Jon Beebe’s (MUS) article “Rays of Light: Conversations with Ray Pizzi” was published in the Fall 2009 issue of The Double Reed, the official publication of the International Double Reed Society.

Hunter R. Boylan (LES/NCDE) published an article entitled “Research-based techniques for developing college student literacy” in the Journal of the Japan Association for Developmental Education.

Matthew Robinson (GJS) recently attended the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, where he presented his paper “Drug War Lies 2009: An Analysis of President George W. Bush’s Final National Drug Control Strategy.” He also served as panel chair for the session titled “Questioning the Efficacy of Drug Policy.”

Barbara H. Zaitzow (GJS) attended the American Society of Criminology meeting in Philadelphia, Pa., (Nov. 2-7) where she presented her paper “The Shackling of Imprisoned Women: Just Another Excuse to ‘Keep Her Down.’”  She also served as discussant for the panel “The Last Convict, Criminal Careers, and Reentry.”  Zaitzow participated in a pre-conference seminar-workshop at Graterford Prison with academicians, practitioners, and prisoners entitled “Collective Transformation: Building Just Communities from the Inside Out” that was sponsored by the Department of Criminal Justice and The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program of Temple University, in cooperation with the Lifers’ Public Safety Initiative.  The daylong seminar-workshop was a unique opportunity to engage in rich dialogue around some of the most critical crime and justice issues of the day with people who are working to bridge prison and outside communities.

Frank Borkowski (former chancellor, retired faculty) has been awarded the Zygmunt Gloger Prize and Medal from the Stopka Literary Society in Poland. The award is in recognition of Borkowski’s contributions to popularizing the Polish music tradition in the United States. Gloger was a Polish historian, archeologist, geographer and ethnographer. Borkowski was nominated for the award by Longin Pastusiak, former marshal of the senate of the Republic of Poland and a past visiting professor in Appalachian’s Department of Government and Justice Studies.

Barbara S. Bonham (LES and NCDE) has been invited to participate in a Policy Planning Committee sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT) at Stanford University. She attended the first meeting Sept. 25 in Stanford, Calif. The focus of this committee’s work is on program improvement in developmental mathematics at two-year colleges. The Carnegie Foundation is committed to supporting the creation of a coordinated field around dramatically increasing the proportion of community college students who are mathematically proficient and are prepared to enter and succeed in credit-bearing, transferable mathematics courses.

Barbara Bonham (LES/NCDE) and Hunter Boylan (LES/NCDE) are among 12 national experts selected as Technical Assistance Providers to community colleges participating in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Developmental Education Initiative.  The Developmental Education Initiative is designed to help community colleges upscale innovations leading to higher rates of retention and graduation for underprepared and underserved community college students.   Technical Assistance Providers offer guidance in the implementation of new techniques to participating colleges, review activities, monitor progress, and make recommendations for improvement. The initiative is funded under a $16.4 million grant from the Gates Foundation.

Dr. E. Ike Udogu (Faculty Fellow, GJS) recently published a co-edited volume with Alfred B. Zack-Williams, professor of sociology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, England. The book is titled “African Mosaic: Political, Social, Economic and Technological Development in the New Millennium” (Newcastle-upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009). This book was published as a result of his off-campus scholarly assignment (OCSA) in spring 2009.  He also completed a book project titled “Confronting the Challenges and Prospects in the Creation of a Union of African States in the 21^st Century,” during his OCSA.

In addition, Udogu published two book reviews. A book review essay on “A History of Nigeria by Toyin Falola and Matthew Heaton” was published in Africa Today, Vol. 55, No. 4 (2009): 122-128; and “Mueni wa Muiu: The Pitfalls of Liberal Democracy and Late Nationalism in South Africa” was published in Africa Today, Vol. 56, No. 1 (2009): 111-113

In view of his continued service, teaching and scholarship, Udogu was cited in the 2010 edition of Marquis Who’s Who in America—a recognition dedicated to those who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their own fields of endeavor and who have, thereby, contributed significantly to the betterment of contemporary society.

John Craft (TEC) was elected president of the Graphics Division for the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE). The ATMAE sets standards for academic program accreditation, personal certification, and professional development for educators and industry professionals involved in integrating technology, leadership and design.

The mission of the Graphics Division of ATMAE is to carry out the purposes and objectives of the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering as they apply to professional personnel employed in graphic communications positions in business, industry, education, and government.

Craft also was the keynote speaker at the 2009 International Graphic Communication Arts Conference held on the campus of the National Taiwan University of Arts, Pan-Ciao City, Taiwan, May 26. The title of his paper, “Globalized Graphic Communications Education: Where do we start?” was presented to students, faculty, and members of the print media industry. Craft’s paper provided conference participants with recommendations for building collaborative learning opportunities based on the current direction of the print and digital media industries.

Jim Winders (History-Emeritus) served as a peer review panelist for the Faculty Research Awards Program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Panelists reviewed applications during the summer, and then met together at the NEH offices in Washington D.C. Aug. 17.

Dee Pelliccio (Fine and Applied Arts Dean’s Office) gave a lecture on the late Marc Chagall to the Grand Ed-venture group visiting from Florida on Aug. 27. She spoke about his life as a creative artist, writer poet and painter. The lecture was held at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center. In addition, A “Mixed Media” painting by Pelliccio appear in the book “Nonverbal Communication: Studies and Applications,” 5th Ed. (2009) Oxford University Press, by Nina-Jo Moore, associate dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts and professor of communication. The book will be available in November.

Tim Radak (FCS) published the article:
Barnett TD, Barnard ND, Radak TL. Development of symptomatic cardiovascular disease after self-reported adherence to the Atkins diet. J Am Diet Assoc, 2009 Jul;109(7):1263-5.

Regina Gulick-James (TD) organized the third consecutive Summer Dance Series.  This series gave opportunity to more than 300 people including Appalachian faculty, staff, and students across campus, local and neighboring communities, and summer residents to gather and share in the joy of dance in all its forms. Teachers from Appalachian faculty, current and retired, and guest teachers from far and near donated their time and talents in offering diverse dance technique classes and bodywork in an array of cultural styles and traditions.  Gulick-James also received certification in Zena Rommett Floor-Barre® Technique in August in New York City.

Melissa Gutshall (FCS) has published several articles recently:

Miller CK, Gutschall MD.  A randomized trial about glycemic index and glycemic load improves outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes. Health Educ Behav. 2009;36(3):615-26.

Miller CK, Gutschall MD, Mitchell, DC.  Change in Food Choices Following a Glycemic Load Intervention in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes.  J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(2):319-324.

Gutschall MD, Miller CK, Mitchell, DC, Lawrence, F. A randomized behavioural trial targeting glycaemic index improves dietary, weight and metabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.  Pub Health Nutr. 2009; 3:1-9.

Miller CK, Gutschall MD, Holloman C.  Self-Monitoring Predicts Fiber Intake and Weight Loss in Adults with Diabetes Following an Intervention Regarding Glycemic Index.  Patient Educ Couns. 2009; 76(2):213-9.

Larry Taylor (COM) was honored by the Ashe County School Board for Exemplary Leadership. The award came as recognition for Taylor’s role in supporting student newspapers at Westwood Elementary and Ashe County Middle School.  Both schools’ newspapers were recently honored as newspapers of distinction by The North Carolina Scholastic Media Association for work during 2008-09. Taylor works with the student newspapers as part of an effort he began in 2006 called The Student Newspaper Project.
Taylor also has been invited to be a plenary speaker at the 2009 “Ubiquitous Learning: An International Conference” Dec. 5-6 at Northeastern University in Boston. The honor comes as a result of Taylor winning an International Award for Excellence for his publication “Tech Pushers: Making Administrators into Tech Integration Facilitators.” The article was first presented at the 2008 conference held in Chicago and then published in the second edition of the corresponding journal, Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal. Taylor was notified in April that the editors and the International Advisory Board had selected the paper as the winner of the International Award for Excellence in the area of learning and education. The article focuses on the role of administrators in technology integration in primary and secondary public school systems.

Jerianne Taylor (TEC) completed a three-year term as university representative for the Technology Student Association.  The Technology Student Association (TSA) is the only student organization devoted exclusively to the needs of students interested in technology. Open to students enrolled in or who have completed technology education courses, TSA’s membership includes more than 150,000 middle and high school students in 2,000 schools spanning 47 states.

Jeff Tiller (TEC) and Bruce Davis (ASU Energy Center) published a report on their research into radiant heat barriers conducted with Centex Homes in Charlotte. The report, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, was picked up by a number of media outlets, including Builder Magazine On-Line and PROSALES, August/Sept issue. Key conclusions of the study were: A 23-degree drop in the peak attic temperature occurred in a home outfitted with radiant heat barrier versus a similar home without the barrier; a 20 percent reduction in the run-time of the air conditioning unit during the seven hours of peak attic temperatures; and the radiant barrier improved the efficiency of cooled air delivered through the air ducts by 57 percent during this period.

Donald Corey (TEC) is the founder of the recent show “DXR ‘09: Designing Change” and was responsible for its installation at the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte. The show, which had more than200 visitors over three days, highlighted the work of architects, landscape architects, interior designers, graphic designers, and industrial designers from across the Carolinas. Corey’s message, taken from the DXR website, describes the intent of this year’s exhibition: ‘Great design is the best catalyst for positive change. Once an incredible idea has been committed to a page, product, or space, those that see or experience it are never the same-they do not go on, continuing to do things the same way. DXR exists to give those great ideas an audience and to give those looking for inspiration another step forward. The works contained here originate from all over the Carolinas, showing that designing change is something we, as a region, have embraced as a mantra. DXR has three goals with each exhibition: first, celebrate great design; second, educate the public about the great design that has been created; and third, stimulate the “cross-pollenization” of ideas across different disciplines and the general public.” This exhibition was originally shown in Raleigh May 1-9 at Flanders Art Gallery and was viewed by roughly 500 design aficionados. This, the third production of DXR, was the first to travel to another city and signified another key step in recognizing the great design talent and achievement of the Carolinas. www.dxraleigh.com.

Corey also was recently selected to show two self-designed products at “workshopped,” the major exhibition of Sydney Design 09. Corey’s products, Pocket Vase and Modern Birdhouse, were on display from Aug. 1- 16 at Sydney’s Chifley Plaza. The exhibition was seen by more than 20,000 people and received international exposure with features in design blogs and magazine articles. Corey is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia. For more information on “workshopped,” visit www.workshopped.com.au.

Corey and a group of his students from an independent study course were selected to exhibit at the inaugural CODE 09 festival in Copenhagen, Denmark, Aug. 26-30 as part of the designboom mart exhibit. Designboom mart, according to its website, is “an unprecedented opportunity to meet the young avant-garde and become familiar with their work. The group exhibitions see international design professionals personally presenting their wares (prototypes and/or limited edition pieces) along with, various-samples and a portfolio. The designers have the opportunity to meet and discuss with customers, manufacturers, distributors, press, and museum curators – verifying their designs and their packaging credentials.”

Ali Raza (ART) is currently on a yearlong leave of absence in Pakistan. His work can be seen at the Asia Society in New York  as part of the exhibit “Hanging Fire: Contemporary Art from Pakistan” through Jan. 3. An article about the exhibit is online at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/arts/design/03fire.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1.