Shawnee State University Board of Trustees
Special Board Meeting April 14, 2007

             The Shawnee State University Board of Trustees will meet on Saturday, April 14, at 9 a.m. in the Deshler Rooms, Marriott Hotel at Columbus Airport, 1375 North Cassady Avenue, Columbus, Ohio.  This meeting is a Board retreat; no action items are on the agenda. 

(Article by Rebecca Cox, communications specialist)

Dr. James Day retires
(Globe-hopping SSU faculty member retires after 20 years)

            Shawnee State University is losing a charismatic and well-loved member of the faculty. After 20 years, James Day, Ph.D., business management, has retired.
            Students and faculty will always remember him for his exotic necklaces from around the world, accompanied with gripping stories of his exciting adventures.
            Day came to SSU in 1987, planning to stay a year. Luckily for students like Caroline Burkert, he decided to make SSU his start.
            “He liked to get to know his students,” she said. “He encouraged them to visit his office to talk about class assignments or life in general. During his free time he also visited with groups of students in local restaurants and pubs to eat and discuss class presentations.”
            Day taught business management classes, a business ethics class, which was his favorite class to teach, and senior seminar, another well-loved class. To SSU student Sandy Belford, he was a mentor.
            “He encouraged students to continue their educational pursuits. One particular memory I have is when I had Dr. Day for ethics class and he was talking about continuing one’s education past the Bachelor’s level. It was his encouragement, to a great extent, that made me decide to continue my education, getting an MBA and now pursuing a Ph.D.”
            One of Day’s favorite memories at the university occurred on Valentine’s Day, 2001, at the restaurant in the Ramada Inn. It was a Sunday afternoon, and Day was working on an oral presentation with two groups of students. Dr. Chapman, SSU’s president at the time, and his wife, came in for lunch, saw him with the students and asked him if he wanted to teach in China in September.
            “I walked home five blocks real quick and told my wife, ‘I’ve got a Valentine’s Day present for you,’” he said. No flowers, no candy. I just said, ‘We’re going to China!’ She didn’t believe me.”
            Day has traveled the globe. He has been to all of the continents, even Antarctica. These trips have served to enhance his classes, with numerous stories from a global perspective.
            “In the fall of 1995, I was teaching in a senior seminar class. I have students talking about South American countries, African countries, Asian countries. And I though to myself, ‘Well by golly, If I’m going to teach this class, I better go out and visit these places,’” Day said. “In December o that year, I was in South America. The next year, Africa. That senior seminar class got me traveling.”
          Day was nostalgic about his time at SSU.
           “It’s been a wonderful time here,” Day said. “I will miss Kricker Hall; it was my home. The most important thing I want my students to do is go get a Master’s degree. I tell them to go 500 miles away, and get into a different environment.”
            After retirement, Day is pursuing a teaching assignment in Gambia, Africa, for one semester. In January of 2008 he plans to go back to China.
            He is also planning to take his daughter and her new husband to the Grand Canyon.
            “I’m going to have to create some hobbies,” Day said.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

Chanticleer to perform at SSU’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts
(Two-time Grammy award-winning Chanticleer ensemble comes to Portsmouth, Ohio)

            Hailed by The New York Times as having sounds “fresh as a blade of grass, tightly focused and keenly expressive,” Chanticleer, the two-time Grammy award-winning ensemble, will perform at Shawnee State University’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts April 17 at 7:30 p.m.
            “Chanticleer appeals to audiences of all ages due to their expansive performance repertoire,” said Carl Daehler, D.M.A., executive director of the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. “This group of 12 full-time professional male vocalists literally can sing anything from the earliest forms of vocal music to the most current popular titles.”
            Based in San Francisco, Chanticleer was founded in 1978 by tenor Louis Botto. More than 75 men have sung in the ensemble since its inception. According to its Web site, www.chanticleer.org, Chanticleer includes a “seamless blend of twelve male voices, ranging from countertenor to bass,” the reason it has earned international renown as “an orchestra of voices.”
            The mission of Chanticleer is to perform “a diverse and innovative repertoire, reaching audiences worldwide through live concerts, electronic media and education.” They are the only independent full-time classical vocal ensemble in the United States.
            Chanticleer performs world-wide at many noteworthy international festivals, including the Salzburg Festival in Austria, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany, the Brisbane Biennial Festival of Music in Australia, the Taipei International Choral Festival in Taiwan and the Festival Van Vlaanderen in Belgium.
            “The miracle of their performance is the extreme diversity of their program given that they sing without the benefit of any instrumental or rhythmic accompaniment,” Daehler said.
            Tickets range from $12 to $34 for this performance. Discounts are available for seniors, SSU students, faculty, staff and alumni. For more information or to order tickets, contact the McKinley Box Office at (740) 351-3600 or visit the Web site, http://www.vrcfa.org.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

Dr. Susan Haack to speak at SSU
(Haack to discuss the reliability of scientific testimony in the court of law)

            Is scientific evidence more reliable in a court of law? Susan Haack, Ph.D., of Miami, Fla., will discuss this important question at Shawnee State University April 26 and 27.
            “Her work focuses on whether or not there really is something specific about scientific testimony that makes it more reliable than other testimony,” Poirot said. “The courts have made a distinction between eye witness testimony versus scientific testimony using quotes. We often have this idea that science is going to establish some kind of grand, ultimate authority for us.”
            Haack will discuss how standards of scientific evidence have changed in court over time. After the lecture, there will be an open discussion.
            Haack’s presentation on April 26 at 7 p.m. in the Clark Memorial Library’s Flohr Lecture Hall is free and open to the public. She also will give a presentation on Friday, April 27, at 10 a.m. (location to be announced) for the university community, geared more toward the different definitions of pragmatism.
            “I thought the discussion about how legal standards for scientific testimonies have changed would be something that would have a wider appeal outside of Shawnee State University,” Poirot said. “Her presentation on Friday will be geared towards faculty interested in more academic questions about philosophy.”
            Haack is the author of several books, including “Deviant Logic,” “Philosophy of Logics” (Cambridge, 1978), “Evidence and Inquiry: Towards Reconstruction in Epistemology” and “Defending Science -- Within Reason: Between Scientism and Cynicism.”
            A former Fellow of New Hall, Cambridge, and then professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick, Haack is presently Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts and Sciences, professor of philosophy, and professor of law at the University of Miami. Her areas of interest include philosophy of logic and language, epistemology and metaphysics, philosophy of science, including issues of scientific testimony in court, pragmatism and feminism.
            Internationally known, Professor Haack's work has been translated into 10 different languages. She has been widely reviewed and cited in general interest publications such as the “Times Literary Supplement,” the “Wilson Quarterly,” and the “Chronicle of Higher Education,” as well as in specialized journals. Haack’s work is strongly interdisciplinary. She has published in literary, legal and scientific, as well as philosophical journals, and has been invited to speak not only in philosophy departments and law schools but also at the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale, the American Council of Learned Societies, the New York Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences.
            “So, what’s happened in modern pragmatism is that some people have focused on the aspects of pragmatism they consider to be directly applicable to them, how they can make it socially useful,” he said. “If an idea is socially useful, then, we’ll use it—if it’s not, we’ll reject it. Haack is arguing against that idea. When we ask if an idea is useful or practical, what we should be asking is how well that idea works out in experience over the long-term. We might want to make a distinction, for example, between something that seems to be immediately practical and immediately useful, but in the long run might not be good for us.”
            For more information, contact Poirot at (740) 351-3369.

(Article by Rebecca Cox, communications specialist)

Breast Cancer Awareness event to be held
(SSU’s Women’s Center organizing event in conjunction with the Spring Bear Run)

            More than 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year in the U.S. To raise awareness of the disease and the importance of early detection, the Shawnee State University Women’s Center is organizing a breast cancer awareness event, held in conjunction with the Spring Bear Run/Walk 5K, on May 9, at 6 p.m.
“I think almost everybody has been affected by breast cancer in some way. Either they’ve experienced it, or a family member has, or a loved one, or a friend. It is a tragic, devastating disease,” said Barbara Duncan, professor, dental hygiene. “The more aware people are of early detection, maybe it will motivate them to be more vigilant about checking themselves.
            The deadline for registering for the Women’s Center “Breast Cancer Awareness” event is April 16th.
A free t-shirt will be provided to those who will wear the shirt as they participate in the Spring Bear Run/Walk event.
            Participants must pre-register for the Bear Run/Walk. A confirmation e-mail, with t-shirt size, must then be sent to Duncan, at bduncan@shawnee.edu.
            T-shirts may be picked up on the race day in the gym, from 4 p.m. until the start of the race.
“I just hope people will participate and wear the shirts not only during the Bear Run, but out into the community,” said Duncan. “If it causes one woman to go for a mammogram or an exam and saves one life, then it’s worth the effort.”
            To register for the Spring Bear Run, contact Jeff Hamilton, race coordinator at (740) 351-3393 or at ghamilton@shawnee.edu.                                             

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

SSU’s Fun in the Sun activities planned for summer 2007
(Classes offer everything from archery to soccer and painting to yoga)

            Think there’s going to be nothing for children to do this summer? Think again! Shawnee State University is offering students in grades K-8 a Fun in the Sun program with classes ranging from archery to soccer to scrapbooking to yoga. This program provides an opportunity for youth to complete at least one, 15-hour course in either athletics or the arts.
            “Students are invited from all areas but most of the students come from the local area, from Kentucky and southern Ohio,” said Ginnie Moore, director of University Outreach Services.
            Shawnee State’s Fun in the Sun will take place June 18-22 at Earl Thomas Conley Riverside Park. Students must be dropped off at the park ready for class.
            “The park provides a beautiful venue for us to have all kinds of activities and classes that kids love,” Moore said.
            Classes include archery, art, cartooning, cheerleading, digital photography, embroidery, basketball, football, golf, volleyball, tennis, soccer, softball, scrapbooking, Spanish language and yoga, among others.
            Moore said these classes are not only fun, but also worthwhile.
            “The classes are taught by terrific instructors. Participants will learn new things and make new friends,” she said.
           Each course is designed for a specific grade level, so participants will want to keep that in mind while registering for a course. Students can register for either the morning session from 9 a.m. to noon or the afternoon session from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Students can either bring their lunches or purchase them for an additional price.
           The deadline for registration is June 8. Early bird discounts will be given to those who register by 5 p.m. on May 18.
            To register or for more information and prices, call University Outreach Services at (740) 351-3274 or toll free at (866) 672-8778.

 (Article by Mistie Cook Spicer, communications coordinator)
 

SSU has earned provider status for continuing education
(Office of University Outreach Services has earned the provider status through the Ohio Nurses Association)

            Area nurses will now be able to take their state-required continuing education classes at Shawnee State University through the Office of University Outreach Services. The approval status was awarded on Jan. 11 by the Ohio Nurses Association.
            “It’s a real positive thing,” said Barbara Conn, associate professor of nursing at SSU. “Because, there are two nursing programs here on campus, an associate and a bachelor’s degree program, we are already educating registered nurse. Now we can maintain the licensure for all of the registered nurses in the area.”
            According to Conn all RN’s in Ohio are required to complete 24 continuing education hours every two years for license renewal. Conn said since 2003, the university has offered more than 20 continuing education programs for nurses. She said in order to receive the provider status, SSU will be required to provide a minimum of ten classes approved by the Ohio Nurses Association.
            “Registered nurses must seek out independently classes to complete their continuing education requirement before they can renew their license for two years,” Conn said. “Nurses in this area can now go through University Outreach Services at SSU and complete those education requirements.”
            For more information on upcoming nurse education courses, contact Conn at (740) 351-3109.

The Shawnee State University Development Foundation receives grant for breast cancer awareness campaign…

            Shawnee State University is reaching out to women of all ages in our region to help them reduce the risk of breast cancer and its impact on their lives.
            The Shawnee State University Development Foundation has received a $54,767 grant from the Columbus affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to fund “Never Too Young…Never Too Old.” The new program will provide education about breast cancer prevention and detection to Shawnee State students and women in Scioto, Pike and Lawrence counties.
            Susan Warsaw, executive director of development at SSU, said the program is a perfect fit with Poised for Tomorrow, the university’s capital campaign. “One of the campaign initiatives is to enhance the clinical experiences of our allied health students while reaching out to area residents. ‘Never Too Young…Never Too Old’ is right in step with that.”
            The funding will allow the university to raise awareness among women in Scioto, Pike and Lawrence counties about breast health and breast cancer and educate them regarding prevention and detection. Clinical examinations and referrals will also be a part of the program.
            Mattie Burton, chair of Shawnee State’s department of nursing, said that a program like this is very important to the area. “Unfortunately, Appalachian women don’t always get the screenings they need, which puts them at risk.”
            Burton said that Appalachian populations are predominantly rural and are more likely to have residents who are elderly, poor and uninsured with less access to preventative care.
            Currently, there are no other services of this kind being offered in the three-county area.
            “Not only is this program unique in our area, it is long overdue,” Burton said.
            The activities for “Never Too Young…Never Too Old” will begin with the Komen Columbus Race for the Cure May 19. Students, faculty and staff from Shawnee State University are inviting everyone in the three-county area to join them in a caravan that will take them to Columbus for the race.
            Anyone wanting more information about the race or “Never Too Young…Never Too Old” can contact the SSU Development Office at (740) 351-3284.
            Poised for Tomorrow is a $12 million capital campaign to support a broad array of campus initiatives. Those initiatives include undergraduate research, new technologies, specialized studies, faculty development, scholarships, enhanced clinical experiences and an enhanced quality of life for the region.
            Anyone wanting more information about Poised for Tomorrow can call the Development Office at (740) 351-3284 or visit the university’s website at www.shawnee.edu.

Boyles Named SSU Vice President for Finance and Administration

            Shawnee State University President Rita Rice Morris has named Elinda C. Boyles to serve as the university’s next vice president for finance and administration. Boyles is currently Shawnee State’s director of human resources. The appointment is pending approval by the Shawnee State Board of Trustees at its June meeting.
            “We are truly fortunate that Elinda has agreed to serve as Shawnee State’s next Vice President for Finance and Administration,” said Morris. “After conducting several searches for the position, it became clear to me that Elinda not only offered the most extensive administrative leadership and management experience, she also possesses an intimate familiarity with the campus’ operation, and offers a proven commitment to Shawnee State.”
            Boyles came to Shawnee State in 1988. As Director of Human Resources she has been responsible for the oversight and management of employee recruitment, compensation and benefits. She has been responsible for compliance with all state, federal and local regulatory matters, served as the affirmative action officer and served on a number of campus-wide committees.
            Prior to Shawnee State, Boyles served as Vice President of Operations for Celltech, Inc., and ExecuCell, Inc., both in Houston, Texas. She was also General Manager for Human Resources and Public Relations for the Illinois and Ohio divisions of the Central Telephone Company, and General Manager EEO/Affirmative Action for the Centel Corporation, headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill.
            Boyles is co-owner of the Short Stop Convenient Mart in South Shore, Ky. Since 1997 she has sat on the Greenup County Board of Education, currently serving her third term as board chair.
            Boyles has a master’s degree in education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a B.S. in business administration from Eastern Kentucky University. A doctoral candidate at Ohio University, Boyles is completing her dissertation in higher education administration.
            “My work at Shawnee State has been very rewarding. As Vice President for Finance and Administration I look forward to the opportunity of using my skills and experience to make an even more profound contribution to the university,” said Boyles.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

Build a successful market plan at SSU
(Revamp or create your own marketing strategies at SSU)

            Business owners can learn how to build or revamp their own successful marketing plan during a one-day workshop at Shawnee State University on April 24 from 1 to 4 p.m.
            “For all businesses owners, the key to marketing is to educate themselves on the new marketing opportunities that are available,” said Brenda Covert, manager of SSU’s Business and Industry Contract Training. “How to effectively market for your customers has changed over the last few years. Now, businesses must be sure their marketing plan addresses all generations of customers, including the Gen X and Gen Y customers.”
            In the workshop, participants will explore the following issues:

            What kind of marketing plan you need;
            What the focus of your marketing plan is;
            How you address your “uniqueness” in your marketing plan;
            Whether or not you should use the Internet for marketing; and
            How you budget for your marketing plan expenses.
           
            The instructor is Jackie LeBerth with EnterpriseWorks in Athens County, Ohio. LeBerth has over 20 years experience helping businesses with their marketing plan. She owns Bramble Creek Farms, and operates a bed and breakfast.
            Materials are included in the cost of $59. Deadline for registration is Monday, April 23. To register call the Business and Industry Training Center at (740) 351-3171 or 866-672-8778.

(Article by Rebecca Cox, communications specialist)

Toombs Children’s Learning Center celebrates ‘Week of the Young Child’
(CLC hosting a variety of events geared toward young children)

            The “Week of the Young Child” is April 22-28, and the Dr. Miller and Genevieve Toombs Children’s Learning Center at Shawnee State University has scheduled numerous events to celebrate. This year’s theme is “Building Better Futures for all Children.”
            According to the Web site for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, “‘The Week of the Young Child’ is an opportunity for programs, NAEYC affiliates, related organizations, communities, and states to focus on the needs of young children and their families.”
            “It is an opportunity for the kids to have a really good time. But in all of that fun, it is a good observational opportunity for teachers,” Cindy Ferguson, CLC director said. “Instead of just sitting down and doing an assessment, teachers can collect observational data on their children while they are participating in these events.”
            There will be an ice cream social on Tuesday and Wednesday, open to the campus community and community parents. Those present will have the opportunity to view children’s art.
            The main event of “Week of the Young Child” is the children’s fair, scheduled for Thursday, April 26, in the Rhodes Athletic Center, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. More than 300 preschool children from around the area are expected to attend.
            Ferguson said parents and grandparents are invited to enjoy the fun with their children at the fair. Other events include story time with the Portsmouth Library, a musical performance by Steve Free, acrobatic exhibits by Cirque d’Art, a chalk walk, Bear Ball and many other activities.
            Thanks to SSU President Rita Rice Morris, all children will be receiving T-shirts.
            In conjunction with the week’s activities, Ferguson said there will be a children’s art exhibit in the Marting’s display window for about a month. The artwork will come from participating entities, including children from the Carousel Center, Scioto County Head Start, Scioto County Even Start, Portsmouth City Schools, and the SSU Children’s Learning Center.
            Ferguson said “Week of the Young Child” is a rich learning experience for all involved.
            “It’s a cross-campus, cross-community, cross-university opportunity.”
            For more information, contact the Toombs CLC at (740) 351-3252.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

Dr. Susan Haack to speak at SSU
(Haack to discuss the reliability of scientific testimony in the court of law)

            Is scientific evidence more reliable in a court of law? Susan Haack, Ph.D., of Miami, Fla., will discuss this important question at Shawnee State University April 26 and 27.
            “Her work focuses on whether or not there really is something specific about scientific testimony that makes it more reliable than other testimony,” said Chip Poirot, associate professor of economics at SSU. “The courts have made a distinction between eye witness testimony versus scientific testimony using quotes. We often have this idea that science is going to establish some kind of grand, ultimate authority for us.”
Haack will discuss how standards of scientific evidence have changed in court over time. After the lecture, there will be an open discussion.
            Haack’s presentation on April 26 at 7 p.m. in the Massie Auditorium is free and open to the public. She also will give a presentation on Friday, April 27, at 9:30 a.m. in ATC conference room for the university community, geared more toward the different definitions of pragmatism.
            “I thought the discussion about how legal standards for scientific testimonies have changed would be something that would have a wider appeal outside of Shawnee State University,” Poirot said. “Her presentation on Friday will be geared towards faculty interested in more academic questions about philosophy.”
Haack is the author of several books, including “Deviant Logic,” “Philosophy of Logics” (Cambridge, 1978), “Evidence and Inquiry: Towards Reconstruction in Epistemology” and “Defending Science -- Within Reason: Between Scientism and Cynicism.”
            A former Fellow of New Hall, Cambridge, and then professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick, Haack is presently Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts and Sciences, professor of philosophy, and professor of law at the University of Miami. Her areas of interest include philosophy of logic and language, epistemology and metaphysics, philosophy of science, including issues of scientific testimony in court, pragmatism and feminism.
            Internationally known, Professor Haack's work has been translated into 10 different languages. She has been widely reviewed and cited in general interest publications such as the “Times Literary Supplement,” the “Wilson Quarterly,” and the “Chronicle of Higher Education,” as well as in specialized journals. Haack’s work is strongly interdisciplinary. She has published in literary, legal and scientific, as well as philosophical journals, and has been invited to speak not only in philosophy departments and law schools but also at the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale, the American Council of Learned Societies, the New York Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences.
            “So, what’s happened in modern pragmatism is that some people have focused on the aspects of pragmatism they consider to be directly applicable to them, how they can make it socially useful,” he said. “If an idea is socially useful, then, we’ll use it—if it’s not, we’ll reject it. Haack is arguing against that idea. When we ask if an idea is useful or practical, what we should be asking is how well that idea works out in experience over the long-term. We might want to make a distinction, for example, between something that seems to be immediately practical and immediately useful, but in the long run might not be good for us.”
            For more information, contact Poirot at (740) 351-3369.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

SSU forms team for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
(SSU teams to promote breast cancer awareness)

            According to the American Cancer Society, over 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year and over 2 million women have been treated. To support breast cancer awareness and research, a team from Shawnee State University will participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on May 19 in Columbus. According to the Web site, nearly 32,000 participants last year raised more than $1.5 million to fund local grants and national research.
            “It’s a great event the Susan G. Komen Foundation holds every year for breast cancer awareness,” said Angela Henderson, assistant director of development and alumni affairs at SSU. “It also allows survivors and their families to get together and participate in different events. It should be a good experience.”
            This year’s run holds special significance for Shawnee State.
            “We chose this event as the kick-off for a new Shawnee State program, “Never too young, never too old,” funded by a grant from the Columbus affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure,” Henderson said.
            The new program will provide education about breast cancer prevention and detection to both Shawnee State students and women in Scioto, Pike and Lawrence counties.
It costs $20 to register for the SSU team. The deadline to register online is April 27. There’s a drop-down menu on the Komen Web site to choose Shawnee State as the desired team. There are three different events participants can choose from, a 5K run, a 5K walk and a 1-mile fun walk.
            “The registration fee goes to Komen Columbus to pay for future grants to provide outreach and awareness,” Henderson said. “There is a program where if people want to get pledges, they can participate in that or they can just pay the $20 registration fee and walk or run. Participants get a t-shirt from Komen and if they register as part of the Shawnee State team, which I hope they will do, the first 100 people will get a Shawnee State t-shirt.”
            Henderson said she especially hopes a lot of students will get involved and will learn the things they need to know about breast cancer awareness.
            In 1983, Nancy Brinker created the first Susan. G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure in Dallas, Tx., with 800 participants. Today, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Series is the largest of 5K runs and fitness walks in the world. The 2007 race day includes Survivorpalooza, a 5K run, a 5K walk and a 1-mile family fun walk. At 10:30 a.m., the survivor celebration and awards ceremony begins.
            For more information, visit the Web site www.komencolumbus.org and contact the SSU Development Office at (740) 351-3284.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

Educators invited to Fabulous Friday at SSU
(Fabulous Friday offers childcare providers professional development training)

            Child care providers and early childhood educators are invited to Shawnee State University’s “Fabulous Friday” on April 27.
            “The conference title, ‘Fabulous Friday,’ is so very appropriate,” said Cindy Ferguson, director of the Dr. Miller and Genevieve Toombs SSU Children’s Learning Center. “As an early childhood educator, being part of an event that incorporates pre-service and practicing professionals across campus, across countries, across states and across institutions of higher learning, truly is fabulous. We are especially grateful to University Outreach Services for making this rich opportunity possible.”
            The keynote speaker will be Stephanie Schaffer, an occupational therapist who works with special needs preschoolers in Portsmouth. She has been influential in raising awareness of autism spectrum disorders. Schaffer (www.stephanieschaeffer.com) is certified in sensory integration and is a licensed Kindermusick educator at the Southern Ohio Museum and at the Dr. Miller and Genevieve Toombs’ Children’s Learning Center at SSU. She is currently working on a book with Avant Garde Publishing of Ashland, Ky.
            Schaeffer’s keynote presentation, “A Time-Out for Teachers: Surviving the Edu-Tainment World” will enable educators to rediscover their sense of worth and value with today’s children in the educational setting.
            “Teachers need a ‘time-out’ to complete continuing education. With all the different sessions offered during Fabulous Friday, participants will be introduced to some learning techniques that they can take with them,” Schaeffer said.
            There will be two certification seminars good for three credit hours each, including “ADHD & Mental Health Disorders in Children” and “Medication Administration.”
Other sessions include:
            • “2, 4, 6, 8 Making Counting Fun” with Wei-Ying Hsiao, Ph.D., associate professor of early
              childhood education at SSU, and students Debbie Duning and Danielle Basford;
            • “Documenting the Early Learning of Children” with Leslie Gleim, early childhood special
              needs lead teacher with Scioto County MRDD Carousel Center;
            • “Folk Dance Fun” with Barbara Trube, program director of the early childhood education
              program at Ohio University-Chillicothe;
            • “Fun Raising” with Amanda Hedrick, M.A., and Hetty Phillips, M.Ed., preschool teachers
              at the CLC at SSU;
            • “Getting a ‘Write’ Start with School-Based Occupational Therapy” with Barbara 
              Warnock, B.S., OTR/L, instructor of occupational therapy and coordinator of academic
              fieldwork at SSU;
            • “Grant Writing for Teachers: Easy Dollars that Make Sense!” with Jane Williams, B.S.Ed., 
              head pre-K teacher and Melissa Williams, B.S.Ed., kindergarten teacher, both of Adams
              County/Ohio Valley Schools;
            • “Life is Like a Box of Crayons” with Hsaio and students, Duning, Basford, Kurtz and Blevins;
            • “My Feelings Your Feelings: Creating Understanding Through Play” with
              Amy Holsinger, M.Ed., LCPA, NCC adjunct instructor of Lindsey Wilson College of Columbia, Ky.,
              and Teresa Stockham, B.S.Ed., preschool teacher at the CLC at SSU; and
            • “Playing it Smart. . .Playing it Safe” with Jamie Harwood, first-grade teacher at Jackson
               City School in Jackson, Cindy Ferguson, M.Ed., director of the CLC and
              Jesseka Black, B.S.Ed., preschool intervention teacher at the South Central Ohio Educational 
              Service Center.
            “Fabulous Friday is popular and it’s a great conference because the break-out sessions are provided by the experienced childcare providers and college faculty from Shawnee State University and Ohio University-Chillicothe and by practitioners in the field,” said Ginnie Moore, director of University Outreach Services. “It is a great way for childcare providers to get the professional development that they need to keep their licenses active.”
            “Fabulous Friday is a local event,” Schaeffer said. “Sometimes, teachers think they need to go far away to get the information that is needed in the classroom. We have a lot of great professionals within Scioto County that can provide a wonderful education and learning opportunities for these teachers.”
            This conference provides child care providers of the Scioto County Department of Jobs and Family Services with 4.4 contact hours that may be used toward yearly professional continuing education requirements. Completing both three-hour certification sessions provides six contact hours. Also, as a SCDJFS child care provider, a participant may be eligible for a $39 scholarship toward the registration fee and should contact Gary Warnock at SCDJFS to apply.
            Registration is $69; however full-time college students need only pay $29. Lunch will include a fajita buffet provided by Sodexho. For more information, contact University Outreach Services at (740) 351-3274 or toll free at (866) 672-8778 or visit their Web site, www.shawnee.edu/off/uos.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

Dr. Susan Haack to speak at SSU
(Haack to discuss the reliability of scientific testimony in the court of law)

PLEASE NOTE: THE LOCATION OF THE SUSAN HAACK LECTURE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO MASSIE AUDITORIUM, IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF MASSIE HALL.

            Is scientific evidence more reliable in a court of law? Susan Haack, Ph.D., of Miami, Fla., will discuss this important question at Shawnee State University April 26.
            “Her work focuses on whether or not there really is something specific about scientific testimony that makes it more reliable than other testimony,” said Chip Poirot, associate professor of economics at SSU. “The courts have made a distinction between eye witness testimony versus scientific testimony using quotes. We often have this idea that science is going to establish some kind of grand, ultimate authority for us.”
Haack will discuss how standards of scientific evidence have changed in court over time. After the lecture, there will be an open discussion.
            Haack’s presentation on April 26 at 7 p.m. in Massie Auditorium is free and open to the public.
Haack is the author of several books, including “Deviant Logic,” “Philosophy of Logics” (Cambridge, 1978), “Evidence and Inquiry: Towards Reconstruction in Epistemology” and “Defending Science -- Within Reason: Between Scientism and Cynicism.”
            A former Fellow of New Hall, Cambridge, and then professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick, Haack is presently Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts and Sciences, professor of philosophy, and professor of law at the University of Miami. Her areas of interest include philosophy of logic and language, epistemology and metaphysics, philosophy of science, including issues of scientific testimony in court, pragmatism and feminism.
            Internationally known, Professor Haack's work has been translated into 10 different languages. She has been widely reviewed and cited in general interest publications such as the “Times Literary Supplement,” the “Wilson Quarterly,” and the “Chronicle of Higher Education,” as well as in specialized journals. Haack’s work is strongly interdisciplinary. She has published in literary, legal and scientific, as well as philosophical journals, and has been invited to speak not only in philosophy departments and law schools but also at the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale, the American Council of Learned Societies, the New York Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences.
            “So, what’s happened in modern pragmatism is that some people have focused on the aspects of pragmatism they consider to be directly applicable to them, how they can make it socially useful,” he said. “If an idea is socially useful, then, we’ll use it—if it’s not, we’ll reject it. Haack is arguing against that idea. When we ask if an idea is useful or practical, what we should be asking is how well that idea works out in experience over the long-term. We might want to make a distinction, for example, between something that seems to be immediately practical and immediately useful, but in the long run might not be good for us.”
            For more information, contact Poirot at (740) 351-3369.

(Article by Rebecca Cox, communications specialist)
 

Camp Sherman Memorial Museum planned
(A memorial is being developed to honor Army training center)

            Efforts are currently underway to build a memorial museum in remembrance of the third largest National Army Division training center in the United States during World War I, Camp Sherman, located near Chillicothe. June 8 marks the 90th Anniversary of the camp, and one man, John Doerres, is working to honor and acknowledge the camp for generations to come.
            “Rather than a musty museum, we plan to develop an enjoyable civic center, focusing on Camp Sherman’s impact, then and now,” said Doerres.
            To memorialize the hard work of many individuals, Doerres is asking for community contributions. He is looking for any and everything, civilian and military, circa 1912-1920. Letters, pictures, clothing, equipment, family journals and entries about Camp Sherman are all welcome.
            Please e-mail lists of memorabilia to Doerres, and include a name, mailing address and phone number. Facilities are not currently available to accept items but should be ready in a few months.
            For more information, contact Doerres at campshermanmuse@horizonview.net or at (740) 772-MUSE.

(Article by Rebecca Cox, communications specialist)

Jamie Lee Lantz awarded Charles J. Ping Award
(SSU student recognized for outstanding contributions to the community)

            Jamie Lee Lantz, a Shawnee State University student, was selected as a 2006/2007 Charles J. Ping Student Service awardee for her community service. Lantz, of Lancaster, is majoring in Sociology, and she is president of the Sociology Club.
            According to the Ohio Campus Compact, the Charles J. Ping Award was designed to recognize and honor undergraduate students’ outstanding leadership and contributions to community service on campus and within their communities. This award is granted annually to undergraduates from Ohio Campus Compact member institutions.
            Amy Richardson, AmeriCorps VISTA, Ohio Campus Compact coordinator of community service nominated Lantz.
            “I chose Jamie because she has been a student who has come to me all year long and said, ‘I think we should try this or I think we should try that,’” said Richardson. “She really tries to take a step out and go that extra mile, to help, whether it be the animals, or the people in our area. She represents SSU very well and is what I think a lot of students should strive for.”
            According to Jim Settle, vice president for student affairs, Lantz was the driving force behind Hands to Heart, an event organized to create blankets for Alzheimer patients at the Hill View Retirement center and the children at the Pediatric ICU Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital. More than 95 blankets were created. She also pushed the Sociology Club to collect 50 boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Lantz volunteers for blood drives and other community service projects as well.
            “She is an outstanding student who excels at service, scholarship, and commitment to the University and community,” Settle said.
            Eight of the Ping Award winners, through the support of Fifth Third Bank and State Farm Insurance, will be recognized through the OCC with a $500 legacy grant to be given to a community organization of their choice. Lantz will be competing with 18 other students for this grant.
            “Community Service is the most fulfilling thing you can do,” Lantz said. “I think everyone should be required to do it.”
            For more information about community service at SSU, contact Amy Richardson at (740) 351-3662 or at aricharson@shawnee.edu.

 (Photo by Mistie Cook Spicer, communications coordinator)
 

In observance of Occupational Therapy month this month the OT program at Shawnee State University held an open house on April 10 for students, to showcase the masters in occupational therapy program at the university. The open house had seven different stations focusing on nutrition, backpacks, back health, memory, posture, sleep and Osteoporosis. James Davis, a post-secondary student at SSU is pictured having his lower back endurance tested by Melisa Cantrell in the OT program.
 

 (Photo by Jeff Perez, Director, Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs)

Over 50 Shawnee State University employees were recognized on April 18, during the annual Service Recognition Reception held in the grand lobby of the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. Those honored were:

35 Years:

Shannon Kiser

Larry Estep

30 Years:

Bill Penn

25 Years:

Julia Basham

Loretta Jenkins

Gayle Massie

Chris Hartstein

Barb Kunkle

Becky Thief

20 Years:

Jeff Bauer

Frank Byrne

Julia Coll

Mel Goetting

Virginia Hamilton

Mark Mirabello

Carlson Yost

Linda Plummer

Bill Hannah

Jean Sisler

Cindy Hopkins

Mark Moore

Jerry Ruby

15 Years:

Sandra Delabar

Mark Grundler

Chris O’Connor

Randy Warman

Paul Madden

10 Years:

Debra Atkinson

Cathy Fitch

Ann Marie Short

Barbara Conn

Jean Houser

Mary K. Linde

Bill Rockwell

Gay Lynn Shipley

Dale Powell

Carlos Royster

Laura Risler

Luther Holsinger

Eli Vestich

Debra Weber

5 Years:

April Donnally

Jeff Hamilton

Adair Campbell

Christopher Kacir

Michael Powell

Rhoni Maxwell-Rader

Andrew Napper

Joe VanDeusen

Tiffany Weaver

James T. Hayes

Anissa Harr
 

 (Article by Mistie Cook Spicer, communications coordinator)

The 19th annual President’s Gala set for May 12
(Gala proceeds to benefit the Poised for Tomorrow capital campaign)

            “Tonight’s the Night” is the theme for the 19th annual Shawnee State University President’s Gala on May 12 in the Selby Lobby of the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. Susan Warsaw, SSU director of development says proceeds from the gala will benefit “Poised for Tomorrow.”
            “Poised for Tomorrow” is a $12 million capital and endowment campaign that will support a broad array of campus initiatives. Those initiatives include undergraduate research, new technologies, specialized studies, faculty development, scholarships, enhanced clinical experiences and an enhanced quality of life for the region.
            “The President’s Gala is our only fundraising activity each year, so we try to make it very special,” Warsaw said. “It is as much a friend-raiser as it is a fundraiser.”
            Tickets for the gala are $125 per person and include dinner and admission to the talent show. Warsaw said tickets can also be purchased for just the talent show for $15.
            “We have a wonderful talent show with faculty, staff, students and some community members performing and I think people are going to love it,” Warsaw said.
            The talent show is being produced and directed by Michael Barnhart, senior music instructor at SSU with Leo Schlosser, Vern Riffe Center for the Arts technical director serving as the technical director of the production. Performing will be: Shirley Crothers-Marley and Bill Hannah, Chris Boyles, Karen Arthur, Doug Parsley and Angela Walker, Cirque d’ Art, Nick Meriwether and Tim Hamilton, the SSU theater department and members of the SSU cheerleaders and dance team.
            “The talent show is truly something for everyone,” Warsaw said. “There’s going to be some classical music, some jazz, some easy listening and I just think it’s going to be an evening that everybody will love.”
            The President’s Gala is open to the public. For more information or to make a reservation to attend the gala contact the Development Office at (740) 351-3284.

SSU’s Toombs CLC installs new webcam system
(CLC’s webcam system helps parents keep track of preschoolers’ progress)

            Calling it an “opportunity to peek in on your child’s world,” Cindy Ferguson, M.Ed., director of the Dr. Miller and Genevieve Toombs Children’s Learning Center at Shawnee State University said the center has installed a webcam system with a grant from the Ohio Board of Regents.
            “Currently, there is a father in Iraq, who, because of the webcam, can feel like he’s connected to his child though he is thousands of miles away,” said Ferguson.
            Parents can connect to the webcam system via a link on the SSU web site and through an independent host. The new web layout offers a calendar, a weekly newsletter, a staff directory complete with photos and biography, helpful links for the family, a photo gallery, and much more.
            “We received this money to put up a web site, install a webcam, and make it available to institutions of higher education that might have an interest in visiting a nationally accredited lab school without having to physically drive to this location,” Ferguson said.
            The streaming video is accessible during the Toombs CLC’s hours, from 7 a.m to 5 p.m.
            “It will be available only through a secure password to parents,” Ferguson said. “Not anyone can log on.”
            According to Ferguson the new system helps to provide accountability for parents of children at the Toombs CLC. Parents can track progress and be aware of any behavioral or academic problems their children may have.
            Ferguson said, apart from parents, teacher education students come to the Toombs CLC to complete coursework. Early education students, interns in social science, and interns from the occupational therapy department all benefit from observing the operation of the Toombs CLC.
            With the new system, professors can access the Toombs CLC for coursework, providing remote viewing for classes. Rather than a class physically coming over, they are able to make observations in the given class periods.
            For more information, contact University Outreach Services at (740) 351-3370 or Ferguson at (740) 351-3188 or at cferguson@shawnee.edu.
 

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

“The Sea Horse” to be performed at SSU’S Vern Riffe Center for the Arts
(Edward J. Moore’s award-winning play to be performed at SSU)

            Shawnee State University’s theater department is presenting “The Sea Horse” May 17-19 in the Kahl Studio Theater in the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.
            “The Sea Horse” is a love story about the changing relationship between a sailor and a woman, said Leo Schlosser, M.F.A., technical director of SSU’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts and director of “The Sea Horse.” “It was fun in the beginning but the sailor, Harry, realizes he loves Gertrude and that is a position that Gertrude doesn’t want to be in.”
            Harry will be played by Charles “Chaz” Farley, while Gertrude will be played by Melanie Manchester.
            “I haven’t seen either of them do anything like this before,” Schlosser said. “This season has been full of comedies. The vein of ‘Bus Stop’ (a recent production) is not much different from ‘The Sea Horse,’ except you never really see a dark side of ‘Bus Stop;’”
            Schlosser, who is sure the audience will enjoy “The Sea Horse” noted a local connection to the play.
            “The original Gertrude was played by Conchata Ferrell who now plays the gruff maid on ‘Two and A Half Men,’” Schlosser said. “She’s from West Virginia and went to both WVU and Marshall before she went to New York. She won the Drama Desk and the Obie Award for her portrayal of Gertrude Blum.”
            The title of the play comes from the bar Gertrude inherits from her father. The acts deal with life when the bar is closed for the night.
            “The audience has to invest a little bit of themselves to watch the play but if we put good actors on stage, they are going to care about these characters and go away feeling good at the end of the play,” Schlosser said.
            The play will last a little more than one hour. Students can purchase tickets for $2 each night, while the public and Shawnee State staff can get tickets for $2 on Thursday and $4 on Friday and Saturday.
            Tickets for all university productions are available at the McKinley Box Office at (740) 351-3600.

 (Photos by Tracy Conn, administrative assistant Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs)

            Approximately 320 children from the Scioto County Even Start, Scioto County Head Start, the Carousel Center, the Portsmouth city pre-school program and the Dr. Miller and Genevieve Toombs Children’s Learning Center at Shawnee State University participated in fun activities during the kids fair in the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center. The event on April 26 was part of the annual “Week of the Young Child” activities observed at SSU. Activities included a musical performance by Steve Free, acrobatic exhibits by Cirque d’ Art, a chalk walk and Bear Ball among other activities.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

(Cutline and Photos by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)
 

            
 
PHOTO 1: Dan Cordle, a Shawnee State sophomore, demonstrates rotational molding to local high school students at SSU’s Plastics Day on April 20.

PHOTO 2: SSU students Dustin Lynch and Rich Montague demonstrate injection molding to local high school students at SSU’s Plastics Day on April 20.

 

Plastics Day introduces area high school students to the growing industry
(Students received hands-on instruction during SSU’s Plastics Day)

            If you’re wondering where your plastic piggy bank comes from or how your wiffle ball bat was made, area high school students can now tell you, after attending Shawnee State University’s Plastics Day on April 20.
            Plastics Day included a campus tour, parent and student interactive workshops, academic and scientific presentations and lunch.
            “There was a lot of hands-on lab work visitors did,” said Larry Miller, associate professor of plastics engineering technology. “We ran extruders, injection molding machines and we did some material testing. Engineering has become highly computerized and we have a lot of sophisticated computer programs we demonstrated and let the students use while they were here.”
            Interactive sessions included using computers to learn about plastics part design technology, how plastics testing works, how to make a plastic part by using injection molding and extrusion machines, and exploring the plastics program with a question and answer session with recent graduates of SSU’s plastics engineering technology program. Each session lasted approximately 45 minutes.
            Adam Miller, a sophomore from Jackson majoring in plastics engineering technology at SSU, explained how rotational molding works. He helped make plastic pigs for piggy banks.
            “You weigh out your material and put in the coloring,” Miller said. “Then, you place the material in the mold. You put the mold into the machine and the machine heats and rotates it and spreads the material evenly around the mold. After about eight minutes, we get the finished project. We were having the students practice laying out the material because it’s good that you get a consistent material to make the consistent product.”
            Another alumnus, Ryan Young, talked about academic and work experiences. Young, a 2005 grad who majored in plastics engineering technology and minored in CADD, said his first job was as a mold technician at MACA Plastics Inc. Now, he works for Ershig’s Inc., located in Adams County. He felt his experience at Shawnee State made it possible for him to succeed in the plastics industry.
            “On top of the hands-on experience, the classwork and the coursework we went through really helped me,” he said. “Both Dr. Larry Miller and Dr. David Finlow are two of the finest men I know. They’ve been in the industry and they know what’s going on. You can talk to them about the equipment or about your chemistry problems. They are interested in having the students succeed.”
            Ronnie Greene of Portsmouth is a senior at Portsmouth High School and will begin college at Shawnee State this fall. Though interested in the pre-med program, he attended the Plastics Day event.
            “Plastics engineering seems like an interesting program,” Greene said. “The job market is good for it and there are a lot of jobs in this field. It also has a good starting salary, so it’s a good option for anyone.”
            Greene said before coming to Plastics Day, he had no prior knowledge of plastics engineering.
            Not only were the students learning about plastics, so were their parents. Olivia Rader, of Westerville, came with her daughter, a junior at Westerville North High School, to Plastics Day. Rader thought attending Plastics Day was a great way to see what’s available at Shawnee State.
            “I thought it was very interesting,” Rader said. “I didn’t know anything about plastics and I think it’s amazing to find out there are so many different steps and processes. The whole science behind it is very fascinating.”
            The high school teachers were also impressed with Plastics Day, including Tom Sanders who teaches chemistry and physics at Portsmouth High School.
            “I think it’s wonderful that Shawnee hosted this event,” he said. “Plastics offers a lot of opportunities. It’s the wave of the future — products are going to be made of plastics and things are going to be mass produced.”
            The largest business in Ohio, plastics is a global growth industry, having averaged about 15 percent growth per year for the past 20 years.
            Some employment opportunities for plastic engineering majors include process engineer, project engineer, research engineer and technical sales engineer. Miller estimates graduates of the plastics engineering technology program can earn $38,000 to $45,000 locally and $45,000 to $55,000 in more industrialized areas of the state.
            Shawnee State offers all the classes needed for the plastics engineering technology degree, including basic processing, advanced processing, material science, statistics, part and mold design, undergraduate research, and foundation courses in math, chemistry and physics, among others.
            “When our students graduate from the plastics engineering technology program, they typically have four to six job offers,” Miller said. “This is a good academic area for graduates to find jobs and most of these jobs are in Ohio. However, our graduates have had opportunities to work pretty much all over the United States.”
            For more information or to register, call Larry Miller at (740) 351-3176.

(Cutline and photo by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

SSU hosts Administrative Professional Day

Nearly 80 professionals attended Shawnee State University’s Administrative Professional Day event on April 26, where Kay Frances presented “Laugh … Just for the Health of It!” and Tom Sparough presented “Nurturing Others While Nourishing Yourself.” Professionals came from a variety of businesses and companies, including USEC, Shawnee State, Portsmouth city schools and Community Action.

Pictured is Kay Frances.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

              

SSU hosts Fabulous Friday for early childhood educators

            Nearly 100 child care professionals attended “Fabulous Friday” at Shawnee State University on April 27. Participants had an opportunity to attend 10 interactive and informative sessions as well as attend the keynote address by Stephanie Schaeffer, an occupational therapist who works with special needs preschoolers in Portsmouth.
            Photo 1: Leslie Gleim, early childhood specialist needs lead teacher with Scioto County MRDD Carousel Center presents “Documenting the Early Learning of Children” at “Fabulous Friday” at Shawnee State University on April 27.
            Photo 2: Barbara Trube, program director of the early childhood education program at Ohio University-Chillicothe presents “Folk Dance Fun” at “Fabulous Friday” at Shawnee State University on April 27.