" that took place in West Orange, NJ in June 2019. At the institute they learned about research and best practices that foster engagement and deeper thinking for students. Denise, Rebecca, and Gabi each found success with best practices that they learned at the workshop when implemented into their courses this past academic year. The course components they added included: An Invitational syllabus to welcome students into courses by sharing information in a positive and inviting way, while addressing the question, "Why should I take this course?"; A Guided Discussion grade component to help students reflect on ways in which topics learned connect to their lives outside of class and in the real world; and, Perusall, a web-based platform that grades and manages student reading outside of class and encourages student participation, communication and engagement.

Phil Guilfoyle had a large wood fired bottle and wood fired vase selected for the juried exhibition, "Artists Who Teach," at the Charles H. Taylor Art Center, in Hampton, VA. The exhibition which was to open to the public on March 21, 2020, has been extended through August 1, 2020, with an opening reception to be announced when appropriate.

The Popular Culture Association has established the Kathy Merlock Jackson Dissertation Award to recognize Kathy's work as editor of The Journal of American Culture and mentor to numerous young scholars. This is the second PCA award honoring a VWU professor. The Jones Award for the Best Graduate Student Paper is named after former political science professor William M. Jones.

Taryn Myers was quoted in the article "Experts share dark consequences of social media trend: 'Deprivation, forcing and hatred'" on Yahoo News. 

Taryn Myers was quoted in an article posted on The Bump entitled "10 Gender Stereotype Messages Parents Are Inadvertently Sending Kids." 

April Christman completed Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 Contact Tracing Certification.

April Christman completed the "Handle with Care" behavior management system certification for verbal and physical de-escalation techniques.

April Christman completed an Association of Social Work Board approved course on the "Psychosocial Aspects of Pandemic Viruses."

In an Op-Ed for The Virginian-Pilot on May 7, “Businesses must make safety their #1 priority,” by Chris Stuart, Benjamin Dobrin was quoted concerning safety protocols for businesses reopening after quarantine.

Benjamin Dobrin was awarded the Virginia Beach EMS Act of Service Award for his work when a Rabbi drowned in local waterways.

Mindy Gumpert was invited to be an Advisory Consultant for the Education and Research Committee at Chesapeake Bay Academy.

Mindy Gumpert is the president of the Virginia Council for Learning Disabilities. Mindy organized four webinars for general and special educators, and prospective educators in Virginia. Several VWU students attended the first webinar. The second webinar will include representatives from the VDOE and will focus on resources for co-teaching virtually and IEP compliance.

Joyce Easter completed the seven-part Outreach Training Program offered by the American Chemical Society.

Joyce Easter participated in the 18th Annual POGIL National Meeting to continue work on the POGIL Project Strategic Planning and is serving as chair of the Strategic Collaborations working group for this academic year.

Mandy Reinig has been appointed as a Trainer Corps Preparation Program Team Trainer with NAFSA: Association of International Educators. This two-year appointment will start January 2021. The Trainer Corps Preparation Team plays a crucial role in the training and orientation of new Trainer Corps members with NAFSA as well as leading enrichment opportunities for all Trainer Corps members.

Benjamin Dobrin recently certified two Virginia Marine Police officers as Public Safety Dive Instructors. Dr. Dobrin is the only Emergency Response Diving International Public Safety Diving Instructor-Trainer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This training was funded by the Port of Virginia.

Benjamin Dobrin attended the 6th annual Mid-Atlantic Public Safety Dive Conference held in Chesapeake Virginia.

Kathleen Casey was quoted while discussing the history of "fun" in the article "What Was Fun?" by Rachel Sugar on Vox.com. 

Audrey Malagon was invited to present at NYU's Math and Democracy Seminar where she gave a talk entitled "Votes of Confidence: Leveraging Mathematics to Ensure Election Security." She also discussed math and election security, specifically post-election risk-limiting audits, in presentations to Carleton College and St. Mary's College of California this month.

Doug Kennedy received recognition for distinguished service to the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions during its fall meeting. This meeting concluded his tenure on the Council and he will now serve as an institution accreditation visitor.

Wayne Pollock was named the recipient of the 2020 Virginia Wesleyan University Exemplary Teaching Award by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) of the United Methodist Church.

Sue Erickson has been named Co-Chair for the Virginia Chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries (VLACRL) through 2021. This role begins a 3-year commitment that will include one-year terms as Chair and Past Chair. VLACRL offers fall, spring, and summer professional development programs, as well as, a track within the Virginia Library Association's annual conference.

Modupe Oshikoya is now serving a 3-year term on the editorial board for the journal "African Security." 

Mindy, Gumpert,  President of the Virginia Council for Learning Disabilities (VCLD), invited students Alyssa Balanta and Jessica Duncan to facilitate a session at the VCLD webinar on co-teaching. More than 100 educators attended the webinar. Mindy also presented at the VAST conference and provided professional development for Chesapeake Public School teachers on "High Leverage Practices."

Leslie Caughell was interviewed by the French Language publication Le Devoir for an article on conservative women in American politics. 

At a virtual ceremony hosted by the Virginia Association of Science Teaching, Bill McConnell received the 2020 Recognition in Science Education (RISE) Community Partnership Award.

British podcaster David Bates, in his "Pints with Jack", interviewed Terry Lindvall regarding his book, "Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C. S. Lewis." The interview may found here. 

Sherry Matis completed the Certificate on College Teaching through the Virginia Tidewater Consortium for Higher Education.

For the second consecutive year, Adam Ruh led an essay writing workshop for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and participants in their Founders' Centennial Scholarship competition. The scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior from a Title 1 high school. This year's workshop was held virtually. The photo is from last year with Loren Loving Marquez.

Susan Wansink participated in the international ProMobiLGS virtual workshop "Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerausbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung und nachhaltige Lebensweise: Projekte in Lehre und Forschung in der Grundschulbildung.” 

Jason Squinobal performed a 45-minute virtual concert of original music. For this concert, Squinobal composed eight compositions that explored the synthesis of electronic and acoustic music. He performed with his group the Trio Atomic, recorded and edited all of the video and audio, and produced the video. He was joined by adjunct faculty members Will McPeters and Mike Laubach.

Joyce Easter has been appointed to a three-year term on the Small College Committee of the National Collegiate Honors Council to begin in January 2021.

Stephen Leist has been appointed to the editorial board of Virginia Libraries, the publication of the Virginia Library Association, for a two-year term.

Doug Kennedy was one of nine people appointed by the US Department of Justice to serve on the Tort Claimants Committee (TCC) in the Boy Scouts Bankruptcy proceedings. The TCC is responsible for representing over 75,000 victims of childhood sexual abuse and negotiating a settlement. Elected one of its leaders, he co-hosted a "Town Hall" that has now been viewed over 10,000 times (TCCBSA.COM) and had his story covered in part by the New York Post. 

Jessica Harrington was part of a panel interviewed by Zippia, a career search platform, on current job market trends.

February was Recreational Therapy Month and the American Therapeutic Recreation Association recognized individuals who have made an impact in the field. Wayne Pollock was recognized as a trailblazer for his professional contributions and highlighted advice he offered recreational therapy students and colleagues.

Taryn Myers was quoted alongside Gloria Steinem and Meghan Markle in "Motherly" in an article entitled "Meghan Markle says Prince Harry is a feminist father to baby Archie." 

Taryn Myers was quoted by both Kiss 95.1 FM and Suara.com talking about "So-called healthy habits that may reduce your lifespan." 

Gabi Martorell was recently quoted in career resource site, Zippia, on current job market trends and advice on skill sets for new college graduates.

Micaela Morris was mentioned in the International Facility Management Association(IFMA) Academic Facilities Council (AFC) newsletter for being appointed as the newest Sustainability Chair for AFC. Read more.

Kathy Merlock Jackson chaired the Jones Award committee to select the best graduate student paper in American culture to be presented at the Popular Culture Association conference. The award is named after former VWU professor Bill Jones. The first recipient of PCA's Kathy Merlock Jackson Dissertation Award has been announced: Julianna Kirschner of Claremont Graduate University, who wrote on Twitter.

Audrey Malagon has been invited to be an affiliate of the Institute for Mathematics and Democracy. She has been working on using mathematics to strengthen the security and integrity of our elections, specifically through statistical, risk-limiting audits of elections.

John Rudel, along with the students in Art 306 students, completed murals in the Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Fine Arts Entrance and Lobby of the Susan T. Beveral Hall. The murals are based on Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb.”

With the leadership of Brian Kurisky, director of Wesleyan Engaged, Virginia Wesleyan University was selected as a 2021-2022 “Voter Friendly Campus,” a designation the University has received for three consecutive years.

Benjamin Dobrin attended "2021 Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak Briefing for Virginia Hospitals" a webinar presented by the Virginia Department of Health.

Jessica Harrington was awarded the Certified Career Counselor (CCC) credential through the National Career Development Association.

Terry Lindvall was interviewed on "The Deep Stuff of Teaching" sponsored by the College of William and Mary Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation (April 23, 2021), to discuss his peculiar "calling" to teaching and his subsequent journey (from an inferno to a near-Paradise at VWU). 

Benjamin Dobrin and April Christman attended the virtual Public Health Grand Rounds from Eastern Virginia Medical School entitled "Mental Health and COVID-19".

Mindy Gumpert and Taryn Myers are invited members of the Center for Education Research and Technology Innovation (CERTI) Advisory Council at Chesapeake Bay Academy. CERTI's mission is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate new programs and practices utilizing innovative, student-centered technology in partnership with institutions of higher education and in collaboration with select schools of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. 

Students in Wayne Pollock's "Disability & Recreational Therapy" class worked collaboratively throughout the semester with staff from the Chrysler Museum of Art and conducted an accessibility study to determine methods of improving the museum experience for individuals with chronic illness and disabling conditions. Students presented their findings to Chrysler staff May 1, 2020.

Through the Office of Wesleyan Engaged: Center for Civic Engagement and Service Learning, VWU faculty will have the opportunity to infuse their courses with engagement opportunities. In light of the COVID pandemic for this academic year, students (individual or as a group) will be participating in virtual engagement opportunities through the Points of Light Foundation.

HON 270 The Artist and Society What does effective advocacy for social issues look like? That is a question underlying The Artist and Society, a Batten Honors College course team taught by Sally Shedd, Bryson Mortensen, Joyce Howell, and John Rudel of the Fine and Performing Arts Department. Student teams identify social issues they are passionate about, and the class as a whole studies social advocacy in modules on the arts. One module investigates music as a vehicle for protest and for raising awareness, and has students experiment with using music as a tool to augment messages about social issues. In the theatre module students participate in theatre games related to the work of artists who have developed theatrical techniques to address social justice. A visual arts module explores strategies used in public art and social media imagery. At the end of the course teams present creative projects on their social issue, for example: “See You Later Turtles,” in which ocean trash was used to create a large, three-dimensional jellyfish; “Spot the Difference,” photographs in which students costumed themselves to spotlight racial stereotypes; a satire of The Office focusing on sexism in the workplace, and “Adventures in the World We Have Made,” a climate-change parody of a children’s picture book.

The adventure of learning continues at Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay (WC), a Virginia Beach life-care community for active retirees. This spring, members can once again engage in Virginia Wesleyan University course offerings in religion, communication, political science, and more through the Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute. Programming for the initiative—a component of Virginia Wesleyan University Global Campus—is coordinated by Ben Fraser, in collaboration with Virginia Wesleyan’s Robert Nusbaum Center.

In January, Craig Wansink presented the first session of his course, "Extreme Religion: The Body and Rituals from World Religions." Benson Fraser's course, "Mass Communication and its Influence," was also offered beginning in January. The full schedule for spring 2021 is available here.

In HON 110 Complex Global Challenges, team taught by Elizabeth Malcolm, Larry Hultgren and Bill Gibson, students worked in groups to investigate a topic related to campus sustainability.  The goals of the assignment included investigating the current practices on campus relating to the specified topic, researching best practices from other institutions, and developing recommendations for VWU.  

The "Animals and Society" taught by Kathy Stolley virtually welcomed guest experts including: Heather Campbell and Hans who shared their experience working with wounded warriors and paralympians, Kathy Ames and Turner who presented on certified therapy dogs, and Kathy Bartkus (retired) who presented on VWU campus wildlife.

Elizabeth Malcolm's EES 450 Biogeochemistry students worked with horticulturalist Marisa Cousin to remove invasive species from the forest on the VWU campus.