Laurels Fall 2018

Marisa L. Blauvelt, PhD, associate professor of chemistry, and Donna A. DiLullo, MEd, instructor of chemistry, published “Introduction to infrared spectroscopy: Trends and interpretation via a molecular modelling app” in Chemical Educator in July 2018.

Anika Thrower, PhD, assistant professor of health education, authored the book The Art of Dominating the Winner’s Circle for the College-Minded Student in April 2018.

Laurel Davis-Delano, PhD, professor of sociology, and Elizabeth Morgan, PhD, chair of the Department of Psychology and associate professor, published “When heterosexuality is questioned: Stifling suspicion through public displays of heterosexual identity” in the Journal of Homosexuality in 2018.

Joel Dearing, MS, associate professor of physical education and athletic administration graduate program director, updated his book, Volleyball Fundamentals, in a second edition, which was published in September 2018.

Ian Delahanty, PhD, assistant professor of history, authored “The history of the Grand Army of the Republic in Massachusetts,” which was published by the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in August 2018.

Katherine Dugan, PhD, assistant professor of religion, authored a blog on “Navigating ethnography as a divorced single mom (@theTable: Parenting in the field)” for Feminist Studies in Religion in May 2018. She also published “Catholicism as Contradiction” in Marginalia Review of Books in March 2018.

Erin Futrell, PhD, PT, MPT, assistant professor of physical therapy, published “Relationships between habitual cadence, footstrike, and vertical load rates in runners” in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in September 2018.

Jasmin C. Hutchinson, PhD, associate professor of exercise science and sport studies, and Samuel A.E. Headley, PhD, professor of exercise science and sport studies, published “Changes in sitting time and sitting fragmentation after a workplace sedentary behavior intervention” in the International Journal of Environmental and Public Health in June 2018.

Mohamed Ibrahim, EdD, adjunct faculty in human services for the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, Springfield campus, published “Religion, torture, and evaluation” in Witnessing Torture in 2018.

Dan Fraizer, PhD, professor of composition and rhetoric, published “Towards a model of building writing transfer awareness across the curriculum” in Composition Forum in spring 2018.

Christine May, PhD, assistant professor of psychology, published “Objective measurement of physical activity outcomes in lifestyle interventions: A systematic review” in Preventive Medicine Reports in September 2018. She also published “Content analysis of Twitter chatter about indoor tanning” in Translational Behavioral Medicine in February 2018. Her research on “Feasibility and acceptability of delivering a post-partum weight loss intervention via Facebook: A pilot study” was published in Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior in January 2018.

James G. O'Brien, PhD, chair of the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science, and associate professor of physics and mathematics, published “Universal properties of galactic rotation curves and a first principles derivation of the Tully-Fisher relation” in Physics Letters B in June 2018.  

Paul Thifault, PhD, assistant professor of English, published “Native Americans and the Catholic phase in puritan missionary writing” in Christianity and Literature in August 2018. Thifault also published “The neighborly Mr. Ripley: Patricia Highsmith’s suburban sequels” in the edited collection Prequels, Coquels and Sequels in Contemporary Anglophone Literature in August 2018.

Leslie Beale, EdD, professor of health studies, presented a webinar on “The emotional life of patients with chronic disease: A framework for health promotion strategies” for the Society of Public Health Education in July 2018.

Allene Begley Curto, associate director of financial aid services, and Keith Ingalls, MS, registrar, co-presented on the types of information registrars, academic administrators, and faculty members need to know about financial aid at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., in March 2018. Their presentation also was featured in an article in The Successful Registrar published in August 2018.

Jacquelynne A. Chase, PhD, instructor of elementary education, presented “Principals supporting white teachers instructing white students about race in middle grades” at the National Association of Multicultural Education New York Regional Conference in Rochester, N.Y., in October 2018.

Julia Chevan, PhD, professor of physical therapy, presented “Developing core principles for physical therapy education during the U.S. opioid emergency” at the American Physical Therapy Association Educational Leadership Conference in Jacksonville, Fla., in October 2018.

Gayl M. Crump Swaby, EdD, assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, Springfield College Boston, presented “The intersectionality of race, culture, and mental health” at the Minnesota Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Duluth, Minn., in April 2018.

Laurel Davis-Delano, PhD, professor of sociology, presented “The role of nationalism and masculine ideology in support for symbolism harmful to Native Americans” at the American Sociological Association Conference in Philadelphia in August 2018. Davis-Delano and Elizabeth Morgan, PhD, chair of the Department of Psychology and associate professor, co-presented “What public displays of heterosexual identity reveal about heteronormativity, heterosexism, bisexuality, gender, and sexual orientation suspicion” as invited guests at the Out to Lunch Gender, Sexuality, and Community Lecture Series, sponsored by the Rainbow Center at the University of Connecticut.

Katherine Dugan, PhD, assistant professor of religion, presented “Divine mercy, the Cold War, and a Polish pope: The international context of an American Catholic devotion” at the American Society of Church History in Washington in January 2018.

Nina Esaki, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, presented “A trauma-responsive framework to address school violence” at the Mississippi Trauma Informed Care Conference in Jackson, Miss., in September 2018.

Erin Futrell, PhD, PT, MPT, assistant professor of physical therapy, presented “Forefoot striking is more effective in reducing load rates than increasing cadence in runners” at the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting in Boston in July 2018.

Christopher Hakala, PhD, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship and professor of psychology, presented “How to use the science of learning to more effectively teach first-year students” at Faculty Development Day at two campuses of Northern Vermont University in September 2018.

Brooke Hallowell, PhD, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies, presented “Dependent measures for eyetracking and pupillometric studies of cognitive and linguistic programming” and “Global perspectives on aging, communication disorders, and access to care in underserved regions of the world” at the City University of New York Graduate Center in New York in September 2018. She also presented “Capturing competence: Strategies for learning about the true abilities of people with aphasia” at the Philippine Association of Speech Pathology in Manila, Philippines, in July 2018. In addition, she presented “Empowering, strengths-based approaches for serving older adults who have communication challenges” and “Strategies for enhancing learning through service with older adults” at the Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention in Columbus, Ohio, in March 2018.

Jasmin C. Hutchinson, PhD, associate professor of exercise science and sport studies, and Elizabeth Mullin, PhD, assistant professor of exercise science and sport studies, co-presented “Exploring the role of trait characteristics underlying variable affective responses to exercise” at the North American Society for Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity in Denver in June 2018. Hutchinson also presented “Decrease the intensity, increase the pleasure and enjoyment: Findings from a resistance training experiment” at the same conference.

Regina Kaufman, PT, EdD, NCS, professor of physical therapy; Kathleen Pappas, PT, DPT; and Kimberly Nowakowski, PT, DPT, GCS; co-presented “Multidisciplinary enrichment contributes to multidimensional improvement four years after traumatic brain injury: A case report” at the Federal Interagency Conference on Traumatic Brain Injury in Washington in June 2018.

Stephanie R. Logan, EdD, Department of Education chair and associate professor, presented “Dealing with racists and other inappropriate comments in the classroom” at the North Shore Community College Forum on Tolerance at North Shore Community College in October 2018.

Moira C. Long, MEd, head women’s volleyball coach, co-presented on the topics of creating competition, training your libero, and training passers, along with some of the top coaches in the country, including Terry Liskevych, former U.S. women’s national volleyball team head coach, at the Art of Coaching Volleyball Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Boston in May 2018.  

Tracey Dexter Matthews, DPE, dean of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, and Sue Guyer, DPE, chair of the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies, presented “An inter-professional approach to a community-based interdisciplinary wellness program” at the National Association of Kinesiology in Higher Education in Denver in January 2018.

Linda L. Marston, PhD, director of grants and sponsored research, was a panel presenter for an invited session on “Caring for the aging as we age: Living with and processing our experiences as sociologists” at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in August 2018. Marston also presented “Academic grantwriting: A to Z,” an informal discussion roundtable as part of the formal annual meeting program. Marston also co-presented “Supporting faculty research at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs): Adventures and pathways to success” at the National Council of University Research Administrators Region I Spring Meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., in April 2018.  

Charles Milch, MHP, MBA, PA-C, chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, served as a panelist at an inter-professional education event called “To Err is Human” at Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in September 2018. Participants at the event, including Springfield College physician assistant students, viewed the patient safety documentary To Err is Human, which addresses harm that arises from medical errors.

Kimberly A. Nowakowski, PT, DPT, GCS, associate professor of physical therapy; Deborah D. Pelletier, PT, MS; professor of physical therapy; and Matthew Calendrillo ’04, G’05, DPT; co-presented “Succeeding with a multifaceted approach to clinical education within a thriving private practice” at the Education Leadership Conference in Jacksonville, Fla., in October 2018.

James G. O'Brien, PhD, chair of the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science, and associate professor of physics and mathematics, presented “Universal centripetal accelerations in conformal gravity” at the International Association of Relativistic Dynamics in Merida, Mexico, in June 2018.

Elizabeth O’Neill, DPE, associate professor and program director for applied exercise science, presented “The relationship between the functional movement screen and bunkie test” at the International Symposium on Sport and Exercise Science in San Jose, Costa Rica, in July 2018. Exercise science students Monique Forte, Rebekah Houseman, and Josh Shuman co-presented. O’Neill also presented at the same conference “The relationship of the functional movement screen and bunkie test with vertical jump and power.” Strength and conditioning student Harrison Elias co-presented.

Elisabeth Poling Mayberry, MEd, associate director of housing and residence life, and Robert Yanez, MA, director of housing and residence life, co-presented “Competing priorities: Revamping a large-scale early arrival process to best meet the needs of an active campus community” at the Northeast Association of College and University Housing Officers Annual Conference in Mystic, Conn., in October 2018.

Martha A. Potvin, PhD, provost and vice president for academic affairs, was an invited panelist at the annual meeting of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences in Saint Louis, Mo., in November 2018. The topic was “Navigating what’s next: Transition from dean to provost.”

Abdullah B. Rehayem, MS, assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, presented “Prevalence and consequences of post-traumatic stress in EMS” at the annual meeting of the New England Council on EMS in Newport, R.I., in November 2017.

David J. Renza, interim campus director and coordinator of student success, Springfield College Boston, presented “Assessing non-traditional students: Serving a population adverse to testing” at the ACCUPLACER National Conference in New Orleans, La., in June 2018.

John E. Roland, PhD, professor in the Department of Counseling, Springfield College Wilmington, presented “Promoting positive mental health throughout the lifespan” at the Faith Based Mental Health Awareness Initiative—Seeds of Greatness Ministries in New Castle, Del., in October 2018.  

Debra Salsi, MBA, DM, professor, Springfield College Wilmington, presented “The TFW (Taylor, Favol, Weber) virus and the American dream” at the Socio-Economic Approach to Management (SEAM) Conference at the University of Lyon, France, in June 2018. She also presented “The ultraliminal connection of the original entrepreneurs and change managers” at the International Society for Organizational Development Conference in Dublin, Ireland, in September 2018. Salsi also shared her research “The ultraliminal connection that reveals meaning to global entrepreneurs” at the Academy of International Business at Temple University in October 2018.

Andrea Taupier, MLS, MS, director of library services, presented “Patchwork quilting: Envisioning integrated academic resources and support services” at the Society for College and University Planning Annual Conference in Nashville, Tenn., in July 2018.

Paul Thifault, PhD, assistant professor of English, presented “Catholic captivity in the mid-Atlantic colonies” at the Northeast Modern Language Association conference in Pittsburgh, Penn., in April 2018.

Brian A. Thompson, PhD, professor of exercise science and director of strength and conditioning, presented “Priorities of an effective internship program” at the National Strength and Conditioning Association National Conference and Exhibition in Indianapolis in July 2018.

Angela Veatch, MEd, associate director of East Campus Outdoor Learning Center, presented “Mindset: A journey towards an ideal facilitator” at the Association for Experiential Education Northeast Conference in Becket, Mass., in April 2018. She also presented “Facilitation: Creating an optimal performance to enhance group outcomes” at the High 5 Adventure Annual Symposium in Brattleboro, Vt., in March 2018.

Joseph M. Wronka, PhD, professor of social work, presented “Human rights, social justice, diversity and inclusion: Implications for advanced generalist practice” at the International Conference from Diversity to Inclusion: A Social Work Paradigm in Mangalore, India, in February 2018.

Sofija Zagarins, PhD, assistant professor of public health, presented “A dietary micronutrient intake score predicts body composition in young adult women” and “Measures of overall diet as predictors of body fat percentage and BMI in young adult women” at the Society for Epidemiologic Research in Baltimore in June 2018.

Officials from the Springfield Public School district have renewed a memorandum of understanding to award $100,000 in fiscal 2019 to Springfield College for “Supporting development of effective educators,” directed by Linda Davis-Delano, EdD, director of educator preparation and licensure. Funding will support Springfield College tuition for teachers and paraprofessionals enrolled in the College S-Cubed master’s degree program. S-Cubed was initiated in fiscal 2013 with a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to prepare in-service Springfield Public School teachers in high-need schools for their state initial licensure in high-need subjects such as math and science, and to teach students with moderate disabilities. Upon S-Cubed completion, teachers may finish their master’s degree at Springfield College at a reduced program tuition rate.

Officials of Campus Compact of Southern New England have awarded a new AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America volunteer position to Springfield College to serve in fiscal 2019. The full-time volunteer will report to Charlene Elvers, director of the Center for Leadership and Service.

Springfield College has received a $4,000 Campus Innovation Grant from the Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago for fiscal 2019 due to the efforts of Katherine Dugan, PhD, assistant professor of religion, who proposed the project, “Building a culture of interfaith engagement” to develop an interfaith club on campus. Dugan will be assisted by David McMahon, director of the Office of Spiritual Life.

City of Springfield officials have awarded Springfield College a $4,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the Pride Literacy Awards Program for the 2018-19 school year. In 2000, Charlie Brock, MEd, head coach of the men’s basketball team, designed the award-winning community-service program through which team members volunteer their time reading to and inspiring elementary students in the Springfield Public Schools. Annual CDBG funding over the years has enabled Brock and his student-athletes to serve every elementary school in the city.  

Officials of Five Colleges, Inc., on behalf of the Five College Schools Partnership, awarded $4,000 and travel expenses to Springfield College as part of the Pathways for Diverse Paraprofessionals initiative of the Diverse Teacher Workforce Coalition of Western Massachusetts. Linda Davis-Delano, PhD, director of educator preparation and licensure, will serve as a co-leader for the paraprofessional support team, which includes the Springfield College Step Up Paras Program, also directed by Davis-Delano. Stephanie Logan, EdD,chair of the Department of Education, will co-lead the Culture Change Team. Linda L. Marston, PhD, director of grants and sponsored research, serves on the leadership for the Diverse Teacher Workforce Coalition and a co-leader for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion working group of the coalition.

For the fifth-consecutive year, the Association for Officials of Applied Sport Psychology have awarded a $500 grant to support the graduate student-led 2019 Association for Applied Sport Psychology Regional Conference at Springfield College. The conference will be directed again this spring by Taylor McCavanagh, MS, CMPC, a third-year doctoral candidate in counseling psychology with a concentration in athletic counseling.

Crystal Collier, PhD, adjunct professor at Springfield College Houston, was recognized as a Murphy-Peterson Fellow in Behavioral Health in July 2018 by the Hope & Healing Center in Houston. As fellow, she will write a neurodevelopmental high-risk behavior prevention guide for parents, develop a prevention video series, conduct research on alternative peer groups, and continue to educate the community regarding how high-risk behaviors can turn into addiction and affect healthy neurodevelopment. Collier was also named the 2018 Torch Bearer of the Year in May 2018 by the Texas Addictions Professional Association.

Justine Dymond, PhD, associate professor of English, is the recipient of the 2017 Eludia Award from Hidden River Arts in Philadelphia for her story collection, The Emigrant and Other Stories.

Quentin Grant, a senior at Springfield College Milwaukee and an officer in the Milwaukee Police Department, was recognized by the department for his exceptional service. In May 2018, he was honored at the Milwaukee Police Merit Awards Ceremony for bravery in assisting a citizen after a motor vehicle collision.

Sally M. Hage, PhD, associate professor of psychology, was selected in August as the recipient of the 2018 Division 17 Society of Counseling Psychology Prevention Section Lifetime Achievement Award in Prevention by the American Psychological Association.

Joseph M. Wronka, PhD, professor of social work, was awarded three-year placement on the Fulbright Senior Specialist Roster in the U. S. Department of State in August 2018. He previously was awarded this placement in 2010.

Christopher Hakala, PhD, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship and professor of psychology, has been appointed to the board of directors for the New England Faculty Development Consortium (NEFDC). NEFDC is the regional academic organization for faculty development and is responsible for the direction and theme of the conference as well as a publication that results from the presentations.

Brooke Hallowell, PhD, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies, was appointed to a three-year term as one of 14 Founding Representatives to the Global Rehabilitation Alliance (GRA), an initiative of the World Health Organization. She traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, as a signatory to the founding document for the GRA in July 2018, with support from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Christine Johnston, MPH, assistant director of alcohol and other drug education and health promotion, was appointed in July to a two-year term as state coordinator for the BACCHUS Initiatives of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

Alexandra Ludwig, MFA, professor of music, was appointed in October interim conductor for the spring season of Novi Cantori, a professional chamber choir of select singers from western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut.  In June, she also was appointed conductor of the South Hadley (Mass.) Chorale, a 70-member choir that performs works of the standard choral repertoire at Abbey Chapel at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley.

Linda L. Marston, PhD, director of grants and sponsored research, was appointed to a continuing term for fiscal 2019 on the Grants Resource Center (GRC) national advisory board, representing Category A members (full-time equivalent < 5,000) and private institutions of higher education.

Tracey Dexter Matthews, DPE, dean of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, was appointed to the American College of Sports Medicine ActivEarth Taskforce for 2018-2021. ActivEarth works to improve public health, the environment, and the economy through greater levels of physical activity and active transportation such as walking, bicycling, or wheelchair rolling.

John E. Roland, PhD, professor in the Department of Counseling, Springfield College Wilmington, was appointed in September to a three-year term as a board member of the Delaware Association of Mental Health. The association promotes improved mental well-being for all individuals and families in Delaware through education, support, and advocacy.

Joyce Taylor, PhD, assistant professor of social work, was named research and evaluation director of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency, joining a team of national and international professionals in the fields of adoption, child welfare, and permanency.

Francine J. Vecchiolla, PhD, MSW, dean of the School of Social Work and professor of social work, was reappointed in June to a three-year term on the Commission on Education Policy of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). CSWE is the national accrediting body for social work higher education.

Joseph M. Wronka, PhD, professor of social work, was appointed to membership of the International Advisory Board for Human Rights Education Associates in March 2018.

Simone Alter-Muri, EdD, director of art therapy/counseling and art education and professor of art, was selected to showcase multi-media sculpture titled “Puzzles Barcodes Box” in the 2018 National Art Education Association Virtual Gallery. It will be exhibited on the virtual gallery website, which will be showcased from October through December 2018.

Ian Delahanty, PhD, assistant professor of history, was selected to take part in the Council of Independent Colleges 2018 summer multidisciplinary seminar, “The Civil War in American Memory,” at Yale University.

Erin Futrell, PhD, PT, MPT, assistant professor of physical therapy, was invited to become a peer reviewer for the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in October 2018.

Stephanie R. Logan, EdD, Department of Education chair and associate professor, is on the leadership team for the Diverse Teacher Workforce Coalition, a partnership-led collaborative effort to support black and Latino classroom paraprofessionals to become teachers. She also serves as a co-leader for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group of the coalition.

Elizabeth O’Neill, DPE, associate professor of exercise science and sport studies and program director for applied exercise science, and Sue Guyer, DPE, chair of the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies, led a short-term study abroad program to Costa Rica for 11 Springfield College students in May 2018. Students attended the international symposium on sport science, exercise and health, presented research at the conference, toured the research facilities at the University of Costa Rica, and took a tour to learn about the country and its culture.

Sherri VandenAkker, PhD, professor of human services at Springfield College Boston, was elected to a three-year term on the School Committee in Reading, Mass.

Joseph M. Wronka, PhD, professor of social work, serves as director and executive producer of the  show “Creating a Human Rights Culture” for Amherstmedia.org. Recent shows included content on indigenous peoples, micro-intrusions, and children depicting articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through their art.