2014may5journaldraft1_03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 4/29/14 1:03 PM Page 3
MAY 5, 2014
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Faculty Authors Take a Bow at Ceremony anderino Library recognized the scholarly achievements of current faculty members who have published books over the past five years by holding a ceremony for them on April 14 in the third floor gallery. Several of the faculty authors spoke at the event, and each received a certificate. Special bookplates will be placed on their books in the library’s permanent collection. “Writing and publishing a book is a very interesting experience and a great diversion from our daily work. I recommend it to all of you,” said Margo Wilson, chair of Cal U’s Department of English. Her novel, The Main Ingredient, was published last summer. Dr. Laura Tuennerman co-authored At the Border of Empires: The Tohono O’odham, Gender, and Assimilation, 18801934 with former Cal U colleague Dr. Andre Marak. She emphasized the role of research in depicting the everyday life of her book’s Native American subjects. “All of my work has examined, in one way or another, the ways in which culture and identity have been mediated between the majority culture and minority
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Dr. Craig Smith listens to speakers at the April 14 faculty authors ceremony in Manderino Library with colleagues Drs. Laura Tuennerman (center) and Clarissa Confer.
cultures,” she said. Douglas Hoover, dean of Library Services, served as emcee for the event. He praised the efforts of library faculty Monica Ruane Rogers and Bill Denny, who began collecting the faculty works and coordinating the ceremony last fall.
The authors’ books were displayed throughout April in the library’s lobby. “We wanted to showcase our faculty creativity and scholarship, which plays such an important and integral role on this campus,” Ruane Rogers said. Dr. Grafton Eliason, Dr. John Patrick
and Dr. Jeff Samide, all of the Department of Counselor Education, have collaborated on several books. Each reflected on the support he received and the importance of mentoring students who show an interest in writing. Mentoring extends to colleagues, as well, Samide said. He came to Cal U nine years ago after working as a clinician, and Patrick and Eliason helped him to become a published academic author. “These two gentlemen mentored me, allowed me to write with them, and it’s been a life-changing experience, the capstone of my career,” Samide said. Dr. Caryl Sheffield, interim associate provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, spoke on behalf of the administration. “President Jones is very proud of you, and I would like to congratulate you as well for this major accomplishment,” she said. In alphabetical order, these faculty authors were recognized: John Cencich, Clarissa Confer, Paul Crawford, Bob Diotalevi, Eliason, Brent House, Raymond Hsieh, Patrick, Christine Romani-Ruby, Ben Rueter, Samide, Ryan Sittler, Craig Smith, Tuennerman, Carol Waterhouse and Wilson.
’Bot Battles Spark Interest in STEM — Continued from page 1 Association, along with a committed group of manufacturers and educators, brought BotsIQ to southwestern Pennsylvania. Today, executive director Bill Padnos calls it “a workforce development program disguised as a high school robotics contest.” In addition to the smash-’em-up robot battles, the two-day event included a discussion of “The Resurgence of Manufacturing in Southwestern Pennsylvania,” with a legislative forum attended by U.S. Congressmen Timothy Murphy (R-18th District) and Michael Doyle (D-14th District), who also spoke to competitors at the opening ceremony. “The ability to create a product and work as a team are valuable lessons you’ll carry throughout your life,” Murphy said. Doyle added, “Working and learning with STEM education is so important because these are the jobs of the future.” State Rep. Brandon Neuman. (DWashington County,) spoke at Saturday’s competition and presented the Southwestern Pennsylvania BotsIQ organization with a resolution recognizing April 13-19 as STEM Initiative Week. “If there are local jobs, we want local people to fill them,” Neuman told the students. “This competition will help you prepare for your future.” This year, the ’bots battled inside a new arena bearing the Cal U logo. Interim University President Geraldine M. Jones took part in the ribbon cutting, and KDKA-TV filmed the thrilling final battles for a 30-minute television show that aired May 3. Plum Senior High School came away with the grand championship, which takes into account all aspects of the contest, as well as the award for winning the most battles. Hempfield Area High School took second-place honors. Admiral Peary AVTS battled its way to the “King of the Ring” title for outlasting others in the
VIPs including (at center) Jeff Kelley, CEO and owner of Hamill Manufacturing, and interim University President Geraldine M. Jones cut the ribbon to open the new Cal U Arena at BotsIQ.
multi-bot rumbles, and Punxsutawney Area High School took the spirit award, sponsored by Catalyst Connections.
STEM careers A recent survey of BotsIQ competitors found that 82 percent of respondents plan careers in manufacturing or STEM-related professions. Among them is Alex Farmery, a senior at Punxsutawney High School who plans to study mechatronics at Cal U beginning in the fall. In his second year as a BotsIQ competitor, his primary duty was making sure that his team’s safety plans and practices were up-to-date and being followed. “Learning how to do everything and the whole process of putting (the robot) together from raw materials is what I like,” he said. “I am looking forward to coming here (to Cal U) because it’s close to home but far enough away.” Senior Joe Borsodi, an aspiring engineer who attends Albert Gallatin High School, said his team learned about purchasing procedures and computeraided drafting in the course of building their robot. “This has helped me learn a lot of electrical work and working with a team — cooperatively — with these guys,” he
said, gesturing toward a couple of classmates. “Our robot has a really strong weapon, and we tend to be in a lot of fun matches with a lot of hits, which is awesome.” Katelynn Hill, a junior at Ringgold High School, said it was both a relief and a joy to watch her team’s “masterpiece” in the battle arena. She specialized in the documentation phase of the contest, presenting the judges with a thick binder of technical drawings and other records that show how the robot was designed and constructed. “Obviously, we do work a lot on manufacturing the ’bot, but we have to document everything we do from the very beginning and every nut and bolt we buy.” Michael Amrhein, director for the Office of Outreach and Integration for TEAMS (Technology, Engineering, Art, Math and Science) at Cal U, noted that ideally, STEM education starts early. In the south wing of the Convocation Center, for example, 22 teams of middle school students took part in the NFPA Fluid Power Challenge, building devices to complete a task using basic principles of hydraulics. Back in the BotsIQ “pits,” where students repaired the damage incurred during battles, many of the teams’ faculty
advisers are Cal U alumni. Larry Johnson ’07, an adviser at Ringgold High School, said the ’bot is “100 percent student produced.” “This really gets the kids involved and promotes 21st century learning and careers,” he said. “To see the look on my students’ faces when we climb the ranks is incredible. Mike Steeber ’04 teaches physics and pre-engineering at Frazier High School and coaches the football team. He said BotsIQ provides an ideal avenue for hands-on learning. “They have to brainstorm, come up with a solution to problems, market (the team) and generate funds,” he said. “As a coach, you learn that anytime you can make something competitive, it’s going to generate excitement. I think the kids get as much or more out of this project than any class out there.” Sam Smail ’00, a technology education teacher in his 12th year at Derry Area High School, believes students benefit most from the problem-solving skills they learn through BotsIQ. “This project is not built out of a kit. It’s something that’s built out of their heads,” he said. “Afterward you can send a kid to any job, and they can figure out what they’re supposed to do.”