Insight Online
May 11, 2007
Do you have news you would like included in Insight? Drop us a line (kwomble@pittstate.edu). Please put 'Insight' in the subject line of your e-mail. This is the final issue of Insight for the spring semester. The abbreviated summer schedule will begin on June 8.















A window in Yates Hall is the setting for a science experiment for visiting high school students during Science Day on May 3.




Carl Junction kindergarteners get a ride on a ‘monorail’ during Wonders in Transportation, an event staged at the children’s school by students in Technology Education.

----------------------

Five selected University Professors
Five members of the faculty have been chosen University Professors beginning with the fall 2007 semester. To be considered for the University Professor distinction, a faculty member must demonstrate excellence in two of the three areas of teaching; research, scholarship, and/or creative endeavors; and community and/or university service. Also, candidates for University Professor must have been at the professor rank for a period of no less than seven years. Selection to University Professor carries with it a salary adjustment of $4,500. University Professor status is for five years.

The new University Professors are: Judy Berry-Bravo, Modern Languages and Literatures; Michael Muoghalu, Economics, Finance and Banking; David Hurford, Psychology and Counseling; Richard Lipka, Special Services and Leadership Studies; and Russ Rosmait, Engineering Technology.

Congratulations to our new University Professors!

-------------------------------

Promotions announced
Promotions for 17 members of the PSU faculty were recently announced. The promotions are effective beginning with the fall semester. They are:
Rebecca Brannock, Psychology and Counseling, to professor
Tadeusz Dobrowolski, Mathematics, to professor
Timothy Flood, Mathematics, to professor
Robert Frisbee, Automotive Technology, to professor
Yaping Liu, Mathematics, to professor
Howard R. Smith, Curriculum and Instruction, to professor
Janet Smith, Psychology and Counseling, to professor
Randall Timi, Engineering Technology, to professor
Reena Berger, Music, to associate professor
Stephanie Bowman, Art, to associate professor
Joanne Britz, Music, to associate professor
Selim Giray, Music, to associate professor
David Gordon, Biology, to associate professor
Michael Gullett, Communication, to associate professor
James Oliver, Art, to associate professor
Rhona Shand, Art, to associate professor
Tatiana Sildus, Curriculum and Instruction to associate professor

-------------------------------

Tenure granted
Eight members of the faculty have recently earned tenure. They are:
Joanne Britz, Music
Troy Comeau, Communication
Selim Giray, Music
Julie Samuels, Curriculum and Instruction
Tatiana Sildus, Curriculum and Instruction
Ron Downing, Automotive Technology
Andy Klenke, Technology Studies

-------------------------------

Sabbatical leave
Eleven members of the faculty have been granted sabbatical leave. They are:
• Mark Arbuckle, Communication, to produce a book in the area of media regulations. (Fall 2007)
• Susan Carlson, English, to research and write a book on depression and Victorian writers. (Spring 2008)
• David Gordon, Biology, to finish collecting data from an ongoing research project and to write a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. (Spring 2008)
• Todd Hastings, Music, to revise and improve his dissertation at the University of Texas – Austin and to also observe master teachers at their institutions and do one-on-one trumpet study. (Spring 2008)
• Ananda Jayawardhana, Mathematics, to do research and work with an economist he has published with in or to develop further collaborations. (Fall 2007)
• Virginia Rider, Biology, to update research efforts at PSU. (Fall 2007)
• James Harris, Computer Science Information Services, to increase knowledge and experience related to information assurance, computer security and information systems auditing. (Fall 2007)
• Susan Knell, Curriculum and Instruction, to study the use of native folktales in American and Russian Education, specifically elementary classrooms. (Fall 2007)
• Alice Sagehorn, Curriculum and Instruction, to do research in the area of second language acquisition and assessment in a bilingual school in Asuncion, Paraguay. (Fall 2007)
• David Lomshek, Engineering Technology, to attend training seminars and conferences covering the many facets of CATIA, the premier CAD, design and analysis software used worldwide in the aerospace industry. (Fall 2007)
• William Strenth, Engineering Technology, to develop curriculum for building information modeling (BIM), 4D and 5D.

In addition, Reena Berger, Music, has been granted leave without pay for the 2007-08 academic year to conduct a worldwide solo concert tour through prominent concert halls, universities and conservatories in Asia, South America and North America.

-------------------------------

Spring Commencement
The university will observe its 103rd spring commencement ceremony on Friday, May 18, and Saturday, May 19. Commencement activities begin on Thursday with the Nurse Pinning ceremony and conclude with commencement for the College of Education and the College of Technology.

As part of the commencement activities, the university will honor three alumni with the Meritorious Achievement Award. They are Bob L. Gaddy, Collis Ross Geren and Kenny Joe Kunstel. Read more about this year’s Meritorious Achievement Award winners.

Read the complete commencement schedule.

-------------------------------

Searches conclude
While a number of searches continue, a few have concluded since the last Insight. The results:

Printing and Postal Services - Jason Kermashek will be the new manager of Printing and Postal Services. Kermashek, a Girard native, has a degree from PSU in commercial graphics. He comes to the university from Print Excel in Girard and has 14 years of printing experience.

Public Relations – Ron Womble will be the new director of Public Relations. Womble has been assistant director in charge of news and media relations for 20 years.

-------------------------------

Recent headlines
See all of the recent stories from the PSU newsroom.

Women’s Studies Council honors faculty, students

PSU student singled out for leadership

Pittsburg State honors three for lifetime achievement

University honors educators for service

PSU team 1st in grueling Buddy Challenge

PSU students teach 'Wonders of Transportation' to Carl Junction youngsters

-------------------------------

Faculty news
Conferences/Meetings
Dan Ferguson, Health, Human Performance and Recreation - traveled to Daegu, Korea, where he helped coordinate the 5th Global International Internship Congress that was held at Keimyung University. He gave a presentation about internships in the Balkan Region. He also facilitated an international internship fair that attracted more than 1,000 Korean and international students from Keimyung and other Korean universities. He was interviewed by local television stations and newspapers as well.

---Pitt State---