June 2011 Newsletter, Texas State College of Applied Arts

FROM THE DEAN’S DESK

College & Graduate Students,

As we plan to begin the fall of 2011, the College of Applied Arts continues to grow the graduate programs by increasing the number of graduate research assistantships, fellowships and internship opportunities for students in Social Work Child Life, Human Nutrition, Criminal Justice, Occupational Education and Agriculture. These internships experiences often lead to developing professional networks, which can lead to unique job opportunities for our students. We have also successfully completed Faculty searches for the Human Nutrition program and a search in the Department of Agriculture for a Soil Science position. Two critical positions in the on going development of the respective graduate programs.

Faculty in the following departments have been cited or externally recognized:

Criminal Justice: Dr. Kim Rossmo & Dr. Marcus K. Felsom

Family and Consumer Sciences: Dr. Vatsala Maitin, Dr. BJ Friedman & Dr. Sylvia Crixell

School of Social Work: Dr. Mary Jo Garcia-Biggs & Dr. Christine L. Norton

Promotions & Tenure

From Associate Professor to Professor Dr. Peter B. Dedek, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Dr. Douglas G. Morrish, Department of Agriculture

Congratulations to all! I encourage you to continue making innovative strides in your research and with your students. They have the potential to take our research endeavors to the next level. Jaime T. Chahin Dean of the College of Applied Arts

CAA Quarterly Newsletter June 2011

College of Applied Arts

Newsletter

Dates to Remember

June

17 Deadline to RSVP for CAA Graduate Studies 101, Graduate Student Orientation

21 Workshop: Copyright for the Graduate Student , Alkek 105/106, 6 pm, (see p. 24 for details)

24 Graduate Studies 101 – (Graduate Student Orientation), Ag 204, 2 pm, (see p. 27 for details)

July

1 Summer Session I classes end

4 Fourth of July Holiday

6 Summer Session II begins

August

11 CAA Master’s Hooding Ceremony, (See p. 5 for details)

12 Commencement Ceremony, Strahan, 10 am

17‐23 Fall Registration is open

19 Graduate Studies 101: (CAA Graduate Student Orientation), Pedernales 114, 2 pm

A Member of The Texas State University System

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GRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Meet Isaac Sitienei, Agriculture Education Major

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Egerton University-Kenya, Isaac worked at Tegemeo Agricultural Research Institute. His duties included evaluating the performance of agricultural programs funded by a number of international agencies: United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Denmark International Development Agency (DANIDA), and the World Bank. As a Research Assistant, his duties included: designing data collection instruments, holding training workshops, organizing pretest field trips to pilot test research instruments, and supervising field researchers. This experience ignited in him, the desire and interest to do research.

“I learned a lot from the research processes and realized my area of weakness that needed improvement,” stated Sitienei. “Supervising field researchers as well as explaining the purpose of our research to participants increased my understanding of how research works and also increased my learning curve. After data collection and analysis, we presented our findings to the program agencies who in turn used the reports to assess the viability of the programs they funded.” He drew satisfaction when he realized his work was being valued and was helping both the research team and the World Bank to account for the money spent to ensure it benefited the people of Kenya.

His travel to the U.S. was motivated by his desire to enroll in graduate school at a University in the developed world. After a long discussion with his wife (Anne) they agreed that he travel abroad to further his studies as she stayed in Kenya with their two children Abel and Abigail. His academic inspiration comes from that fact that he is thousands of miles away from his beloved wife and children. “I will not forgive myself if I fail to fulfill what I promised my family when I left them two years ago; that is, to do my best within the shortest possible amount of time and to be an honest husband and father thereafter.”

In the U.S. his sister’s family welcomed him and volunteered to pay his expensive out-of-state tuition fees.

Mr. Isaac Sitienei, Graduate Student in Agricultural Education.

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Graduate studies at Texas State University have expanded his international perception in academia. Dr. Morrish who has been his academic advisor since he first enrolled at Texas State has played a key role in his transition across different learning cultures. His patience and good listening skills enabled Isaac to sail through the tough waves of ‘accent shock’ smoothly. Isaac feels that Dr. Morrish’s instruction style still remains fresh in his mind despite other classes that he has taken with different instructors. Agricultural, CNI & other courses taken at Texas State University-San Marcos have expanded Isaac’s curriculum and instruction skills.

Dr. Rahe in the Department of Agriculture helped him with essays for a doctoral program in Agricultural studies. He took Isaac on a small tour of Rahe’s ranch in Fredericksburg, “It was an awesome experience,” stated Sitienei.

Dr. Obara in the Department of Math has been his mentor. Dr. Obara went the extra mile by being both his academic and social mentor. Dr. Morrish, Dr. Rahe, and Dr. Obara have been very helpful in the entire process of developing and completing Isaac’s thesis project, which was entitled, “Perceptions of Agriculture and Geography Students at Texas State University Towards Sustainable Agriculture”. Findings from the study indicated that students at Texas State perceive sustainable agricultural practices positively. The study recommended an interdisciplinary approach aimed at inculcating sustainability topics in college syllabus to ensure proper preparation of students who are good stewards of the natural environment. Below is the abstract from Isaac’s thesis project.


GRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT (cont.)

Isaac Sitienei, Agricultural Education Major

Isaac Sitienei, Ag Ed Graduate Student volunteered during the May 2011 CAA

Master’s Hooding Ceremony. Thank you Isaac.

A study was conducted to determine the perceptions of agriculture and geography students at Texas State University towards sustainable agriculture. The study focused on students’ self-assessed level of knowledge on selected sustainable agricultural practices. The objectives of the study were accomplished through a quantitative descriptive survey within Texas State University. Likert-type scales were used to measure students’ level of agreement with nine statements related to sustainable agriculture, their level of knowledge on selected sustainable farm practices, and the level of importance they place on the implementation of sustainable agriculture into college curricula.

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Dr. Obara in the Department of Math has been his mentor. Dr. Obara went the extra mile by being both his academic and social mentor. Dr. Morrish, Dr. Rahe, and Dr. Obara have been very helpful in the entire process of developing and completing Isaac’s thesis project, which was entitled, “Perceptions of Agriculture and Geography Students at Texas State University Towards Sustainable Agriculture”. Findings from the study indicated that students at Texas State perceive sustainable agricultural practices positively. The study recommended an interdisciplinary approach aimed at inculcating sustainability topics in college syllabus to ensure proper preparation of students who are good stewards of the natural environment. Other faculty who have contributed towards Isaac’s success at Texas State include: Dr. Johannessen – he and Isaac are currently collaborating in a research study (“Mentoring Faculty at Institutions of Higher Education”), Dr. Payne, Dr. Saucier, Dr. Gandonou and Dr. Angirasa.


GRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT (cont.)

Isaac Sitienei, Agricultural Education Major

Isaac, we all wish you the best of luck in your future! –The Faculty of the Department of Agriculture

Data was collected using Qualtrics survey software following procedures by Dillman (2000).

A total of 500 students were invited to participate in the survey, out of which, 302 responded, for a 60.4 % response rate. Students rated themselves as having limited knowledge on some sustainable agriculture practices. The highest mean was (M = 3.46) representing a range between some knowledge and moderate knowledge on the Likert-type scales used. Students had little knowledge on integrated pest management (IPM) as indicated by the lowest mean (M = 2.57). Significant difference was noted between graduate and undergraduate students’ level of knowledge on the topic, and also between undergraduates majoring in different fields. For instance Agricultural Education graduate students had the highest mean (M = 3.73) for their level of knowledge on IPM. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) generated a significant difference (p = .000) at (p < .05) level for IPM. Results from this study indicate a need for additional efforts from agricultural educators in incorporating sustainable agriculture courses into their curricula.

“My greatest inspiration comes from the word of God which has been my guide. It has taught me patience and given me peace.”

“We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.” Qualtrics team

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Occupational Education Program

CAA Quarterly Newsletter

Graduate Studies News & Events

The Office of the Dean of the College of Applied Arts cordially invites you to attend the

Mast e r ’ s Hood ing Ceremony Class of August 2011 "The noblest search is the search for excellence."

- Lyndon B. Johnson Thirty-Sixth President of the United States, 1963-1969

Texas State University Class of 1930 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Master’s Hooding Ceremony honors Scholarly Achievement & Graduate Research

Alkek Teaching Theater Thursday, August 11th, 2011, 6 pm

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

RSVP by August 1st to 512-245-3538 For special accommodations,

please contact 512-245-3538 at least 72 hours prior to the event.

Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State

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Graduate Studies News & Events (cont.)

Department of Agriculture

Isaac Sitienei, MSAG

Department of Criminal Justice

Jennifer M. Ygnacio, MSCJ

School of Family and Consumer

Sciences

Megan Brooks, MS Jordan L. Perkins, MS Aryani Montes, MSHN

Maryelaine Sotos, MSHN


Donna J. Harrell, MSIS James D. Johanson, MSIS Graciela Sandoval, MSIS Cedric M. Scott, MSIS James G. Nosler, MEd

* Graduate Advisors and Graduation Candidates please be aware that participation in the CAA Master’s Hooding Ceremony constitutes that all graduation

requirements have been successfully met (thesis defense, comprehensive oral and written exams, etc.) at the program, departmental and University levels.

Master’s Graduation Candidates for August 2011

School of Social Work

Gabriela C. Alonzo, MSW Rebekah F. Day, MSW

Claire K. Dixon Sable N. Galindo, MSW Laura K. Gavin, MSW

Vanessa J. Gomez, MSW Elizabeth Halle, MSW

Victoria L. Hensley, MSW Sommer M. Howser, MSW

John M. McKay, MSW Olivia J. Montalvo, MSW

Katia Papillon, MSW Amber L. Roberson, MSW Roseanna Sandoval, MSW Elizabeth A. Simon, MSW

Irene M. Teveni, MSW

Congratulations to all our candidates. Your hard work and perseverance will be

rewarded.

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Department of Agriculture

ACT Symposium

The symposium went well for a first time out. There were 23 participants, with education levels from undergraduate to Ph.D. candidate. We had 3 participants from our department, placing us third in number of participants from a single institution.

Travis Lee competed in the Crop Science category against 3 graduate students. I received feedback from the judges that many participants and faculty were very interested in his work. Likewise there was interest in Anne Ruthstrom’s and Eliska McFetridge’s poster in the Environmental Science category. Eliska’s poster won the Environmental Science category and $50. This was a great experience and opportunity for them to receive feedback on their work.

My conversation David Kattes indicates he wants to pursue developing the symposium into a larger and more diverse event with both oral and poster presentations and levels of competition. Many thanks to you both and the department faculty for supporting the efforts of our students. Ken Mix Department of Agriculture

Tenure & Promotions

Dr. Perry Moore, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, announced the following promotions and elections to tenure effective September 1, 2011. Promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor as well as Tenure for Dr. Douglas G. Morrish from the Department of Agriculture.

Congratulations to Dr. Morrish!

Faculty Publications

Dr. Kenneth D. Mix Reference Type: Journal Article Author: Mix, Ken Author: Lopes, Vicente Author: Rast, Walter Primary Title: Annual and Growing Season Temperature Changes in the San Luis Valley, Colorado Journal Name: Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Cover Date: 2011-04-02 Publisher: Springer Netherlands Issn: 0049-6979 Subject: Biomedical and Life Sciences Start Page: 1 End Page: 15 Url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11270-011-0746-4 Doi: 10.1007/s11270-011-0746-4

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A High-Tech Way is Offered to Track Crime

Geographic profiling utilizes thousands of bits of information.

By Roy Bragg [email protected]

Updated 12:02 a.m., Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Geographic-profiling-creates-smart-push-pins-for-1411588.php#ixzz1PGuBK2ZO SAN MARCOS — Consider the ubiquitous pushpin, perhaps the most important office supply ever used in crime fighting. Police use clipboard, cabinets and folders, but pushpins always have held a special place in the hearts and on the wall maps, of law enforcement. Beat cops use them to pinpoint trouble spots. Desperate investigators use pushpins like color-coded darts, hurling them at maps and hoping they'll show patterns in serial crime. But thanks to trailblazing work by Kim Rossmo, a former Vancouver, B.C., police officer and now head of Texas State University's Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation, the push pin has been turbo-charged and digitized to become part of a new data arsenal used to catch criminals. Using a specialized algorithm that came to him while working on his criminology dissertation in 1991, Rossmo invented the science of geographic profiling. Geographic profiling uses thousands of pieces of data — gathered by investigators, from witness statements, from FBI psychological profiles and from anecdotal observations about local neighborhoods — to spit out really complicated Venn diagrams. “Geography is something everyone can understand,” he says, adding that most people reside in a place that fits their needs. It's either close to the amenities they want and provides distance from annoyances. Criminals do that, too. Psychological profiles show they want to commit crime close to home. They want a deep pool of victims in places that are easy to get to, but also are out of sight. And they want to be off the streets and safe at home as soon as possible. Geographic profiling doesn't replace shoe leather, Rossmo says, but adds a new tool for police. Todd Burke, a Radford University criminal justice professor and a former police officer, agrees. “Police work has become data-driven,” Burke said. “It doesn't mean we've lost touch with the community. We still rely on old-fashioned police work. But with budget cuts, we're asking police to do more with less. It's not how many officers you have, but where you place the officers.”

(Article continues on page 9)



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Geographic profiling, Burke says, helps departments make those decisions. Rossmo's work was the basis for the television series “Numb3rs” and he served as a consultant for “Zodiac”, a 2009 film about a still-unsolved string of crimes in the San Francisco Bay area. In the 1990s, Rossmo helped police in Lafayette, La., and England find serial rapists who for years escaped capture. In each case, the suspect was identified through other means. But in both cases, the suspects lived in areas pinpointed by Rossmo's algorithm. In Lafayette, the target area was a half-mile square on the south side of town. More recently, Irvine, Calif., police tweaked his formula. They weren't looking for a burglar's house, but rather his car. Their target was the “Chair Burglar,” so named because he usually employed a chair to help make his escape over backyard privacy fences. The Chair Burglar, Irvine police said, made off with $2.5 million worth of stolen goods during more than 500 residential burglaries over 20 years. As Rossmo tells it, police determined the burglar was moving undetected through upper-middle class neighborhoods via green belts. Figuring a burglar couldn't afford to live in these neighborhoods, crime analyst Lorie Velarde used geographic profiling to cross-index streets near a green belt; houses that afforded easy access from back doors and windows; times of day when previous burglaries had occurred; and proximity to parking areas. Armed with that and on the watch, police caught Ray Lopez, then 47, in the act. With his arrest, home burglaries in Irvine dropped 40 percent. In recent years, Rossmo has been fine-tuning the algorithm to work with the military and federal agencies to plug holes in the U.S. border, thwart counter-insurgency overseas and find terror cells at home. As with criminals, illegal immigrants, insurgents and terrorists act are based on convenience and opportunity. “If you want to understand criminals,” he said, “you have to understand what they're doing in the 95 percent of the time they're not engaging in criminal activity.” In border crossings, the profile calls for an urban area on the Mexican side, a rail spur as a way of moving without being seen, and a terrain feature that makes the travel easier, such as a low water crossing. Terrorists, Rossmo said, need storage space, proximity to mass transportation and cheap housing. Both profiles can be plugged into Rossmo's algorithm.




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Two years ago, Rossmo was asked to help track down great white sharks. His work established that, like serial killers, sharks stay in a comfort zone and base their attacks on calculations of success. Serial criminal, terrorists, insurgents and sharks all share one common trait, Rossmo says. “They all need geography that works for them.” Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Geographic-profiling-creates-smart-push-pins-for-1411588.php#ixzz1PGswZpQP

(Source: San Antonio Express News, Wednesday June 8, 2011.)

Criminal-Profiling Trick Used to Combat Disease

By Rachel Ehrenberg, Science News Email, May 19, 2011, 11:30 am, Categories: Medicine, Tech



A technique that helps crime fighters zoom in on a serial killer’s whereabouts may help scientists prevent deaths of a different sort — those caused by infectious diseases. The widely used criminology technique, called geographic profiling, helps investigators narrow a search by pinpointing high-priority targets among thousands of potential locations. In an upcoming International Journal of Health Geographics, researchers demonstrated the technique’s usefulness by identifying the sources of a recent malaria outbreak in Cairo and reconstructing an infamous cholera outbreak in Victorian London. Applying the technique to infectious diseases could help focus interventions, perhaps preventing the spread of disease while saving time and money. “I think this has a lot of promise,” says disease ecologist Richard Ostfeld of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York. “It’s a very interesting application of a criminological tool to epidemiology.” When hunting criminals, geographic profiling uses the sites of connected crimes to figure out where a criminal might live. Pioneered by criminologist Kim Rossmo, a former Vancouver police officer now at Texas State University-San Marcos, the method is based on a criminal’s tendency to take a Goldilocks-like approach when selecting where to commit a crime — a location that’s not too close to home, not too far, but just right.


Image by: James Gathany/CDC

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Rossmo, a coauthor of the new study, developed an algorithm that incorporates this notion in two parts. The crime is less likely to be committed in the criminal’s buffer zone — the immediate vicinity of his or her home or work — because detection is riskier and opportunities may be few. And the likelihood of a crime site decays with distance, because travel requires time, effort and money. “I’m based in London,” says study coauthor Steven Le Comber of Queen Mary, University of London. “So I’m not going to pop up to Inverness [in the far reaches of Scotland] to murder someone. But, equally, I don’t want to commit crimes on my own doorstep.” The math behind geographic profiling also incorporates the idea that all distances are not created equal — highways are easier to traverse than a congested downtown. All these measures then generate a map of places the offender is likely to live, which is overlaid on a map of a search area. Unlike geospatial techniques that designate a central point from which a search radiates equally outward, geographic profiling pinpoints highly probable locations, even if they are at opposite ends of the search area. Le Comber and his colleagues applied geographic profiling to a recent malaria outbreak in Cairo. Of 59 water bodies where mosquito larvae were found, only eight contained those species that are the most dangerous carriers of the disease. Knowing only the locations of the outbreak’s 139 malaria cases, geographic profiling correctly put six of these eight sites in the most infectious 2 percent of the 59. “I have to say, it impressed us,” says Le Comber. “We thought it would work, but it was a bit stunning.” The team also used the technique on the 1854 London cholera outbreak, from which doctor John Snow famously created a map of cholera deaths. This led Snow to the Broad Street pump as a source of the disease, and launched the modern field of epidemiology. Based on 321 deaths, geographic profiling also ranked the Broad Street pump as the most likely origin of the outbreak, the researchers report. In some instances, such as diseases that have secondary outbreaks, geographic profiling might not work as well, says Ostfeld. But it could help yield more accurate maps for ecological questions, he says, such as how species ranges might respond to climate change. Researchers are already using the method to study how sharks hunt and the movement of bats and bees. “It’s kind of poetic justice,” says Ostfeld. “Molecular biology in particular has served as a tremendous boon to criminology methods.” DNA profiling, for example, arose from investigations of evolution and the genetics of disease. “It’s nice to see a transfer in both directions,” Ostfeld says, “from biology to criminalistics and back.”

(Source: Wired Science News, Thursday May 19, 2011.)

For information, please contact: Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation Kim Rossmo, PhD, Research Professor

[email protected] or (512) 245-2006

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Distinguished Alumnus Award

In April 2001 Dr. Kim Rossmo received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Justice Institute of British Columbia. The Distinguished Alumnus Award recognizes and honors JIBC alumni who have excelled in their chosen profession. The award encourages the continued high professional standards of service and leadership among alumni, and demonstrates the quality of the education provided by Justice Institute of British Columbia. http://www.jibc.ca/about-jibc/working-jibc/awards-excellence Dr. Marcus K. Felson authored and collaborated with peers on the following: With Martin Andresen authored, The Impact of Co-Offending. British Journal of Criminology. 2010. Volume 50. Issue 1. Pages 66-88. With Andrew Lemieux, Tourist and Visitor Crime. International Crime and Justice. Mangai Natarajan (editor). 2010. UK: Cambridge University Press. With Adam Graycar, Situational Prevention of Organised Timber Theft and Related Corruption. Karen Bullock, Ronald V. Clarke, and Nick Tilley (Editors) Situational Prevention of Organised Crimes, 2010, Portland: Willan Publishing. Routine Activities and Transnational Crime. International Crime and Justice. Mangai Natarajan (editor). 2010. UK: Cambridge University Press. Dr. J. D. Elshoff: During the Spring of 2011, Dr. Elshoff was recognized as a "Favorite Professor" by the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society.

Enthusiasm for Logistic Regression Leads to Workshop Dr. Bobby Vasquez will be teaching other faculty on campus about logistic regression. Dr. Vasquez is scheduled to lead a workshop for the Texas State Summer Statistical Institute. This is part of the Texas State Teaching, Research, Support & Evaluation Center (TREC). Should you be interested in participating in this two-day workshop, please contact Gail Ryser at the TREC office at 245-2276.


Department of Criminal Justice (cont.)

Texas State Criminal Justice Doctoral Program Get answers at:

http://www.cj.txstate.edu/degrees-programs/doctoral/current_students.html

OR follow them on

→

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Summer Program in Quantitative Analysis of Crime & Criminal Justice Data

Mr. Ward A. Adams, doctoral student in the CJ department, was selected for participation in the 2011 ICPSR Summer Program course on Quantitative Analysis of Crime and Criminal Justice sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). It was a very competitive pool of applicants and the admissions committee had a tough task. His application clearly demonstrated his strong interest in a worthwhile topic and his potential for conducting important analyses and applications of BJS data. In addition, representatives from BJS believe that his project will further demonstrate the value that comes from their annual investment of millions of dollars into data collection efforts. The entire Faculty, staff and your peers of the CJ department and the Dean’s Office are exceptionally proud of your accomplishment!

Congratulations Ward!

ASIS Austin Scholarship Recipient

Ms. Lisbet Royston, MSCJ student was recently notified that she was the top winner of the ASIS Austin scholarship. The way the scholarship works is that the Austin chapter is contributing $1250 and the ASIS International group is contributing another $500. So her scholarship will have $1750 to award her. The CJ faculty and staff are very proud of Lisbet’s accomplishment.

Congratulations Lisbet!

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Austin Police Solving Fewer Burglaries

Critics say police should concentrate on solving more; officials say it is a staffing issue.

John Abraham waited three hours for a police officer to show up after someone broke into his East Austin home in 2009.

He'd been gone about 10 minutes and came home to find his back doors kicked open and his laptop and other items gone.

Abraham waited hours for an officer to respond, filled out a report and then never heard back from police. His property was never recovered.

"I just didn't feel like I was a priority," Abraham said. "I can understand because we don't live in a violent crime city, but it's not cool to feel like police don't even care."

Each year there are thousands of burglaries reported in Austin — last year there were more than 8,000 — and typically only 5 percent of them will end in arrest, with the victim's items being returned. The national average is 10 percent.

Critics say there's more that could be done by the department to track down or follow up with burglaries, but police say a lack of staffing is keeping them from solving more.

With 14 crime scene technicians on staff, police can only respond to about 45 percent of reported burglaries, said Bill Gibbens, manager of forensic science services for Austin police.

Officers are trained to collect some evidence, however it's common for the more experienced crime scene technician to be called out, said Tim O'Brien, a property crime technician for the police department. He said he works on three to four burglaries a day.

"Sometimes you can spend eight hours processing one crime scene," O'Brien said.

Because the clearance rate, or percentage of burglaries solved, is slipping, police should allocate more resources toward solving burglaries, said Kim Rossmo, who researches geographical patterns in crime at Texas State University in San Marcos.

He said police in other jurisdictions have technology installed in pawnshops so that when a stolen item is sold, they are automatically alerted. Right now, Austin police check serial numbers of items sold at pawnshop at least once a month, police said.

Rossmo said burglars move from one neighborhood to another quickly, making them even more difficult to track down.


Photo: Ricardo B. Brazziell/AMERICAN-STATESMAN Tim O'Brien, a property crime technician for the Austin Police Department, collects evidence and dusts for fingerprints at the site of a home burglary in Northwest Austin last week. O'Brien says he works on three to four burglaries a day.

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Department of Criminal Justice (cont.) "(Police) are responding mostly to data, and that's already too late," Rossmo said. "If you want to catch a burglar, you have to understand how they work."

When someone reports a burglary, a 911 dispatcher will route the caller to police if a suspect is thought to be still in the building; otherwise the call is transferred to 311, where a report is taken. In the latter case, police will usually request a technician only when fingerprints or other evidence, such as blood on a broken window, are seen.

"(Victims) should never expect a call-back just because they filled out a report," said Cmdr. John Romoser, who oversees the downtown region. "When there are leads and there's something to go on, we'll follow up."

Several burglary victims said that even when a suspect was chased and a license plate number written down, their crimes were not solved. Police say that though they may find people with a matching license plate, it doesn't always mean they can tie the owner to a crime, especially if the property isn't in their possession.

Lingering effects "It's not a sexy crime for news, and yet, it's one that can physically affect its victims," Rossmo said. "It causes them to feel violated and will be more problematic for single or elderly people living on their own."

Abraham, the 2009 burglary victim, agreed. "It's a crime that sort of demoralizes you in a way. And I understand it's not a violent crime, but it still makes you feel like you aren't secure in your own home," Abraham said.

The Police Department has added a Top Offender program, in which police publicly release a weekly list of Austin's most wanted criminals, including burglars, to help catch repeat offenders.

David Carter, chief of staff at the Austin Police Department, said he has seen past and present budgeting woes hurting the department's clearance rate. Romoser said it's been about 10 years since a detective has been added to the property crimes division, and he's not confident relief will come anytime soon.

"I think that if you are a victim and the Police Department hasn't responded, then people will not be satisfied with that," Carter said.

Tough to solve Critics and police agree that property crime is one of the hardest to solve. Burglars are more often using gloves and specialized instruments to open doors, or stealing items such as jewelry that don't have a traceable serial number.

(Source: AMERICAN-STATESMAN, Isadora Vail, Published: 11:23 p.m. Thursday, March 24, 2011)

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Dr. William R. King Visits Texas State

By Jonathan Flores, Criminal Justice graduate assistant

On Monday, March 28, 2011, the Criminal Justice Department welcomed Dr. William R. King, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University, as a guest speaker. During the day, Dr. King led seminars for graduate students entitled “How to Survive Graduate School,” and, “Data Collection Methods in Criminal Justice Organizations.”

He concluded his visit with a lecture on his most recent research, “The Life Course of Police and Forensics Organizations in Three Acts: Inertia, Disbanding, and Violent Crime Epidemics” to a packed room. Dr. King discussed how he has been asked to visit the nation of

Trinidad and Tobago numerous times to help study and reform the investigative process of the police. Dr. King found that resistance to change in law enforcement was an important problem that contributed to the country’s recent homicide increase. Resistance to change, and other political and administrative errors, can sometimes have major consequences, such as the disbanding of law enforcement organizations.



Dr. King warming up to the Criminal Justice students in attendance at one of

the seminars.

Dr. King addresses a question from the audience.

Dr. King lecture in one of two graduate student seminars held that day.

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Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Faculty & Graduate Student Collaborations !

Human Nutrition Grad Students Travel to Present

Graduate students in Human Nutrition: Reese Cotten, Priscilla Pham and Shaniece Parker presented part of their thesis research conducted with Dr. Vatsala Maitin, at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (Experimental Biology Meeting, Washington DC, April 2011). Their research was selected for participation in a graduate student poster competition at this meeting, organized by the Dietary Bioactive Components Research Interest Section of the American Society for Nutrition. As part of this competition, students had the opportunity to present their work to a focused audience, including expert judges from academia as well as from companies such as PepsiCo, Mead Johnson Nutrition and Pfizer Nutrition. Priscilla Pham also presented some of her thesis research in a poster entitled ‘Secreted bioactive factors from Bifidobacterium longum increase the levels of intestinal Fasting Induced Adipocyte Factor (FIAF) in vitro’ at the 2011 Women in Science and Engineering Conference held at Texas State University and won second place. Congratulations Priscilla!

Graduate students; Reese Cotten, Priscilla Pham and

Shaniece Parker.

Graduate student, Priscilla Pham,

Graduate student, Priscilla Pham with peers at the Women in Science and Engineering Conference held at Texas State.

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Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (cont.)

Departmental Name Change Come Fall

Effective fall 2011, the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences will be renamed to better describe and position them within the university, professional community, and beyond. The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences will become the School of Family and Consumer Sciences. The Department has experienced tremendous growth in the previous years with new academic programs, expanding faculty research, and high tech facilities. Please join us in congratulating the faculty and staff on their many recognized successes.

Texas State Child Development Center

June A. Blades-Wiese, Clinical Assistant Professor presented, "The Importance of Play and the Use of Prop Boxes" at the Color Our World With Play Teacher's Conference held on May 7 by Workforce Solutions.

Tenure and Promotions Dr. Perry Moore, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, announced promotions and elections to tenure effective September 1, 2011. From Assistant Professor to Associate Professor as well as Tenure, Dr. Peter B. Dedek from the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Congratulations to Dr. Dedek!

Referred Journal Articles Dr. Jiyun “Yuni” Kang has published an article in Family and Consumer Science Research Journal entitled “Social shopping for fashion: Development and validation of a multidimensional scale.”

FCS Awards Day Ceremony

The Department of Family & Consumer Sciences held their annual departmental Awards Day Ceremony on April 28th to recognize graduate and undergraduate students in the areas of academics, research and leadership.

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School of Social Work Faculty Accomplishments

Dr. Karen Brown, Friend and Mentor to Many On April 26, friends and colleagues of Dr. Karen Brown gathered to wish her well in her retirement from the Texas State School of Social Work. Dr. Brown has been at Texas State almost four decades and has served as Director of the School of Social Work and Director and Co-Director of the Center for Children and Families. When Dr. Brown began at Texas State in 1976, the now School of Social Work was called the Institute of Social Work and had three faculty members. Thanks to Dr. Brown for her service and leadership. Guests at the chocolate reception participated in a silent auction fundraiser for the Dr. Karen Brown Scholarship. More than $4000 was raised for the scholarship fund. The first recipient of the scholarship will be a BSW student who intends to practice social work with vulnerable children and families and is bi-lingual in Spanish and English or working towards being bi-lingual. The scholarship will rotate the next year to be an MSW student.

Dr. Karen Brown receives Certificate of Appreciation from Dr. Noble, Chair of the School of Social Work.

Dr. Catherine A. Hawkins was honored at the Texas State Honors Awards Ceremony held on Thursday, April 28th.

She received the ‘Honors Professor of the Year’ award. Congratulations Dr. Hawkins,

an honor not easily achieved by most professors.

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Caminos and Caminitos: Dr. Jaime Chahin Honored The San Marcos CISD Board of Trustees recently honored the commitment to academic excellence of Dr. Jaime Chahin through his programs: Caminos and Caminitos. Beginning in 2004, Chahin wrote and submitted grants to the Texas Pioneer Foundation to provide eighth grade students an opportunity to “get a head start on high school” during the summer prior to their ninth grade year. SMCISD Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Yolanda Almendarez told the board that the Caminos program gave students a chance to build confidence while earning as much as three high school credits during the summer prior to entering San Marcos High School. Between 2004 and 2010, the Caminos program served hundreds of students, providing academic instruction, career guidance and an opportunity for Caminos students to live in the Texas State dorms. Almendarez said, “In each year of the program, over 90 percent of the students gained at least one high school credit, with 70 percent gaining two credits or more.” Another program introduced by Chahin was the Caminitos program, initiated to help students prior to enrollment in pre-kindergarten. Based on Chahin's research, the summer program for the preschoolers focuses on vocabulary development. School Board president Kathy Hansen added, “We are grateful for the wonderful relationship between San Marcos CISD and Dr. Chahin who has worked to improve the learning curve for so many of our students through the Caminos and Caminitos programs.” Above left, trustees recognize Chahin. With him are San Marcos High School students Servando Ybarra, Cesar Zaragoza, Brittany Howard, Gabriel Vasquez and Cameron Campos.

(Source: San Marcos Daily Record, April 28, 2011.)


School of Social Work (cont.) Faculty Accomplishments

TG Grant Award Status Announcement

Congratulations to Dr. Christine L. Norton. The TG's Board of Directors has approved her proposed project, "Foster Care Alumni Creating Educational Success (FACES)," for funding in the amount of $90,067 through TG's Public Benefit Grant Program. The Board looks forward to working with Dr. Norton to help students and families achieve their educational goals.

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School of Social Work (cont.)

Hogg Scholarship Recipient

Caroline Muster, MSW student has been selected to receive a $5000 Ima Hogg Scholarship in Mental Health for the 2010-2011 academic year. The scholarship is one of five scholarships awarded annually to graduate social work students who demonstrate a strong commitment to providing mental health services after graduation. Caroline has completed her foundation year in the MSW program with a 4.0 GPA and is starting her concentration year; she received a BA in Psychology from Texas State with a 4.0 GPA. Caroline is a first generation college student and has received a number of academic awards and recognitions throughout her high school and college career. She completed her foundation field placement and was hired by an agency in New Braunfels, TX that works with high-risk youth. She lives independently and functions normally despite having Osteogenesis Imperfecta, better known as "brittle bone" disease. The Ima Hogg Scholarship program was created in 1956 to address the need for more trained social workers to deliver quality mental health services to people in Texas. The director of their graduate program must nominate applicants for the scholarship.

June Employee of the Month

Michele Bauman, Grant Coordinator Extraordinaire for the Center for Children & Families, was honored by the Provost as Employee of the Month for June 2011 on Monday, June 6 at 1:00 pm in room 309 HPB Conference Room. Faculty and staff gathered to show their appreciation. Michele is considered by many to be an amazing asset to our university.

Mandatory MSW Orientation for Fall 2011 On Campus Students

Thursday, August 11, 2011 8:30 am – 3:30 pm

• Information on Program concentrations • Degree Works

• Register for Fall Classes • Field Placement

For more information contact the School of Social Work at 512-245-2592.

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School of Social Work (cont.)

Texas State Online MSW Program Ranked #5

The Best Colleges recently released our rankings of the Top Colleges for Online Social Work Programs (http://www.thebestcolleges.org/top-online-social-work-degrees/) and TX State's online MSW program was ranked #5. Due to the vast quality disparity that exists in the online education arena, we're committed to highlighting online programs that display the highest standards of quality and credibility. I wanted to personally congratulate you for raising the profile of online education and providing students with a truly excellent distance learning opportunity.

A congratulation to Dr. Mary Jo Garcia-Biggs for her strategic and tireless efforts to make the Online MSW program what it is today.

Dr. Mary Jo Garcia-Biggs, an associate professor in the Texas State School of Social Work, has been awarded a Distance Learning in Higher Education Award by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. This award is presented to a Latino/a who has championed distance learning via online instruction, research, or the development of distance learning processes that impact Latino students in higher education. Read the University Star's report of Dr. Biggs' award.

UPCOMING MANY HATS SEMINAR

A Many Hats Seminar is scheduled for July 19 thru 22 at South Padre Island, TX. This workshop will be held at the Pearl South Padre Hotel. Please go to the Continuing Education page on the Texas State University-San Marcos website to register for the workshop online or call their office at 512-245-2507. If you have additional questions, please contact Sonya Kraus at [email protected]. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing you.

Internship Opportunity

The Center for Children and Families (CCF) is a university-level resource center for education and information about children and families. Should you be interested in an internship or volunteering for the Strengthening Relationships Program for the Fall, Spring or Summer semesters, contact Renee Perez at 512.245.6766 or [email protected].

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CAA Quarterly Newsletter

Alumni: Distinguished Alumni 2011 Texas State Alumni Association Selects Honorees for 2011

The Texas State Alumni Association is pleased to announce the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. Dating, back to 1959 when the award was first presented to Lyndon B. Johnson, the Distinguished Alumni Award remains the most prestigious honor given to graduates of Texas State University. The award acknowledges outstanding accomplishments and leadership in the individual’s chosen business, profession or life work, on a national or international level. Award recipients serve as shining examples to all members of the Texas State community.

For 2011 the Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients are:

Mr. Michael Bowman

BAAS, Occupational Education, ‘78 President, Hunt & Hunt, Ltd.

Mr. Jeff Foster

BAAS, Technology, ‘09 Professional Basketball Player with the Indiana Pacers

(Source: The Texas State University-San Marcos Blog, April 29, 2011)

“Favorite Professor” Dr. Betty Harkins was recognized this past Spring as “Favorite Professor from the Alpha Chi student organization.

Graduate Information Sessions

If you’re interested in pursuing a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (MSIS) or a Master of Education in the management of technical education (MEd), we invite you call the office at 512-245-2115 for an appointment.

Advisors are available in all three locations. • Texas State campus, San Marcos • Round Rock Higher Education Center, Round Rock • Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio

Please contact [email protected] for details.

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Copyright for the Graduate Student

This workshop is offered by the Graduate College and Alkek Library and will be of benefit for all graduate students. Knowing how to ethically and legally use materials in your applied research projects, thesis, dissertation, and publications and how to fairly use materials in your teaching and presentations is an essential obligation for graduate students. This workshop will provide an introduction to copyright, with an emphasis on author rights and appropriate steps for acquiring and demonstrating permission to use materials in research publications. Responsible teaching and presentation practices (e.g., use of materials in TRACS and in face-to-face teaching) will also be covered. Copyright handouts are available online.

To register for a workshop, please click here.

Tuesday, June 21st from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location: Alkek 105/106

IRB Workshop for Graduate Students

Graduate students whose research involves human subjects (surveys, interviews, use of secondary data, experimental research, etc.) should attend this workshop. The workshop will help students become familiar with the policies and procedures of the Texas State Institutional Review Board and the process for obtaining approval of their research. The workshop will cover the need for review and help students determine whether to submit an exemption request or IRB application.

Please re-visit this site, http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/Thes-Diss_Info/T-D_Workshop.html.

Future offerings will be scheduled later.

Conducting Effective Research

In most Graduate Programs, students are expected to conduct research and also present their research papers at conferences. The goal of this workshop is to enable graduate students to learn how to conduct research in a responsible manner, seek grants to conduct research, follow the guidelines of the institutional review board and make effective presentations at conferences. Please re-visit this site.

Future offerings will be scheduled later.

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May 2011 CAA Master’s Hooding Ceremony



Master’s in Agricultural Education

Candidates.

Master’s in Human Nutrition Candidates.

MSIS & MEd Candidates. Master’s in Social Work Candidates.

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May 2011 CAA Master’s Hooding Ceremony



Master’s in Family & Child Development

Candidates.

Master’s in Criminal Justice Candidates.

Master’s Ceremony Volunteers; Student Nutrition Organization (SNO), Grad students & Staff.

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Newsletter Editor

Yolanda Quintanilla Graduate Recruiter

College of Applied Arts Agriculture Building, #306

[email protected]

Graduate Studies News & Events (cont.)

Board of Regents

A nine member Board of Regents appointed by the Governor governs the Texas State University System. In addition, a nonvoting student regent is appointed annually to the

Board.

Ron Blatchley (2011) Chairman BMB Homes

Bryan | College Station

Charlie Amato (2013) Vice Chairman

Southwest Business Corporation San Antonio

Kevin J. Lilly (2015) Avalon Advisors

Houston

Ron Mitchell (2015) Horseshoe Bay Resort

Horseshoe Bay

David Montagne (2015) Sabine River Authority

of Texas Beaumont

Trisha Pollard (2013) Pollard Development, L.P.

Bellaire

Michael Truncale (2013) Orgain Bell & Tucker, LLP

Beaumont

Donna N. Williams (2011) Parsons Infrastructure &

Technology, Inc. Arlington

Christopher Covo (2011) Student Regent San Marcos

Brian McCall Chancellor

CAA: Graduate Studies 101

“I’ve applied... Now what?” For all newly accepted students to

Graduate studies.

Those interested in a Campus tour from the Visitor's Center must

indicate so in their RSVP to prepare appropriately.

Friday, August 19th

2 pm in Pedernales 114 Texas State Campus

(FOR STUDENTS ACCEPTED

FOR FALL SESSION ONLY)

Feel free to submit any questions you may have in advance.

RSVP to Yolanda Quintanilla at

[email protected] by Friday, August 12th, limited

seating.

Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of The Texas

State University System.

June 2011 Newsletter, Texas State College of Applied Arts

Documents

Transcript of June 2011 Newsletter, Texas State College of Applied Arts