College News and Calendar: St. John Fisher College

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November 2003

Cuba Trip Fosters Greater Understanding for all Participants in Educational Exchange
From Friday, October 24th, through Saturday, November 1st, Dr. Keough, Professor Richard Hillman, and students Joshua Tomaszewski and Christy Youngs-Colon traveled to Cuba as participants in the People to People Ambassador Programs Comparative Education Delegation. The purpose of the delegation was to promote mutual understanding among educators of the two countries through face-to-face encounters.

During the trip, the Fisher contingent was able to establish personal relationships with a number of Cuban educators outside of the scope of our respective governments. There was ample opportunity to share insights and discuss challenges at both the national and universal levels. These interactions helped all of the participants—Americans and Cubans alike—to dispel the myths about their counterparts’ country.

One special highlight of the trip occurred when Christy Youngs-Colon visited with family members in Havana whom she had never met before. It was an emotional reunion that transcended all language and cultural barriers.

Fisher Students Again Rank in Top Ten in National Tax Challenge
Congratulations are again due to Professor Nancy Neslund and the four student members of this year’s Tax Challenge team—Andy Behe, Linda Hovey, Andy Phillips, and Kristina Schalm. They ranked as one of the TOP TEN teams in the U.S. in the national tax competition now sponsored by Deloitte & Touche. This marks the third time that Fisher’s tax challenge team has placed in the top ten nationwide—a remarkable achievement for our school!

Schools with top ten undergraduate teams are Boston College, Brigham Young University, College of William & Mary, Fairfield University, St. John Fisher College, University of North Carolina—Charlotte, University of Oklahoma, University of Texas at Austin, Utah State University, and Xavier University.

Palvino Seminar Series
The annual Communication/Journalism Department Palvino Media Seminar Series and alumni dinner were held November 5-7. The series began with Dr. Robert Thompson, from Syracuse University, visiting several classes and speaking to students Thursday, during free period, on topics relating to television. Thompson also spoke Thursday evening to students and community members. Friday evening, the alumni dinner was held and the recipients of the Palvino Scholarship were announced. Don Alcott and Jackie Howland were the recipients this year of $1000 scholarships in broadcast and journalism studies. Trustee Jack Palvino presented the scholarships.

Fouraker Chairs Panel
On October 18, 2003, Lawrence Fouraker, Department of History, chaired a panel at the New York Conference on Asian Studies at the University at Buffalo: “Walls in Asia.” Fouraker’s panel was entitled “East Asia Concepts of Nation, Region, and World.” In addition to his duties as Chair, Fouraker presented a paper: “Japan’s ‘Great Wall:’ 20th Century Relations with Asia.” He also attended panels on Asian women’s history and fascism in Japan.

Fisher Faculty, Staff, and Students Join in Efforts Against Breast Cancer
Even the weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of over 7,000 people who participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday, October 19, 2003. It was estimated that $600,000 was raised for this cause. Congratulations to the 70 members of the Fisher team—faculty, staff, and students—who braved the rainy weather to do their part in the College’s “Make a Difference Week” opening event.

Gill Succumbs to Cancer
Robert Gill, C-shift Supervisor for the Safety and Security Department, passed away after a short battle with brain cancer on October 22, 2003. Bob was a member of the Fisher community since November 2002. He is survived by his wife Suzanne, 7 children, and 3 grandchildren.

Keating Reference Alcove Dedicated
On October 13th, the Keating Reference Alcove in Lavery Library was dedicated. Trustee Marty Keating’s gift to the College in memory of his father, Thomas F. Keating, Jr., was used to purchase computers for the first floor of the library. These additional computers have enabled more students to access all of the electronic resources currently available on campus. Marty Keating, Class of 1975, and his mother were on hand for the dedication ceremony.

Host to Goblins and a Ghost!
On October 30, Lavery Library hosted the Fisher community for a Fall Open House. Students, faculty, staff, and guests munched delicious goodies catered by Bon Appétit. The film “Dracula” was screened in L-100 and much fun was had by all! Congratulations to the following door prize winners: Erika McRae; Jennifer Dick; Pamela Moscato.

White’s Comments Featured on WJRZ
During October, Associate Professor of Philosophy David White’s comments on metro government were featured in the “Northcoast Notebook” segment on WJRZ FM (105.9). White presented a paper on Jonathan Edwards and Bishop Butler to the Jonathan Edwards Society meeting in Northampton, where Edwards preached for many years. White’s paper on Epicurus and Bishop Butler has been published by Cary Graphic Arts Press (RIT) in Epicurus: His Continuing Influence and Contemporary Relevance.

Fr. Lee Participates in Symposeum
On October 29, 2003, Fr. Jack Lee, C.S.B., of the Department of Anthropology, took part in the “International Symposium on the Archaeology of the Crusader Period” at St. Louis Community College in St. Louis, Missouri. He delivered an illustrated presentation entitled “The Archaeology of Two Medieval Castles in Jordan: Kerak and Shobak.” Fr. Lee has conducted excavations at both of these national historic sites. Speakers came from the United States, Canada, Israel, Jordan, and England.

Gomez Presents at International Conference
Dr. Rubén L. Gómez, Associate Professor of Modern Languages & Cultures, presented a paper, “Cartografía de la angustia en Los palacios distantes, de Abilio Estévez,” at the Fifth International Congress of Caribbean Literature held in Freeport, November 5-8th. He also chaired a panel on “Los novísimos de la literatura caribeña.”

PETAL Website Launched
The PETAL website is up and running! Please take the time to visit the website for the Program to Enhance Teaching and Learning at http://home.sjfc.edu/petal/. You can access the site directly from the Intranet home page. On the site, you can access files and documents from past PETAL practical workshops and Faculty Development Day workshops that you can put directly to use in your teaching. You can learn about the Teaching and Learning Circles that PETAL sponsors here at St. John Fisher College and locate print and electronic resources on current teaching practices, as well as initiatives going on at other universities. In the next month or so, please keep an eye open for a new section of tips for such issues as reserving classrooms, arranging for transportation for students, getting reimbursed for travel expenses, and other practical matters. The PETAL Committee looks forward to continuing to work with the faculty to serve their pedagogical needs and interests. Come take a look at this new resource!

May Serves on Panel at State Association
Dr. Terry May appeared on a panel at the 65th Annual New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers on October 11, 2003. His presentation, “Using Local Resources,” outlined classroom interview techniques with native speakers to make the foreign language classroom the site of cross-cultural communication. Practice demonstrates that students comprehend even sophisticated linguistic material within a context stressing the exchange of cultural information.

Leboffe Serves as Judge for Rochester Business Journal
Liz Leboffe, Associate Professor of Mathematics/Computer Science, served as a judge for the “Best of the Web” award sponsored by the Rochester Business Journal. There were nine categories for web site submissions, and the three finalists for each category, along with judges’ comments, were published in the October 17th issue of the RBJ. This year’s award winners were announced on October 29th, with Kodak receiving top honors. The October 31st issue of the RBJ contains the complete list of winners from each category.

On October 16-18, 2003, Professor Leboffe also attended the ACM SIGITE Conference (Information Technology Education), hosted by Purdue University, where she served as chair for the session on Software Development.

Arlette Miller Smith Moderates Panel
On Friday, November 14, 2003, Arlette Miller Smith, Dean of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Programs, moderated a panel at the 8th Annual Businesswomen’s Conference, held at the Riverside Convention Center. The panel, “Sharing Your Talent and Energy: Serving on Corporate Boards of Directors,” included Betsy Harrison, President and CEO, Genesee Country Museum; Nancy Hessler, East Coast Operations, Integrated People Solutions; Linda Cornell Weinstein, Executive Director of the Cornell/Weinstein Family Foundation; Dr. Elaine Spaull, Executive Director of the Center for Youth; and Vicky Hines, President and CEO of the Visiting Nurses Association. The panelists shared their strategies, goals, and rewards for serving on Corporate Boards of Directors.

Kollar Lectures at Boston College
Dr. Nathan Kollar, Department of Religious Studies, gave an invited lecture to the undergraduates of Boston College on October 15th. The title of the lecture was “May I, Can I, Should I, Accept Other Religions? Personal and Social Choices in the Face of Other Religions.”

He also gave a paper at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Convention on October 25th, summarizing his recent research on Catholic schools. Titled “Fifty Years of Change While Standing Still: Schooling and Education in Roman Catholicism.”

Dr. Bo Serves as Board Member of Journal of Chinese Political Science
Dr. Zhiyue Bo, Chair of the Department of International Studies, has been invited to serve as a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Chinese Political Science, a refereed academic journal published by the Association of Chinese Political Studies (ACPS). He has also been invited to review articles for The China Review, another refereed interdisciplinary journal on greater China.

Schaner Named Child Care Center Director
Tracy Schaner has been hired as the new Director of the Child Care Center. Tracy has been with the Center since 2001 as a teacher for the 3-year old children. She has also been acting as Interim Director of the Center during the search process. Tracy will report to Karen Gagie as part of the Human Resources Department. Tracy is committed to continuing the seamless transition that has occurred thus far since Sharon Knarr’s departure. Plans will be underway very soon to search for a teacher to back-fill Tracy’s current position. Prior to Fisher, Tracy was a pre-kindergarten teacher for “The Growing Place Childcare Center” and also provided home day care for approximately 9 years. Congratulations to Tracy and the Child Care Center!

Dr. Bo Gives Seminars on the Korean Crisis
Dr. Zhiyue Bo, Chair of the Department of International Studies, was invited by the Division of Gifted & Talented Education in Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES to give two seminars on the Korean Crisis to a group of thirty select high school students from Monroe County. The first seminar (October 22) focused on the Korean War and its lessons. The second seminar (October 29) was devoted to the current Korean Crisis and the strategies of six countries (North Korea, the United States, South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia) in resolving this crisis. The students were offered original documents from each country and were engaged in presentations and discussions.

Kehoe Presents Paper at Texas A & M
Dr. Jennifer Kehoe, in the English Department, was invited by the faculty at Texas A&M to read her paper, “Teaching Community, Self and Otherness through 19th Century Diverse American Literature,” at SCMLA, the South Central Modern Language Association’s Annual Conference, October 28-31st in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Her article is pending publication and became the foundation of a roundtable discussion on “From Pedagogical Theory to Practice: The Discourse of Marginality.” The discussion included an analysis of double-consciousness and the necessities of multivoiced texts in contemporary secondary and undergraduate curricula. Dr. Kehoe left the conference having learned a good deal about the travel narrative as a form for teaching writing as “journey” rather than process. She was pleased to represent both St. John Fisher College and the Northeast Modern Language Association.

Clark joins Administrative Services Department
Stephanie Clark has joined the Administrative Services Department as Executive Assistant. Stephanie will support Dr. Bain in his new role as Vice President for Administration as well as Mark Eckstein, the new Director of Institutional Research. Stephanie has an A.A.S. in Office Technology from Monroe Community College and, before coming to Fisher, she worked in a research laboratory at the University of Rochester. She assisted in grant preparation, managed the laboratory budgets (grants and University-sponsored), and assisted with course preparation. She worked part-time at the University to enable her to spend time volunteering at her daughter's school as well as in her classroom.

Boyd, Hamilton, and Reed Join Facilities Staff
Sam Boyd is a new Building Service Attendant in the Facilities Department. Before coming to Fisher, he worked at Via Health (Independent Living for Seniors). Sam has an Associate’s Degree in Business Management and Liberal Arts. What brought him to Fisher were the educational opportunities. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, coaching women’s football, and spending time with his family.

Eddie Hamilton is also a new Building Service Attendant. He has performed a number of jobs for the City of Rochester, from grounds and maintenance, to construction work. Eddie has a military background (Army) and has certification in First Aid. He says that what he liked about Fisher was its commitment to employees and families. In his spare time, he enjoys football, coaching, and cooking.

Finally, Jacquane Reed is the third new Building Service Attendant. Many of you may not see Jacquane, as he works on the overnight shift in the Facilities Dept. He has worked at the Jewish Home of Rochester as well as for the Sisters of Mercy. He says that he likes the nice atmosphere here at Fisher and the great benefits that the College offers.

New Face in Facilities Services
Lynn Wernert is the new Administrative Assistant in the Facilities Services Department, reporting to Carl Vroman. Lynn holds her Associate’s Degree from Alfred State College and, before coming to Fisher, worked as an Office Manager for Cable Systems. She had heard great things about Fisher and wanted to be part of the Fisher community.

Career Services Programs
Career Services personnel have been very busy this month with a variety of programs explaining the many services offered to Fisher students. The first activity included a Graduate School Fair in Kearney Auditorium with area colleges previewing their graduate programs. In addition to this event, Career Services sponsored “Real World.” A fashion show featuring suitable professional clothing, as well as breakout sessions with area alumni were featured for this event. Over 100 students participated in each event. Many questions were answered about all areas of interest.