November 2010 Newsletter, Texas State College of Applied Arts

FROM THE DEAN’S DESK

College & Graduate Students,

A report generated by Institutional Research in July of 2009 indicates that the College of Applied Arts has a 69 percent student retention rate. This fall Texas State announced an enrollment of 32,586 for the 2010 fall semester, an increase of 5.8 percent over the fall 2009 enrollment of 30,803.

For the first time ever, Hispanics now comprise more than 25 percent of the Texas State undergraduate student body of 27,476, which enabled the university to reach one of its strategic goal. There are 6,961 Hispanic undergraduate students enrolled at Texas State this fall, or 25 percent of all undergraduates. African-American students constitute 6 percent, (1738) of the total undergraduate student enrollment and continue to experience incremental growth.

The University will apply for the federal designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and be eligible for additional federal funding in the future from a number of Federal agencies like USDA, DOE, HUD and NSF.

Texas State is currently assessing the opportunity to apply for a Title V, part B grant in where it will focus its attention on the preparedness and academic success of Hispanic graduate students. The University seeks not only to attract qualified Hispanic graduate students but also to retain and graduate them toward gainful employment. The Provost has assigned the Dean the task of convening a committee and visiting with each college Dean to determine the critical needs of our current programs as well as current and prospective students. This year the Graduate College received more applicants than ever yet growth is needed in the enrollment of more full time graduate students. We will continue to support graduate students with research opportunities and encourage them to seek innovative projects and collaborate with faculty in their respective disciplines.

Reports from OSP indicate 10 grants from the College of Applied Arts (CAA) have been submitted and/or are in development since September 1, 2010. Professors from the following departments have submitted grants; Agriculture (2-Cade), Family and Consumer Sciences (5-Vattem, Maitin, Blunk, Williams, Russell, Lane), Occupational Education (1-Lopez & Chahin), and the School of Social Work (2-Chavkin & Hawkins). Please call the Dean’s Office if we can assist you in the development of any grants or support to attend a professional meeting.

Jaime T. Chahin Dean of the College of Applied Arts

CAA Quarterly Newsletter November 2010

College of Applied Arts Newsletter

Dates to Remember

November

22-23 Additional Banner Training Sessions

25-26 Thanksgiving Vacation

December

2-4 Sight & Sounds of Christmas

2 OCED Graduate Research Forum, see p. 17

7 College of Applied Arts Tamalada, 11:30 – 1:30

6 Last Class Day

8 Final Exams Begin

16 CAA Master’s Hooding Ceremony, Alkek Teaching Theater, 6 pm

17 Commencement Ceremony, Strahan Coliseum, 2 pm

20 Christmas Break through January 17

January

6 Late Registration through January 14

11-12 Agriculture Bio-Security Workshop, See p. 5

11-13 Hostage Conference, p. 8

17 MLK Day

18 First Day of Classes & Schedule changes through January 21

A Member of The Texas State University System

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GRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Meet Reese E. Cotten, Human Nutrition Major

Mr. Reese E. Cotten was born in Friendswood Texas. After receiving his primary education from Friendswood ISD, he attended Texas State University where he completed his B.S. in Nutrition and Foods. He completed the Texas State Dietetic Internship and was among the first students to enroll in the new MS in Human Nutrition program.

Below is an excerpt from Mr. Cotten’s research on the gut bacteria and its relation to obesity.

The goal of Cotten’s thesis was to study the influence of secreted bioactive compounds from a representative species of Lactobacillus on the molecular targets mediating the effects of gut bacteria on obesity. He studied these influences relative to Bifidobacterium sp., another common probiotic bacterium. His research showed that the chosen strain of Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus casei) did not result in increased fat-storage and that the chosen strain of Bifidobacterium (Bifidobacterium longum) decreased adipose fat storage correlated with increased intestinal FIAF protein levels and decreased LPL-activity. He also demonstrated that these probiotic bacteria are able to influence the activity of intestinal brush-border enzymes and this may serve as an additional mechanism of microbial impact on dietary energy-harvest by impacting the final stages of carbohydrate digestion. Although these results need to be validated in vivo, Cotten’s thesis research suggests that the common probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus casei does not pose a risk for increased obesity. Also, Bifidobacterium longum-mediated increases in FIAF levels may partly explain the low risk of obesity associated with breastfeeding, as this organism is enriched in the intestines of breast-fed infants.

It has been shown that lean and obese individuals differ in the type of bacteria present in their gut. Gut bacteria have been shown to influence diet-related obesity via two main mechanisms: (a) breakdown of undigested complex carbohydrates in the colon using gut-bacterial enzymes, resulting in increased ‘caloric-extraction’ from the diet and (b) suppression of a protein called fasting-induced adipocyte factor (FIAF) in the gut, resulting in increased fat-storage in the adipose by increased activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase. This knowledge has identified gut bacteria as the latest novel target for impacting obesity. An established dietary means of influencing an individual’s gut flora and related health status is the consumption of foods and supplements containing probiotic bacteria and prebiotic carbohydrates. Interestingly, the most common probiotic bacterium used in foods and supplements (Lactobacillus sp.) belongs to the group of bacteria that are enriched in obese individuals, raising concerns about the possible adverse effects of this bacterium on obesity.

Cotten defends his thesis.

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GRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT (cont.)

Reese E. Cotten, Human Nutrition Major

Impact on the Human Nutrition program and

graduate student opportunities: The field of gut microflora’s impact on metabolic health is a rapidly emerging field and Cotten’s results will allow the Human Nutrition program to contribute to this exciting new area. This research also integrates well with one of the Human Nutrition program’s existing focus areas aimed at obesity prevention in the community including breastfeeding education. Cotten’s paper at the Experimental Biology (EB) meeting, the annual international meeting of the American Society for Nutrition was well received in 2010. Mr. Cotten has also submitted an abstract for the EB 2011 meeting as part of a targeted session on Dietary Bioactives including Probiotics. Exposure of the programs research at big international meetings such as these will hopefully attract more high caliber students to the Human Nutrition program, further enhancing the faculty research agenda. Two other graduate students Priscilla Pham (funded by a Research Fellowship from the CAA) and Shaniece Parker are continuing this line of research as part of their thesis projects. Research training in cutting-edge topics will position Texas State’s Human Nutrition students well for various government scholarships, fellowships, internships and competitive PhD programs. Research in molecular nutrition will also add to the students’ understanding of the principles behind dietary recommendations, enhancing their expertise as a nutrition educator or dietetics professional. Mr. Cotten has taken a job as a Dietary Consultant in the Austin/San Antonio area where he will be working in various long-term care facilities and collaborating with other Registered Dietitians and Nursing consultants in the area. In early 2010, he became a father to a beautiful boy, Lee Reese Cotten as well as became engaged to his best friend Shannon Marie Dodd. He plans to continue his education by pursuing a PhD and his love for research in the future.

Reese congratulations on your research & academic success!

Cotton is congratulated by Committee Chair Dr. Vatsala Maitin at the conclusion of his

thesis defense on November 1st.

Cotten with girlfriend, Shannon Marie Dodd and son, Lee Reese Cotton.

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GRADUATE STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS


Department of Agriculture

HOMECOMING WEEK IN THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

During the week before homecoming, Graduate Student Alyson Ivey led the student organizations of the Department of Agriculture in a frenzy of Homecoming week activities. The following student organizations had booths set up in the quad: Agriculture Ambassadors, CFFA, Ag. Systems Organization, and Block and Bridle. The organizations sold sausage wraps, t-shirts, and entered people into the washers tournament and the Annual Kill It and Grill It cook-off to be held before the homecoming football game.

On Friday, the Ag. Department made a valiant effort in the Soap Box Derby, winning their first three heats. Starting at 4 a.m. on Saturday teams began setting up their pits for Kill It and Grill It organized by the Agriculture Ambassadors. About fifteen teams competed in the cook-off in the categories of: killed it, bought it, baked it, and grew it. About ten volunteers judged the categories including faculty from the Department of Agriculture, and the Dean of the College of Applied Arts. The grand champion prize given away was a fire pit. Other prizes were given for the top three places in each category, the overall runner-up, and the best in showmanship.

The Ag. Systems Organization organized and held a washers tournament during the Kill It and Grill It cook-off, the winning team won a $100 prize. The winners of Kill It and Grill It were announced and prizes were handed out right before the beginning of the homecoming football game. The event is a great way for students to interact outside of school with their classmates and faculty, and to put their barbeque recipes to the test!

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Publications (graduate students marked with an *): Waliczek, T.M. and J. Zajicek. 2010. The benefits of integrating service teaching and learning techniques into an undergraduate horticulture curriculum, HortTechnology, 20:5. Sommerfeld, A.J., T.M. Waliczek and J.M. Zajicek. 2010. Growing Minds: Evaluating the effect of gardening on quality of life and physical activity level of older adults, HortTechnology, 20:4. Sommerfeld, A.J., McFarland*, A. M., and T. M. Waliczek and J.M. Zajicek. 2010. Growing minds: Evaluating the relationship between gardening and fruit and vegetable consumption in older adults, HortTechnology, 20:4. Presentations (graduate students marked with an *): Sanders*, J. and T. M. Waliczek. 2010. Funding options for university recycling programs. State of Texas Recycling and Sustainability Summit, October, San Antonio, TX. Montoya*, J., Sanders, J. and T. M. Waliczek. 2010. Bobcat Blend – Campus food collections and composting. State of Texas Recycling and Sustainability Summit, October, San Antonio, TX. Matthews*, J. and T. M. Waliczek. 2010. The relationship between levels of greenery and landscaping at track and field sites, anxiety and sports performance of collegiate track and field athletes. HortScience, August, Palm Desert, CA. McFarland*, A. M., J.M. Zajicek and T.M. Waliczek. 2010. Growing Minds: The relationship between parents’ attitudes about nature and the development of fine and gross motor skills in children. HortScience, August, Palm Desert, CA. Montoya*, J. and T. M. Waliczek. 2010. Large-scale composting as a means of managing Eichhornia crassipes, water hyacinth. HortScience, August, Palm Desert, CA. Sanders*, J. and T.M. Waliczek. 2010. Bobcat Blend: An economic analysis of a student-run university campus-composting program. HortScience, August, Palm Desert, CA.


Department of Agriculture (cont.) Faculty and Graduate Student Collaborations

Agricultural Bio-Security Workshop

January 11-12, 2011 For registration details contact the Department of Agriculture at #512-245-2130.

The Ag Department is in the midst of developing a training course that specifically addresses Ag Bio-Security matters relevant to south central Texas. This is a dynamic area in respect to flow of raw and processed agriculture products and thus the importance of a training course seems high. However, we need your input on specific topics to cover in the course. Jeff Witte, Director of Ag Bio-Security for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and New Mexico State University will be the instructor for the course.

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Saucier, P.R., & McKim, B.R. (2010). A meta-analysis of teacher self-efficacy towards agricultural mechanics laboratory management. Paper presented at the 2010 National Agricultural Mechanics Committee Blue Ribbon Poster Session, USA, 39-52. Saucier, P.R., & Tummons, J.D. (2010). Career development event professional development needs of Missouri agricultural educators. Paper presented at the 2010 National Agricultural Mechanics Committee Blue Ribbon Poster Session, USA, 23-38. Dr. P. Ryan Saucier has been named as an Associate Superintendent of the National Agricultural Mechanics Career Development Event Committee with the National FFA Organization. This has a 5-year term. Popular Press articles: --Texas State University and the Bobcat Blend composting project featured in last month’s issue of Biocycle magazine: Sullivan, D. 2010. College Students initiate food waste diversion. Biocycle, September, pg. 65-67.


Department of Agriculture (cont.)

This year the Texas State University Recycling program will be set up in the Quad, celebrating Texas Recycles Day on Thursday, November 18th. Representatives from the Texas State Recycling program will be present to provide information, resources, and small giveaway items. Please look for our information booth that will be displaying a Texas Recycles Day banner. The Texas Recycles Day <http://www.texasrecyclesday.org/> website has a wealth of information on going green and general recycling practices. The theme for TRD is “it all comes back to you”, emphasizing reduce, reuse, recycle, and rebuy. You may also link to the TRD website through our website at http://recycling.facilities.txstate.edu/. <http://recycling.facilities.txstate.edu/> The National Association of Environmental Professionals <http://www.geo.txstate.edu/studentorgs/naep/> will also be present in the Quad to promote recycling and environmental sustainability. The Texas State Recycling Program would like to encourage you to make an effort to recycle, especially on this day. Recycling on our campus is strictly a voluntary effort but it’s the right thing to do. There are indoor and outdoor recycling receptacles for plastic and aluminum throughout campus. Visit our website <http://recycling.facilities.txstate.edu/> for recycling pickup schedules and lists of items you may recycle through the Texas State Recycling Program. Please recycle the Earth does have limits!

Questions can be directed to Mario Garza at 245-7733.

Faculty Accomplishments

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Department of Criminal Justice


Jerry Kovar completed his MSCJ from Texas State in August 2008. In 2009 he was selected and attended the prestigious FBI National Academy's 237th Session.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/training/national-academy. Upon his return, he was hired by Texas State University and began teaching as an associate professor for the CJ Department at RRHEC. A testament of the high caliber students our graduate programs produce. Congratulations Jerry, we are so proud of you.

Dr. Dave Perkins presented academic paper entitled "A Hearsay Exemption for Elderly Adult Witnesses: Cases of Infant Statute Mortality?" at the Annual Conference of the Southwest Association on Criminal Justice, Little Rock, Arkansas, October 8, 2010. Dr. Mark C. Stafford was recently honored by the establishment of a named professorship in his name at the Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, one of the top criminology programs in the country. Dr. Daniel P. Mears, on whose dissertation Dr. Stafford served, was the recipient of this prestigious honor; he is now the Mark C. Stafford Professor of Criminology. The awarding of a professorship in honor of his name is a testament to Dr. Stafford's prominence in the field of criminology. Congratulations, Dr. Stafford!

McMains, M.J. & Mullins, W.C. (2010). Crisis negotiations: Managing critical incidents and hostage situations in law enforcement and corrections. LexisNexis (sold to Elsevoir earlier this year). 4th Edition.

Publication of a new book co-authored by Dr. Marcus Felson, “Tendencias en prevención del delito y sus límites. Privacidad y dignidad humana frente al uso de las nuevas tecnologías” By: Jose R. Agustina, D. Solove, Andrew von Hirsch, Reed Hayes, Marcus Felson, Ronald V. Clarke, and Amitai Etzioni Publisher: Montevideo and Bueonos Aires: BdeF-Edisofer, 2010 Disclaimer: Jose Ramon Agustina organized this, and arranged for the Spanish translation of Dr. Felson’s portion, co-authored with Ron Clarke

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Hostage Conference & Seminar

Texas State University & the Department of Criminal Justice

Hosts the

21st Annual Competition & Seminar for Crisis Negotiations

January 11-13, 2011

Announcement & Registration Information Every January, the Criminal Justice Department at Texas State University opens its doors to a number of Crisis and Hostage Negotiation teams from around the nation. The conference & seminar is a three-day event, consisting of a full day of classes, which explore the latest issues faced by negotiators, as well as a two-day training component involving mock hostage situations. Classroom and training hours combined accredit participants with a total of 24 TCLEOSE hours. This will be Texas State’s 21st Crisis and Hostage Negotiation Seminar & Conference and we are looking forward to it being a great one. Our goal is to provide realistic training in which the scenarios are experientially based. When working a mock hostage situation that is presented, trained and experienced negotiators evaluate a team’s performance, which provides an opportunity to learn how other teams handle certain situations. The Hostage Negotiation Competition & Seminar is supplemental to any training hostage teams have previously received.


Department of Criminal Justice (cont.)


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Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

FCD Grad Students Build Social Network

The Family and Child Development Graduate Students held a potluck on Saturday, September 11 in Sewell Park. We received a great turnout from new and returning students as well as faculty and family members. Everyone enjoyed the chance to meet new people and get better acquainted with others. We hope this will be the first of several social events this semester so that we may foster a sense of unity among the students and faculty within the program.

Research supports the importance of social networks for college success. To read more, go to

http://www.ihep.org/press-room/news_release-detail.cfm?id=192

Texas Citrus Fiesta Showcased Citrus-Themed Apparel

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Texas State University-San Marcos presented “From Field to Fantasy: The Art of Costume Produced for the Texas Citrus Fiesta” Thursday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. The free event was held in room 158 of the Family and Consumer Science Building on campus, served as an inauguration of the fashion merchandising program’s new Historic Textiles and Apparel Exhibition Gallery.

On display were handmade costumes, crafted from dried, powdered and crystallized fruits and vegetables, which had been featured in the annual Texas Citrus Fiesta Product Costume Show. A reception featuring traditional mariachi music, folklorico dancers and citrus fruit followed the exhibit.

Event organizers traced the history and traditions of the Citrus Fiesta, an annual celebration of Texas’ citrus industry that started in 1932 in Mission, Texas. The costume exhibit consisted of past and current entries in the festival’s product show. In addition, costume makers were on hand to demonstrate their techniques and show examples of their art.

The elaborate folk-art costumes had been part of the Citrus Fiesta since 1934, and had been featured in such publications as National Geographic, Southern Living and Texas Monthly, as well as in exhibitions around the country.

Also on view will be a collage featuring evening gowns of Marialice Shivers, former first lady of Texas and daughter of Texas citrus industry pioneer John Shary, as well as evening gowns worn by past winners of Queen Citriana, the top female title in the Citrus Fiesta’s royal court.

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Christy Williams successfully defended her master’s thesis entitled: “Perceived Personal, Family, and Professional Resources as Predictors of Burnout and Secondary Trauma among Forensic Interviewers” on October 21, 2010. Her thesis committee was comprised of Drs. Michelle Toews (advisor), Sally Hill Jones, and Karen Knox. Former graduate student Brittany Kolkhorst, Drs. Ani Yazedjian and Michelle Toews published “A longitudinal examination of parental attachment, college adjustment and academic achievement” in The Journal of the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. The article is based on data from Brittany Kolkhorst’s master’s thesis. Dr. Ani Yazedjian, former graduate student Becki Kielaszek, and Dr. Michelle Toews published “Students’ perceptions regarding their impending transition out of college” in The Journal of the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. Last November, Becki Kielaszek presented these findings as a poster at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations. Drs. Ani Yazedjian and Michelle Toews are currently implementing their project exploring young adults’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors concerning sexual activity and contraception. This project was funded by the office of the Associate Vice President for Research and Federal Relations. This fall, quantitative data are being collected from current freshmen at Texas State. In the spring, individual interviews will be conducted with a subsample of students to explore these topics in greater detail. The project will continue through 2012 and will include two more waves of data collection. Graduate student Sarah Clausen is assisting on this project. M.S. Human Nutrition student Reese E. Cotten (Thesis advisor: Dr. Vatsala Maitin) successfully defined his thesis entitled “Probiotic Modulation of Digestive Enzymes and Fasting-Induced Adipocyte Factor (FIAF) as Mediators of Diet-Related Obesity” on November 1st. On October 7th the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences hosted a re-dedication ceremony for the new wing of the FCS building. Dr. Vatsala Maitin's graduate students Shaniece Parker and Priscilla Pham led guest tours of selected laboratories in the new Nutrition Wing, including the Advanced Food Science teaching laboratory. Visitors were shown a variety of equipment used in food analysis and quality control, the new sensory tasting laboratory and were also given a brief overview of ongoing research in molecular and cellular nutrition in the FCS department.


Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (cont.) Graduate Student Accomplishments

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Dr. Ani Yazedjian, Associate Professor in Family and Consumer Sciences was selected as the 2010-2011 Presidential Fellow. Her project will focus on strategies to enhance Texas State’s internationalization efforts.

Drs. Michelle Toews and Ani Yazedjian published “I learned the bad things I’m doing: Adolescent mothers’ perceptions of a relationship education program” in Marriage and Family Review.

Drs. Michelle Toews and Ani Yazedjian also published “Personal and interpersonal factors as predictors of college success among White and Hispanic college students: An overview” in the

Journal of Education Research.

Dr. Ani Yazedjian, former graduate student Becki Kielaszek, and Dr. Michelle Toews published “Students’ perceptions regarding their impending transition out of college” in The Journal of the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. Last November, Becki Kielaszek presented these findings as a poster at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations.

Dr. Michelle Toews attended Phi Upsilon Omicron Conclave 2010 in Savannah, Georgia on September 19-21 where she accepted the award the students of the Texas State Chapter received for placing first in the nation for their professional project. The goal of the professional project is for students to utilize the knowledge and skills they have gained to serve the community in some way. Their award-winning project involved improving the aesthetic appeal of the lobby at the Child Development Center, creating a dramatic play area for the children, and writing educational brochures for the parents.

In September, Dr. Rob Wildman PhD, RD, LD, FISSN was named Wellness Editor of SCAN's Pulse. This is the peer-reviewed newsletter of the ADA subpractice group for Sports and Cardiovascular Nutritionists.

McCormick-Vattem/Maitin Collaboration Established

McCormick & Company, Inc. a Fortune 100 company and global leader in dietary herbs and spices have entered into research collaboration with Dr. Dhiraj Vattem and Dr. Vatsala Maitin. Senior scientists from McCormick became interested in research on Herbs/Spices in Vattem-Maitin lab after listening to research talks presented by their graduate students (Corey DeLeon and Christen Lester) at the Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA (April 2010). McCormick scientists expressed interest in a potential research collaboration via a conference call that included the VP R&D.

A group of two principal scientists and the Global Executive Director of McCormick Science Institute then visited Texas State University on Aug 10-11, 2010 and met with Dr. Vattem and Dr. Maitin to discuss possible collaborative opportunities. On Oct. 1, 2010, McCormick funded a Phase-I contract to investigate “Cardiovascular and Anti-atherogenic properties of dietary herbs and spices”. The specific objectives of this project are to evaluate the effect of proprietary herbs and spices on molecular and biochemical markers of endothelial function including inflammation, vasodilation, plaque formation and hypertension. Initial experiments in this project are underway and both parties are looking forward to publishing this research in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at international conferences.

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Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (cont.) Faculty Collaborations

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Refereed Journal Articles (*Graduate Student, **Undergraduate Student)

Davis, K., *Misener, J., Tran, J., Heitmeyer, J., Sullivan P. (2010). Lifestyle retail internet marketing: How does it meet consumer needs, Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing,3 (2): 156-173.

Contribution to Book Chapter

Sullivan P., Shaw, K. (2010). YouTube: Retailing’s Inexpensive Way to Reach Consumers, in Retailing (7), Dunne, P.M. and Lusch, R.F., Mason, OH, South-Western.

Refereed Published Proceedings (*Graduate Student, **Undergraduate Student) Welkey, S., Sullivan, P., Tyner, K., DuPont, A. Blaylock, K., Fortenberry, S. (2010). Graduate programs for retail merchandising: Options for delivery, International Textile and Apparel Association Proceedings, Montreal, Quebec, CA, October 27-30, 2010.

External Grants, Competitive Funding (Funded $301,169) 2010 DuPont, A., Sullivan, P., Hustvedt, G. Tyner, K. , Cotton, Inc. $31,839


Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (cont.)

Faculty Collaborations

Post-Doctoral Scholar Hired in Vattem-Maitin Lab Dr. Willie Agee, PhD from Medical College of Georgia was hired as a Post-Doctoral Scientist on the McCormick Funded project on “Cardiovascular and Anti-atherogenic properties of dietary herbs and spices”. Dr. Agee completed his PhD in Prof. Stuart Thompson’s lab on “The Role of Trigger Factor in Campylobactor jejuni pathogenesis”. Dr. Agee brings his vast experience and excellent training in molecular biology. He will work with other graduate students and research assistants on the

Graduate Students to Present at International Conference

Brandon Jamison, a MS Human Nutrition Student in Dr. Dhiraj Vattem's (Nutrition, FCS) lab will present a poster titled "Silicates-Novel Modulators of Biological Stress Response?" at Society of Free Radical Biology and Medicine Annual Meeting (Orlando, FL) on November 17, 2010. This presentation is the latest outcome from the ongoing Phase-II, industry funded research collaboration between Prof. C. Reed Richardson (Chair, Agriculture) on 'In vivo biological effects of silicates'. Other students, Deana Townsend (Agriculture), Nick Swift (Agriculture), Sarah Neely (Nutrition), Leanna McMillin (Nutrition), also contributed equally to this project.

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOGG FOUNDATION SPONSORS SPEAKERS

The Hogg Foundation and Texas State’s Center for Children and Families is sponsoring two speakers to address bilingual social service issues. Dr. Rosamaria Murillo, who has worked with Spanish-speaking HIV/AIDS patients in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, spoke on Nov. 8 about the growing need for bilingual social services throughout the United States. On Nov. 22, Abel Rodriquez, an MSW alumnus of Texas State who has worked extensively with bilingual youth, will address the growing need for bilingual workers in Hospice care. Both speakers are sponsored by the Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society and the Organization of Student Social Workers. The Hogg Foundation Bilingual Mental Health fellows will be special guests at these presentations.


School of Social Work GRADUATE STUDENT Accomplishments

The advocate’s efforts resulted in a critical analysis of existing state policy followed by the drafting, filing, lobbying, testifying before a subcommittee, and passing of House Bill (HB) 2245 through the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas Legislature in 2009. Proposed amendments to the Texas Family Code included automatically restricting access of juvenile justice records to law enforcement alone at the age of 19 for cases that did not include a violent or habitual felony; as well as informing juveniles of their sealing rights and the potential consequences of having a justice record. Automatic Restricted Access does not require any action by the child, child’s family or lawyer, but occurs automatically at 19 if the child doesn’t commit a crime in the future… The advocate learned that direct social work practitioners can influence state policy by serving vulnerable populations, challenging social injustice, evaluating policy, taking political action and advocating for social welfare. Throughout the process of creating and steering this bill through the legislature he was also reminded that the resiliency and strengths of vulnerable youth should not be overlooked as formidable resources. The graduate intern realized legislators are impacted more by a few minutes with persons affected by the statute at hand, than by hours of research data, reports or multiple visits from advocates. This project provided an opportunity for students, faculty and community partners to act as grassroots agents of positive change.

David Gwin, a May graduate from the Master in Social Work degree from The School of Social Work, received the first place award in the annual Influencing State Policy contest for his policy work on sealing juvenile records in the state of Texas. Below is an excerpt explaining his award-winning political advocacy.

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School of Social Work (cont.) GRADUATE STUDENT Accomplishments

Texas State Hogg Foundation Bilingual Fellows Meet the Dean

On Nov. 10, four Hogg Foundation Bilingual Mental Health Fellows who are pursuing graduate degrees in Social Work at Texas State University-San Marcos met with Dr. Jaime Chahin, Dean of the College of Applied Arts to discuss their plans for the future. The students were awarded tuition-and-fees scholarships for Fall 2010/Spring 2011 by the Hogg Foundation to encourage more graduate students to pursue careers in bilingual mental health. Sable Galindo, a resident of San Marcos, says that she discovered her passion for bilingual social work during her summer internship working with immigrants from Central America. She saw first-hand the kinds of barriers and limitations Spanish-speaking populations face and the great need for bilingual workers in social services. After graduation, Sable plans to utilize pet therapy to treat Spanish-speaking children with mental health issues. Veronica Soto hails from Corpus Christi, Texas, and is pursuing her MSW degree part-time. After graduation, she plans to work with refugee children who have immigrated to the United States from Central America. Cecilia Actis works part-time as an AmeriCorps member with Communities in the Schools at Simon Middle School in Kyle. She says her bilingual skills help her connect with Spanish-speaking families whose children attend the school. She wants to pursue mental health work with Spanish-speaking children and their families after completing her MSW. Erika Gomez comes from Del Rio, Texas. Currently an employee at the Department of Family and Protective Services and a part-time social work graduate student, Erika plans to return to the Del Rio area after graduation to provide mental health services to Spanish-speaking migrant workers. Dean Chahin challenged students to be thinking ahead of the kinds of needs geriatric patients will be requiring in areas of the country that are largely Spanish speaking. He noted that he has seen no nursing homes or assisted living facilities where the kind of home atmosphere so important to Latinos has been re-created. Although Latino families have historically cared for the elderly in their own homes, the kind of work demands of the twenty-first century that often require both couples in a family to hold down full-time jobs may also require Latinos to consider utilizing nursing home facilities. If so, these environments need to provide the kind of food, music, home atmosphere, and language familiar to Latinos in order to ward off depression, said the Dean.

(L-R) Sable Galindo, Erika Gomez, Dean Chahin,

Veronica Soto, and Cecilia Actis.

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Dr. Katherine Selber, Dr. Nancy Feyl Chavkin, and David Gwin presented “Preparing Universities to Serve Student Veterans: Serving Those Who Have Served Us” at CSWE in Portland, Oregon on October 15, 2010. Dr. Katherine Selber, Dr. Nancy Feyl Chavkin, Jessica Hinojosa, Arnold Williams, and David Gwin presented a poster “Preparing for Returning Veterans: A Unique Model for Educating Social Workers” at CSWE in Portland, Oregon on October 16, 2010. Dr. Nancy Feyl Chavkin, Dr. Katherine Selber, and Arnold Williams presented “Veterans Services at Texas State: Closing the Gaps Proposal” at NASW in Houston on October 9, 2010. Dr. Nancy Feyl Chavkin facilitated a workgroup, “Improving Faculty Attitudes Toward Child Welfare” at CSWE in Portland, Oregon on October 14, 2010. Norton, C., & Tucker, A. (2010). Adventure-based group work in social work education and practice. Groupwork, 20(3). Deepak, A. (2010, August). Exploring Racism and Anti-Racism Through Hurricane Katrina. Presented at Pflugerville Public Schools Diversity Conference. Deepak, A., Russell, A. & Heald, A. (2010, October). The Social Capital of Marginalized Youth on MySpace. Presented at NASW Conference, Houston, TX. (note: the third presenter is Alisa Heald, a recent MSW graduate who worked with us while she was a grad student on the research that led to this presentation) Hawkins, C., Norton, C., Noble, D., Knox, K, & Deepak, A. (2010, October). Sustainability and Human Rights: Incorporating Environmental Justice Into Social Work Education. Presented at NASW Conference, Houston, TX. On Saturday, November 13, 2010, Dr. Dorinda Noble was elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). This is an organization of US states and provinces, as well as of all Canadian provinces. The organization owns and oversees all social work licensing tests and works with member licensing boards. Posters: Deepak, A. & Wisner, B. (2010, October). Gendering Religion in Social Work Education: A Postcolonial Feminist Perspective. Poster presentation at CSWE Annual Program Meeting.

Travis, R. & Deepak, A. (2010, October). Empowerment in Context: Lessons from Hip-Hop Culture for Social Work. Poster presentation at CSWE Annual Program Meeting.


School of Social Work (cont.) Faculty & Graduate student Collaborations

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Occupational Education Program Faculty Accomplishments

Texas State is in the News -- in Afghanistan ... The ultimate goal is to teach the Afghan leaders to co-opt the locals better than the Taliban can. They have to "develop a method for co-opting ... Afghan communities positively by opening opportunities for the communities to access wealth," such as giving them access to electricity, new schools or clinics, explains Staff Sergeant Steven Dietz, Ph.D., an Army reservist and professor from Texas State University. Throughout, the U.S. has the power only to encourage, not to coerce, a change in behavior or in Afghan leadership, if a given official simply won't change their ways, the team explains. And in some cases, the Americans may have to look the other way, as the Afghan people do, the Red Team recommends. Afghans often tolerate local leaders enriching themselves to some extent, as long as they're seen to be sharing that wealth, Dietz explains. As for long-term changes, the Red Team recommends patience. Dietz compares the current Afghan system to the evolving political system of the U.S. in the early 1900s. "We've talked about can you go from a feudal-like system ... to a participatory democracy, without all of the intervening steps — monarchy, industrialization," says Dietz. "You can't do that overnight. We can't make it happen just because we want it to happen."

Entire article can be read at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100925/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan_red_team

Dr. Stephen Springer, Program Chair, provided a presentation on PTSD especially related to students attending the junior college. This was presented at the national NCPN conference in Dallas, Texas." (October, 2010)

Dr. Jaime Chahin, has been invited to serve on the Advisory Committee of EarthSky, a National Science Foundation (NSF) en Español project. The Español project was proposed to the NSF in late 2009 with the objective to produce a series of short videos featuring Spanish-speaking scientists talking about their work, its practical applications, and their passion for science.

A sample EarthSky en Español video clip can be viewed through the link below:

http://earthsky.org/wp-content/uploads/files/EarthSky_RoboticaEvolutiva.mov

EarthSky is committed to capturing the voices of the best and brightest Spanish-speaking scientists.

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Occupational Education Program (cont.)

GRADUATE RESEARCH FORUM Thursday, December 2nd

Agriculture Building, #204, 6 pm

Dr. Stephen Springer, current Chair of the Occupational Education Program will begin the evening event with a brief presentation to the graduation candidates. A three-member panel consisting of Drs. Enrique Solis, Bobby Vasquez and Carmen A. Romo de Vivar will judge each research presentation. Research presented will be judged on; effective delivery and sound communication techniques with clear organization; significance of the problem that would lead to an appropriate review of related research literature; methods utilized in the study fit the problem well; results are fully presented and explained; and finally that the conclusions and implications are appropriate and supported by the results and overall study. For event details please contact Dr. Matt Eichler at 245-3566 or [email protected].

Graduate Student Research Presentations include:

1. Harry Bowers, “Understanding Why Pre-Mass Communication Majors Leave the Program” 2. Michele Rivera, “Communication in the Workplace: A Perception Check in the 2010

Workplace” 3. Gil Alvarez, “More Sleep Study Information: Can it Translate to Better Patient Comfort

During the First Night at a Sleep Testing Center” 4. Amanda Martinez, “The Presence of Insomnia and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in a

Veteran Population on a College Campus” 5. Laela Wilson, “Personality Type and Advising Preference: Is there a Correlation?”

College of Applied Arts Master ’s Hooding

Ceremony Honoring

Student Research &

Scholarly Accomplishment

Thursday December 16th, 6pm Alkek Teaching Theater

Invi te your Faculty , family and fr iends to celebrate the accomplishment of an

academic milestone.

RSVP by December 6 th to Yolanda Quintanil la at

512-245-3538

Graduate Studies News & Events

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Thus aoccdrnig to Matt Davis, Cmabrigde Uinervtisy.

See: Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy

Source: http://didyouknow.org/aoccdrnig-to-rscheearch-at-cmabrigde-uinervtisy/

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Newsletter Editor Yolanda Quintanilla Graduate Recruiter

College of Applied Arts Agriculture Building, #306

[email protected] 245-3538

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

Fall 2010 Graduation Candidates

John Montoya, MSAG

Robert Beach, MSCJ

Georgianna Brain, MSCJ Charles Conditt, MSCJ Chelsea Dang, MSCJ

Joshua Ferrado, MSCJ Patricia Hom, MSCJ

Robert Hughes, MSCJ Robert Leibas, MSCJ

Adam Marmolejo, MSCJ David Martinez, MSCJ Chelsea Mizell, MSCJ

Tabitha Morales, MSCJ Sinead Seba, MSCJ

Elizabeth Albers, MS

Christy Alexander Williams, MS Jennifer Garibay, MS

Molly Kier, MS Ashley Meyka, MS Jordan Perkins, MS Andre Spence, MS

Reese Cotton, MS Krista Lindley, MS

Shannon McKeown, MS Suzanne Silva, MS

Gil Alvarez, MSIS

Harry Bowers, MSIS Kanungnit Cagle, MED

Alicia Gagne, MED Amanda Martinez, MSIS

Michele Rivera, MSIS Laela Wilson, MSIS

Imelda Crothers, MSW

Patrece Mack, MSW Leah Meyer, MSW

Jamie Roberts, MSW Mayra Torres, MSW Cessily White, MSW

November 2010 Newsletter, Texas State College of Applied Arts

Documents

Transcript of November 2010 Newsletter, Texas State College of Applied Arts