Conferences and Presentations - Fall 2024

Simone B. Alter-Muri, EdD, professor and director of graduate Art Therapy/Counseling, presented “Trauma and Artistic Resilience” and “A Gift of Color” at the American Art Therapy Association Conference in Pittsburg, Pa., in October 2024. At the same conference, Alter-Muri also presented a master's supervision group on “Neurodiversity and Art Therapy.”

Angela A. Campbell, DPT, professor of Physical Therapy, presented “Share Your CVP Passion: Why You Should Become a PAD Beacon for the PT Profession” at the Academy of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Physical Therapy Annual Conference at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., in September 2024. 

Laurel R. Davis-Delano, PhD, professor of Sociology, presented “Sympathetic Dominant Group Members’ Endorsement of and Grappling with Harmful Positive Stereotypes” at the American Sociological Association in Montreal, Canada, in August 2024. Her co-authors on the paper were Elizabeth M. Morgan, PhD, associate professor of Psychology and associate vice president for Academic Affairs; Adrienne J. Keene (independent scholar) of Brown University; Michael M. Gale, PhD, Springfield College assistant professor of Psychology; and Renee V. Galliher (professor of Psychology) of Utah State University. At the same conference, Davis-Delano was an invited panelist and presented prepared comments on the topic “Beyond Land Acknowledgements.” And also at that conference, Davis-Delano was an invited Book Forum panelist and presented prepared comments on the book Canada at the Crossroads: Boundaries, Bridges, and Laissez-Faire Racism in Indigenous-Settler Relations by Jeffrey Denis.

In September 2024, Justine Dymond, PhD, professor of English, attended a conference, by invitation only, sponsored by the Council for Independent Colleges for the various cohorts who participated in faculty seminars over the five years afforded by the Mellon grant funding The Legacies of American Slavery program. The conference, held in Memphis, Tenn., brought together educators, scholars, and university administrators to share their work in teaching Black history in the current climate of organized attacks on critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, in unearthing silenced histories in local communities and organizing public acknowledgements of those histories, and in researching, addressing, and repairing the perpetration of slavery and its continuing legacies by institutions of higher education.

Nina Esaki, PhD, associate professor of Social Work, co-presented “Calling All Leaders” at the virtual Network for Social Work Management Summit in September 2024.

Steven W. Groccia, PhD, associate professor of Physical Education, co-presented “Cooperative Learning Task Structures: Strategies for interpersonal learning and accountability” at the National Academy of Health and Physical Literacy National Summit in Baton Rouge, La., in April 2024. His co-presenter was Jack Harvey, Physical Education graduate teaching fellow, Graduate Class of 2025.

Joshua Merson, DMSc, MS-HPEd, PA-C, Doctor of Medical Science program director, presented “Infectious Disease Updates in Primary Care” and “Bugs and Drugs (Environmental Emergencies in Primary Care)” at the Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education 2024 Cape Cod Pharmacology Conference in Falmouth, Mass., in October. Merson also co-presented “What's in Your Playbook? Implementing Race- and Ethnicity-neutral Admission Strategies” at the PAEA Education Forum in Washington, D.C., in October. And Merson presented “Legislative Updates for PAs in the Commonwealth” at the Massachusetts Association of PAs Fall Conference in Salem, Mass., also in October.

Matt Mills, EdD, assistant professor of Athletic Training, presented “Higher Isn't Always Better: Optimizing Simulation Fidelity Based on Learning Objectives” at the virtual Athletic Training Educators Conference in October 2024. Mills also co-presented “Professional Responsibility in Athletic Training” in New Orleans, La., in June 2024. 

Susan Milstein, PhD, assistant professor of Physical Education and Health Education, co-presented “Gender, Puberty and Sex Ed” at the Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Summer Institute in Ashland, Mass., in August 2024. They also co-presented “Empowering Educators: Integrating the New Massachusetts Frameworks into Health Education,” an online training for educators in June 2024. Their co-presenters were Danielle Pantano, a graduate student at Springfield College, and Michael “MJ” McGillicuddy, a health educator at Agawam Junior High School in Agawam, Mass. Pantano and McGuillicuddy both earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education/Family Health and Consumer Sciences at Springfield College in 2024.

Elizabeth M. Morgan, PhD, associate professor of Psychology and associate vice president for Academic Affairs, presented on an invited panel, titled “Historical Perspective: Influential Articles from the last 30 Years,” at the International Society for Research on Identity Conference in Tilburg, the Netherlands, in June 2024.

Deeksha Munjal, PhD, assistant professor of Business Management, presented “Effects of Situational Contexts on the Personality-Job Performance Relationships” at the Academy of Management (AOM) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Ill., in August 2024. Her co-author Huy Le, PhD, is a professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio. This paper was selected as a finalist for an OB Division 2024 AOM Meeting Best Paper with International Implications Award.

Christine G. Niedbala, MS, PA-C, assistant professor of Physician Assistant Studies, presented “Finding the Balance: A Holistic Approach to Weight Management Beyond the Scale” at the Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants Conference in Salem, Mass., in October 2024.

Luke Pelton, PhD, assistant professor of Exercise Science and Human Performance Lab coordinator, presented “Forming Cross-Bridges: Discrepancies Between Research and Applied Practice in Muscular Performance” at the 2024 Fall Conference of the New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine in Springfield, Mass., in October.