2015 reunion magazine

Page 1

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I RO N M E N TA L S C I E N C E S

I

T HE S C I E NCE OF E NR ICH I NG L I VE S

SPRING 2015


This pen and ink drawing of Doster Hall was created by artist, designer and teacher Beverly Kissinger, who has enriched the lives of students and faculty for almost 25 years. Among her credits, she has designed the CHES annual holiday cards for a number of years, creating an impressive collection of art for the College. See story, page 17.

Dr. Kissinger connects with many of her students through her understanding of the artistic mind. Design thinking is different from fine art or graphic art thinking, and she helps students see that difference and use it in their works. —Dr. Shirley Foster, Chair Department of Clothing, Textiles and Interior Design


CONTENTS

2

3

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

Minor in addiction and recovery studies is based on science

DUCKS IN A ROW Artist’s whimsical designs delight children

4

17 A CREATIVE LIFE   Beverly Kissinger has enriched the lives of

FAR FROM A TYPICAL CLASSROOM   Student works toward her degree while on military duty in Africa

5

15 U NDERSTANDING ADDICTION

students for more than 25 years

19 IN MEMORIAM Doris Burton remembered as a  generous mentor

LEADERSHIP THROUGH SERVICE

Students learn that one person can make   a difference

6 DR. MARY CRENSHAW A tribute 7 SILVER LINING  Success in the hospitality industry lies in recognizing and embracing opportunities

10

HES ALUMNI SURVEY C  Numbers tell the story

20 A RICH HERITAGE, A RARE TALENT

Master’s candidate finds her passion and   earns high honors

22 D IGITAL DEFENSE

Online course seeks to raise awareness     and lower risk for typical technology users

25 SNAPSHOTS

Images from around CHES

12 SLEEP:SIMPLE SECRET TO SUCCESS

Getting enough sleep can boost academic     performance

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R O NME N T A L S C I E N C E S I 1


M E S S A G E F RO M T H E D E A N

WE ARE

THE CAPSTONE

F

or more than a hundred years, The University of Alabama has been known as the “Capstone” of higher education, a designation coined by President G.H. Denny, for whom Denny Chimes and Bryant-Denny Stadium are named. Capstone means high point or peak, and Dr. Denny saw the University — the state’s largest —as the crowning achievement of Alabama, providing opportunity for economic development and cultural transformation.    How do we, the College of Human Environmental Sciences, measure up to such a high calling? Not only are we the fastest-growing division on our campus, but we are also one of the largest HES schools in the nation. Our graduates are leaders in their fields wherever they go. Our groundbreaking research leads to

2 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

practical application that changes the lives of thousands of individuals and families and fosters more effective public policy. Our students, faculty and alumni are known for their generous spirit of service throughout their communities.    These contributions are exemplified in this issue of REUNION MAGAZINE — from our alliance with the National Institutes of Health to establish an addictions minor, to research that advances our knowledge of the role of sleep in our lives, to our teaching of cutting-edge solutions for cyber security. Also featured are the contributions of world-renowned artist Frank Fleming at our child development center and those of our own artist-in-residence Beverly Kissinger in her long career at CHES. And the campus visit of Robert Craft, mayor of Gulf Shores, Alabama, offered the kind of real-world exposure we frequently provide for our students.    Finally, I want to add that throughout its history, CHES has never had a more ardent and articulate champion than Dr. Mary Crenshaw, who served as our dean for 15 years. Dean Crenshaw passed away last October, but her legacy will live long here. She inspired thousands of our faculty and students to reach for that crowning achievement, and, wherever they went, to remain exemplary representatives of the Capstone — a noble aspiration for all of us.


S HORT STOR IE S 

DUCKS IN A ROW

T

he works of internationally acclaimed sculptor Frank Fleming, which are part of public and private collections around the world, include a growing cast of fanciful characters in the sculpture garden of the Child Development Research Center at The University of Alabama.    Fleming, a native of Marion County, Alabama, creates fantastical characters drawn from nature and his own rich imagination and crafts them in bronze. The works’ durability and whimsy make them perfect companions for the children at the CDRC.    Fleming’s latest installment in the garden is a family of ducks

named Judy, Milla and Amy. They join the larger-than-life Peter the Rabbit, Frank the Frog and John the Turtle, which were already in the garden. All nestle in the shrubs just steps away from the center’s entrance, greeting the children as they arrive each morning.    Fleming, who was born in 1940, suffered from a speech impediment that kept him mute and isolated for most of his childhood. Yet he credits those childhood challenges and his rural upbringing for his love of nature and the close observations that later informed his art.    Eventually the artist overcame his difficulties with speech through years of intensive therapy. His

interest in creating art grew in college, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Florence State College (now the University of North Alabama) in 1962 and a master’s in fine arts from The University of Alabama in 1973.    Although Fleming’s bestknown work is “The Storyteller,” located in Birmingham, his sculptures appear in collections from the Smithsonian American Art Museum to galleries in New York and France. In 2009, Dean Milla Boschung commissioned Fleming to create the first works for the CDRC, which were given on behalf of John L. and Margaret Rhoads.  C H E S

C O L L E G E OF H U M A N E N V I R ONME N T A L S C I E N C E S I 3


 S HORT STOR IE S

FAR FROM A TYPICAL CLASSROOM On the ground in Liberia’s fight against Ebola, Zandrea Landor is completing her CHES degree.

Z

so that critical supplies can be delivered and provide building materials and construction services for Ebola Treatment Units.    If that sounds like a full-time effort, consider that Landor is also taking three CHES online courses for the spring semester. Before her deployment, she planned to complete her online education in December 2015, and she decided to keep pushing toward that goal.    CHES offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs online, including the consumer sciences concentration in family financial planning and counseling.   Landor believes everything happens for a reason. “All of the local people here are very grateful to us for coming to help their country,” she says. “It is very poor and makes me realize that we have no reason to complain about Landor (second from left) and colleagues are shown with Deborah R. Malac, the U.S. anything.” ambassador to Liberia (center).    She is also a loyal Crimson Tide fan. She wrote to online professor Eve Pentecost that she and her “Roll Tide buddies” stayed up until 5 a.m. watching the Iron Bowl and caught the Sugar Bowl when it aired at 2:30 a.m.  C H E S andrea Landor is earning her financial planning degree from the other side of the world.    Serving in the U.S. Army, she was deployed to Africa last October to assist with the Ebola challenge. She and her unit provide support for the humanitarian mission. They repair airport runways

4 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5


S HORT STOR IE S 

LEADERSHIP

THROUGH SERVICE

T

rue leadership requires a commitment to serving one’s community. CHES students learn and experience that when they take the course Leadership Development through Service taught by Star Bloom. As part of the course, the students volunteer at Al’s Pals, a program that Bloom founded and directs.    Launched in 2011, the after-school mentorship program pairs UA college volunteers with at-risk elementary school students. Each volunteer meets with the same child twice a week throughout the semester, assisting with homework and skill building and providing recreational and enrichment activities.    Al’s Pals began with 30 school children and 60 mentors and now has 500 mentors who volunteer at three elementary schools and the McKenzie Court Community Center in Tuscaloosa. Last fall, the mentors logged 14,000 hours of service.    “The program is a success because this is a volunteer experience where you see that one person really can make a difference. You see the children’s grades and school attendance go up. Perhaps more importantly, their attitude toward school and their social skills improve, and behavioral referrals go down,” says Bloom.    In Bloom’s course, students learn to develop leadership skills and practice them through mentoring. The training for Al’s Pals leaders follows the ideas taught and tested in the CHES course. “There are no initiatives in the program that are not first tested in class,” Bloom says.    For example, Bloom’s students learn that research shows a relationship between gratitude and resilience, so they write a gratitude letter. The mentors then teach the children to articulate what they’re grateful for, much of which tends to be school-related, like being with friends, liking their teachers or liking activities. The mentors see the children begin to develop a strong appreciation for school. The gratitude they develop translates to resilience as they

face difficulties in other areas of their lives.    Each child in the program has two mentors. As the relationships grow, often the mentors choose to renew their commitments beyond one semester. Before mentoring, volunteers go through extensive training. An organized network of experienced student leaders and graduate assistants leads the program.    Bloom advises the mentors to set their expectations for their students high. “The college mentor’s expectations will probably be the highest expectations in the child’s life,” she says. “When the children spend time and connect with their college mentor, they can see a brighter future for themselves.    “In order to lead, you must first realize that you really can make a difference. Once you’ve served and have seen that one person can make a difference, it’s much harder to just let someone else do the job.”  CHE S

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R O NM E N T A L S C I E N C E S I 5


DR. MARY A. CRENSHAW 1919-2014

D

r. Mary A. Crenshaw came to The University of Alabama in 1967 as dean of the School of Home Economics (now CHES), a position she held until her retirement in 1983. She came to Tuscaloosa from Indiana University in Bloomington, where she chaired the department of home economics and taught in the area of food and nutrition. She held a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky State University, a master’s from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate from Iowa State University.    During Dean Crenshaw’s tenure at The University of Alabama, the School of Home Economics grew to include the department of consumer sciences. The School annexed Adams Hall to house the new department, along with portions of the interior design program and the child development program’s infant lab. Under Dean Crenshaw’s leadership, a number of programs received critical accreditations, and the School celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Many CHES alumni remember Dean Crenshaw as an exemplary leader and mentor who inspired others simply by the way she worked and lived. She was dedicated to students and tireless in pursuing what she thought was best for them and in motivating them toward excellence and achievement. She was pragmatic, caring and gracious, and brought an understated elegance to the role of dean. She spoke directly and emphatically, rarely leaving any doubt about what she meant and winning the respect of students, faculty and colleagues across the campus and around the country.    Throughout her life, Dean Crenshaw retained her love for the state of Kentucky, where she was born in 1919. She began her career teaching high school home economics in the Kentucky public schools. After earning her master’s degree, she worked as a nutritionist for the Kentucky State Department of Health in Louisville and then became an associate professor at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. When she retired, she returned to her home state and lived there until she died in October 2014.  CHE S

6 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

Here are some of the remembrances posted on the CHES Facebook page after Dean Crenshaw’s death: “The interview to defend my senior position paper prior to graduation was a game-changer. She made me feel like I could accomplish anything.” “When I first met her, I was a little scared of her, but I later saw what a good sense of humor she had and how much she cared for all of us students.” “She modeled leadership in all areas of her life.” “She was always there with a smile and a word.” “She was so accomplished, yet unpretentious.” “She was a natural leader, with a way of looking you straight in the eye that made you know you needed to listen.” “She promoted academic excellence in a firm yet kind way.” Memorial gifts may be directed to The Mary A. Crenshaw Endowed Research Fund, University of Alabama, attn: Amy Parton, College of Human Environmental Sciences, Box 870158, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487


Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft says the secret to success in the hospitality industry is

seeing obstacles as opportunities.

HUMAN NUTRITION AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

Silver Lining

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R O NM E N T A L S C I E N C E S I 7


A

s mayor of Gulf Shores, Robert Craft has his finger on the pulse of the hospitality and tourism industry in Alabama. He knows that families are the secret ingredient to the popularity and growth of Alabama’s Gulf Coast as a summer vacation destination.    “What distinguishes us from a lot of the rest of the tourism industry along the Gulf Coast is that we are local people who have a local connection that is generational,” he says. “We are a multigenerational family of communities, and when we invite people to our coastal communities, we are inviting them into our home.”    Craft was at CHES on March 12, 2014 to deliver the Shila Bowron Leadership Lecture in the restaurant, hotel and meetings management program. While on campus, he was inducted into the Alabama Hospitality Hall of Fame, which was established in 2010 by the University’s Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management. Craft told future hospitality-industry leaders that their life experiences would likely parallel those of Alabama’s Gulf Coast communities. “There is no straight, smooth slope — it’s always a bumpy ride — but the key is to deal with the obstacles and be prepared to recognize the opportunities and have the courage to embrace them.”    The Gulf Coast tourism industry has faced natural and man-made disasters in the form of catastrophic hurricanes, economic downturn and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. But Craft points out that after each crisis came a period of positive, sometimes phenomenal growth, as families and community leaders recognized opportunities in the midst of challenges.

8 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

In the 1970s there were fewer than 2,000 rental units on the 32 miles of beach from Fort Morgan to Orange Beach, most of them wood-frame beach homes. Few people were even aware that Alabama had a beach, with most visitors coming from close-by Mobile or other parts of Baldwin County.    All that changed in September 1979. Hurricane Frederic made a devastating hit to the tiny town of Gulf Shores and wiped almost every wood-frame home from the beach, leaving only a vast expanse of pristine white sand.    Lessons were learned about hardened construction, and the first concrete, multistory, multifamily structure was built in 1980. By 1993, there were 8,000 units for rent, and the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau was formed to consolidate Gulf Shores and Orange Beach marketing efforts.    Then in 2004, Hurricane Ivan struck, wreaking $18 billion in damage. But thanks to the fortified construction based on what had been learned from Frederic, the area was restored and open for business by summer of 2005. Construction again boomed, with 3,000 units added, for a total of 11,000 available for rent.    Just as the coastal tourism industry began to recover from the 2008 financial crisis with a record first quarter in 2010, disaster of a very different sort struck. In April 2010, the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil spill began to dump millions of barrels of oil into the pristine waters that wash the sandy shores of the Gulf Coast, threatening the survival of family owned, multigenerational small businesses.    “This time there was anger,” Craft says. “Mother Nature gave us this place, and economies are cyclical. But this was a case of pure greed, and it hurt.”    But the high-profile disaster brought quick action from the local community and high-profile help from others. President Barack Obama toured the devastation, and local leaders called for BP to take action to restore the area both environmentally and financially.


Amid the cleanup efforts, native son Jimmy Buffet performed a free concert on the beach in July, drawing 35,000 visitors back to the area. Country Music Television broadcast the event live, giving the world a firsthand view of the beautiful Alabama coast. The Concerts for the Coast series was created to bring attention and tourists back to the area, and Brad Paisley and Bon Jovi concerts in October continued the momentum. The can-do attitude of the local community and its leaders had turned the worst man-made disaster in Gulf Coast history into an opportunity to introduce the world to Alabama’s beautiful sugar-white beaches.    “The local leaders made a decision in those early days of the oil spill. We would not allow ourselves to be defined by disaster. We would be defined by our recovery,” Craft says. “The silver lining is that the world now knows that Alabama has beautiful beaches.”

Today, the Gulf Coast is home to more than 16,000 rental units, 45,000 travel-related jobs and $1 billion in wages and salaries. In 2013, 5.5 million guests spent $3 billion there.    Through it all, the leaders have strived to maintain what makes their communities special — a clean, safe, usable environment with a family focus. They have studied the environmental damage concerns that come with growth and are practicing principles of good stewardship.    “We’re now ready to create some opportunities,” says Craft, “and the future looks bright.” Plans include a new education complex, expanding the beach expressway for greater transportation access, and growing quality medical services in order to attract retirees to the area. A major priority is to use BP recovery funds to rebuild the state park lodging and convention center that was lost in Hurricane Ivan.    “What we’ve learned is that when we work together we can do anything. That’s a wonderful feeling as a community. There’s nothing you can throw at us that we can’t handle.”  C H E S The Shila Bowron Leadership Lecture was established to give students access to leaders in the hospitality industry. William A. Bowron Jr., president of Red Diamond Inc., Birmingham, Alabama, annually supports the RHM program through this lecture in honor of his mother.

Pictured (L to R): Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft, Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier, President Barack Obama

Pictured (L to R): BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles, Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R O NM E N T A L S C I E N C E S I 9


1 0 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5


C O L L E G E OF H U M A N E N V I R ONME N T A L S C I E N C E S I 1 1


HE ALTH SCIENCE S

L

ying awake at night is not just inconvenient. Sleep deprivation is a significant public health issue, with serious consequences. Lack of sleep is linked to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, reduced learning and memory ability, impaired judgment and dangerous driving. One-third of us suffer from sleep deprivation, and research shows that for college students that number — and the stakes — are even higher.    Dr. Adam Knowlden, professor of health science at The University of Alabama, recently surveyed college students about their sleep behaviors and found that as many as 60 percent are sleep-deprived, compared to 33 percent of the general population.    Why? It is not all about staying up all night partying and hanging out with friends, Knowlden’s research shows.

1 2 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

“The bigger issues are unrealistic expectations and poor time-management skills,” he says.    “College students have a lot of studying to do, and most of them don’t realize how much time that takes,” he says. “A common formula is that students should set aside six to nine hours a week to study for a typical three-hour course. That translates to 30 to 45 hours for a typical course load, not including the time spent in class. Add it all up, and you are at or well over the number of hours in a work week for most adults.”    Students often don’t grasp the reality that they need that much time to study, so they don’t plan for it. Instead, they pack their schedules with social and extracurricular activities and hours working at a job.    As a result, they find themselves backlogged with schoolwork, scrambling to


find a few more hours to study for an exam or to write a paper that’s coming due.    The “logical solution” they choose? Stay up and keep working — even though the quality of that study time is declining quickly and stress and anxiety are mounting just as fast. In fact, going to sleep at such a time can seem like an irresponsible choice, rather than a wise one.    But it’s important to dispel the myth for students that in order to get ahead in life they must be sleep-deprived. The opposite is true: you get more done in a day if you get a good eight hours of sleep at night.    Sleep helps students to consolidate memory, make sense of the information to which they have been exposed, and retain what’s important. Without sufficient sleep, students can’t focus, learn or remember.

Without sleep we can’t focus, we can’t learn and we can’t remember.

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R O NM E N T A L S C I E N C E S I 1 3


Going to sleep is the wise choice: a good night’s sleep makes the next day’s performance stronger and more efficient, possibly translating to better grades.    Knowlden says that learning to manage time is the key to less stress and more sleep. His advice to students: embrace the reality that school work takes time and schedule it during waking hours — not when you should be sleeping.    Napping is not the answer, and neither is using alcohol to get drowsy. “Long naps during the day interfere with goodquality nighttime sleep. Alcohol may make us drowsy, but it does not help us sleep.

out of College students say they regularly get less than the recommended amount of sleep.

students face a higher risk of getting sick because of a diminished immune system.

14 I R E U N I O N S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

Instead, it fragments sleep so we don’t get the restorative benefits of sleep,” Knowlden says.    Knowlden advises students to start small and work up by making the decision to get one full night’s sleep a week. “It’s like exercise. Even if you can get in one day a week, you feel better. You like it, and then you’re motivated to go for more.”    An important last bit of advice: shut down social media at least an hour before bedtime. Turning off all those devices enables the brain to begin to relax, and to get ready for the good night’s sleep that lies ahead.  C H E S

In a worldwide 2013 study, U.S. college students

in the average amount of sleep they get.

is often caused by the body’s need for extra calories because of too little sleep.

of college students say they have trouble falling asleep at night because of stress.

of college students stay up until at least 3 a.m. at least one night a week.


CHES’s minor in addiction and recovery studies is based on science that can help prevent and treat this devastating and long‑misunderstood health issue.

S

cientific evidence shows that 40 to 60 percent of addiction is genetic, just as diabetes, cancer and other diseases are genetically linked. Yet for centuries, people viewed addiction as a moral or character deficit — a stigma that kept sufferers from seeking treatment, and professionals from developing treatments for fear of being seen as sympathetic to the vices of drugs and alcohol.    More recently, science has shown that addiction results from conditions of the brain. In 2012, Dr. Tricia Witte, a licensed clinical psychologist with practice in the areas of violence, trauma and substance abuse, joined the faculty of the human development and family studies department to establish the minor in addiction and recovery studies based on science.

HUMAN DE VE LOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES

Understanding

“There is an entire body of information,” she says, “that is the result of objective and empirical study, which has been gathered without bias. We want students and the public to have the objective scientific information that will help them make and promote good decisions.”    Much education regarding addiction is available to teens, parents, teachers and graduate students, she says, but not to undergraduates. Her mission is to fill that gap with the best scientific information available.    One of Witte’s first steps in building the program was to seek an alliance with the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), a division of the National Institutes of Health. NIDA’s mission is to raise awareness of the

C O L L E G E OF H U M A N E N V I R ONME N T A L S C I E N C E S I 1 5


It’s the changing, developing brain that’s vulnerable, she says, and we simply must deter use among our adolescents, or at least delay use as long as possible. —Dr. Tricia Witte Associate Professor Human Development and Family Studies

because teens — with youth and strength on their side — typically function better in spite of their addiction than adults do, at least in the short term.    Advances in neuroscience have shown that nonchemical activities — such as excessive videogame playing, gambling, eating and shopping — can affect the brain’s reward center, just as drugs and alcohol do, and are just as dangerous.    Witte says current research shows that prevention cannot be targeted just to individuals but must follow an ecological model in which everyone is engaged in efforts to address addiction. “It’s important for schools to adopt high-profile, zero-tolerance policies for drug use. Neighborhoods should draw on the strength of community, watching out for each other’s children and for dangerous behavior. We should work to make parents aware that it’s important to monitor children’s behavior and

science of addiction among teens, college students, parents and the general public in hopes of altering perceptions and behaviors. Witte was the first to approach NIDA to request collaboration on an undergraduate curriculum, and NIDA has been enthusiastic and supportive. Together NIDA and Witte bring the soundest scientific information to students. And as a guest blogger on the NIDA for Teens website, Witte presents the best information for teens and showcases the addictions minor to prospective college students.    Recent studies show that addiction is a developmental illness or disorder, Witte says, and that more than 80 percent of people who are addicted began their addictions as adolescents. “It’s the changing, developing brain that’s vulnerable,” she says, “and we simply must deter use among our adolescents, or at least delay use as long as possible.” She adds that adolescent addiction often goes undetected

1 6 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

set limits. And we should have conversations with our youth and encourage kids to ask questions.”    Under Witte’s leadership, the addictions program has grown quickly, and she has several studies underway that will add to the science. One seeks to examine the connections between trauma and binge behaviors such as drinking or eating. Another measures whether taekwondo training helps adolescents develop self-control that could translate into protections against addiction. She is also conducting preand post-testing of students in the addiction courses to determine whether education alters the stigma and negative attitudes toward substance-abuse disorders.  C H E S


CLOTHING , TE XTILE S AND INTERIOR DESIGN C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R O NM E N T A L S C I E N C E S I 1 7


B

everly Kissinger is a CHES

Kissinger credits her opportunities to live

treasure. Artist, designer and

all over the world with informing

teacher, she has enriched the

her art.

lives of students and faculty for

She reacts strongly to color and

nearly 25 years.

sees it in depth. She works in a broad

Last September, a retrospective

spectrum of mediums, including pen and

exhibit titled “Beverly Kissinger: A Creative

ink, watercolor, and design graphics.

Life” in Doster Hall’s second-floor gallery

Flowers and animals figure

featured a variety of art and design that

prominently in her work.“Flowers speak

Kissinger has created throughout her

to me,” she says.“I’m a curve person,

career.

rather than straight lines, so flowers inspire

The exhibit included landscapes,

me.”

flowers, animals, several series of holiday

Like many creative people,

card designs and a sampling of works

Kissinger has a number of interests,

that honored the retirement of colleagues.

including musical theater. Interior

Among her credits, for many years

design department Chair Shirley Foster

Kissinger has designed the CHES annual holiday cards, creating an impressive collection of art for the College.    Her designs are often whimsical, with caricatures of cats, dogs and iconic elephants, reflecting a sense of humor that she says came from her parents. “My dad was very funny,” she remembers, adding that her mother had an “inadvertent” sense of humor.“ She was very funny, but she didn’t intend to be.”    It was her mother who recognized her daughter’s talent long before Kissinger did. “She always thought I should be an artist,” says Kissinger, who eventually

remembers one morning when Kissinger

began to see it as well.    While Kissinger’s mother and aunt were her cheerleaders, her dad enabled her to see the world and receive a good education. They were a military family, and

1 8 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

was trying to get her students’ attention to begin class in her large applied design lecture. “She stood quietly at the podium for a moment and then began to sing,” says Dr. Foster. Not surprisingly, a hush fell over the classroom, and class soon began.

Kissinger says she lives and breathes creativity. “It’s hard for me to turn it off. It’s in my DNA.”


Kissinger says she lives and

gone unrecognized, even beyond the

breathes creativity. “It’s hard for me to

University. In 2014 she received the Dr.

turn it off. It’s in my DNA. The older I get,

Mary Ann Potter Award for Outstanding

somehow my brain works on something

Educator in interior design from the

without my even thinking about it — it

Alabama Chapter of the American

sort of works on it in the background, all

Society of Interior Designers.

by itself. And then I sketch it. But it didn’t

As an artist, Kissinger brings

work that way as a student.

valuable diversity to the interior design

“I’m creative as a teacher, too,”

program, Foster says.“She connects

says Kissinger, who plans to retire in

with many of her students through

December 2015. “Students help me

her understanding of the artistic mind.

in that way. The creative challenge is

Design thinking is different from fine art

orienting a project so that the learning

or graphic art thinking, and she helps

process the student needs, happens.”

students see that difference and use it

Her success as a teacher has not

in their works.”  C H E S

IN MEMORIAM

D

oris Burton came to the College of Human Environmental Sciences in 1949, where she established the interior design department, and served as its chair and taught until she retired in 1986. While here, she pioneered the establishment of 1921 – 2014 accreditation for interior design programs across the U.S. She chaired the New York-based accrediting agency, the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research, and The University of Alabama was accredited under her leadership in 1980. Her work

in academic accreditation led the state of Alabama to become the first in the nation to require and set standards for professional licensure in 1982.    Burton’s students remember her as a generous mentor, who demanded excellence and instilled in them the importance of service in the organizations that set the standards for excellence in the profession. She remained interested and available to her students long after they graduated, always encouraging them to go further and reach higher in their careers.    Burton died in September 2014. She is remembered with deep appreciation.  C H E S Memorial gifts may be directed to the Doris Burton Endowed Interior Design Scholarship at The University of Alabama, attn: Amy Parton, College of Human Environmental Sciences, Box 870158, Tuscaloosa, AL 35467.

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R O NM E N T A L S C I E N C E S I 1 9


When she left her native Iran, Elahe Saeidi thought she wanted to study computer science. But then she discovered CHES’s master’s program in textiles.

20 I RE UN ION S PR I NG 201 5


E

lahe Saeidi has always had a passion for sewing and design, but only after she came to the U.S. did she discover her exceptional talent and all the places it could take her.    Currently a clothing, textiles and interior design master’s candidate, Elahe began making her own clothes at a young age. She took private sewing and design classes while studying for her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Shiraz Azad University in Iran.    She and her husband, Behrouz, married in their

hometown of Shiraz in July 2010. Just 10 days later, they were on their way to the U.S., where Behrouz would enter the doctoral program in physics at The University of Alabama.    “It was very hard,” says Elahe. “I was a young newlywed in a new country and spoke very little English. The day we walked into our new apartment, the only thing in it was our four suitcases.”    Behrouz began his studies, and to fill her time, Elahe decided to continue her education, too. When she discovered that CHES offered a master’s in textiles, she decided to abandon computer science and applied to the program. She found a warm welcome and strong support from the CTD faculty.    Since then, she has soared. In February 2014 she won first place in the Alpaca Owners Association Student Competition, and her designs earned praise as the best ever submitted in the 10-year history of the competition. In addition, she was a finalist in the 2014 University of Alabama Three Minute Thesis competition, where she presented a distilled version of her thesis on “zero-waste” garment design. Alabama Public Television filmed the presentations and selected Elahe as one of the presenters to be followed by APT cameras in order to tell her story. She was also a finalist in the 2014 Birmingham Fashion Week design competition and was named an Emerging Fashion Designer for 2014.    Interior Design Department Chair Shirley Foster foresees a bright future for Elahe in the fashion world. “Her work is well-conceived, which is the most essential thing in design,” she says. “She designs hats that somehow combine the artistic surprise of Philip Treacy fascinators worn by British royalty with the sedate sophistication of something Audrey Hepburn would have worn. She synthesizes all the richness of her background with strong conceptual work, and that’s what makes her designs so fresh and appealing.”    Elahe will complete her degree in May, and she gives much credit to the CHES community and the CTD faculty for their support: “Without their help I would not be where I am now.”  C H E S

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R O NM E N T A L S C I E N C E S I 2 1


CONS UMER S CIENCE S

JOINT ELECTRONIC

JOINT ELECTRONIC

DIGITAL

JOINT ELECTRONIC

DEFENSE

This online course seeks to maximize awareness and minimize risk for the typical technology user

Y

ou are so excited about

campus rather than using university labs.

your brand-new phone,

Companies can lose control of sensitive

tablet or laptop. You

information when they allow employees

quickly load it with all

to use their own rather than company

kinds of handy apps — downloading

devices at work.

them is a cinch. But have you given

How can a small-business owner

thought to your electronic safety? Do

avoid security breaches that plague even

you read the fine print on the apps you

giants like Target and Home Depot?

install? Most people do not.

Or how can the average technology

Few of us who use technological

consumer protect against breaches

devices regularly are aware of the huge

to which even Hollywood stars are

risks they carry with them. Strangers

vulnerable?

can track a person’s habits and

There are solutions to these and

movements when a pet lover simply

other risks, but few technology users

posts a single picture of her cat on

have ready access to even the most

Instagram. Students risk their privacy

basic security training. Technology

when they bring their own devices to

Privacy and Security is a new online

2 2 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5


C O L L E G E OF H U M A N E N V I R ONME N T A L S C I E N C E S I 2 3


The course is not specific to any one major but is designed for anyone who uses technology. Awareness is key. —Dr. Anna C. McFadden

The course teaches safety basics such as creating and managing passwords and access codes, avoiding phishing and fake websites, and managing malware. It also teaches more sophisticated security strategies

course that Dr. Anna C. McFadden of

regarding tools such as apps, online

the Institute for Interactive Technology

banking and social media. The course

developed to maximize awareness and

focuses on solutions that include

minimize risk for the typical technology

effective policy development, user

user in any field.

education and technical applications that

“Whether you’re a tech-savvy

can solve and prevent security failures.

teenager or an experienced adult who

“The course is not specific to any

uses technology to manage work and

one major but is designed for anyone

personal affairs, it’s important to realize

who uses technology,” McFadden says.

that just because you’re adept at using

“Awareness is key. Making sure all users

mobile tools does not mean you have

in a family or an organization are trained

the privacy and security skills you need

is the strongest deterrent to a security

to protect yourself,” McFadden says.

breach.”  C H E S

24 I R E U N I ON S P R I N G 2 0 1 5


S N A P S H OT S

Clockwise from upper left: 1) Graduation 2014 2) Garrett Lowery, Dr. Melissa Wilmarth, Peyton Jones 3) Dabney Powell 4) Stephanie Payne, Brittany Spencer, Chelsea Pennington, Dr. Sherwood Burns-Nader, Karlee Barger 5) Brittany Hope Snapshot photography: Teresa Golson

Jack Davis Award Winners for 2014 This year’s honorees include (back row, left to right) Ann Marie Wagoner, events director at Learfield Sports; Brandy Hydrick, director of financial planning and manager of the Charlotte, North Carolina, office for Welch Hornsby; Jennifer Camarota, director of customer experience and brand standards for Wyndham Hotel Group; Andrea Yates Ollis, creative director at Plantation Patterns LLC; Sharon Davidson, retired from Nestle, where she served as division vice president of the on-site food services sales division and director of healthcare channel development; Trey Champion, interior designer with IA Interior Architects; (front row, left to right) Karen Silliman, director of technology and distance education and assistant to the senior associate dean at The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing; with Mrs. Jack Davis.    Not pictured: Megan Lewis Freedman, content manager and senior health writer for CommunicateHealth Inc.; James L. Jones, national certified athletic trainer, Children’s of Alabama; Dr. Alicia Skinner Cook, licensed psychologist and professor emeritus in the department of human development and family studies and online instructor in the Office of International Programs at Colorado State University.

C O L L E G E O F H U M A N E N V I R ONME N T A L S C I E N C E S


COLLEGE OF HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid The University of Alabama

Box 870158 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0158

S PR ING 2015


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.