ANGELA CRISTINI (TAS) has been invited by the National Academy of Sciences to serve on the Committee on Informal Science Learning.  The committee is under the direction of the Board on Science Education at the National Research Council and is also sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The committee will review a range of research perspectives that are relevant to informal science learning, deliberate about the evidence base and produce a consensus report.  The report will characterize the state of research on learning science in informal environments and provide guidance for future research in this area for institutions throughout the United States such as the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History. She was nominated for this position by the National Science Foundation based on her experience in science education for children, adults and older adults in formal and informal settings.

NIZA FABRE (AIS) presented “African Religions in the New World: Vaudun, Santeria and Beyond,” at a meeting sponsored by the Philosophy Club.  She also chaired a session on “Africans and African-Americans in the Diaspora: Cultural Values and Identity,” and presented “Black Mythology in Esmeraldas, Ecuador” at ameeting of the Popular Culture Association in Atlanta.

 

WILLIAM FRECH (ASB) presented “International Boardroom Game” to a selected focus group of international business professors in Chicago. The focus group was sponsored by McGraw Hill.

 

DOROTHY GILLMAN (FA) received the National Association of Veterans Program Administrators (NAVPA) Executive Committee’s 2005 Award for “leadership and outstanding service to the association,” at their fall conference in Washington, DC.  She is currently vice president of NAVPA.

 

 

SHALOM GOREWITZ (CA) will exhibit his work at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center Gallery in New York City May 25 through July 2.  An opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 25 from 6 - 8 p.m. The solo exhibition will feature “Psalm 121,” a new work made possible with a Ramapo College Teaching, Learning, and Technology Roundtable grant.  The film was created specifically for the Video iPod as a virtual amulet.  Other new work to be projected and installed for the exhibition will include “Trivial Topographies,” “Bush Blinks” and “Soft Targets.” The Center, a Puerto Rican/Latino cultural institution is located at 107 Suffolk Street.  The gallery is open weekdays from 4 - 9 p.m.

MARGARET HAYES (Nursing) participated as an item writer for tests for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Conference in Chicago.

At the annual conference of the New Jersey College English Association at Seton Hall University, CAROL HOVANEC (AIS) was awarded the Steven J. Rosen Mentor Award “in honor of her tireless dedication to mentoring colleagues throughout her distinguished academic career.”  Hovanec was a former trustee and president of this organization.

The 2004 survey of testing and placement practices in NJ colleges and universities, the product of research conducted by WANDA KOSINSKI (Office of Testing and Placement) and shared statewide and beyond, was mentioned in “Machine Scoring of Student Essays: Truth and Consequences,” edited by Patricia Freitag Ericsson and Richard Haswell, 2006, Utah State University Press. 

 

ROB MODAFFERI (Berrie Center) and JACKIE SKRZYNSKI (Advisement Center) co-curated “rage against the machine,” an exhibit in Beacon, NY.  The exhibition also featured other Ramapo affiliates including LORI MERHIGE, ANN LEPORE, KERRY DENNEHY, ERIC SUNG and GREG GRAHAM.  For information about the exhibition log on to:  http://www.spirestudios.org/.   

G. ELAINE PATTERSON and KATHLEEN BURKE (Nursing) presented “E-Portfolios on the Measurement of Outcomes in Graduate Education” at the Masters’ Education Conference of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in San Antonio, TX.

JUDITH PECK (CA) has been offered a contract by Krause Publications for a second edition of her book, “Sculpture as Experience: Working with Clay, Wire, Wax, Plaster and Found Objects.”  The new edition will include five additional chapters and illustrations.  Peck also received a positive review of her book, “Art Activities for Mind and Imagination” in “Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association.” The Journal is the principle organ of the American Art Therapy Association.  

 

EMMA RAINFORTH (TAS) presented “Antipus flexiloquus - the earliest pterosaur tracks from North America?” at the Geological Society of America’s northeast section meeting in Harrisburg, PA.  J.J. RUSHER, a TAS research honors student working with Rainforth, and FRANK FARRELL (TAS), presented a poster at the meeting, “Two historic mines in the Highlands region of New Jersey and their effect on water quality.”  Rainforth also presented “The ‘stony books’ - three-dimensional footprints from the Connecticut Valley” at the GSA southeast section meeting in Knoxville, TN in a technical session on using fossil footprints as teaching tools.

MURRAY SABRIN (ASB) testified before the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.  He spoke for five minutes, enough time, Sabrin said, “to give the legislators my proposal for a constitutional budget.” He also spoke at the Sussex Economic Forum on the topic, “State of Working in New Jersey and Sussex County 2005/2006.”

STEPHEN SCHUR (Marketing and Communications) reports that nearly 32 of New Jersey’s 43 higher education webmasters are slated to attend the New Jersey Higher Education Webmasters Association Annual Meeting at Ramapo College on June.  The mission of the organization is to provide avenues for webmasters to share their concerns, visions, standards and policies, strategies and new technologies while working to establish effective Web policies in the state.  The founding meeting of the group was held at Ramapo College in 2005.  Schur is the president of the Association.  Ramapo alum TRYON EGGLESTON, webmaster at Drew University, serves as secretary. 

ERIC WIENER (TAS) presented “Ecological research and the management of young successional forests:  a case study about the reintroduction of native tree species on a terra firme site in northeastern Peru,” at the annual meeting of Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies’ chapter of the International Society of Tropical Foresters.  He also presented a public lecture, “Tree regeneration theory and the restoration of high tree species diversity in a tropical secondary rain forest,” at Michigan Technological University’s School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.

JILLIAN TODD WEISS (SSHS) presented at the “Translating Identity” Conference at the University of Vermont about her upcoming article on gender identity in the courts.  She also presented a lecture regarding transgender inclusion in gay advocacy and politics entitled “The Gender of Gay,” at Congregation Beth Simchat Torah in NYC, the world’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender synagogue. She has been invited to submit an article regarding “heteronormativity” to the International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, 2nd edition, to be published by Thomson Gale Publishing.  She’s created a blog on the subject of “Transgender Workplace Diversity for HR and Diversity Professionals.”  It can be accessed by logging onto http://jweissdiary.blogspot.com.

ALUMNI AND STUDENT NEWS

DARRELL FERTAKOS has been selected for an Honorable Mention by the judges of the Modern Marvels Invent Now© Challenge.  His entry was selected from among over 4,200 submissions based on his description of his invention and embodiment of the inventive spirit.  Fertakos’s invention was featured on www.History.com/invent in its listing of the Honorable Mention recipients. “ Modern Marvels: Great Inventions Week” can be viewed on The History Channel from May 24 through May 27 at 10 p.m.  This week of programming will showcase the five finalists of the Challenge.