Adelphi University's RSA CEHS 2024 Strategic Initiatives Progress Report

RUTH S. AMMON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH SCIENCES

STRATEGIC 2 INITIATIVES 0

2 PROGRESS 4 REPORT

IN THIS ISSUE

02

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

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Strategic Initiative No. 1 Elevate a supportive and effective college and department structure.

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Strategic Initiative No. 2 Strive for curriculum innovation to respond to and influence professional trends.

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Strategic Initiative No. 3 Strengthen local, national and international community partnerships.

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Strategic Initiative No. 4 Foster a culture of scholarship and creative works.

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Strategic Initiative No. 5 Support student success and cultivate alumni relationship.

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Strategic Initiative No. 6 Increase the college’s visibility.

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Strategic Initiative No. 7 Increase the college’s revenue.

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN In 2024, the Ruth S. Ammon College has made remarkable strategic

progress

initiatives,

commitment

to

in

advancing

reflecting

innovation,

our

our

seven

unwavering

excellence,

and

transformative education. This year has been a milestone for us as we’ve worked to enhance our academic offerings, foster meaningful partnerships, and drive student success. In this issue, we are proud to highlight the significant achievements across each of these initiatives, showcasing how they are not only shaping the future of our college but also positioning our students, faculty, and community for continued growth and success.

Together, we are creating a lasting impact and paving the way for a brighter, more dynamic future.

Xiao-lei Wang, PhD Dean, Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences

Strategic Elevate a supportive and Initiative effective college and department structure.

No. 1 Enhancing Staff Support to Improve Efficiency The college upgraded Jean-Marie Ignatiadis's administrative role to Senior Director of Student Success and Administrative Affairs in 2024. This new position allows Jean-Marie to play a pivotal role in supporting and advancing staff development within the college.

JeanMarie Ignatiadis Senior Director of Student Success and Administrative Affairs

The Impact of Department Restructuring in the School of Education To better support faculty and students, the School of Education underwent restructuring two years ago, splitting into two departments: the Department of Expression, Leadership, and Inclusion, led by Chair Diana Schwinge, and the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Technology, led by Chair Carl Mirra.

This restructuring has enhanced the effectiveness of program innovation. Currently, the two departments have completed the re-registration of many of their programs and are in the process of updating their curricula by incorporating new elements such as AI.

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Carl Mirra, PhD Associate Professor, Chair Department of Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Diana L. Schwinge Associate Professor, Chair Department of Expression, Leadership, and Inclusion

CAEP Accreditation Under the leadership of Dr. Emily Kang, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the teacher preparation programs are actively preparing for the next Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accreditation review in 2026. Faculty have convened to analyze program data and use it to inform targeted improvements, ensuring the continuous enhancement of program quality and alignment with accreditation standards.

Emily Kang Associate Dean for Academic Affairs RSA CEHS

In 2024, RSA CEHS participated in a virtual CAEP accreditation retreat, inviting school districts to join us.

CSD Accreditation Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) received accreditation from the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in July 2024.

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Our influence is bigger than the sum of its parts by working collaboratively with our faculty, staff, governance, and community partnerships to maintain accreditation.

Hariklia Proios Professor, Chair The School of Health Sciences

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Strategic Strive for curriculum to respond to and Initiative innovation influence professional No. 2 trends.

Developing Innovative Programs We launched a new Hybrid Ph.D. program in Learning Sciences and a Master’s program in Nutrition and Dietetics. These cutting-edge programs are designed to cultivate future leaders in education and health sciences, offering unique opportunities for advanced study and professional growth.

Our research-oriented Learning Sciences doctoral program offers more than just a degree—it’s an intellectual community and learning laboratory. Classroom and out-ofclass experiences mix experimentation, play, fantasy and design so that together we can imagine new ways of thinking and learning.

At Adelphi, students will forge strong collaborative relationships with classmates, mentors, community leaders and our many industry partners. Students will undertake exciting research projects as you explore the embodied, place-based and equityoriented dimensions of why, how and when learning happens. Students will work in close collaboration with our internationally recognized faculty through an apprenticeship model in the vibrant environment of New York City.

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The MS in Nutrition and Dietetics Program is a two-year comprehensive program that includes didactic courses and Supervised Experiential Learning through fieldwork courses.

The program includes asynchronous, fully-online courses and inperson fieldwork. Fieldwork can be completed in the location that the student lives in and we can enroll students from anywhere in the United States. Upon successful completion of the program students can sit for the RD certification exam. We have been building Affiliation Agreements with preceptors and Supervised Experiential Learning sites across Long Island, the NYC metro area. We are very excited about our partnerships with Mineola School District, Grandell Rehab and Nursing Center, AHRC NYC, Atria Senior Living, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, and Northwell South Oaks, who have all committed to precepting students this Winter Intersession and Spring Semester. We have started to accept students into the Fall 2025 cohort and we have a total of twenty spots for the second cohort.

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Adelphi’s Learning Sciences program will help you understand, critique and construct educational experiences in our contemporary communities. Using cutting-edge theories and careful, rigorous studies, our program will help students design modern, effective and equitable learning environments.

Suraj Uttamchandani, PhD Assistant Professor and Learning Sciences Program Director The School of Education

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Adelphi's Nutrition and Dietetics program focuses on clinical, community, and research-based skills, ensuring that future RDs gain the clinical expertise and communitycentered knowledge needed to effectively serve diverse populations.

Rachel Taniey PhD, RD, CDN Assistant Professor and Graduate Nutritian Program Director The School of Health Sciences

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Strategic Strengthen local, national Initiative and international community partnerships.

No. 3 In 2024, the RSA CEHS expanded its partnerships at local, regional, national, and international levels.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

American University in Dubai Fudan University Nanjing Normal University Stellenbosch University in South Africa UiT (The Arctic University of Norway) University Of Technology's clinic in Kingston Uzhhorod National University in Ukraine Wuhan Sport University Zhongbei College 07|RSA CEHS

LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

Brookside Multicare Center Brookville Center for Children’s Services Challenge Prepatory Charter School Chartwells Higher Education Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc East Woods School Fairview Rehab & Nursing Home Freeport UFSD Garden City UFSD Grandell Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Henry Viscardi School Leeway School

Massapequa School District Mineola School District Patchogue-Medford School District Syosset Central School District The Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork and Education Westbury UFSD

These partnerships have provided our faculty and students with opportunities for research, teaching, learning, field experiences, and internships.

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Strategic Foster a culture of Initiative scholarship and creative works.

No. 4 An Overview of Faculty Grant Samples Meredith Whitley was awarded a $100,000 grant by Movember to develop mental health guidelines for US community sport. These evidence-based guidelines will help to ensure that community sport organizations are well equipped to protect and promote the mental health and well-being of their members and leaders.

Meredith A. Whitley Professor The School of Health Sciences

Emily Kang Associate Dean for Academic Affairs The School of Education

Emily Kang (Principal Investigator), along with team members Matt Curinga, Tracy Hogan, and Stephen Rubin, have been awarded the SUNY Teacher Workforce Investment Grant. The project, titled R2E2ADI (Recruiting and Retaining Educators for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), in collaboration with the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), aims to bolster our newest teaching professionals through the Trans B licensure pathway. This initiative will facilitate certification in the following areas: 1) math education (grades 7-12), 2) science education (biology, physics, chemistry, or Earth Science, grades 7-12), 3) computer science education (grades K-12), or 4) Students With Disabilities/SWD (grades 7-12). Over the course of four years, a total of $1,244,035 will be allocated to this endeavor.

Elizabeth de Freitas and Nathalie Sinclair are the principal investigators of the international federal grant titled The Colonial Legacy of European Mathematics in the Americas: A Critical Curriculum Studies Project, which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The grant, totaling $75,000, will support the project from 2024 to 2026. Collaborators on the project include Carlos Hugo Zayas and Armando Solares Rojas.

Elizabeth de Freitas Professor The School of Education

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FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP Adeniji-Neill, D., & Mungai, A. (2024, November 11–13). It takes a village: Transforming urban failing schools in our mediated world. Paper presented at the 17th International Conference of Education, Research, and Innovation, Seville, Spain.

Chey, W. S. (2024). Developing adaptive planning skills by preservice physical education teachers. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 43(2), 238-245.

de Freitas, E. (2024). Fragile books and machine readers: Trans/in/dividual reading tactics in a complex technical milieu. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 37(6), 1655-1665.

Mercier, K. (2024). A longitudinal look at student attitude, perceived competence, and fitness test performance of elementary students. International Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 3(2), 1-18.

Mirra, C. (n.d.). Democratization, civic society, and the new Ukrainian school during the acute phase of war. Paper presented at the British Association for Slavonic and European Studies, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England.

Shore, S. (2024, February). Hidden curriculum [Presentation]. Alia Autism Centers, Bahrain. Dr. Shore was also interviewed on Bahrain Now TV discussing his presentations.

Wang, X.-L. (2024). Rethinking the relevance of “Useless Knowledge”: A medical framework for university international travel courses. Paper presented virtually at the International Conference on Education and Social Sciences, April 23, Kyoto, Japan.

Wang, X.-L. (2024). Beyond replicating linguistic elements: Novel concept combinations in multilingual children. Paper presented virtually at the International Conference on Linguistics and Child Language Acquisition, April 23, 2024, Tokyo, Japan.

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Strategic Support student success Initiative and cultivate alumni relationship.

No. 5 A Holistic Approach to Student & Alumni Success At the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, we provide transformative internship experiences that prepare students to become globally minded professionals. Our international programs are a hallmark of this mission, enabling students to make a meaningful impact worldwide. Highlights include supporting orphans in Kenya, addressing speech and hearing disabilities with Mustard Seed Communities in Jamaica, exploring Italy's cultural and educational heritage, participating in community projects in Norway, and gaining hands-on agricultural experience on Long Island farms. These opportunities extend learning beyond the classroom, fostering leadership, problem-solving, and cross-cultural communication skills.

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The internship was definitely really good for me in terms of getting hands-on experience with teaching. It was a good networking experience too. Easily one of the best decisions I made was to apply for the internship through Adelphi. I become a fulltime teacher starting in September!

Our commitment to student success is evident in our students' remarkable achievements. Many have presented their research alongside faculty at prestigious national and international conferences, demonstrating the strength of their academic contributions. Honors such as the Physical Education Majors of the Year awards from SHAPE America underscore their dedication and the college's emphasis on excellence. Additionally, our robust internship and field placement programs contribute to a high employment placement rate, equipping students with the skills, experience, and professional networks necessary for successful careers.

Miguel Velasquez ‘23, MA ‘24 Scholar Teacher Education (STEP) Accelerated 5-Year Program

STUDENT & ALUMNI INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES

ITALY January 2024

JAMAICA January 2024

NORWAY March 2024

KENYA March 2024

CHINA May 2024

UKRAINE June 2024

GREECE July 2024

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Adelphi AHPERD Involvement In November 2024, several faculty, 27 current students, and dozens of alumni took part in the 86th annual New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS AHPERD) Annual Conference.

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This year's NYS AHPERD conference was a tremendous success. It was great to see so many current PE majors in attendance with several students presenting at the conference. It was also wonderful to see so many alumni proudly representing Adelphi. This year's state conference shows that the current Adelphi Physical Education majors are on the correct path to becoming the next leaders in our field.

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Kevin Mercier Professor, Chair The School of Health Sciences

SOE Alumni Relations Commitee In Spring 2024, we hosted a Growth Mindset Event, hosting an administrator from the Mineola School District.

This workshop was attended by alumni and provided free CTLE credit to participants.

Resume Writing/ Mock Interview Workshop This workshop was geared towards STEP students and was in collaboration with the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, SOE alumni, local district partners, and SOE faculty.

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Strategic Increase the college’s Initiative visibility.

No. 6 PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL

Critical Debates in Humanities Science and Global Justice Critical Debates in Humanities Science and Global Justice is a peer reviewed international academic journal for high school students. Dr. Rita Verma is the Editor in Chief and founder of the journal. Her colleagues from around the world serve as editorial and advisory board members. The journal invites emerging young scholars in high school from around the globe to submit original scholarly work and/or well-balanced critical opinion perspectives for this peer reviewed journal on critical debates that face society. Humanities allow us to understand the human experience and science is the pursuit of knowledge of the natural and social world following systematic scientific methodology. Student work may be connected to either area or both. Global justice is the pursuit of theory and action to better understand the world, transcend borders and acknowledge our responsibilities towards it.

This journal aims to build a dialogue around critical viewpoints, lenses and debates about pressing issues that face the world. We encourage submissions that use diverse lenses to analyze pressing world problems such as math and science to understand public policy debates and the humanities and arts to understand justice and human rights. Currently the journal has showcased exemplary work from students from across the country and the world. Students have conducted pertinent research on topics as vast as political empowerment, gender rights, AI and ethical justice, environmental issues, scientific research on disease as well as race, trauma and inequality across diverse viewpoints. Currently the journal is competitive and has been listed as a top 10 journal for high schoolers to publish their scholarly work.

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AI VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Pre-K to 12 Education and the Future Workforce The aim of this conference was to explore the state of the art AI in pre-K to 12 educational settings.

Researchers, administrators, and teachers shared their insights and their practices, ultimately leading to the creation of a white paper that will guide future AI practices in pre-K to 12 education.

Rita Verma, PhD Professor School of Education Editor-In-Chief Critical Debates in Humanities, Science and Global Justice International Journal

Strategic Increase the college’s Initiative revenue.

No. 7

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Alice Brown Early Learning Center At the Alice Brown Early Learning Center, we strive to form sincere, meaningful relationships with children and their families. We create an atmosphere of mutual trust and acceptance with a deep awareness of children's personalities, their understanding of the world and their interest.

Tamara Pelosi, EdD Director of Early Learning Center The School of Education

Children benefit from varied multisensory experiences and materials, and are given the opportunity to engage in activities that form a positive self-image.

Through these experiences, children learn independence, turn taking and appropriate interaction with their peers.

Family involvement, including daily communication and collaboration between families and teachers, is an integral part of this program.

Hy Weinberg Center for Communication Disorders The Audiology clinic in the Hy Weinberg Center under the direction of Dr. Deborah Senzer, offers comprehensive diagnostic audiological services to the community, serving pediatric to geriatric populations. In addition to the diagnostic offerings, the clinic maintains a professional hearing aid dispensary, providing amplification and assistive listening devices at a fraction of the retail price. The clinic serves as a training facility for both doctoral audiology students, as Deborah Senzer AuD CCC-A Anne Marie Skvarla Director Hy Weinberg Center well as undergraduate and graduate speech- Audiology Clinical Coordinator for Communication Disorders language-pathology students. The Audiology Communication Sciences and Disorders clinic also runs a community outreach program on Fridays, providing hearing screenings for pre-school children as well as adults, which contributes to patient referrals.

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This special publication of the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences is presented by the Dean's Office and was designed by Jessica Mannhaupt (2024).

A learning community

actively engaged in social change.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT ADELPHI.EDU/EDUCATION.

CONTACT US AT CEHS@ADELPHI.EDU. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! AdelphiCEHS