Dr. Victoria Shivy, Psychology, Awarded VCU Community Engagement Grant to Evaluate Pen Pals Program
reposted from Psychology Dept website:
Dr. Victoria Shivy of the Counseling Psychology Program, recently was awarded a $20,000 VCU Community Engagement Grant.
The project, “Pixie’s Pen Pals: A Program for Virginia’s Inmates” will develop a collaborative regional/state partnership among VCU faculty and students (from Psychology, the VCU Medical School’s Center for Human Animal Interaction, and the Business School), staff from FETCH-a-Cure’s Pixie’s Pen Pals, and staff from the Virginia Department of Corrections.
The focus of this project is to evaluate the Pen Pals program — an intervention that doubles as a career reentry-oriented program, and a human-animal interaction intervention, with hypothesized organizational impacts.
InVirginia alone, some 13,068 offenders returned to community life in 2010. Inmates who experience rehabilitative and educational programming during their incarceration typically find reentry less challenging.
Members of Shivy’s team believe that the Pen Pals program offers researchers and practitioners alike a powerful means to help inmates transition back to society.
VCU faculty are leading more than two dozen study abroad opportunities this summer. Most are full, but it’s not too late to start thinking about next year.
For the 12th year, Dr. Bernard Moitt, Chair of the History Department, will lead a study abroad program in Barbados.
Atlantic History and Culture in Barbados
July 15 – August 9
6 credits in History, African American Studies, and Anthropology
From course description: Through lectures and field visits led by faculty members, students will explore the evolution and development of Caribbean societies from around the 15th century to the present, as well as the responses of Caribbean peoples to forces that have shaped their lives.
This exploration will include, but not be limited to the following: plantation slavery, gender, language, migration, education, religion, race, identity, sports, architecture, archaeology, music, dance, the Kadooment Day celebration and cuisine.
The Barbados study abroad program is designed to give students, with or without a background in Caribbean studies, an authentic, stimulating and memorable Caribbean experience. It will appeal to broad-minded individuals who are open to ethnic and cultural diversity. Participants will gain a greater appreciation of the history and culture of the Caribbean, and the significance and uniqueness of Barbados in particular.
Dr. Bernard Moitt
Bernard Moitt, Ph.D., was born and raised in Antigua. He specializes in Atlantic history, particularly in the histories and literatures of Africa and the Caribbean. He has a keen interest in gender and slavery, and is nationally and internationally recognized for his scholarship and intellectual activities.
Dr. Moitt’s vast knowledge of Africa and the Caribbean, and his extensive personal and professional contacts in Barbados and other parts of the region, make his study abroad program a unique opportunity that should not be missed.
For more about this & other study abroad programs:
VCU faculty-led study abroad programs
It may be too late to go this year, but it’s not too late to plan for next summer!
VCU Alum John Haynes and VCU Anthropology Instructor Dr. Bernard Means Awarded DoD Legacy Grant
Starting this month, Dr. Bernard K. Means, VCU Department of Anthropology, and archaeologist John Haynes will begin a year-long grant project, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy Resource Management Program.
The project called “Virtual Artifact Curation: Three-Dimensional Digital Data Collection for Artifact Analysis and Interpretation” was initiated by Haynes, Marine Corps Base Quantico archaelogist and VCU alumnus (’79 B.S. Sociology).
The project involves the three-dimensional scanning of artifacts in order to test and demonstrate the capabilities of this technology for future use in DoD compliance with hsitoric preservation laws. Artifact collections from DoD installations in Maryland and Virginia will be the subject of this year-long study.
“I applaud every use of curated artifacts that helps promote research into the rich cultural heritage of DoD properties, particularly when a project increases accessibility to collections in innovative ways,” said Sara Rivers-Cofield, Curator for Federal Collections in the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum.
“I believe that Mr. Haynes and Dr. Means have proposed a project that will analyze the options available for 3D scanning and … scrutinize storage formats to determine what might be needed to make digital 3D images a viable part of the archaeological record,” Ms. Rivers-Cofield said.
Dr. Means will work with VCU students and volunteers from the archaelogical community to develop and test training and educational procedures for the project, especially multi-media instructional material such as digital presentations / videos and other graphical guides to facilitate training and use of the procedures by appropriate DoD personnel.
The DoD Legacy Resource Management Program is designed to foster innovative approaches to the study, preservation, and stewardship of cultural remains – including archaeological objects – recovered on DoD facilities across the globe.
Cultural Resources of Marine Corps Base Quantico
History beneath Quantico’s water by Lance Cpl. Shandra Dyess, April 26, 2011
Dr. Bernard K. Means website with links
Dr. Wendy Kliewer, Psychology Dept Chair, blogs about her semester as a Fulbright research fellow in South Africa
Wendy Kliewer, Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department is currently a Fulbright research fellow at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa.
A stress and coping researcher with a developmental and prevention focus, Dr. Kliewer’s work centers on risk and resilience in youth, with particular attention to the role parents and families play in helping youth cope adaptively with stress.
Photo of mountain view from Dr. Kliewer's blog
Dr. Kliewer has been keeping a blog about her adventures in Durban, South Africa.
Here’s the link: http://wendyadventures.wordpress.com/
Here’s an excerpt from her May 13 entry, “a contrast in community events”:
The first event I attended, on Tuesday evening May 10 with fellow Fulbrighters, was the opening of HOMING, an exhibit at the KZN gallery, a café and arts gallery about 3 km from my apartment. “Homing,” according to the gallery materials, refers to returning home. Home is defined as “any shelter that is the usual residence of a person; the place in which one’s domestic affections are centered; the dwelling place or retreat of an animal; the place or region where something is most common; any place of refuge or residence; a principal base of operations or activities. Where the heart is.”
Twelve Durban-based artists teamed up for this exhibition where they presented a variety of photographic works in different modalities. For example, there were photographs about insect’s homes; photographs focused on vendors being displaced from a building due to renovations; photographs of street youth.
As I sipped my Pinotage while walking through the gallery enjoying artists’ variations on the theme, I noted that it was a very WHITE crowd. There were virtually no people of color in attendance, save for the street youth who were special guests because they were featured in one of the artist’s exhibits. It was very interesting watching these youth locate themselves in the photographs, clearly delighted that they were on display. We spoke with some of the youth about their ambitions, and it was encouraging to hear that they had goals and dreams beyond their current life situation.
One of many faculty doing interesting research around the world, you can email subscribe to Dr. Kliewer’s blog and follow her adventures from your inbox.
News courtesy of Jeff Wing, National Scholarship Office,
Photos courtesy of VCU News Center:
Senior Margaret Cotter, Sophomore Bertrand (Yohannes) Mpigabahizi, and Junior Rachel Sine have been awarded Boren Scholarships to study abroad next year.
Margaret Cotter
Yohannes Mpigabahizi
Rachel Sine
With their selection, VCU students have now won twelve Boren Awards for International Study in the past five years. Senior Ben Cohen (Mass Comm) is studying Mandarin in Taiwan and junior Elisabeth Moore (English) is just about to complete a year of study of Mandarin in Beijing. All five of these students are members of The Honors College.
Margaret Cotter is from Midlothian and was about to graduate summa cum laude with University Honorswith a double major in International Studies and Political Science and a minor in Italian. She will now postpone her graduation until after she completes a year studying Turkish language and culture in Istanbul as a Boren Scholar.
Yohannes Mpigabahizi has just completed his first year at VCU. From Bristow, Virginia, he is majoring in International Studies and Economics and planning to get a minor in Arabic. He will spend the next year studying Arabic and Egyptian politics, history and culture in Cairo.
Rachel Sine is a sophomore from Roanoke majoring in International Studies with concentrations in International Relations and Southeast Asia Studies and a minor in Religious Studies. She will spend the next year continuing her Hindi studies in India, while also studying Indian culture, history and politics. Rachel was also selected for a Critical Language Scholarship earlier this spring and will undertake intensive Hindi language studies in India this summer before she begins her Boren studies in the fall.
In this year’s competition, approximately 140 Boren Scholarships were awarded from a field of more than 900 applicants. While nationally only about one in six Boren applicants will be selected, three of VCU’s seven candidates were selected, a fact which speaks well of the quality of applicants, the education they are receiving as undergraduates at VCU, and the support that they receive from faculty mentors and recommenders as well as the review panels. Over the past five years, just over a third of VCU’s Boren candidates have been successful.
VCU National Scholarship Office
Boren Awards for International Study
VCU News Center Article: “Three VCU Students Receive Boren Scholarships”
Reposted from VCU News Center, article by Tom Gresham:
Two [VCU College of Humanities and Sciences] students have been awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, the premier national scholarship for undergraduate math, science and engineering students.
Anjali Hari, a junior, and Grant Day, a sophomore, will receive scholarships to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Both are enrolled in the VCU Honors College. Nine VCU students have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships over the past five years.
“We are very proud of Anjali and Grant for earning an award as prestigious as the Goldwater Scholarship,” said Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU. “They have excelled academically while pursuing the type of challenging research projects that we encourage our students to tackle. Their achievement is a well-deserved one.”
Hari, who is majoring in biology and Spanish, is from Diamond Bar, Calif., and attended Diamond Bar High School. Since her first year at VCU, Hari has worked in the lab of Babette Fuss, Ph.D., professor of anatomy and neurobiology, helping conduct research on the changes in protein levels involved in myelination that might eventually lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis. She also founded an organization that collected donations of used medical equipment to equip labs in rural areas in Guatemala. Following graduation, Hari plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in neurobiology and conduct clinical research at an academic medical center.
Day, who is majoring in biology, is from Virginia Beach and attended Ocean Lakes High School. He has conducted research with Ronald Smeltz, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at VCU, examining the proteins and mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of Chagas disease. Day also has assumed leadership of a summer research program for high school students at VCU. After graduating from VCU, Day plans to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology or immunology and to conduct research on the pathophysiology and vaccinology of neglected diseases.
The Goldwater Scholarship Program, which honors the late Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. In this year’s competition, 275 Goldwater Scholars were selected from a field of more than 1,095 applicants who were nominated by their college or university.
Hari and Day applied for the Goldwater Scholarship through the Honors College’s National Scholarship Office, which assists VCU students and alumni who wish to compete for prestigious national and international scholarships.
VCU News Center article link: Two_VCU_Students_Earn_Goldwater_Scholarships
Congratulations 2011 VCU Graduates!
Spring 2011 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 21. For more on all things commencement, see the Commencement Website.
The College of Humanities and Sciences will host a reception (cookies and punch) for our graduates from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM in the University Student Commons, Virginia Rooms, 2nd Floor.
College of Humanities and Sciences Departmental / Unit Ceremonies:
African American Studies
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
Biology
Saturday, May 21, 2011
3:30 PM
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street, Exhibit Hall B
Brandcenter
Saturday, May 21, 2011
3:30 PM
First Baptist Church
2709 Monument Avenue
Chemistry
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Richmond Salons
907 Floyd Ave, 2nd Floor
English
Saturday, May 21, 2011
2:30 PM
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church
1627 Monument Avenue
Forensic Science
Saturday, May 21, 2011
5:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Richmond Salons
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
Government and Public Affairs (The Wilder School)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
2:00 PM
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street, Exhibit Hall A
History
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons Theater
907 Floyd Avenue, 1st Floor
LSEEE (Liberal Studies in Early Elementary Education)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
3:00 PM
University Student Commons Theater
907 Floyd Avenue, 1st Floor
Mass Communications
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:00 PM
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 N. 3rd Street, Exhibit Hall B
Mathematics
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
Military Science and Leadership
Friday, May 20, 2011
9:00 AM
Commissioning Ceremony
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
800 South Cathedral Place
Philosophy
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
Physics
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
Psychology
Saturday, May 21, 2011
7:30 PM
Siegel Center
1200 West Broad Street
Science
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
Statistical Sciences and Operations Research
Saturday, May 21, 2011
1:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
World Studies
Saturday, May 21, 2011
3:30 PM
University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms
907 Floyd Avenue, 2nd Floor
CONGRATULATIONS 2011 GRADUATES!!
Newly appointed dean of the College of Humanities & Sciences, James S. Coleman, proudly presents Baldacci with an autographed NCAA Final Four basketball.
Baldacci signs "The Sixth Man" at May 2 Book & Author Luncheon
VCU Alumnus David Baldacci was the guest author at the VCU Alumni Association Inaugural Book & Author Luncheon, held at the Jefferson Hotel on May 2, 2011.
Baldacci spoke about his recently published book The Sixth Man and his experiences in the field of writing. He is a 1983 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University College of Humanities and Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.
He shocked the publishing world when he burst on the literary scene with his incredible first novel, Absolute Power.
Since then he has published 20 additional adult novels: Absolute Power, Total Control, The Winner, The Simple Truth, Saving Faith, Wish You Well, Last Man Standing, The Christmas Train, Split Second, Hour Game, The Camel Club, The Collectors, Simple Genius, Stone Cold, The Whole Truth, Divine Justice, First Family, True Blue, Deliver Us From Evil, Hell’s Corner and The Sixth Man. He has also published two young adult novels: Freddy and the French Fries: Fries Alive! and Freddy and the French Fries: The Adventures of Silas Finklebean.
(left to right) Executive Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences Dr. Catherine Ingrassia, Guest Author David Baldacci, and Interim Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences Dr. Fred M. Hawkridge
David Baldacci: author page on publisher’s website
Continuing with the Gardens for Life umbrella project, VCU Goes Green and Green Unity 4 VCU will plant a variety of trees to celebrate Arbor Day on Friday, April 29th. The ceremonial observance will include a discussion with horticulturalists and ecologists on the importance of trees, particularly in an urban setting.
The event will include a demonstration and discussion of proper planting technique, urban forestry, tree ecology, sustainability and the history of Arbor Day. Expected group of panelists to include VCU Facilities Management, VCU Life Sciences, Richmond City Arborists, Richmond Tree Stewards, and more.
The event will take place at noon on Friday, April 29, on the southeast lawn of Harris Hall, near Main Street and Linden.
From Gardens for Life: Arbor Day 2011: “We will be planting a few different species, but primarily the American Elm variety known as the Valley Forge cultivar. Check it out for its resistance to Dutch Elm’s Disease, a fungal infection which wiped out the American Elms in the middle of the twentieth century and eliminated the urban canopy of many American cities.”
Reposted from VCU News Center:
Special Delivery VCU Psychology Honor Society collects supplies for U.S. Army personnel stationed in Afghanistan
Members of Virginia Commonwealth University’s chapter of Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, recently collected food, toiletries and other supplies for U.S. Army personnel serving in Afghanistan.
The project started with a request from Col. Thomas Morgan III of Chesterfield, who had been activated by the Virginia National Guard and is serving in Afghanistan until November.
Morgan supervises a Validation Transition Team, a unit of active-duty soldiers from all over the Army that assesses the Afghan Army and police. Many of the soldiers in the unit are on a second or third deployment, having arrived in Afghanistan last August. Because the soldiers come from throughout the Army, it’s often difficult to identify local organizations to support them with morale and welfare support in Afghanistan.
Steven Danish, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at VCU who researches veterans’ issues and works with veterans re-entering civilian life after active duty, teamed with Morgan on several projects for the guard before his deployment and thought the drive was a good project for VCU’s Psi Chi chapter.
Danish informed Psi Chi faculty adviser Melissa Blank, Ph.D., of the need and she presented the idea to the society’s members, who ultimately selected the project as one of their service efforts for the year.
“This is perfect for VCU’s goals of working closely with veterans,” Blank said. “We select projects that we work on based on the greatest need and member interest. Our members wanted to help.”
Psi Chi members began the drive in March and soon had a growing collection of novels, notebooks, pens, magazines, puzzle books, envelopes, stationery, snacks and toiletries.
“I think VCU and Psi Chi have a responsibility to get out and help in the community and we want to do it,” said Candace Faircloth, Psi Chi president. “It’s rewarding in so many ways.”
The collected items were packed into seven large boxes and shipped to Afghanistan on April 1.
“This is a humbling experience,” said Alex Mercado, Psi Chi vice president. “It’s one thing to recognize that the effort is helping people down the street, but this effort is helping people halfway around the world.”
- Mike Porter, 4/27/11, VCU News Center
