CO LLEG E O F A RT S & S CI E N CE S
Elizabeth Davies Appointed as New Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences The University of
academic training make her an ideal candidate
St. Francis has
for this position. The faculty and students
educate students in the skills that employers
announced the
of the College of Arts & Sciences look forward
seek and that enrich students’ sense of
appointment of
to new growth under Davies’ leadership.”
purpose in life; the capacity to think critically,
Elizabeth W. Davies,
communicate clearly, cooperate with others
Ph. D., as dean of
Ph.D. in psychology, human development
fairly and live lives of purpose and service,”
the College of Arts &
and mental health research from the University
Davies said. “Those skills are as valuable on the
Sciences, effective
Davies earned both her master’s degree and
“As a liberal arts institution, USF strives to
of Chicago. She began teaching in 1995,
job as they are in one’s personal life, and they
January 1. Davies joined the university as an
and through her career, has taught courses in
all have roots in the arts and sciences disci-
assistant professor of psychology in 2008. She
abnormal psychology, personality psychology,
plines. Each of the programs within the College
received tenure in 2011 and has been acting as
psychology of women, history and systems
of Arts & Sciences contributes to helping
the interim dean for the college since July 2017.
of psychology and learning and cognition. She
our students embody the ‘Bigger Thinking and
was instrumental in the creation of the new
Brighter Purpose’ that defines an education
to welcome Dr. Davies into the position as dean
substance abuse counseling major at USF—the
at USF. That interconnected web of academic
of the College of Arts & Sciences permanently,”
only one of its kind in the area. She also
disciplines is our greatest strength.”
said Provost Frank Pascoe. “Her student
represents the college on several internal and
centered approach, humble demeanor and
external committees.
“The university community is very excited
FUN D ED S U RE S U MME R RE S E A RC H P ROPOS ALS AN N OUN CE D The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program provides student grants for summer research work. Obtaining a SURE grant is competitive. Students must submit proposals that outline budgets, timelines and deadlines for their projects. The proposals are then ranked on merit, using guidelines and rubrics that mimic those used by national granting agencies, and are assessed by the provost and the deans of the four colleges for how effectively they communicate the mission of the university. Research takes place over a ten-week period in the summer months. 2018 SURE grants have been awarded to the following students, with their moderating faculty members in parentheses:
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Engaging Mind & Spirit Magazine
FROM COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Alejandra Alonzo The effects of a smartphone meditation application on physiological variables and association with perceived stress (Eric Essick) Chris Bruno Ecological Survey and Mathematical Model of Lizards and Prey at Braidwood Dunes (Brian Moskalik) Terry Cirrencione Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Receptor-Ligand Interactions in Mutant Variants of Thyroid Hormone Receptor (Scott Gruenbaum) Christina Derusha Earthworms, Microdiversity, and Plant Growth (Ben Whitlock) Emily Fears The Effects of Music on Memorization on University of St. Francis’ students (Alex Dee) Malia Gasteier and Emily Siegler Competition and population dynamics in the kleptoparasitic spider Argyrodes elevatas in the webs of Nephila clavipes (Brian Moskalik) Sara Hill Digital Audio Recording Arts “The Sounds of St. Francis” Reverb Pack and Study of Acoustics, Impulse Responses, and their Effects (Alby Odum)
Rebekah Kerr Spring in the Soul: Does Climate Predict Personal and Cultural Narratives? (Brady Jones) Maria Macias-Bedolla and Elizabeth Savant Characterization of Thiomicrospira crunogena mutants using Inverse PCR: circumvention of the transformation step (Lisa Hedrick) Denise Milewski DNA sequencing Actin 5c and C01 genes in the genus Salticus to assess familial divergence (Jackie Wittke-Thompson) Brendan Miller Categorification of an Algebraic Structure (Angela Antonou) Roberto Santillan A Comparative Analysis of Catholic Colleges in Illinois and DACA (Julie Victa) Cory Schneider Synthesis and characterization of a novel MRI contrast agent (Dan Schwert) FROM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Kathryn Harrington Empowering Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families for the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Process (Srimani Chakravarthi)
