Insight Online
Feb. 23, 2007
Do you have news you would like included in Insight? Drop us a line (kwomble@pittstate.edu). It helps to put 'Insight' in the subject line of your e-mail. The next issue is scheduled for March 9.

Spring? -- It may be just wishful thinking, but with temperatures in the 60s, it seems that spring has sprung on campus this week. Native Kansans know there may yet be a blast of winter in store, but with break just three weeks away, spring can't be far behind.

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Academic Affairs plans restructuring
As times and student needs change, the university structure continues to evolve. That evolution is continuing with a significant restructuring in the areas that now report to Lee Christensen, associate vice president for academic programs, who is retiring this year.

Steve Scott, vice president for academic affairs, said he has worked with the academic deans and other members of the Division of Academic Affairs to develop a structure that he hopes will “bring greater focus and direction to our recruitment and retention efforts.”

The plan begins with splitting the position of registrar and associate vice president for academic programs into two positions. Those positions would be registrar and dean of enrollment management and student success.

Scott said the title “dean” was chosen to align the position with the existing deans of the four academic colleges, the dean of learning resources and the dean of continuing and graduate studies.

“This will more accurately reflect the scope and level of the position’s responsibilities, as interacting with the other deans will be an important component of this new dean’s duties.”

The dean of enrollment management and student success will lead the university’s strategic enrollment management effort and will oversee admissions, transition programs for new students, academic advisement, student financial assistance, the Registrar’s Office, international programs, multicultural programs, undeclared majors, the Honors College and special academic programs.

“We have an obligation to support the students who we recruit to this campus,” Scott said, “and that’s what this new position will allow us to do in a more effective manner.”

An internal search has begun to fill the registrar’s position and David Hurford, Psychology and Counseling, will lead a national search to fill the dean’s position.

In order to fund the new dean’s position, Scott said, other changes include the discontinuation of the associate director of admission position and one of three assistant director positions in the Registrar’s Office. Scott said that the new dean will provide additional assistance to both offices as part of his or her responsibilities, allowing the offices to meet their responsibilities even with a smaller staff.

“We are fortunate to have very capable leaders overseeing the student support services that are housed in the Division of Academic Affairs,” Scott said. “This change will allow for enhanced cooperation and coordination of their activities.

Scott said he is anxious to get the dean’s position announced at the national level to see what kind of expertise the university can draw to the campus.

“There are a number of institutions currently seeking to fill the same kind of position,” Scott said. “It just shows that in a highly competitive higher education environment, the responsibility for recruiting and retaining students has become a central focus of institutions.”

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Apple Day is a little greener this year
Apple Day, Pittsburg State University’s oldest tradition, has a green theme this year in honor of the campuswide recycling plan and the opening of the University Recycling Center. (OK, if you haven’t heard the Apple Day story, you’re obviously new to campus. It’s a great story and a great tradition. To find out more go to http://www.pittstate.edu/spotlight/1stappleday.html)

In keeping with the theme, the keynote speaker for the convocation at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, will be Ruth Stinson, a PSU alumnus who is the founder and CEO of the Stinson Environmental Group in Kansas City. The green theme continues on Friday with an open house in the new University Recycling Center in Whitesitt Hall.

Apple Day events begin on Monday, Feb. 26, with the annual Apple Dessert Contest. Judging will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the Gorilla Lounge of the Overman Student Center. That same day, the Student Activities Council will sponsor an apple hunt on campus.

Beginning on Monday and running through Friday, the theater in the U-Club of the Overman Student Center will show “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore’s film about global warming. The film will be shown each day at noon, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

In addition to Stinson’s address, “Foundation for the Future, an Environmental Perspective,” Thursday’s convocation will include special music by the PSU Choirs under the direction of Susan Marchant, presentation of the Alumni Association Distinguished Service Awards (see below), presentation of the Outstanding Faculty Awards, presentation of the student Golden Gorilla Awards and the student scholarship drawing. As is tradition, the Faculty Association will distribute apples at the conclusion of the convocation.

On Friday, March 2, University Committee on Energy and Resource Conservation (UCERC) will hold an open house for the new University Recycling Center in 206 Whitesitt Hall. Come by and learn how your office can begin recycling. Refreshments! (Enter through Quick Print.)

For more: http://www.pittstate.edu/erc/

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Pitt State honors 3 for distinguished service
The Pittsburg State University Alumni Association will honor three persons with its Ralf J. Thomas Distinguished Service Award on Thursday, March 1. This year’s recipients are C. Ray Baird, Richard L. Chitty and Mattye Shaw Foxx. The award will be presented at the annual Apple Day celebration at 3 p.m. in McCray Recital Hall. A reception for the award winners will be held at 2 p.m. that day at the Wilkinson Alumni Center.

Dr. Ray Baird is a retired PSU vice president. He joined the PSU faculty in 1947 and in 1953 became director of admissions. Baird was named executive vice president in 1968. He retired from the university in 1986 after 39 years of service to the university. Baird’s service to the university has continued since his retirement. He is a member of the PSU Foundation’s Heritage Society. Currently a senior trustee of the PSU Foundation, Baird served on the Foundation Board from 1997 until 2003. He supports many activities on campus, including the Music Department, and has established the Baird Music Scholarship. Baird lives in Pittsburg. His wife, Ann, died in 2006. They have one daughter, Catherine Anne Baird.

Richard “Dick” L. Chitty is a retired executive from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., where he rose to become senior vice president before his retirement. Chitty, who earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology from PSU in 1967, has been a long-time supporter of PSU. He has served on the College of Technology Advisory Board and has been an advocate on behalf of PSU with Toyota, resulting in corporate support for the construction of the Kansas Technology Center. Because of Chitty’s involvement, the Toyota T-Ten program was developed in the auto service area. Chitty encouraged Toyota in the hiring of many PSU graduates who have also gone on to successful careers with the company. Chitty has served as a University Councilor to the President. He is a past president of the Southern California Chapter of the PSU Alumni Association and is currently a trustee of the PSU Foundation. Chitty is a recipient of the PSU Outstanding Alumni and Meritorious Achievement awards. Chitty and his wife, Janet, live in Ocala, Fla.

Since Mattye E. Foxx retired as a social worker, she has devoted much of her life to making the community of Pittsburg a better place. Foxx, who earned a bachelor of science degree from PSU in 1969, has been a volunteer for PSU, as well. She served as an Alumni Association board member from 1990 until 1996 and as secretary for the board from 1993 until 1996. Foxx has been a volunteer for numerous PSU Community Campaigns and Phonathons. She is a former member of the Business Advisory Board and the PSU Friends of Music. In Pittsburg, she has many years of service to Meals on Wheels, the YMCA and the Red Cross Bloodmobile. Foxx lives in Pittsburg. She has three sons: Marvin, Melvin and Robert.

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‘Partners in Progress’ kicks off March 6
The 2007 Community Campaign, ‘Partners in Progress’ will begin with a breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6, in the Overman Student Center. The chairpersons of this year’s campaign are Steve and Becky Sloan.

The annual Community Campaign is designed to solicit gifts for student scholarships and academic needs on campus. It is part of an overall private fund-raising program that last year allowed the PSU Foundation to award nearly $2 million in student scholarship aid.

At the kickoff breakfast, the university will honor Judy Westhoff with the “Rex Crowley Outstanding Partner in Progress Award.” That award is presented to a member of the Pittsburg community who has been an outstanding partner with the university. The recipient selected is a civic leader who has rendered outstanding volunteer services. The award is named in honor of Rex Crowley, whose career as both a local banker and as a fund-raising volunteer for PSU is well known in the community.

Westhoff is a dedicated volunteer in the community. She is a recipient of the Spirit of Pittsburg Award, the YMCA Volunteer of the Year Award, and is a 2007 Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce Woman of Distinction.

During the Partners in Progress Campaign, university development officers make personal visits to businesses and professionals. Businesses that make gifts to the campaign are identified by campaign emblems in their windows. Donors also receive public recognition through campaign materials and the media.

For more information, contact Holly Kent, director of Annual Giving, Ext. 6096, hkent@pittstate.edu.

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Annual Jazz Festival draws students from 3 states
More than 1,500 middle school, high school and community college musicians from more than 70 schools in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma will be on campus on Friday, March 2, for the 33rd annual PSU Jazz Festival.

From 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., the students will perform and be rated by a panel of expert judges. The festival has outgrown the campus and now takes place in McCray Hall, the Overman Student Center and at Memorial Auditorium downtown.

The PSU One O’clock Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Bob Kehle, will perform a free concert at noon in Memorial Auditorium before the afternoon judging begins.

Following the day of performance and judging, the festival will conclude with a 7:30 p.m. concert featuring the PSU One O’clock Jazz Ensemble and then Jon Faddis and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble. For more on the evening concert:
http://pittnews.blogspot.com/2007/02/jon-faddischicago-jazz-ensemble-to.html

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Exhibit highlights Porter Hall history
Each day on this campus we’re surrounded by reminders of the university’s long and rich history. One of those reminders is the word ‘Library’ carved over the north and south entrances of Porter Hall.

In honor of Porter’s rich history, the Art Department will host “Porter Hall: A History” March 5-April 10 in the Harry Krug Gallery. The exhibit, curated by Alan Ross, president of the Crawford County Historical Museum, will include artifacts from the time when Porter Hall was the campus library. Ross has selected items that are kept at the museum and from other settings in the community.

A reception for the exhibit is set for 5-7 p.m. on Monday, March 12. Ross will be available at that time to answer questions about some of the unusual items on display.

March 5-April 5, the University Gallery will host an exhibit of photography by San Francisco artist Liz Hickock. The exhibit is entitled “San Francisco in Jell-O.” Hickock will deliver a lecture about her photography at 3 p.m. on March 6 in 214 Hughes Hall. A reception will follow in Porter Hall.

For more: http://www.pittstate.edu/art/gallery.html

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Spring enrollment up
One of the numbers in the spring enrollment report that stands out is on-campus students. While the big three (KU, KSU & WSU) showed declines, Pittsburg State recorded an increase in on-campus enrollment of 155 students over the previous year. That was part of a spring report that showed a headcount increase of 1.4 percent to 6,422 (a record).

For more on PSU's spring enrollment: http://pittnews.blogspot.com/2007/02/psu-sets-spring-enrollment-record.html
To see the report for all of the Kansas Regents' universities:
http://www.kansasregents.org/

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PSU Theatre: Provocative drama set in Bosnian refugee camp
http://pittnews.blogspot.com/2007/02/refugee-camp-setting-for-dramatic-play.html

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Faculty News
Send us your news. Categories are Conferences & Meetings; Research, Publications & Performance; Service & Instruction; Honors & Achievements. E-mail news to . Make sure you put 'Insight' in the subject line.

Conferences/Meetings
Greg Belcher, Technology Studies, gave two research presentations at the International Conference on Education Jan. 6-9 in Hawaii. One was "A National Assessment of Perceived Instructional Needs for Professional Development of Part-time Technical and Occupational Education Faculty in the Community Colleges in the U.S." Co-authors and presenters were Brian Sandford, Oklahoma State University; and Robert Frisbee, PSU Automotive Technology. The second presentation was "Assessment of Initial Awareness Knowledge and Sources of Influence Leading to Enrollment Decisions for Students Entering Four-year Automotive Programs." Co-authors and presenters were Brian Sandford, Oklahoma State University; and Robert Frisbee, PSU Automotive Technology.

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Around the Oval

Ian Kay, Hot Metal Technology, reviews thermal expansion of different types of non-ferrous alloys Wednesday at the KTC. Kay, a Cast Metals Institute faculty member, was one of the persons teaching seminar attendees from around the country during the institute this week.




A student attending the Spring Career Day introduces herself to a representative of Pulte Homes during Spring Career Day on Feb. 15. More than 90 companies and institutions participated in the event.

---Pitt State---

Insight Online
Feb. 9, 2007
Family ties pull Hardin south
Never underestimate the power of family ties. It is that desire to be nearer to family that finally persuaded Russ Hardin to retire from his post as dean of the Kelce College of Business and accept a position as chairman of the Accounting Department at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

“Our whole family lives in the South,” Hardin said in the soft accent that confirms his roots. “The drive to see parents will be five to six hours as opposed to 16.”

Hardin said leaving Pittsburg State will be bittersweet because he has been happy here. Hardin said he knew he would like it here from his first campus visit.

“Pittsburg State University is the best organization I’ve ever worked for,” Hardin said. “I had other offers, but I chose Pitt State because all of the faculty, staff and students I met during my interview were so friendly. It was evident that this university is people and student oriented.”

Hardin joined the PSU family as a professor in the Department of Accounting in 1997. He served as director of the MBA program from 1998 until 2001 and as chairman of the Department of Accounting from 2001 until 2002. He became dean of the college in 2002.

Hardin received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Appalachian State University and a Ph.D. in accountancy from the University of Mississippi. Before coming to PSU, Hardin taught and had administrative responsibilities at Spartanburg (S.C.) Technical College, and Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C. He and his wife, Judy, have two daughters: Melinda and Emili.

The past five years have been good years for the College of Business, Hardin said.

“We have been able to hire some very good faculty,” Hardin said. “I was very happy to be able to establish the first Faculty of Distinction position (a program administered by the Board of Regents that encourages gifts by private donors to enhance the ability of universities to attract and retain excellent faculty). Right now we have another one in a planned gift and I’m working on two more.”

Hardin said he has devoted a significant amount of time – he estimates about 20 percent -- to fundraising and building relationships with alumni, donors and friends of the college. It is both a necessity and a labor of love for Hardin, who clearly enjoys the interaction with a Pittsburg State community that is increasingly far flung.

With all of these responsibilities, Hardin said, he is proud that he has been able to maintain an active schedule of research, publishing and presenting papers.

“I love to write,” Hardin said, adding that as an accountant, “I’m pretty good at time management.”

Time will go quickly as spring semesters always do, so Hardin is already thinking about the transition from Pittsburg to Mobile. Because he is teaching a class in July, Hardin will not leave his post until the end of July.

Steve Scott, vice president for academic affairs, said that while it is difficult to loose a talented administrator such Hardin, the dean is leaving the college healthy and poised for good things to happen in both the near-term and long-term future.

Vice President Scott said he expects an interim appointment to be made until a search can be conducted at a later time.

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Rec center work continues

If Old Abe seems to be grimacing a bit, it may be because the university has been pinching pennies pretty hard in order to get everything it can into the student recreation center/ANG readiness center now under construction on the east side of campus. Paul Stewart, Facilities Planning, said this week that he is pleased some options in the project that once seemed in peril are now included. One of those is a walking track.

“It just seemed like a very important thing to include in this kind of facility,” Stewart said. “I was very happy we were able to include it.”

Making room for the track was just one facet of an unusually complex project, Stewart said.

“It was a complex bid because it involved two agencies,” Stewart said.

Those agencies are the university and the Kansas Army National Guard. The National Guard will occupy 41,368 square feet of the 98,959-square-foot building. PSU will have the remaining 57,591 square feet. Each agency, Stewart said, had different requirements that affected both the bid and the bidding process. In the end, Crossland Construction won with a bid of $14,671,450.

Work on the new building began in the fall and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2008. Stewart said most of the below-ground work was done before recent extreme cold set in, making it possible for construction to continue.

Stewart thinks the campus and community will be pleased with the finished structure, which will house the Departments of Health, Human Performance and Recreation and Military Science as well as the student fitness center. The university’s portion of the building will include three gymnasiums for intramural sports. A fourth gym will be for National Guard use, but will be available for university use at other times.

The fitness center will include a large area for aerobic equipment and free weights as well as the walking track. Large, west-facing windows will brighten the fitness center.

The facility includes offices and classrooms for the academic departments and dedicated space for the three HHPR labs. For the Guard, a library/museum area has been included. The Guard will also share some of the classroom space.

Stewart said the building was designed with its purpose of shared space and function in mind. The entrance, which will face northwest, will lead into a rotunda. From there, traffic can be directed to the fitness center, the academic areas or the National Guard portion of the building.

The building’s modern design will complement the portion of the campus that includes the Kansas Technology Center and the Veterans Memorial, Stewart said. He added that the materials chosen for the building were selected with both long-term maintenance and visual appeal in mind. Pre-finished concrete, painted steel panels and glass will make up the exterior.

While the work on the building continues, efforts are underway to identify private funding to furnish the fitness center, according to John Patterson, vice president for Campus Life and Administration. Patterson said this time will also be use to create specific use policies and hours of operation.

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Friends of Axe to hold Children’s Book Festival March 31

The Friends of the Leonard H. Axe Library will hold its second annual Children’s Book Festival from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 31 in the east lobby of the Weede Physical Education Building. Proceeds from the event are used to support a wide variety of projects for library improvement.

The Children’s Book Festival is held in conjunction with the annual Young Authors’ Conference. Authors from the United States, Australia and England have donated samples of their work for the festival. Most of them are signed and many are decorated with a small drawing or a note.

For example, Jeff Weigel, the author of the “Atomic Ace” comic book series not only gave two of his books for the festival, but also two very precisely drawn samples of his art work on the lining papers.

Other works in the festival include a number of picture books that appeal to youngsters such as “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle,” about a greedy old lady who gets a very nice wish from a fairy, but exasperates her benefactor by continually “trading up.” “A Sea of Words” is an ABC book about the deep blue sea with beautiful illustrations of clownfish, anglerfish, barracudas and other colorful denizens of the ocean.

There are also many wonderful books for middle school and high school readers, such as “Lorenzo and the Turncoat,” involving exciting adventure in colonial New Orleans at the time of the American Revolution, or “Bridging Beyond,” in which a troubled teenager dreams of a near-death experience. Comedies in the festival include works such as “Amelia Bedelia’s Family Album,” in which the world’s most literal maid introduces a gaggle of equally literal relatives. “Time Bomb,” tells the story of four misfit youngsters in 1949 London who find an unexploded bomb and keep it a secret, with disastrous results. Among the non fiction books is “Colonial America,” part of the “Making a New Nation” series, has beautiful period illustrations.

Since the organization’s creation in 1988, the Friends of Axe Library has planned and supported many projects for library improvement, including purchases of furniture, films and books, organization of numerous lectures and an art exhibition and publication of a guidebook about the history of the campus, which is now in its second edition.

Organizers of the Children’s Book Festival say that as an added incentive, the books for sale are not only signed, but discounted 25 percent.

For information about 2007 projects of the Friends of Axe Library, check the latest edition of their newsletter, “A Chat Between Friends,” at http://library/friends/newsletter/2007_spr_chat.pdf.

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News Briefs:

Making blankets for kids
In the iconic Charlie Brown cartoon series, Linus derives great comfort from his ever-present blanket. The PSU Civil Service Club hopes to share some of that feeling of security by participating in “Project Linus,” an effort to make and share blankets with children who are ill or otherwise in need of a little extra TLC. The group is sponsoring a Valentine’s Day party and blanket-making time from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 in 101 Whitesitt Hall.

Jeannice Parker, Career Services, said that while this is a Civil Service Club project, everyone on campus is invited to attend and help out. Parker said the club has purchased enough materials to make two blankets and the Pittsburg Wal-Mart has donated additional materials.

Project Linus is a national volunteer movement. It was begun in 1996 for the purpose of providing “love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans.”

Parker said she hopes this event leads to the establishment of a local chapter of Project Linus that can work with local law enforcement and social services agencies as well as Mt. Carmel Medical Center to provide blankets for children.

In addition to refreshments, door prizes will also be given at the Pitt State blanket-making meeting. For information, contact Jeannice Parker at Ext. 4144, jparker@pittstate.edu.

For information about Project Linus, visit their Web site:
www.projectlinus.org

Gibson sponsors room makeover
It may be only a few square feet, but Campus Dining Services knows that even a typical residence hall room could use a little expert help or even a complete makeover. Students will get daily tips and advice on ways to make their personal spaces more attractive and more functional during the “Your Room on a Dime” promotion Feb. 19-23. In addition, students will be invited to vote with their spare change in the “My Room is a Disaster” contest. The winners of that dubious honor will receive a little help transforming their rooms with a gift card from Home Depot.

Michael Wonderly, Sodexho resident dining manager, said the contest is designed to be both fun and educational for the residence hall students who eat in Gibson Dining Hall regularly. Wonderly said that Dining Services plans promotions both as a way of making the dining experience new and interesting for the regular diners and also to introduce others on campus to what the dining hall has to offer.

For more information about “Your Room on a Dime” or other campus dining events, contact Michael Wonderly at Ext. 4996, wonderly@pittstate.edu.

Kansas RAs gather at PSU
About 100 residence hall assistants, the unsung heroes of student housing, will gather on the Pittsburg State University campus Feb. 23-24. The RAs represent all of the state universities and Washburn and will be at PSU for the Kansas Association of Residence Assistants (KARA) meeting.

Justin Frederick, University Housing, said the RAs will participate in a variety of learning sessions on Feb. 24. They will share ideas about programming, diversity and ways to build a sense of community among students who live on campus.

All of the sessions will be in Russ Hall, Frederick said. The meeting will conclude with a banquet and awards ceremony in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom and a dance in Dellinger Underground.

Gordon trained to present global warming documentary
David Gordon, Biology, was recently trained by former Vice President Al Gore and his team of scientists and educators to present his version of “An Inconvenient Truth,” Gore’s recent documentary and book on the global warming crisis.

Gordon was one of 800 people chosen out of more than 2,000 applicants. He attended the fifth and last training session of 200 people, which took place Jan. 8-10 in Nashville, Tenn.

After “An Inconvenient Truth” was released, Gore formed the Climate Project, a grass roots organization to recruit and train a team of responsible and motivated individuals to present a modified version of his presentation about global warming, chronicled in the film. Gore’s goal is to deploy these messengers throughout the U.S. – and eventually in other countries – to actively promote presentations to educate and energize the public to take action on global warming solutions. Their short-term goal is to educate 1 million people in the next 12 months with the global warming message.

“When I saw the movie last summer,” Gordon said, “I noticed that most people in the audience were not aware of the extent of the problem and I was surprised because I teach the same things in my ecology course. Gore’s presentation articulates the evidence very well and the visual aids are very impressive. I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to participate in The Climate Project and look forward making the presentation throughout the Four State Region.”

Gordon will be ready to begin making these presentations by the end of February. Presentations generally take about an hour, but can be tailored to time frames from 30 minutes to two hours. He is interested in speaking to parents, high schools and students, religious institutions, community associations, town officials, PTAs and other organizations. To schedule a presentation, call Ext. 4735 or e-mail him at dgordon@pittstate.edu (be sure to put climate project or global warming talk in the subject heading). More information is available at Gordon’s Web site http://mail.pittstate.edu/~dgordon/, which can be accessed through the Biology Department home page at Pittsburg State University.

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In Other News:
Spring Career Day draws a record number of companies
http://pittnews.blogspot.com/2007/02/space-premium-at-spring-career-day.html

Allegro Trio to perform for Solo & Chamber Series
http://pittnews.blogspot.com/2007/02/trio-next-on-chamber-music-series.html

Play targets violence against women
http://pittnews.blogspot.com/2007/02/play-targets-violence-against-women.html

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Faculty news
Conferences/Meetings:
Wayne Busby (Social Sciences) will present two papers in March at the Image of Violence conference in Colorado Springs, Colo. The papers are entitled: "Insecurity and Violence" and "Insecurity: An Analysis."

Kathryn Richard and Tammie Hawkins (KSBDC/BTI) participated in the Kansas Small Business Development Center's Legislative Day on January 24 in Topeka, where they met with many of the area legislators.

Cynthia Woodburn (Math) attended the national joint mathematics meetings Jan 5 - 8 in New Orleans. Woodburn gave a presentation, "Proofs, Equivalence Classes and Groups Sudoku-Style," during a special session on “Mathematics of Sudoku and Other Puzzles.”

David Miles and Lindy Thomsen (Wood Technology) staffed a PSU information booth at the Kansas City Woodworking Show in Overland Park February 2-4. The primary purpose was to recruit new students from the Kansas City area into the Wood Technology Program and the College of Technology at Pittsburg State. Mike Cline (graduate assistant) assisted. Miles and Thomsen reported that the crowd for this year’s show was much larger than last year’s and they shared information with large numbers of high school students, teachers, counselors and administrators. Many PSU alumni stopped by the booth, as well.

Julia Spresser (HHPR) presented "Zumba: High-Low Latin Aerobics - Fire Up Your Workouts” at the AAHPERD SW and NW District conference held in Reno, Nev., on Friday, January 26.

David Gordon (Biology) presented a poster at the Entomological Society of America's annual meeting Dec. 10-13 in Indianapolis, Ind. The poster presentation was entitled “Overwintering Mortality of Brood of Megachile wheeleri Mitchell (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) a Ground-Nesting Leafcutter Bee in Coastal Dunes of Northern California.”

Publications/Performances:
Kenny McDougle (Curriculum and Instruction) had "The History of Student Teaching from 1800-1950" published in the spring 2007 issue of “The Advocate.”

Stephen Meats (English) was the featured poet on the Oct. 10, 2006, broadcast of “Shoptalk,” a monthly series featuring Kansas poets that is broadcast from Kansas State University to Telenet sites around the state. “Shoptalk” is a discussion about poetry writing with Kansas Poet Laureate Jonathan Holden.

Frank Miller (Curriculum & Instruction) recently had an article, "Kindergartners and Worksheets - Not a Good Match," published in “Hand-In-Hand,” a publication of the Kansas Association for the Education of Young Children.

Rebekah Heath (Accounting) had an article, "A Re-examination of the Effect of Job-Relevant Information on the Budgetary Participation - Job Performance Relation During An Age of Employee Empowerment," published in the 1st Quarter 2007 issue of the “Journal of Applied Business Research.” In addition, she had an article, "Are Certified Accountants Working in Industry More Ethical than Other Managers: An Evaluation of Moral Intention During the Annual Budgeting Process," published in the Fall/Winter 2006 issue of the “Journal of Business and Economic Perspectives.”

Robert Kehle (Music) performed as principal trombone with the Springfield Symphony on Feb. 10.

Suzanne Arruda (Biology) has had her second mystery novel published by NAL. “Stalking Ivory” is a sequel to the mystery, “Mark Of The Lion,” which has been nominated for best historical mystery, by Romantic Times Magazine. Both are set in East Africa just after WWI. For excerpts and information, visit www.suzannearruda.com.

Service/Teaching:
Charles Heath (Mid-America Certified Development Company, a division of BTI) and Rebekah Heath (Accounting) are acting as co-directors of the College of Business' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for the current tax filing season. Students volunteer their time to prepare tax returns for fellow students as well as low-income individuals from the community.

Stephen Meats (English) served on an academic program review team for the English Department at Texas State University, October 26-27.

Mark Johnson and Robert Schwindt (Technology Management) presented a supervisor and team development workshop to city administrators for the City of Parsons on Jan. 18. On Jan. 26, Johnson presented a workshop for the Lansing High School business education classes on parliamentary procedure and team event preparation. On Feb. 20, he will present a team development workshop for the Labette County High School Chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America at the Parsons Recreation Center. On Feb. 21, he will present a session entitled "Incorporating the Skills Employers Want into Classroom Instruction" at the Connecting Education and Employment Conferences sponsored by the Kansas Board of Regents at the Wichita Airport Hilton.

Julia Spresser (HHPR) and a student, Mike Province, are teaching physical activities at George Nettles Elementary School’s after-school program in February and March.

Susan Johns-Smith (Axe Library) made the following presentations: "Three Peas in a Pod: Policy, Process, Product : Evaluating the 8.0 Horizon Product," presented to the SCODI (Southwest Customers of Dynix, Inc.), February 2, Dallas, Texas; and "Waiting for Godot: How to while away the time between now and your migration go-live," at the 17th annual CODI conference, Oct. 4-6 in Salt Lake City, Utah.