In the Spotlight: April 6, 2011

kudos to these faculty, staff and students

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  • Constance DeVereaux, senior lecturer of comparative cultural studies, has been selected for a Fulbright Specialists project in Romania at Babes-Bolyai University. DeVereaux will provide a series of lectures from May to June on aesthetics, cultural policy and the arts, globalization and its implications for the arts and culture, and cultural management practice. She also will present a workshop on issues of practical aesthetics at the University of Art and Design and meet with local nongovernmental organizations to explore methods for cultural mediation.
  • Ricardo Guthrie, assistant professor of ethnic studies, presented a paper, “The Pop Cultural Assault on Black America,” at the 35th annual conference of the National Council for Black Studies last month in Cincinnati. The paper analyzed how failed social and educational policies are depicted in Academy Award-winning films such as The Blind Side and Precious.
  • Seven students have won 2011 Hooper Sustainability Awards for projects to advance sustainability on campus or in the region:
    • Matthew C. Cohen, a graduate student in climate science and solutions, for the project “Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the Center for International Education.”The goal of this project is to help the university meet its commitment to become carbon neutral by the year 2020. His faculty mentor is Matthew Hurteau, assistant research professor in biological sciences.
    • Corinne Cusker, sustainable communities graduate student, for “Sustainable Education in our Residential Communities,” a project that will provide peer-to-peer education and outreach on issues related to sustainability. The faculty mentor for this project is Cynthia Anderson, associate director of Residence Life.
    • Arjun Gautum, an electrical engineering graduate student, to support “Off-Grid Power Quality: Impact, Analysis, and Solutions.” This project will examine the problems of poor power quality in northern Arizona households with off-grid systems. His faculty mentor is Allison Kipple, assistant professor, electrical engineering and computer science.
    • Arshiya Hoseyni Chime, a senior in mechanical engineering, for “Comparison of Predicted and Actual Wind Energy.” The objective of this project is to model the wind flow in east Flagstaff and to predict the energy production of an existing Skystream wind turbine. Tom Acker, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is the faculty mentor for this project.
    • Evan Reimondo, graduate student in environmental science and policy, for research on the “Ecological Impacts of Bison on Riparian Vegetation of Kaibab Plateau Springs and Ponds.” The results will inform managers as to whether the impacts occurring on the Kaibab Plateau represent an impairment of resources and if a bison population can be sustainably managed in the region. Tad Theimer, associate professor of biological sciences, will serve as faculty mentor.
    • Amy Rial, undergraduate environmental science major, to examine “The Influence of Nutrients on Native and Exotic Plants in the Restoration of Picture Canyon.” She will test the relationship between water types and rates of germination of exotic and native plant species at Picture Canyon. Her faculty mentor is Nancy Johnson, professor in the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability.
    • Dena Skow, an environmental sciences and policy graduate student, to study “The Effects of Environmental Flows on Native Verde River Fishes and Habitat”to determine the effects various natural flows have on in-stream habitats and native fish preferences for these habitats. She is mentored by Angie Moline, lecturer in the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability.

    The Hooper Student Fund was established in 2001 to honor and recognize Henry O. Hooper’s dedication to environmental programs at NAU. Hooper is former associate vice president Emeritus for Academic Affairs, Research and Graduate Studies, and served in this capacity and as dean of the Graduate College between 1981 and 1995.

  • A team of NAU Army ROTC cadets will be among eight teams representing the United States Army Cadet Command at this year’s Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy April 15-16 in West Point, N.Y. The NAU team is representing Cadet Command’s 5th Brigade, which includes all the Army ROTC programs in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. This military skills competition consists of nine-member teams that must complete a series of challenging military tasks during a rapid, non-tactical move along a partly prescribed seven-mile course. Awards are given to the squad that negotiates the course in the least amount of time, as well as the top squads in marksmanship and orienteering. The specific skills to be tested during the competition include first aid, rope bridge, marksmanship, navigation and fitness. Squads also are assessed based on such qualities as mental agility; ability to assimilate a problem; decision making in a complex, stressful environment; teamwork and communication. The NAU team members are Cale BarberRyan ClarkMatthew IngersonRenee IngersonEric RobertsJovauna RoyKenneth Stapley and Daniel Wicks. Alternates are Benjamin Gromis and Daniel Machado.

    Lorena Dominguez at Parkridge
    Lorena Dominguez, right, reads to a child at Parkridge Elementary’s Literacy Night in March. Dominguez and fellow education student Edith Gonzalez, center, recently completed their second literacy class with NAU’s College of Education.
  • NAU students and faculty attended Parkridge Elementary’s Literacy Night in Peoria last month. Melissa Geiselhofer, part-time faculty with Extended Campuses, along with assistant professors Barbara Veltri and Claire Schonaerts, both with the College of Education, facilitated NAU’s presence at the event, where more than 600 children and their families participated in literacy activities that integrated learning with art, music, math and social studies.
  • Zane Shewalter, program coordinator at the Gateway Student Success Center, won first place for the e-Planning poster, Grade Performance System, at NAU’s annual Assessment Fair last week. Cline Library’s Rebecca Dames, coordinator, and Theresa Carlson, librarian, were awarded second place for Online Library. The College of Education’s Kathleen Carpenter, academic advisor senior with Student Services, and Sarah Scholfield, graduate service assistant, tied for third place with their America Reads poster. Also in third place was the Financial Literacy poster by Wendy Wallace, director of Educational Support.