SouthernLife a newspaper for the campus community
Southern Connecticut State University
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november 2014 • Vol.18 No. 2
inside:
4 Running Away From Injuries 5 Prenatal Drinking May Affect Descendents
University Responds to New Sexual Misconduct Policies Southern
than ever to prevent acts of sexual violence from happening on campus and to respond appropriately when such acts do occur. In response to policy changes at the state and national levels last spring around the handling of sexual misconduct (sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking) on college campuses, the university has developed and adopted new policies and procedures, particularly in the areas of education, support and reporting. “We have done a good job at Southern of gathering the information we need, getting aligned with policy and state bills and serving our students,” says Cathy Christy, director of the Women’s Center and the university’s designated victim advocate. Policy around campus sexual misconduct has been evolving over the past few years. In March 2013, President Obama signed into Red flags line parts of the campus in October as part of a campaign to raise awareness about law the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination sexual violence prevention. (SaVE) Act, as part of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization of Also last spring, the Education Department’s of Representatives passed a bill last spring 2013. The act amended the Clery Act, which Office for Civil Rights released a document aimed at improving “campus sexual assault addresses campus sexual assault policies on how colleges and universities must handle and intimate partner violence policies and the within the Higher Education Act of 1965. sexual misconduct cases under Title IX, the response of institutions of higher education to Last April, the White House put out new federal civil rights law that prohibits sex disreports of sexual assault or intimate partner federal guidelines and policy recommendacrimination in education. violence against students and employees of tions on campus sexual assault prevention. At the state level, the Senate and House such institutions.” Christy points out that is now more prepared
School of Education Reaccredited Southern’s School
of Education has earned a full, fiveyear reaccreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)’s Continuous Improvement Commission. The commission issued its decision recently using the rigorous professional standards required by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), which is now part of CAEP. The School of Education met all six national standards, which measured the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions of the teacher candidates; assessment; field experiences and clinical practice; diversity; faculty qualifications and performance; and the school’s governance and resources. “We are very pleased that our School of Education was among those institutions receiving full reaccreditation,” said President Mary A. Papazian. “Southern has been a leader in teacher education in Connecticut for the past 120 years, and we look forward School continued on page 6.
Recognized for Leadership President Mary A. Papazian received the 2014 Athena Leadership Award during an Oct. 9 luncheon at the Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. Presented annually by the Greater New Haven and Quinnipiac chambers of commerce, the Athena award recognizes women who “strive toward the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishment, who excel in their chosen field, devote time and energy to their community in a meaningful way, and forge paths of leadership for other women to follow.” Papazian has enjoyed a notable career as an educator, administrator and scholar of English literature. Appointed as Southern’s 11th president in December 2011, she oversees an institution
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of almost 11,000 students, 434 full-time faculty, 1,100 staff and an operating budget of $190 million. Her first day at Southern was Feb. 1, 2012, and since then she has led a period of institutional enhancement. A major construction program is changing the face of the campus. A new School of Business building has been followed by a major renovation and expansion of Buley Library and the construction of an Academic Laboratory Science Building, scheduled for completion in spring 2015. Addressing pressing issues of retention and graduation rates that are currently facing many public institutions of higher education, Papazian instituted a Student Success Task Force to examine and improve key areas of enrollment management and President continued on page 6.
the house bill requires the university to serve employees, as well as students, who may become victims of sexual misconduct. Development of campus services to address this new component is now well under way. Last March, the CSCU Board of Regents (BOR) also approved a “Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence Policy” for the CSCU institutions. This policy states that “Other than those employees with confidentiality, all university employees are mandated reporters.” Mandated reporting is a new piece to the sexual assault response guidelines the university had been following; employees are now to report any violations of the sexual misconduct policy to the campus Title IX coordinator. Reporting protocols are going out this fall to faculty, staff and students, Christy says. Other new requirements being addressed on campus include: implementation of prevention and awareness programs; inclusion of a statement on sexual misconduct in course syllabi; the Haven Online course, new this fall, required by all new freshmen and transfer students; and student attendance at two informational programs, one on sexual assault and one on bystander intervention. Christy points out that the university has Response continued on page 6.
Connect with Southern Anywhere
Now you can stay connected with Southern, even on the go, with the new SCSU Mobile, which is currently available for the iPhone (iOS7 or later). The new SCSU Mobile app was developed by the Office of Public Affairs for students, faculty, staff and visitors to provide access to important information from their mobile devices. It provides instant access to a suite of helpful features, including the university calendar, faculty/staff/office directory, a shuttle bus tracker, campus news, emergency contacts, dining hall menus and other general information about Southern. The app will continue to b e enhanced based on future needs, and a version for Android users is now under development. For more information and a link to download the app, visit SouthernCT.edu/mobile.
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A Message from the President
President Mary A. Papazian Below: President Mary A. Papazian joins faculty and staff members to wish student (sixth from left) Anabel Gosseline a happy birthday. Gosseline is a freshman who is battling a form of brain cancer. Her birthday was recently celebrated by the university and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut.
Dear Colleagues, As we know, the University’s biggest challenge this year is building our enrollment. University-wide, focused efforts, including new initiatives to expand our recruitment sphere, are well under way. For example, we have launched a new, targeted recruitment communication campaign to 35,000 prospective students from Connecticut and neighboring states whose academic profiles identify them as ideal applicants for Southern. Our efforts to attract a more geographically diverse student body also extend overseas – Provost Bette Bergeron and Director of International Education Erin Heidkamp have recently returned from a successful trip to China, where they visited five institutions with a view to establishing student and faculty exchange programs. Closer to home, the October Open Houses for both prospective undergraduates and graduate students were well-attended events that allowed our faculty, staff and current students to demonstrate first-hand the quality and value
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
SouthernLife
Published by the Southern Connecticut State University Office of Public Affairs Patrick Dilger, Director Editor
Patrick Dilger writers
Betsy Beacom Jack Kramer Joe Musante Allison O’Leary Villia Struyk Designer
Janelle Finch Photographers
Isabel Chenoweth Melanie Stengel SouthernLife is published monthly when classes are in session, from September through June, by the Southern Connecticut State University Office of Public Affairs, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1355. News and calendar inquiries should be addressed to Wintergreen 162, campus mail, or call 392-6586. Story ideas, news items and comments can also be e-mailed to the editor at DILGERP1. The editor reserves the right to consider all submissions for timeliness, space availability, and content.
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On Nov. 6, the Office of Faculty Development completed its fall semester series of drop-by consultations with the topic, “Collegiality 101.” All subjects related to collegiality were open for discussion during one-on-one sessions with Bonnie Farley-Lucas, faculty development director. No appointments were required, either for this topic, or any as part of the series. The drop-by series offered faculty members an opportunity to discuss topics related to teaching and life on a college campus. Previous topics included: “Creating a Caring Classroom,” “Writing a Teaching Philosophy,” “FDAC and CRAC Grants: Assistance and Feedback.” The Office of Faculty Development is located in Engleman Hall, Room B106. Those with questions about this program or with ideas for future programs can contact the office at (203) 392-6258, or at facultydevelop@SouthernCT.edu.
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
The Academic and Laboratory Science Building is on schedule to be completed by May 1, while the renovation work to the older wing of Buley Library should be finished in early December, Executive Vice President James E. Blake has announced. “The science building is really taking shape and we should be able to move into the building next summer,” Blake says. “Meanwhile, Buley is getting very close to completion. We have had a delay of a few weeks from what we anticipated, but other than that, it’s going quite well.” Several departments located in the Wintergreen Building – such as Human Resources, Procurement and the Office of the Bursar – will temporarily move into the new wing of Buley
of a Southern education. And while we are still early in the admission cycle, indications point to progress toward increases in both undergraduate and graduate enrollment for 2015. This prospect is supported in part by the new streamlined application process available through our adoption of the Common App. Revised scheduling and targeted marketing for Winter Session is also paying dividends, with more than 625 registrations in the first week alone. Students are responding to the excellent array of choices offered by our faculty – 67 sections of coursework, 41 of which are online. I thank all of those involved in our targeted enrollment efforts for their innovative thinking and teamwork in furthering this critical crosscampus initiative. During this semester, I and members of my senior leadership team have been engaged in discussion with city officials in Bridgeport about avenues for collaboration with the Park City. City leaders are eager to establish partnerships with a public university in areas such as education, business and environmental science. We have the expertise, and such partnerships will also help us establish a profile in Fairfield County as we seek to expand our presence there and enhance the recruitment of students from outside Greater New Haven. Drawing upon the experiences of recent senior leadership tours of Bridgeport, and following meetings with Mayor Bill Finch, we have formed three internal subcommittees on campus to focus on three key areas of potential collaboration: • A “Business and Professional Connections” subcommittee, under the leadership of Dean Ellen Durnin, will be working on strengthening business relationships with the Bridgeport Regional Business Council; formalizing internship models with area businesses and identifying sources of funding. • The “Connections with Educational Insti-
tutions” subcommittee will work with Bette, Marianne, and all the Deans to strengthen educational pathways with Housatonic Community College and build stronger connections with Fairchild-Wheeler Magnet High School and the Aquaculture Science & Technology Education Center, providing students with avenues to Southern in various STEM disciplines. • A third subcommittee will focus on partnerships centered on sustainability, which is a key area of interest for Bridgeport. We are working with Mayor Finch and his staff to identify space for the university within a city building that could be used as a Center for Applied Sustainability, and he has asked that Southern serve as the lead educational institution on various sustainability projects across the city. With primary areas of focus being coastal resilience and carbon reduction, this could be a natural extension of the work of our Center for Sustainability and the Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies. We anticipate that our work in Bridgeport will help shape future research projects, special topics, and directed work experiences in the classrooms here at Southern. And while not all students and faculty may travel to Bridgeport, they will still be able to participate by supporting individual projects through their efforts here on campus. This has been another busy semester, which will conclude in just a few weeks with our December commencement ceremonies on Dec. 18 – at 2 p.m. for undergraduates and 7 p.m. for graduate students. Before then, we celebrate Thanksgiving, and I wish you a happy and relaxing holiday in the company of your family and friends.
as renovation to Wintergreen begins early next year. Blake says he believes that move will occur in January. Although some renovation work is scheduled between December and March for the new addition of Buley, Blake says it shouldn’t delay the move, as the work won’t disrupt office operations. Plans also call for some other departments in Wintergreen to be relocated within the building during the renovation work.
more than 400 alumni and guests enjoying camaraderie and refreshments. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Class of 1964 was honored during halftime at the Homecoming football game and at special events the following day.
INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Numerous events were held this fall — designed to connect with alumni, recognize Southern’s donors and support students. With the latter in mind, Alumni Professionals Day, held on Oct. 1 in the academic quad, provided students with a firsthand look at numerous careers. The President’s Donor Recognition Reception took place on Oct. 17 in the Michael J. Adanti Student Center. Held on a Friday evening for the first time, the event recognizes leadership-level donors whose financial support makes it possible for Southern to create a climate of excellence. The event included a special performance by the Crescent Players, who entertained guests with several numbers from the musical “Godspell.” The Crescent Players also had reason to celebrate, with alumni and current members commemorating the group’s 60th anniversary. At the Oct. 16 performance of “Godspell,” one of the Crescent Players’ founding members, Janet Sarno Dontzin, ’55, introduced the production, which was followed by a complimentary dessert reception. On Oct. 18, Owl spirit reigned supreme at Homecoming and Family Day. The Alumni “Spirit” Tent was an overwhelming success with
Sincerely,
Mary Papazian, Ph.D. President
STUDENT AFFAIRS
This year’s Southern Reads program has succeeded for a number of reasons, says Tracy Tyree, vice president for student affairs. The 2014 Southern Reads book selection – “Fear and What Follows: The Violent Education of a Christian Racist,” a memoir by English Professor Tim Parrish – has messages or themes that are of relevance to the college student experience, Tyree says, and several events have taken place on campus this semester to address themes from the book such as racism, masculinity and violence. “This book has offered an opportunity to dialogue about critical issues,” she says, “but it only works if everyone embraces it.” Tyree says there is value in having a common experience; new students come to the university and share an experience with their peers and with faculty and staff, and out of this sharing comes community building. If the university creates a culture where students find such engagement to be valuable, Tyree says, then it becomes a hallmark of the Southern experience. She points out that the Southern Reads committee has already solicited recommendations for next year’s book selection. “We’d like the whole community to embrace this initiative,” she says. “I’d like to see next year’s Southern Reads program to be the beginning of something even bigger than what it’s been.” Parrish read from and discussed his book at Lyman Center on Nov. 11.
2014
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Broadbridge Tapped to Lead New Science Initiatives As part of Southern’s commitment to be a state leader in the sciences, President Mary A. Papazian has added a director of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) initiatives to the university’s academic leadership team. Christine Broadbridge, chairwoman of the Physics Department, has been appointed to the post and charged with developing and leading STEM programs both on and off campus, and building the university’s partnerships with governmental, business and other academic organizations. The announcement comes in anticipation of the opening of the new Academic Laboratory and Science Building, which is scheduled for the upcoming spring. The building will feature many new amenities, including a supercomputing lab for research in theoretical physics, bioinformatics and computer science. The ConnSCU Center for Nanotechnology will be located on the ground floor. Broadbridge is also director of that center. The new facility also will host teaching and research labs for physics, earth science, environmental science, molecular biology and chemistry. “These are exciting times for the sciences at Southern and Christine’s new role will
Those
Southern own risk.
who underestimate
students do so at their
That is one of the messages that can be taken away from the results of a national assessment test that measures critical thinking skills. Southern seniors exceeded expectations in how well they performed on the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) – a test that evaluates their ability in several skill areas: analysis and problem solving; scientific and quantitative reasoning; critical reading and evaluation; and writing mechanics and effectiveness. Freshmen and seniors from colleges and universities across the country – both public and private – were tested during the 2013-14 academic year. Evaluators project where the seniors should be academically based on the freshman results and their average SAT scores for incoming freshmen. In other words, a certain level of educational gain is anticipated, with specific improvements forecasted. In Southern’s case, Southern seniors reached the 81st percentile in terms of
help elevate our STEM disciplines both onand off-campus,” President Papazian says. Broadbridge also serves as the education director of the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena (CRISP), a cooperative venture between Southern and Yale University. She has earned many awards for her excellence in the field – including the recent Connecticut Materials and Manufacturing Professional of the Year for 2014. She was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame in 2008. She was selected in 2006 by the Connecticut Technology Council for its Women of Innovation Award for Academic Leadership. “Within her new role, Christine will lead the university in forming the SCSU Office for STEM Innovation and Leadership, which will build on the institution’s current strengths and provide insight into the next steps of our development in this crucial area,” says Bette Bergeron, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Christine is uniquely positioned for this new role. Her leadership, research and outreach related to STEM within the state of Connecticut and our region is unparalleled.” Broadbridge, who has taught at South-
Christine Broadbridge’s appointment as director of STEM initiatives coincides with the impending opening of the Academic and Laboratory Science Building.
ern since 2000, says she looks forward to developing the Office for STEM Innovation and Leadership. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with so many outstanding faculty
exceeding expectations in the educational gains made by its students, based on a variety of factors and predictive models, according to Michael Ben-Avie, Southern’s director of assessment. In other words, the university was among the top fifth of schools in terms of its seniors doing better than educational experts predicted. “By exceeding expectations on the CLA exam, the seniors demonstrated the value and effectiveness of a Southern education on their career preparedness,” Ben-Avie says. “The skills that the test measures are typically those that organizations seek in new employees.” He adds that Southern freshmen generally posted overall scores that fell in the basic and below basic levels of mastery. Senior total scores were primarily in the basic and proficient levels of mastery. Seniors scored highest in the area of critical reading and writing mechanics. Ben-Avie says that 145 freshmen and 115 seniors took the exam last year and the pool of students was a representative sample of the university.
Alice Selverian
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in the establishment and promotion of interdisciplinary partnerships across STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), as well as with other disciplines,” she says.
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Southern on the Green is a suite of offices and seminar rooms on the 10th floor of 900 Chapel Street. Situated adjacent to the headquarters of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, it overlooks the New Haven Green. With its location in the heart of the New Haven business district, Southern on the Green (SOTG) is an excellent venue for faculty, staff and students to maximize networking, academics, and partnership opportunities with the city’s key players in politics, commerce, education and the non-profit sector – and more than 45,000 alumni who call New Haven home. Find out how Southern on the Green can be an asset to you and your department in the Southern on the Green Faculty Guide, available at SouthernCT.edu/southern-on-the-green. For questions on how to reserve a room or host an event at SOTG, please contact: Alice Selverian Coordinator, Southern on the Green Selveriana1@SouthernCT.edu (203) 641-8437
SouthernBrief ly The SCSU Alumni Association and SCSU Foundation Inc. are providing an online scholarship application now through Dec. 31. All currently enrolled full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply, provided the minimum requirements are met. Awards will be applied to the 2015-2016 academic year. For more information, requirements and the application, visit SouthernCT.edu/ alumni/scholarshipprogram/. The SAGE (Sexuality and Gender Equality) Center has relocated to the Adanti Student Center, adjacent to the Multicultural Center on the second floor, and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The center is under the supervision of Dian Brown-Albert, coordinator of the Multicultural Center, and staffed by a full-time graduate
intern, Lauren Todd. The center recently established Q Group, a confidential discussion/support group that meets weekly to discuss coming out, living out, relationships and intersecting identities. Contact the SAGE Center for more information at SageCenter@SouthernCT. edu or (203) 392-8989. Professor Emeritus Max Mintz, a member of the History Department from 1963-1983, passed away in May. Born in London, he was a scholar of the American Revolutionary period. He earned his undergraduate degree at City College of New York and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at New York University. He published three books, as well as many book reviews and essays, and was a member of the Organization of American Historians. In 1996, he was a John Adams Fellow at the University of London as well as an Eccles Fellow at the British
Library. He is survived by his sister and two nephews. Mark Kuss, professor of music, was recently in India participating in a 10-day concert event, part of a large-scale program of concerts called “The Scheherazade Initiative,” sponsored by the U.N. Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. Kuss is part of the initiative through his work with Music for Life International, led by artistic director George Mathew, which partners with the U.N. on this initiative. Kuss says the music has narratives that correspond with the social issues associated with the organization. For this initiative, they played the Rimsky-Korsakov piece “Scheherazade,” which, Kuss says, is filled with musical representations of shifting power differentials. The India concerts drew embassy representation by about 30 different countries, Kuss says.
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Running Away From Injuries The
another site in Connecticut that has it.” Studies show that between 50 and 75 is to prevent them from happening percent of runners are injured every year, and in the first place. And while proper warmups, that about half are re-injuries. strength training and a stretching routine cer“You can’t prevent all injuries, especially tainly help, some runners are more vulnerable those where a quick, sudden movement is to certain types of injuries. The problem is: the cause,” Gregory says. “But you can reduce they don’t always know about those inherthe overuse injuries through strengthening, ent vulnerabilities until an injury already has stretching and sometimes workout modificaoccurred. tion. Assessing problems in their early stages is But Southern’s Human Performance Lab a good first step in injury prevention.” recently acquired a state-of-the-art piece of Southern was able to pay for the equipequipment that can provide runners with ment, totaling about $135,000, through state the data they need to reduce the chances of bonding. repetitive stress injuries. It’s a treadmill that Gregory notes that while a person’s gait is uses cameras and technology to provide a not identical on a treadmill, road, trail or track, three-dimensional gait analysis. The equipit is usually very similar. “It’s close enough ment shows a runner’s form and the flaws that where we can make a very accurate evaluamay be emanating from their gait – whether tion,” he says. it be a knee that rotates too far, a foot that An evaluation generally takes between 30 pronates with too much velocity; or a hip that to 35 minutes. “It takes about 10 minutes for isn’t lining up quite the way it should. preparation, 10 minutes of questions, 3 to 5 “We are delighted to have this high-tech minutes of walking, 3 to 5 minutes of running, device at Southern and encourage runners and then a few minutes to remove measuring of all ages to come in and have their gait devices from an individual,” Gregory says. assessed,” says Robert Gregory, assistant The cost for a member of the general public professor of exercise science. “It is an opporto have the analysis conducted is $150, which tunity for people to see what may cause them Gregory says is generally less expensive than problems in the future so that they can deal to have the test done in Boston or New York with it proactively. For example, if a runner City. Faculty and staff can have the test done displays signs of a quadriceps weakness, they A new treadmill in the Human Performance Lab is able to assess a runner’s relative risk for $75, while a student can have it done for can begin a strengthening and stretching proto injuries related to the hip, knee and ankle. just $25. Those who are willing to have their gram that will help prevent injuries related to results included in a research database may that condition.” have some or all of the costs waived, although Gregory says that while Southern does the process takes a little longer with 15 to 20 minutes of hip. The higher the score on a scale of 1-100, the less likely not currently offer physical therapy, the new equipment running assessed at various speeds. a repetitive motion injury may occur. provides the data for runners to bring when consulting with Gregory is hopeful that assessments may begin in “This piece of equipment, to my knowledge, is available a therapist, trainer or doctor. November. For further information, contact Gregory at in less than 50 locations throughout the United States and The device provides an overall injury risk score, as well (203) 392-6036 or at GregoryR3@SouthernCT.edu. Canada,” Gregory says. “I don’t believe there is currently as component scores evaluating a person’s ankle, knee and b e s t t r e at m e n t f o r r u n n i n g
injuries
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Knee injuries are common among distance runners.
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Robert Gregory, assistant professor of exercise science, monitors an individual’s gait during the test.
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SouthernProfiles Study: Prenatal Drinking May Affect Descendants You
might not ever have met your great-grand-
that connection is considered conclusive. Evidence that the same link exists in humans would take even longer to determine, though he says it is a possibility. Many women drink alcohol when they don’t yet know they are pregnant, at a time of crucial fetal development,
he says. He hopes these findings may one day lead to preventive measures and interventions. Nizhnikov also notes that further research in this area could address other questions, such as whether having a great-grandmother who drank while she was pregnant might be a factor for alcoholism. “It could also show that if you can keep a child away from alcohol until adulthood, he or she might not have any higher liability for alcohol abuse,” he says. “Every time you find an answer it opens up another five or six questions.” Nizhnikov says the combination of teaching and research is what attracted him to Southern. He plans to teach a seminar course next semester called “Neurobiology of Addiction.” Born in Russia, Nizhnikov immigrated to the United States at the age of 8. His parents were “Refuseniks,” activists denied exit visas before being allowed to leave Russia. His family settled in New York. He planned to be a classical guitarist, and later considered a career in clinical psychology. But after working in the lab, assisting with graduate research into cocaine addiction while taking an undergraduate psychology course at Colorado State University, he set his sights on his current career path. Nizhnikov received his M.A and Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from Binghamton, mentored by the renowned scientist Norman “Skip” Spear, who conducted groundbreaking work in infant memory and the early developmental consequences of alcohol exposure. “I talk with my students about how there’s a lot of failure in science,” he says. “I’ve worked for months and months on experiments. At some point you have to step away and start something else. There is always a new question.”
ship and policy studies, had always been interested in the achievement gap between African-American males and their white peers. But rather than add to the piles of research that already existed about the reasons for the academic failures of black men, he wanted to find out why some managed to succeed despite overwhelming obstacles. He did his initial research in the Los Angeles Unified School District, visiting two failing schools in the throes of state takeovers to look for case studies. His sought out male students with at least a 3.0 GPA who were living with their birth mothers in homes that lacked the presence of an adult male for at least four years before the study. Mothers who were college graduates were excluded from the study. Through interviews, home visits and focus groups with five students and their mothers, a pattern emerged of mothers who “took full responsibility for raising their sons, encouraged them to do well at school, and held them to high standards in the classroom and at home,” according to the study. “These young men described anything but parents who
‘sit on the sidelines’ and allow their children to be victimized by an unsympathetic educational system.” Rather than using school-driven techniques to motivate their sons, the mothers used whatever methods they thought might work. One mom threatened to take away football – her son’s passion – if his grades slipped; another sought to influence her son through church. What surprised Robinson most was the mothers’ craving for guidance and advice. Because the mothers in the study lacked formal education, many said they felt intimidated by school officials or uncomfortable approaching school officials on their own, and felt educators were sometimes dismissive of their concerns. Yet, Robinson says, “these mothers wanted to engage with someone – they were looking for the opportunity.” “They were eager to talk about what they had been doing, and what they could do better,” he explains. “I think if we start working closely with parents, then they will start doing the heavy lifting for us down the road.”
mother.
But if you consume more alcoholic beverages than most people, you could try to blame that proclivity on her. While the connection among humans is still an open question, a new Southern faculty member found that among rats, those whose great-grandmothers drank while pregnant had greater appetites for alcohol, regardless of whether their mothers and grandmothers drank while pregnant. “Why do some people have increased alcohol abuse disorders as they go on to adolescence?” asks Michael Nizhnikov, assistant professor of psychology. “One of the reasons could be that it’s passed on across generations, that it is being set up when the great-grandmother drinks.” Nizhnikov conducted his study while a faculty member at Binghamton University in New York, along with Nicole Cameron and Daniel Popoola, an assistant professor and a graduate student at Binghamton, respectively. The study is currently under review by the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Research. The consequences of prenatal exposure to alcohol are well documented both in rats and humans, according to Nizhnikov. Even in small amounts, it can lead to birth defects, as well as physical and psychological impairments. But this kind of trans-generational effect of alcohol is a new area of research. In a previous study, Nizhnikov found a strong connection between grandmothers who drank while pregnant and a greater fondness for alcohol among the grandchildren. He says the third-generation connection is new territory, and while a statistically significant third-generation link exists among rats, additional studies need to be done before
Michael Nizhnikov, assistant professor of psychology, is studying the link between a person’s desire for alcohol and whether their great-grandmother drank while pregnant.
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Listening to Mom Statistically
speaking, Quintin Robinson should have been an academic failure. As a black male growing up in a single-parent home in rough-and-tumble Compton, Calif., just south of Los Angeles, Robinson had many of the well-known risk factors stacked against him. He gives much of the credit for beating the odds to his mother. “My father died when I was really young and my mother raised all six of us. She really pushed education and she pushed doing things for yourself,” says Robinson, the newest faculty member in Southern’s Educational Leadership Department. Robinson’s own life experience fueled his decision to focus his research on African-American males who were thriving academically, despite attending “failing” inner-city schools and living in homes with an absent father. Specifically, he wanted to examine the role their mothers played in their sons’ success. In every case, he found one common denominator: a mother who relentlessly pushed her son to achieve. His findings were published in the November 2013 edition of Multicultural Perspectives, the journal of the National Association for Multicultural Education. “These black mothers were very motivated toward seeing their sons be successful,” Robinson says. “They were looking at their sons as being the game-changer in the family. They felt that if they invested something in their child now, then later on these children would come back and help them and help the household out.” A record four in 10 births in the United States in 2008 were to unmarried women, up from 28 percent in 1990, according to U.S. Census figures. Of those, African-American women had the highest share of births to unwed mothers, at 72 percent. While research shows children in single-parent homes are more likely to live in poverty and do poorly in school, Robinson says his research suggests that investments in parental education and parent engagement programs can mitigate those disadvantages. “If these mothers were doing such a great job with these boys with no tools at all, then imagine what we could do if we started to really educate these mothers?” he asked. Robinson, an associate professor in educational leader-
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Quintin Robinson, assistant professor of educational leadership, has found a common thread among black single mothers whose sons succeeded in life despite growing up with considerable adversity in their lives.
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Treasuring a New Internship with Webster Bank Deepta Ramesh likes having a lot on her plate.
In addition to a class and developing her honors thesis, the senior finance major is holding two paid internships this semester – one in the field of marketing, the other in finance. The latter internship came about after Webster Bank opted to create such a position earlier this year to help with its treasury and payment solutions. It specifically asked Southern students to apply because of the university’s treasury management program – the only certified program of its kind in Connecticut, and one of a relative few in the nation, according to James Thorson, chairman of the Economics and Finance Department. “It’s a lucrative internship that we hope will continue in future years,” Thorson says. “In addition to being paid for their
work, students who complete a successful internship will be considered for a job with the bank. I congratulate Deepta on her selection, and I thank Webster for this opportunity to partner with us.” To be eligible for consideration, a student must have a 3.0 GPA or better; be a senior undergraduate or a graduate student; have work experience or class experience with leadership and business skill-related responsibilities; and have completed the Essentials of Treasury Management course with a grade of B-plus or better. Ramesh says she went through three interviews before being hired. The first interview included two senior vice presidents, while the second involved a panel of people. “I guess they thought I was a good fit,” she says. “Originally, they asked me to start
in the summer, but I had already accepted another internship. But they were accommodating and offered to have me work there during the fall semester.” Ramesh works full days at the Webster Bank office in Hartford twice a week. During the first half of the internship, she is focusing on data analysis. The second half will involve implementation. The internship will conclude in December, when she will be required to write a five-page analysis and develop a presentation for Webster. “It’s very exciting and I am learning a great deal,” Ramesh says. She also says the treasury management course last spring gave her a solid foundation. “Now, it’s a matter of putting what I learned into practice and learning how Webster does things.” Ramesh is a South Windsor resident and a member of Southern’s Honors College.
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New Minor Combines Social Science, Medicine The
Ebola
is a clear illustration that medical care is as much about good communication as it is about good medicine and good doctoring. So says Kathleen Skoczen, chairwoman of the Anthropology Department at Southern. “(Ebola) is showing us the importance in today’s world of the human skills’ required when outsiders step in to address a crisis, but lack the cultural and social knowledge,” she says. “Ebola is a really good example of potential dangers that can occur when we prioritize economic growth over human needs. This illness is not just biological. “With globalization, mass transit, extremely dense populations, higher rates of poverty and illiteracy, pockets of the world are ripe for dangerous diseases,” Skoczen says. “Besides Ebola, these regions have higher rates of HIV and tuberculosis. Populations are at higher risk because of scarce resources.” Compounding the crisis, Skoczen said, is the 24/7 information age we now live in – where the “latest news – or rumors or lies about Ebola is on everyone’s computer, smart current
crisis
phone or television set instantly.” Ironically, the Ebola crisis has hit at a time when Southern has just developed a social science and medicine minor that allows students to understand and appreciate the relationships between the broader medical field, society and culture, and human behavior. Students explore how human health is affected by, and contingent upon, both the culture of medicine and the socioeconomicpolitical approach to illness and health. Pre-med and pre-dental majors in the new minor are learning “the importance of human skills to have successful outcomes,’’ Skoczen says. “We tend to think too much about the science of medicine,’’ she says. “We sometimes forget the importance of simple interaction – doctors with patients and vice versa.” “Think,’’ she says, “how often people here at home can get confused during medical treatments. Now, imagine how that confusion can be compounded in countries such as Liberia.’’ The social science and medicine minor enhances the undergraduate education of students pursuing professional careers in the
fields of medicine, social work and public health; research careers related to medicine; and business administration within health service. The learning objectives of the 18-credit minor include: investigating different approaches within the social sciences to the study of health, illness and medical systems; analyzing health care systems from Kathleen Skoczen believes cultural awareness is vital in an interdisciplinary and addressing health crises, such as the Ebola virus epidemic. international perspective; and identifying the role of culture, economics medicine and social/cultural factors including: and politics in the distribution, development, age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioecodelivery and reception of health care and nomic status. medical science. Because the curriculum helps students recStudents also learn to comprehend the ognize the relationships between the broader complexity and variation of competing and/ medical field, society and culture, and human or supplemental medical systems; evaluate behavior – “it just makes sense for someone individuals’ responses and responsibilities to majoring in an area with medicine as a focus health and illness issues; and understand the to choose courses in the social science and integrated and complex relationship between medicine program,’’ Skoczen says.
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page), which includes complete information on sexual violence, stalking, Title IX rights and other related issues. Christy then speaks with both the person who reported and the student. “We let them know about their rights and about what is criminal,” Christy says, adding that not everyone wants to report an incident of sexual violence. As the university’s designated victim advocate, Christy has been given limited confidentiality, meaning she is only required to report information that is subpoenaed by a court. Christy credits Chris Piscitelli, director of judicial affairs; Detective Cynthia Torres, University Police, and Diane Mazza, chief human resources officer, for their work on implementing the sexual misconduct policies on campus, and Vice President for Student Affairs Tracy Tyree for her support. “I couldn’t ask for better colleagues,” Christy says. “We work at holding perpetrators accountable
to further enhancing our program in the spirit of the continuous improvement model that is at the heart of successful teacher preparation programs.” The decision comes as welcome news to Stephen Hegedus, the university’s newly hired dean of the School of Education. “I am very pleased that once again CAEP has decided to continue the national accreditation of the School of Education at the initial and advanced program levels,” he said. “This indicates the quality and rigor of our programs. I am very proud of our faculty and staff in maintaining this great achievement.” “There were some areas highlighted to improve our programs,” Hegedus added. “We have already addressed many of these areas and continue to work at improving our programs to ensure that we are preparing our students to be effective teachers and professionals in our schools today. Southern has a direct impact on the future of education in the region-at-large.”
create a clear path to a college degree. Curricular changes have also been introduced to meet workforce needs. In the sciences, for example, there are new graduate-level offerings in applied physics, nanotechnology and chemistry. The chemistry offering features a professional science track for students seeking advanced training in both chemistry and business. Papazian has taken an active role in the community as a member of the New Haven Regional Leadership Council, the vice chair of the Greater New Haven Heart Walk and as director of New Haven Promise, a scholarship and support program created to promote college education as an aspiration for all New Haven Public School students. At the state level, she is the vice chair of the Connecticut Campus Compact Board of Directors and was part of a delegation to Complete College America, a national conference that assists states toward increasing the number of students earning college degrees and to close attainment gaps between traditional and underrepresented populations. Nationally, Papazian is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Committee on Teacher Education and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Accreditation Commission.
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been running awareness campaigns – such as the Red Flag campaign – for some time now. “We’ve been doing things incrementally over the years,” she says, “and are continuing to do presentations as in the past.” In 2009, Southern was part of a statewide coalition – the Connecticut Campus Coalition to End Violence Against Women (CCCEV) – that received a three-year grant for $500,000 from the U.S. Justice Department to work at reducing the incidence of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking on their campuses. Southern was designated as the lead agency in the grant. “The grant helped us set a good foundation,” Christy says. “Now we can get the whole campus involved and serve employees as well.” An important part of the university’s sexual misconduct response structure, the Sexual Assault Resource Team (SART) is designed to provide a collaborative victim-centered team response to sexual misconduct. Christy explains that SART members are primary responders and give students multiple entry points within the university. Each member of the team receives judicial training and law enforcement training. When a report of sexual misconduct is
made, the student is immediately given a SART packet (also available on the SART web
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while also being sensitive to victims’ needs. It’s very unusual to have both.”
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The university’s teacher preparation programs continue to meet all six national standards sought by the accrediting body.
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Who’s Who? The campus recycling program goes above and beyond the state’s requirements, according to Heather Stearns, recycling coordinator. Stearns recently submitted Southern’s annual recycling report to the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and she says that “the university has made great strides in the area of recycling.” She goes on to explain that the university recycling program adds more and more commodities each year and says that collaborating with departments and students has had a major impact on the recycling rates. “The results are something we can all be proud of,” Stearns says. “Although there is more work that can be done, I think we are all in agreement that reducing waste on campus is a priority and our efforts are paving the way to a greener and more sustainable campus.” The report Stearns submitted to the DEEP included DEEP-required data, as well as data on all the other recycling the university does, beyond DEEP requirements. This year’s report includes the following information: Jon Bloch
Sociology and writing fiction are not that different from one another, if you ask Jon Bloch. The sociology professor’s novel “The Identity Thief” came out recently, and he says the novel’s theme of self-identity also interests him as a scholar. “Sociologists believe that the self is socially constructed,” Blo ch says. “It’s difficult to say if there is a true self or not.” As for the familiar question of whether nature or nurture creates the self? “We focus more on the nurture,” says Bloch. The novel, in which an identity thief creates a new life as his victim’s world falls apart, is already receiving critical acclaim: author Paul D. Marks called it “an audacious and cleverly plotted, intriguing mystery that opens up new layers of deceit at every turn.” Its tag line, taken from the narrator, is “the biggest mistake you can make is thinking you know who you are.” Bloch says as a sociologist he is interested in “how we see ourselves versus how other people see us. Someone who might think she or he is very clever may be considered not so clever by others.” Although this is not his first novel, Bloch considers “The Identity Thief” to be his first really serious one and says it can be considered part literary fiction and part popular fiction. He originally had wanted to be a fiction writer, “saw it wasn’t practical, so got into sociology and thought I wouldn’t try to write fiction anymore.” Yet he found himself drawn back to writing fiction and says he likes to think outside the box and combine genres. He describes his book as “a kind of a film noir literary thriller.”
In the novel, the thief and the victim take turns narrating the story, chapter by chapter, and Bloch says that ironically, the thief is the more sympathetic of the two: he is out of work and desperate for money. The victim, Bloch says, is something of a sociopath, but still feels like he’s been robbed, not only of his money but also of something essential to himself. In today’s world, Bloch says, “things like your zip code or Social Security number can affect how you’re treated by the world. So when someone has access to those kinds of basic information about you, it raises the question of not only who are you but also who is the identity thief.” Bloch himself has been a victim of identity theft. In his classes, Bloch says, he likes to get his students thinking about the construction of identity and asks them questions such as, “Are there things that steal our identities all the time? Do we have things that steal our identities – for instance, are you happy in your job or do you feel that it robs you of something? Do the people we know add to us or take away from us?” As a sociologist, Bloch says, he also encourages students to think about how much their lives have to do with their position in society and how others see them. “What if I went to a different college? What if I had a different job? Making choices causes life to go in different directions,” he says. The novel, published by Bacon Press Books, is available in both a Kindle edition as well as hard copy.
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Special Film Screening: Author Wally Lamb’s “Wishin’ and Hopin’”
December 4, 7 p.m., Lyman Center Join Wally Lamb, one of America’s most notable authors, for a special screening of the film version of his best-selling novel “Wishin’ and Hopin’.” Hear the inside story on the making of the film with an audience introduction with Wally Lamb and Producer Andrew Gernhard, an SCSU alumnus. Screenplay by John Doolan, also an SCSU alumnus. The film was executive produced by Richard Lucas and Bonnie Farley-Lucas, both SCSU alumni and faculty members. Directed by Colin Theys, the film stars Molly Ringwald, Annabella Sciorra, Meat Loaf, Conchata Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, Danny Nucci, Wyatt Ralff, Quinn McColgan and Chevy Chase. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 children (16 and under) Seating: General Admission $25 VIP Experience – Premium seating (Limit 100), autographed book, special post-show meet-and-greet with Wally Lamb All ticket proceeds benefit the SCSU Scholarship Fund.
• Single-stream recycling (includes bottles, cans, mixed paper and cardboard) has increased 16 percent from 2012-2013. • Overall recycling (all the commodities listed on the DEEP and additional recycling reports) has increased by 23 percent from 2012-2013. • This past year, additional commodities were added to our list of recyclables including solvents, mattresses, ink and toner cartridges and vehicles. • The campus Swap Shop saved the university $19,654.51 during 2013-2014 and currently has over 26 thousand items in inventory. • The university increased rebates on recycling by 92 percent. The year 2012-2013 saw $8730 in rebates, and in 2013-2014 the amount jumped to $16,775. • The university renegotiated its metal contract and now receives gate rate, which is typically four times higher than what the hauler originally offered for metal. Stearns also renegotiated the rental rate on the dumpster from $175 to $125. • The university is now working with Tech Recyclers for all of its electronic waste recycling. This company offers higher rebates for all of Southern’s e-waste and also take ballasts and batteries. Stearns says the university used to pay for those commodities to be recycled but is now receiving rebates for them instead. • Ink and toner cartridges are now being recycled by a company in Hartford that provides rebates for some of the toners. • The university now requires all contractors to provide tonnage statistics for any construction and demolition performed on campus. For 2013-2014, Buley Library generated more than 210 tons of construction and demolition that was recycled. These materials include wood, metal, masonry and sheetrock. • Next fiscal year, Stearns will be tracking paint and oil recycling and looking to add appliance recycling to the list. For more information about campus recycling, visit www.SouthernCT.edu/about/sustainability/recycling/
Booking Time to Read Studies
have shown for decades that book,” Irwin says. “By talking about the pergetting children interested in reading at an spectives and feelings of favorite characters, early age is crucial to their academic develchildren learn to better understand others’ opment. Those who are not at or near the and their own feelings.” reading levels of their peers by third grade Dealing with emotions, such as fear generally face a much tougher road – not only and sadness, in an appropriate way can be in school, but in life. But what addressed through reading. specific steps can parents and For example, Irwin points daycare providers take to spark to a book such as “Dog an early interest in children’s Heaven,” by Cynthia Rylant, reading? as providing a starting point Julia Irwin and Dina Moore, for a conversation after losassociate professors of psycholing a pet. ogy, share some ideas in their For a child who has first book, “Preparing Children day of school or daycare for Reading Success: Handsjitters, she recommends on Activities for Librarians, reading a book such as Educators and Caregivers,” “Curious George’s First Day published recently by Rowof School,” by Margret and Julia Irwin man and Littlefield Publishers. H.A. Rey or “The Hello “We have a literacy crisis in this country, Goodbye Window,” by Norton Juster. despite having the research to know what The authors note that another way in works when it comes to teaching readwhich books can be relevant is by planning ing,” Irwin says. “It is important to put the an activity around a book. For example, theoretical into practice. Kids who grow parents and their children can read “Ginup in homes in which parents play an gerbread Man,” and then make gingerbread active role in fostering a reading-friendly cookies together. Or, reading “Make Way for atmosphere, especially in the pre-school Ducklings” can be followed up by a trip to years, generally succeed in school and later the local park to see ducks. in life. But those who do not grow up in Irwin points out that the social and emothat kind of environment generally have tional development of kids can be influenced a much tougher time.” by reading. “Kids can learn to take turns and So, what can help parents make reading to listen to others through reading,” she says. a centerpiece in their young children’s lives? “That ability to self-regulate is an important The authors give many examples in their book. lifetime, social skill.” “Discussing books together creates a time A celebration of the new book was held for your child to share their thoughts, worries recently at Southern on the Green (900 and ideas with you, to practice new words Chapel St.). The event was co-sponsored by that they have learned from the book, and to SCSU, Haskins Laboratories and R.J. Julia discuss conflicts and concepts that arise in the Booksellers. SouthernLife • november 2014 7
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a photo essay by isabel chenoweth and melanie stengel
Homecoming 2014
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