Student Experience Spring 2013

STUDENT Experience EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY

The

of Caring Graduate students making a difference.

SPRING 2013

From the Editors

Making a Difference When we set out to write articles about our graduate students at Emporia State, we had no idea how many amazing things were taking place. At ESU, being a graduate student is so much more than books and papers. Whether you’re a biologist or a percussionist, it is about getting out in the field and doing hands-on research. Graduate students at ESU have the opportunity to work closely with faculty and to form collaborations with other researchers. The ESU experience provides unique research opportunities graduate students cannot get at other universities.

But it is not just our current students who are changing lives. Our alumni are changing lives every day with their work. No matter if the graduate student is a current student or an alumnus, they continue to educate and inspire those around them.

All of the students and alumni we talked to are excited to be a part of the graduate school at ESU and we are excited to showcase their hard work. We hope you can take some time to discover the ways in which ESU graduate students are making a difference and changing lives. Enjoy the graduate edition of the ESU Student Experience.

Elizabeth McLain, Recruitment & Development Specialist Editor and writer

Doricka Menafee, Undergraduate student in English Writer

STUDENT Experience SPRING 2013

In This Issue 2 Distance Learning 4 Alumni 6 The Art of Caring 9 Birthdays, Putts and Physical Education 10 The Technology of Teaching 13 Tied in Knots 14 Giving the College Students What They Want 17 Two Paths, One Department 18 More than a Drummer 20 From Our Students graduate.emporia.edu n

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I have absolutely enjoyed my experience in the SLIM program. The variety of classes and the caliber of the instructors have really challenged me academically. The instructors have been knowledgeable and incredibly supportive. One of the things I love about the ESU SLIM program is the opportunity to have face to face interactions with my instructors and classmates. Working and being a mom does not afford me the luxury to do traditional classes, but I really enjoy my weekends in Portland, Oregon with my cohort. The program has also been extremely flexible which has allowed me to explore so many professional opportunities that I never would have known existed otherwise!

Brianna Hoffman

Master of Library Science, Oregon

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Through the guidance of the professors in the ESU-HPER Department, I have acquired the knowledge and skills to advance my teaching assignments at the university level, thus furthering my career. The faculty members are experienced professionals, attentive, and take a sincere interest in their student’s education. The HPER Graduate program deserves accolades for their comprehensive curriculum and accomplished faculty.

Amy Avery Part Time Instructor Department of Dance Western Michigan University

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From Student to Teacher…

Robert Fitzpatrick left-right: Michelle Picor, Bob Fitzpatrick, Kevin Morissey, and Karen Caviolli at MAPHERD State Conference 2010

How do you inspire people to live a lifetime of fitness?

If you’re Robert Fitzpatrick (MS Health, Physical Education & Recreation 2003) you practice what you preach. Bob has made fitness a part of his life since he began coaching basketball at 17 for the CYO. He went on to earn a BS in physical education and taught elementary PE for several years.

Bob has also competed in triathlons and marathon cross country ski races. “My interest came from combining three activities I was already involved with and wanting to try something new. Variety keeps me much more motivated both competitively and for a desire to continue lifelong physical activity. I also liked the balance between high and low impact activities. These competitions offered me new goals to achieve and also made me a much better time manager so I didn’t take time away from family.”

After he retired from teaching, he decided to get his master’s degree at ESU. ESU was a great fit for Bob and he felt like he was an “integral part” of the program.

So when the opportunity arose for Bob to become part of the HPER faculty, it was an easy decision. “It was a no-brainer! To be part of a faculty which offered such diversity in methodology and instructional techniques

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was an opportunity I did not want to pass up. Interacting with professionals who put such a high value on higher educational learning was both exciting and motivating to me as a prospective staff member.”

In addition to his work at ESU, Bob also owns his own consulting firm, PE Providers (www.peproviders. com). He presents professional development workshops for physical education professionals on various topics ranging from assessment to curriculum mapping in physical education. He also presents for the Bureau of Education and Research out of Bellevue, WA. Bob makes presentations all over the United States and since 2006 has presented in 42 states.

Bob has been involved in physical education his entire life and says that his junior high PE teacher was his inspiration. He says that it is important to stay physically fit no matter what your age, “You have to plant the seed early and continue to motivate students to set achievable goals with regard to fitness. Working at the graduate level simply switched my focus from little kids to ‘big kids.’ Teachers have tremendous ability to empower their students for the rest of their lives.”

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Making Connections How do two friends keep the Hornet connection alive even though they graduated several years apart?

Despite the fact that they graduated in different decades, Meri Miller-Kahle and Carole Hay have a lot in common. Of course they have had lots of time to share those common experiences; they have been friends for more than 30 years.

In addition to their connection as friends, they followed similar paths in their careers. Meri (MS Special Education 1993) is currently an Interrelated Special Education teacher for 6-8th graders at Riley County Middle School and Carole (EdS School Psychology 2011) is a School Psychologist at Wamego Public Schools. Both completed their degrees while working full-time and agree that ESU made it easy to balance work, school, and life. “The classes were always geared toward the working teacher to improve their academic standing and get a graduate degree,” say Meri.

Working with students who have learning and behavioral disorders often presents unusual challenges for both of them. Both of them felt like their experience at ESU helped them with the students they see in their current work. Meri says, “The information and the assignments were always relevant to what I was doing in the classroom. I always felt like I could contact anyone in the department to ask questions about a student. And that is what they taught us at Emporia State. We can call them at any time and ask questions. It can be scary to suddenly be in a classroom full of students. But with the support at ESU you never felt like you were alone in the classroom.”

Carole adds, “It wasn’t just about going to class and doing the work. It’s about having the tools to help the students and having the ability to form relationships with them.

The professors always made everyone in the class feel like we were a part of a group. So I have this big group of people who are in my field that I can e-mail at any time if I need help or ideas. It felt like a community of people with the same interests and desires and that was fostered by the professors.”

Their lifelong friendship also allows the two alums to help each other. Carole says, “I know that I have the support from ESU whenever I need it. But I also know that I can call Meri and get her thoughts about a student. We see some of the same things and it helps to have someone with a different perspective sometimes.”

Meri agrees, “It helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of or to vent to when things get crazy.”

Meri encourages future teachers to go to ESU. “I had 3 student interns and I pushed all 3 of them to go to ESU because I had such an awesome experience there.

You’re a person at Emporia State. When you call and talk to a professor you feel like they can put a face with your name and that you aren’t just an ID number. It truly makes a difference in building those relationships because Special Education success is all about relationship-building. ESU is just the right size to allow for those one-on-one relationships.” It is those kind of relationships that can last a lifetime.

The of Caring What do superheroes and yoga have to do with art therapy?

The students in the Art Therapy department are finding unique ways to help children around the world and businesses in the local community.

Dr. Gaelynn Wolf Bordonaro, associate professor in Art Therapy and Dr. Laura Cherry took eight students on an International Service Learning Trip to the Bahamas this past summer. The students were from the Art Therapy, Psychology and Mental Health Counseling graduate programs. The group went to Nassau for two weeks to work with children with disabilities. The students used what they had learned from coursework to plan and create

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an art directive for the children that incorporated technology and the use of iPads. They also had to create a theme for the trip and project. The theme they chose was “Superheroes.”

These superheroes did not have fantastic powers but instead relied on powers of true superheroes—family, love, and movement.

The students on the trip not only gained valuable knowledge while working with the children, but also formed close bonds with them. Erin Carter (MS Art Therapy Counseling), had this to say about her experience; “Each day I was there I learned more about the children and as a group I feel like we really bonded with each other and the kids.

I also learned a huge amount about another culture, which I will cherish forever.”

Cade Amend (MS Mental Health Counseling) added, “My favorite experience from the trip was creating smiles on the faces of the children with disabilities with whom we worked.”

The students got the opportunity to help the children learn and discover their special strengths.

Becky Schuldt (MS Art Therapy and Mental Health Counseling) said “Every day I either grew closer to a specific child or I got to know another child. Each child had his/ her own strengths and it was really great to see those strengths come out through the art directives that our group created.”

While that group was in the Bahamas, others stayed in Emporia to work on projects in the community. Megan O’Brien and Tamara Schardt (both MS Art Therapy) spent time brightening a local business with art. The two painted a mural in a local yoga studio. Megan had this to say about the importance of what students in the department are doing. “As art therapy students, we believe everyone can benefit from more art in their lives--but also realize not everyone has the resources to accomplish the artistic tasks they envision. Being able to support such projects is important for being good art therapists and active members of the local community.”

Photo credits: Eric Benjamin

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left-right: Matt Travis, Rob Boucini, Mike Albert, and Ryan Flachbart

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Birthdays, Putts and Physical Education Wouldn’t it be great to have a birthday every month of the year?

It is possible for Matthew Travis (MS Health, Physical Education & Recreation) but not exactly in the way that you would imagine. One of the many things Matt does is to help operate a charity that throws birthday parties for children who might not otherwise get to celebrate.

“Three years ago my best friend, Mike Albert, and I were talking about starting a charity. There is nothing out there for birthdays and there are kids out there that don’t get to have birthday parties or presents. Growing up, birthdays are everything and they can really shape how you see that stage in your life. We decided we wanted to give kids the parties and the gifts they really deserve. We put together a golf tournament called Putt for Presents (www.puttforpresents.com) and we had our second annual tournament last July and we raised about $5,000.

We do one party every month for kids in a shelter in Devens, MA. Any kid who has a birthday in that month receives a present and all the kids receive goody bags and have a fun time partying.”

Matt’s concern for children does not stop with the charity. He is a Physical Education teacher at Fales School in Westborough, MA and

also runs his own youth fitness athletic development franchise.

Athletic Revolution Metro West is part of a national franchise and Matt’s was one of the first in the nation. His current goal is to have his own space, “I am taking on the endeavor of opening my own youth fitness facility. We have about 35 athletes right now but we don’t have our own place. We approach athletic development from a global perspective. We want to develop well rounded athletes. We adapt to all skill levels of athletes, ranging from kids who want to be Division I athletes to those on the autism spectrum. Our whole program is based on long-term athletic development.”

Matt plans to continue all of his fitness and charity activities after he graduates. He will be able to use his degree to pursue his passion of getting children of all ages involved in physical activity. He believes it is important to inspire people to live a lifetime of fitness and fun. “As a PE teacher I feel like more of a life coach because we are teaching life skills. I am teaching more character development aspects, which involve cooperation, teamwork, and communication skills. We want to develop lifelong physical activity habits and people who love to move.

We have gotten away from the play and the important developmental aspect that it has for this world. It is important for kids to play to develop social skills and link physical activity and fun.”

Being an online learner in ESU’s HPER program has been a great opportunity for Matt. “I never in my wildest dreams thought that you could do physical education online.

I feel blessed to be part of the HPER program. I couldn’t do what I do and follow my dreams of running a franchise, a charity, being a PE teacher and have time for all other aspects of life if I wasn’t a part of the ESU program. I have increased and developed my understanding of physical education in an amazing way through all of the courses and my wonderful professors.

I don’t think I would be where I am mentally if it weren’t for them.”

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The Technology of Teaching What are the ingredients for excellence in technology and learning? To find the answer you wouldn’t need to go much farther than the Instructional Design and Technology Department (IDT) at ESU. The department was started in 1996 and the program was designed as a hybrid. Instead of making K-12 educator preparation a singular focus, it also addresses areas of corporate training, healthcare, and military. Students in the program come from different undergraduate and professional backgrounds and the online structure also means that the cultural backgrounds vary widely.

Department chair Marcus Childress says that the online classroom makes a huge difference for the students.

“International students bring a whole other dimension to the program. If you go to a typical program you will have students who are just from that same general vicinity with the same experiences. And now being online I can have students from anywhere in the world and people from this area. That added dimension of being able to put people from so many different backgrounds and experience levels in a class together, you just can’t replicate that face-to-face.”

The department also has a reputation for excellence in the field. For the last 5 years, the department’s teams have won the PacifiCorp International Design and Development Competition. The annual competition pits two-person teams against one another as they work to respond to an instructional design problem. The winning record is even more impressive when you consider that ESU is the only Division II school in the competition with all Division I schools.

For this year’s competition, ESU had two of the three teams in the final competition presenting their design plans. The team of Seung Gutsch and Daphne Tseng placed second and the team of Daniel Baldwin and Qing Zhang place third. Daniel thinks the competition is a great opportunity. “For me it was very important as a validation of all the hard work I have put in as a graduate student. This competition required my partner and I to use all of the skills we have been developing over the past two years in the ESU IDT program. This competition really allowed me to assess my abilities as an instructional designer and pushed me to be creative with them. It was also a great opportunity to collaborate with a fellow IDT student.”

The IDT department at ESU works hard to make the students feel like they are a part of a community despite the fact that student are often in different parts of the world. “It’s a great program which fosters student creativity and development,” say Qing. “I like working with IDT faculty and students, we are just like a family.”

Daniel agrees, “I have really enjoyed being a graduate student in the IDT program. It is nice to be able to work around a home and work life while attaining a graduate degree. The professors have all been really great to work with and I look forward to staying in touch with them even after graduation.” top left: Qing Zhang and Daniel Baldwin left: Seung Gutsch and Daphne Tseng

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Tied in Knots at Emporia State

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How do you free yourself by tying yourself in knots? For Robert Kornowski (MS Mathematics), the transition from computer programmer to graduate student was no simple task. When Robert lost his job as a computer programmer, he decided to take a big step in his life. He and his wife moved from Wisconsin to Kansas so that Robert could pursue a master’s degree in Math. “Moving to Emporia from Wisconsin, and returning to school, was a major life transition for both my wife and I.” The move turned out to be a positive change.

Robert is currently working with Dr. Chad Wiley to create a new computer program that deals with an area of math known as knot theory. “Knot theory involves taking a piece of string and looping it around and through itself an arbitrary number of times before ‘gluing’ the ends of the string together. This process creates an instance of a knot.

The overriding question in knot theory is how to distinguish one knot from another.

Many knots

are so complex that simple inspection is insufficient to tell them apart. Mathematicians who study knot theory have developed methods to ‘translate’ knots into algebraic expressions. These algebraic expressions can then be used to help determine whether two knots are the same or different. The research project I am working on is an effort to create a computer program that will do the translation work for us. This will allow Dr. Wiley to further advance his research in the field of knot theory.”

The project will be completed in the summer of 2013.

Robert is already thinking about what he will be doing when he leaves ESU. He plans to teach math at a technical college or community college. “My duties as a graduate teaching assistant in the math department here at ESU have a direct and significant bearing on my career. One of the most important reasons that I chose ESU is because I received a graduate teaching assistantship starting my very first semester here.

The experience I am gaining as a graduate teaching assistant is invaluable and essential to help me obtain employment after graduation.”

Despite the fact that moving was a major decision, Robert is happy that he chose ESU. “So far I have really enjoyed my time at ESU. ESU and the graduate math program have been a very good fit for me. I am also very encouraged by many of the positive changes I see happening around campus. I happen to think that ESU has a lot to offer and is a great bargain in the world of higher education.”

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Giving the College Students What They Want Can you make a difference in your community while getting your master’s degree? That is what four teams are doing as part of a competition among MBA students. They are working with local Kansas businesses in Emporia, Manhattan, Lawrence, Pittsburg and also in Warrensburg, MO. The goal is to build a balanced community for students and people within the communities.

The project is part of a marketing strategy course and the students hope to answer some questions about the relationship between students and local services. By working with the businesses and surveying people in the various communities, they hope to find the answers to some of these questions: What do students expect for services, including entertainment within a reasonable distance of the campus? What do other university towns provide and how do their merchants interact with and target student patrons? What can the city leaders do to assist students in the future? By finding the answers to these questions, businesses in these cities can better serve students and community members.

One of the students working on the project is Matthew Barnett who is working in Lawrence. Matthew did his undergraduate work at Emporia State and decided to stay at ESU to get his MBA. “For my graduate degree,

I chose ESU because I knew I had received a unique and valuable educational experience and I knew the faculty would be willing to help students in need.” He thinks that the community project is a valuable learning experience for everyone involved. “I think we were very privileged to have such a real-world experience in which not everyone gets to partake. I also think other students should have the opportunity to participate in a realworld situation before they graduate to gain some actual working experience.”

Another student, Han Yan, is working on a different team in Pittsburg. Han is originally from Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, China, and attended Liaoning Normal University in China before coming to ESU as an exchange student. The MBA program has been challenging for Han but she enjoys the work, “I like the MBA program as well as the school of business, and I enjoy the learning environment here. Professors are very student-oriented, and they are always encouraging and helping students to succeed.” Like Matthew, Han is excited about the experiences she is gaining from the project.

“I like how this project changes the passionate ideas into research findings through teamwork and continuous investigation. I feel that I can also carry out my own ideas and dreams by hard work.”

The experience has allowed the students to learn some valuable lessons about working in a business environment. Matthew commented, “For the most part, this project has helped me make progress in a diverse group setting where communication has been an issue.

I have improved my communication abilities and I have improved my ability to take initiative as a leader to get things accomplished.”

The project will provide all of the students with an experience they carry with them into future careers.

It will also provide valuable insight for the businesses that are taking part in the study. Han learned a valuable lesson from the project and something easily applied to every facet of business and life. “From this research, I learned that making a plan is important. Following the plan and carrying out the plan is also very important and usually more difficult to do. I believe it is an important tip for my career in the future.”

left: Han Yan

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Photo credit: Nathan Holoubek

Two Paths,

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One Department What do get when you combine graduate students with bird habitats and bacteria? At ESU you get an inside look at the amazing mix of different projects that are taking place in the biology department.

Even though Nathan Holoubek and Kelley Tuel are both working towards an MS in Biology, they are taking very different paths to their master’s degree.

Nathan started his research in Wisconsin but then a research opening led him to ESU. “I came here to work with Dr. Bill Jensen.

He had a research project to study bird response to oak savannah and restoration and how the bird community changes as you go from an open savannah to closed canopy forest or vice versa. I was really interested in that because of my previous work on restoring oak savannahs and bird communities.

What I am looking at is how the bird community changes in relation to tree structure and also looking at nesting success. I applied and it was a perfect fit.”

Nathan has also had the opportunity to travel and present his research. “It’s a very supportive department. There is a lot of assistance to go to meetings so you can expand your knowledge and get your research out there and see what others are doing.”

He has won several awards for the research and the presentations including the Harold Durst research grant, 2nd place for oral presentation at the Kansas Academy

left: Nathan Holoubek and Melanie Klein top right: Halobacterium species NRC-1

of Sciences, a grant for a trip to a ornithological conference in Canada, and the Outstanding Student Presentation award from the Kansas Ornithological Society.

Kelley started out teaching high school biology where she discovered that doing lab work with the students was often problematic. “I wanted to do genuine microbiology with my students but that wasn’t always possible because of lab set-up in the school or safety concerns. At ESU, I talked with Dr. Tim Burnett about a project where we could develop some new labs. He had heard about an organism that is safe to use with students and it has some neat properties that would allow you to teach several different aspects of biology.”

Kelley collaborated with Dr. Burnett and a researcher in Baltimore to create lab kits using a safe organism, Halobacterium species NRC-1. The kits allow high school students to learn about molecular genetics, study the DNA and learn why certain changes take place in the microbe.

She also worked with Dr. Matt Seimears in the teacher’s college to develop evaluation forms to get feedback about the kits. The biology department funded a trip to Anaheim, CA so she could present the kit at the National Association of Biology Teachers conference and she also presented at the Kansas Association of Teachers of Science.

Kelley also received the Harold Durst Research award and the Graduate Research Grant for this year.

Despite the fact that their projects are very different, they both enjoy the atmosphere at ESU and the opportunity to work outside of the classroom. Kelley says, “I love being out in the field and the fact that it’s not all lecture. It’s large enough that we get to work with fabulous lab equipment but small enough that you really get to know the professors.”

Nathan finds that ESU has a lot to offer biology students. “I like the fact that ESU is a smaller school. You can really get to know the professors.

I also think ESU is situated very well geographically. It’s right on the Tallgrass Prairie and you don’t have to go too far and you start getting into the forest. So, it’s a really neat transition zone and it works really well for my research.”

Both have plans for the future.

Nathan would like to continue his research and expand it to other locations. Kelley plans to return to teaching “I have this whole bag of tricks of safe labs to do with students in molecular genetics and microbiology. I’m really excited about that.”

No matter what area of graduate school you plan to pursue Nathan has some advice for new students at ESU, “My best advice is to hit the ground running. The sooner you get involved in things and take advantage of every opportunity, the better off you’re going to be.”

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More than a Drummer What do you get when you combine percussion with technology? Karsten Burns (MM Music Performance: Percussion) is currently working on a project that will change the way musicians research percussion pieces. Even though he admits that he could not read music when he started the program, he has gone on to win several awards including the ESU Honors recital (twice) and two Mid Missouri Percussion Arts Trophy awards (1st in solo marimba, 2nd in solo snare drum).

As if being an award winning musician is not enough, Karsten is currently working on a project with Dr. Tracy Freeze and a student from USC, Elizabeth Cosco. The project, TEK Percussion (TEK stands for Tracy, Elizabeth and Karsten) is a digital research aid for other musicians. Karsten explains, “It’s basically an all-encompassing website that covers all aspects of percussion. It is in Wikipedia format so you are able to research by composer, piece, or instrument.

There will also be a description of the piece and how it was played with information on the instrumentation

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and program notes. It hasn’t reached the grand scale of Wikipedia yet but we are getting there. It’s going to take a long time to get all of the data in but we are excited about it because there has never been anything like this done before.”

larger school. I get a lot of undivided attention. It’s also great being able to have opportunities outside of the town. I play with musicians in Kansas City and Wichita. It’s a great place to be because you are right in the middle of everything.”

The database will be an ongoing project that will require constant updating. Karsten said that the structure would be similar to Wikipedia so that musicians could update information and add new pieces and performances as they happen. It gives other percussionists the opportunity to find more information about composers, pieces, and instruments that interest them.

Karsten has plenty going on in his life right now. In addition to playing, practicing, and working three jobs, Karsten is also the father of a new baby. He admits that he really does not have spare time, but he would not change anything about his experience. “It was great that my teacher took me in when I was an undergraduate and I couldn’t read a note. I could only play a drum set to a decent level. He took me in as a student who couldn’t read music and to have won these competitions is really incredible.

They took someone who has a little bit of rhythm and taught me how to read music and interpret it. Other schools would not have given me that chance. They took a chance with a guy who couldn’t read music and through my professor pushing me and me pushing myself I have been able to get to a level that I never thought I could reach.”

Karsten is a native of Emporia and attended ESU as an undergraduate.

He has enjoyed being able to work so closely with the faculty here and likes the proximity of Emporia to other cities. “The opportunity with the faculty is priceless. The challenges that you get as a graduate student go far beyond what you would get anywhere else. My teacher is going to arrange a piece and I get to play a solo, you just don’t get that at a

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n FROM OUR STUDENTS

I just wanted to say how grateful I am to have received a scholarship. It really means a lot to me to have the gift of some extra support as I work towards my goal of becoming a librarian.

Christina King, MLS

I am a school psychology graduate student and your gift has been a tremendous help this semester. I am enjoying all of my coursework and excited to continue my studies next semester.

Carly Horne, MS School Psychology

Thank you so much for your generosity!

I am currently in my first semester of graduate school in HPER. I received my undergraduate degree from ESU in May 2012 and feel blessed to have the opportunity to further my education. I have been given so many great opportunities and new experiences because of ESU. Aubrey Koeppe, MS Health, Physical Education and Recreation

Your financial assistance helped tremendously this semester as I worked toward my master’s degree in gifted education. This new journey has been an exciting one for me and I greatly appreciate your support.

Christy Over, MS Special Education/ Teaching Gifted

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Receiving the scholarship boosted my confidence and felt like confirmation that pursuing a career as a librarian is exactly what I need to be doing.

It’s a wonderful way to start off on this next step in my education.

Lora Lyn Worden, MLS

Let me express my unrivaled gratitude for your contribution to my education via a Graduate School Scholarship. Your support greatly influences my ability to pursue my graduate degree in library and information sciences.

The award definitely helped soften the blow of tuition.

Jason Robb, MLS

There is no question that this scholarship and other financial aid make it possible for me to continue in the progression toward my educational and professional goals.

Vickie I. Fish, MLS

Thanks for making my goal of earning an MBA and CPA possible.

Zach Carlson, MBA

To meet the expense of graduate school, my husband and I are currently cutting every corner we can.

This scholarship has been extremely helpful in making this dream become a reality and I cannot thank you enough.

Meaghan Russell, MS School Counseling

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GRADUATE SCHOOL and DISTANCE EDUCATION Campus Box 4003 1200 Commercial Street Emporia, Kansas 66801-5087 800-950-GRAD gradinfo@emporia.edu www.emporia.edu/grad