Faculty/Staff News of Note
February 2006
Mary Beth Pinto, associate professor of marketing, has requested $5,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for development and implementation support of the live Credit Card Game Show hosted by her Center for Credit and Consumer Research.
Associate Professor of Economics Jim Kurre spoke at the Manufacturers Association of Northwest Pennsylvania’s 2006 Economic Summit last week. Jim’s presentation of Barry Weller’s latest set of economic forecasts for the region was followed by speeches by gubernatorial candidate Bill Scranton and U.S. Rep. Phil English. Jim notes that Barry is still happily retired, and that anyone interested in the forecasts can read them at www.ERIEdata.org
School of Engineering and Engineering Technology faculty members Kenneth Fisher, Robert Weissbach, Thomas Briselden, and Robert Edwards have submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy to fund an Industrial Assessment Center at Penn State Behrend. The proposal requests $485,961.
Anthony Foyle, assistant professor of geology, has received a $500 grant from the Penn State Global Fund to help defray the cost of travel to Germany as part of his course SE&T 497: Environmental Issues in Eastern Europe.
Dr. Charisse Nixon, assistant professor of psychology and director of research for The Ophelia Project, traveled to Madison, Wis., to train leadership at the American Girl company. Charisse met with senior management from the company’s literary, product and design, and Web units to share her research on adolescent female development and relational aggression.
Ralph Ford and Ken Fisher, director and assistant director of the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, have submitted the proposal “An Integrated Approach for Increasing STEM Enrollments at Penn State Behrend” to the National Science Foundation. The proposal outlines creative measures for increasing undergraduate science, technology, and engineering enrollments by engaging students in grades K-12. It requests $500,000 for five years to create a model for use by all Penn State locations and other institutions in areas of declining population.
Jennifer Holt, assistant professor of chemistry, has submitted the proposal "Spectroscopic Investigation of Novel Host-Guest Materials Using Brooker’s Merocyanine Dyes in Zeolite Hosts” to the Petroleum Research Foundation. She requested $35,000 in funding.
Tracy Halmi, lecturer in chemistry, has requested $5,905 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the outreach proposal “Introduction to Organic Chemistry.”
Peter B. Southard, assistant professor of management, has had the article “Toy Trains and History Lessons: Teaching Your Passion” accepted by the International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education.
Lisa Mangel, lecturer in biology, Carla Torgerson, director of the Center for Teaching and Educational Technologies, and Thomas Wortman, senior project associate for research, gave a featured presentation, "A Simple Equation: Tablet PCs + Interactive Design = Better Biology Learning," at the HP Technology in Teaching Worldwide Higher Education Conference in Monterey, Calif., on Feb. 3. The presentation highlighted how Penn State Behrend used a team approach to incorporate tablet PCs into two biology courses. Qi Dunsworth, instructional designer, also was part of the project team. The project was funded by a $75,000 grant from HP.
On Feb. 7, Jerry Magraw, senior technician, and Tracy Halmi, lecturer in chemistry, visited Saint James School in Wesleyville to reward eighth-grader Kyle Kendzior for winning National Chemistry Week’s local poster contest. Tracy and Jerry presented Kyle with a t-shirt and gave a demonstration illustrating physical and chemical change that was highlighted by creation of liquid nitrogen ice cream.
After five years of chairing National Chemistry Week activities in the Erie region, Tracy has been asked to chair the National Chemistry Subcommittee for the Committee on Community Activities for the American Chemical Society. She will be responsible for NCW programs and promotions nationwide.
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