Recent Publications, Presentations, and Awards

Publications
Jennifer Haney, assistant professor of EGGS, recently published a paper, "Science or Fiction: The Persistence of Disaster Myths in Hollywood Films" in the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters.

Debra Minzola, assistant professor of nursing, recently published a paper, "Damage Control Rususcitation of a Patient with Tramatic Aortic Rupture: A Case Report." in the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Journal.  This work was a collaboration with the Geisinger Medical Center.

John M. Hranitz, professor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "Thermal tolerance varies with dim-light foraging and elevation in large carpenter bees (hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini)" in Ecological Entomology.  Stephen Tapsak, undergraduate Biology and EGGS major, was also an author on the paper, along with collaborators in a 2019 Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, from the University of Kansas, the University of Texas, Pomoma College, University of Aegean, and the University of Central Oklahoma.  Funding by the National Science Foundation (DBI 1560389) to the host institution, University of Central Oklahoma, for 2016-2019.

Karl Kapp, professor of Instructional Technology, and co-authors recently published a paper, "Enhancing motivation in workplace training with casual games: a twelve month field study of retail employees" in Educational Technology Research and Development.

Pamela Smith, professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, recently published a paper, "Palliative Care in Dysphagia and Dementia" in Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups.


Adrian Van Rythoven, assistant professor of EGGS, and co-authors recently published a paper, "Ultramafic xenoliths from the 1.15 Ga Certac kimberlite, eastern Superior Craton" in The Canadian Mineralogist.


Sean Hartzell, instructor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "An amelanistic Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum (Caudata: Ambystomidae) from Eastern Pennsylvania" in Herpetology Notes.

John M. Hranitz, professor of BAHS, recently published a paper, "Effect of pan trap size on the diversity of sampled bees and abundance of bycatch" in Journal of Insect Conservation.  Cody Pavlick, a spring 2019 B.S. Biology graduate, was also an author on the paper.  The paper stems from research conducted on Lesvos Island Greece with collaborators in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program from University of Kansas, The College of New Jersey, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Unidad para el Conocimiento (Guatemala), University of the Aegean (Greece), and University of Central Oklahoma. Funding by the National Science Foundation (DBI 1560389) to the host institution, University of Central Oklahoma, for 2016-2019.


Presentations
Daniel McCurry, assistant professor of Chemisty and Biochemistry, was scheduled to present at the ACS (American Chemical Society) 2020 National Meeting and Expo.  His presentation, "Modified surface-limited redox replacement for template-free nanodeposition" presented research conducted by BU undergraduate, Stepan Budkin.

Awards 
Pamela Cook and Rebecca Toothaker, assistant professors in nursing, received the 2020 Generating Evidence for Nursing Education Practice Award for their abstract "Student Perceptions of Just Culture in Nursing Education Programs: A Multi-Site Study" presented virtually as part of the 2020 Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC).  This prestigious award was in reference to a national research study in assessing a safe and just culture in nursing educational programs.  The results from this study are a call to action for nursing education to emphasize the tenets of just culture, error reporting, and quality improvement.

2019 COST Faculty Recognition Awards

Shown from left: Shelley Scarpino, John Riley, Eric Kahn, Barry Minemeyer, Biswajit Ray,
and Cynthia Venn.

The College of Science and Technology is proud to announce the 2019 Faculty Recognition Awards.  The award winners are Dr. Barry Minemyer and Dr. Cynthia Venn for teaching, Dr. Eric Kahn and Dr. Shelley Scarpino for scholarly activity, and Dr. Biswajit Ray and Dr. John Riley for service.

 Barry Minemyer (Mathematical and Digital Sciences)
Dr. Minemyer’s nominator highlighted the grace and skill with which Dr. Minemyer teaches his classes. Whether it be Gen Ed Courses like Math Thinking or College Algebra or STEM major courses like Calculus, Linear Algebra, or Real Analysis, Minemyer has impressed his colleagues and engaged his students. Dr. Minemyer has received praise-worthy student evaluations for preparation, enthusiasm, and instructor evaluation, even in Gen Ed courses like College Algebra. Minemyer continues to put student success at the forefront by developing online courses, teaching upper-level independent studies as needed, and working with underprepared students to improve their placement. His efforts are highly commendable for someone so early in his career at BU.

Cynthia Venn (Environment, Geographical, and Geological Sciences)
Dr. Venn’s nominator used one word to describe her: INDEFATIGABLE. Even after 23 years at BU, Dr. Venn remains an adamant advocate for student field experiences. From the Everglades to coastal California, Venn will take her students where the educational action is. Friday afternoons or spring break trips….Dr. Venn is ready with her legendary Wetlands Ecology course. And Dr. Venn has always returned with the class “field prepared”, mostly intact, and all accounted for. Venn's name is repeatedly mentioned during student exit interviews at the professor having an intensely positive effect on student’s time at BU. Her efforts to prepare our students for success are greatly appreciated.

Eric Kahn (Mathematical and Digital Sciences)
Dr. Kahn’s scholarship truly epitomizes the Teaching Scholar model and his efforts were recognized by his nominators for their scholarly depth and quality. His nominators highlighted his shifting research emphases toward accessibility of mathematics to undergraduate students and toward bolstering Inquiry-Based Learning. Kahn has published a paper on the teaching history of mathematics and a textbook that teaches mathematics and statistics through the lens of sports. He has additionally taught an invited mini-course at the 2019 Joint Mathematical Conference. He has also been an attendee and presenter at international and national conferences related to his ever-expanding research interests in the mathematics field.

Shelley Scarpino (Communication Sciences and Disorders)
Dr. Scarpino’s nominator highlighted her impactful research on communication and pre-literacy skills in children of diverse backgrounds and are at risk for poor academic outcomes. She published two papers in 2019, has one manuscript pending revisions, and another four manuscripts under review. Her research also includes six international and fifteen national presentations. She also engages students with research, with seven BU co-presenters on the aforementioned presentations. Scarpino also is a Co-PI on a 1.4 million dollar grant and her research future shines bright as her research scope broadens via local school collaborations.

Biswajit Ray (Physics and Engineering Technology)
Dr. Ray’s nominators highlight his dedicated and high-quality service to his department, COST, and BU. Ray has taken the lead role in maintaining the Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) program accreditation by ABET, which will continue for another 6 years. The process is rigorous and requires a dedicated and organized leader to collect and process the self-study and follow-up reports. ABET also recognized our EET program as one of the best they have ever evaluated. Ray also relentlessly pursues new industrial members to the EET Industrial Advisory Board and manages the Co-Op program. Through accreditation and his other service efforts, Ray keeps our student success in the forefront and opportunities beyond graduation.

John Riley (Mathematical and Digital Sciences)
Dr. Riley’s nominator noted his long-standing and impactful service to the COST and the university. His largest commitment is that of BUCC chair. He is the “go to” person for all curricular matter and readily lends his talents as a keen eye for curriculum matters. He has also shown great leadership as the coordinator for the Digital Forensics program that has blossomed and now garnered national recognition. Riley gladly takes on many “behind the scenes” roles in in DF so that his colleagues can do the “glamorous” things. Riley has also served on Middle States Working Groups, General Education Task Forces, Distance Education Committees. For all his efforts, Riley has been a positive role model and shining example of collegiality and fairness across our campus community.

Students Present at American Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention

Six students from the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders recently presented papers at the 2019 American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention in Orlando, FL.  The students were Cecelia Campanile (AuD 3^rd year Student), Kylie Connell (AuD 3^rd year Student), Miranda Mikelson (AuD 2^nd year Student), Jamie Daigle (AuD 2^nd year Student), Kimberly Winn (AuD 1^st year Student) and Monica Amarante (B.S. 3^rd year Student). Faculty member coauthors were Dr. Thomas Zalewski, Dr. Mohsin Ahmed Shaikh, and Dr. Dong Zhang.

Jamie Daigle, Miranda Mikelson, and Dr. Shaikh’s poster, “ANSI: A Necessity in Standardizing Hearing Instruments” was recognized as a Meritorious Poster by the Convention Program Committee as showing extraordinary, exceptional and innovative work. 

Hearing Handicap and Auditory Processing Disorder Relationship in Elderly Individuals by Cecelia Campanile, Dr. Zalewski and Dr. Zhang.

Tinnitus Diagnostic & Intervention Services Provided by Pennsylvania Audiologists by Monica Amarante, Kimberly Winn, and Dr. Zalewski.

Ear Asymmetry in Adaptation to Noise in Speech Recognition by Kylie Connell, Dr. Shaikh, and Dr. Zhang.

Laterality in Speech Perception in Noise Ability & Contralateral Suppression of Otoacoustic Emissions by Dr. Shaikh, Kylie Connell, and Dr. Zhang.

 

 The ASHA convention is the largest gathering of speech-language pathologists and audiologists in the country.

Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology (PAA) 26th Annual Convention

Dr. Jill McClelland, students Chelsea Hoy, Jamie Daigle, and Miranda Mikelson, and Dr. Joseph Motzko

Dr. Jim Zeigler, Dr. Nicole Balliet, Dr. Jill McClelland,
Dr. Renee Monahan, Dr. Joseph Motzko, and Dr. Lucy Corbin

Audiologists and students from all over the state came together to learn and hear from nationally renown researchers, educators, and industry professionals at the Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology (PAA) 26th Annual Convention in Lancaster, PA.  Attendees included Bloomsburg University graduates Dr. Jim Zeigler, Dr. Nicole Balliet (Secretary of PAA), Dr. Jill McClelland (President Elect of PAA), Dr. Renee Monahan, Dr. Joseph Motzko (Vice President of Membership of PAA), and Dr. Lucy Corbin (Past President of PAA). Current Bloomsburg University graduate students Chelsea Hoy, Jamie Daigle, and Miranda Mikelson also attended. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is one of three accredited universities in Pennsylvania to grant Doctor of Audiology degrees. The other two are Salus University and the University of Pittsburgh.

The Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology represents the "Voice of Audiology" within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The academy is the only state organization that is truly dedicated to meet the need of audiologists. The academy was started in 1991 by ten audiologists from all parts of the Commonwealth and now has a membership of over 140 audiologists.

The Academy is a professional organization of university-trained audiologists practicing in a variety of settings within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and adjacent states. PAA audiologists are dedicated to serving all people with hearing problems. The Academy promotes the profession of audiology as an autonomous profession to serve the hearing health care needs of all people. Further, the Academy fosters the ability of our members to achieve their career and professional objectives, provides quality continuing educational experiences, promotes public and consumer awareness of hearing problems and solutions to improve hearing, and advocates the profession of audiology to regulatory agencies and legislatures in the Pennsylvania general assembly.