It's Academic
Expanded language classes, a summer faculty seminar, a library exhibit, and a Russian film festival are all part of the University's Eurasia Initiative, a plan to boost interest and involvement in Russia, China, and Central Asia, a crucial region in our global community.
"This region is not only important for resources, but is at the center of many of the strategic and environmental issues that the world is facing today," said Dr. David McFadden, professor of history in the College of Arts & Sciences and program director.
Fairfield's Critical Languages Eurasia Initiative is funded, in part, by a two-year, $155,393 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The funds are being used to strengthen the International Studies curriculum, expand opportunities to study Chinese and Russian languages and Central Asian culture, and provide new study abroad experiences and stipends for curriculum development. U.S. Congressman Christopher Shays (R-4) was on hand for the grant announcement last year, saying "furthering educational opportunities for students to specialize in these emerging business regions will assist America in maintaining its competitiveness in the global marketplace."
As part of the initiative, the University hired a full-time Mandarin Chinese language professor, Dr. Jiwei Xiao, who began teaching in fall 2007. A new part-time instructor, Elena Syssoeva, teaches Russian language and coordinates and promotes Russian study. Language skills may encourage students to consider study abroad programs and research and career opportunities in the future, Dr. McFadden said. Fairfield has longstanding partnerships with universities in St. Petersburg, Arkangelsk, Kaliningrad, and Cherepovets. Fairfield students may also study at The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies. The grant will help the University strengthen communication with these programs and expand into other areas.
This spring, the University is hosting Professor Natalya Saltaeva, an instructor at the Russian-Tajik Slavonic University in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Ms. Saltaevais, who is living on campus, is working under the mentorship of Dr. Betsy Bowen, professor of English in CAS, on American literature, cultural diversity, and course design.
The Eurasia push also offers opportunities for faculty and staff. The International Studies Program and the project team are sponsoring a summer faculty curriculum development workshop, "Central Asia and the Caspian Basin: Conflict and Cooperation," during the week of June 16. The workshop will focus on the environment, resources, development, gender, and ethnic identities. Participants will receive a $500 stipend for attending and integrating what they've learned into their own teaching.
This effort ties in with the current revamping of the International Studies Program, which will take a thematic approach, focusing on global development, peace building and diplomacy, and humanitarian action and social justice.
The deadline for applications is Feb. 25. Those interested should contact Dr. McFadden at ext. 2871 or dmcfadden@mail.fairfield.edu for more information.
The library is on board as well, hosting "China, Russia, and Central Asia," an intriguing exhibit featuring art, artifacts, and rare books from the region. For more information on the exhibit running through March 15 during regular library hours, visit http://www.fairfield.edu/lib_eurasiaexhibit.html.
A smaller exhibit highlighting Russian and Chinese film will be on display in the lower level, in conjunction with the Russian Film Festival, which kicked off Jan. 24 with Aleksandr Sokurov's 2002 Russian Ark. Next up on Feb. 21 is a dubbed version of Aleksandr Zarkhi's Anna Karenina, released in 1967 in Russian. On March 13, Tengiz Abuladze's somber 1984 film Repentance takes the screen, revealing the Georgian director's interest in Stalin's impact on his homeland. The film series concludes on April 10 with director Nikita Mikhalkov's Anna: From Six till Eighteen. All films will begin at 7 p.m. in the DiMenna-Nyselius Library's multimedia room. Admission is free.
Dr. McFadden said he hopes the plethora of activities will boost interest across campus. "Russia and China are two countries that have to deal with each other - and we in the United States need to communicate with them both as well," he said. "About 40 of our faculty have been to Russia or China and we want to continue such opportunities. That helps make the connection real for students."
Dr. Lisle joins GSEAP as assistant dean
When Dr. Kristy Lisle took the job as chair of the Department of Education at Blackburn College, the Illinois school was on state probation and in real danger of being shut down. Four years later, she had not only rebuilt the flagging program, but earned Illinois State Accreditation using the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards with no weaknesses cited.
So it was no surprise that she was a perfect choice for assistant dean of the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions (GSEAP), which is now in the midst of its own NCATE evaluation. Though GSEAP is miles ahead of where Blackburn was, Dr. Lisle's experience preparing the detailed materials needed for the NCATE visit last week made the grueling process much easier, said Dr. Susan Franzosa, dean, GSEAP. "She brings a wealth of experience in advising, technology, and assessment to a very demanding job," Dr. Franzosa said. "She's been particularly helpful in our preparations for national accreditation."
Dr. Lisle takes the post left open when the former associate dean, Karen Creecy, retired in October after 21 years at the University.
A varied career that started with a degree in textile design and has included posts in both teaching and administration led Dr. Lisle to Fairfield, as did the University's Jesuit tradition. "I'm passionate about the holistic approach to education. It's about the whole person. And being here at Fairfield, we're already there. The conversation is so much more advanced."
A Florida native, Dr. Lisle earned her bachelor's degree at Florida State University and worked as a graphic designer and in admissions at a small Florida art school before taking a job as director of disability services at Florida's Barry College, which was founded by Dominican sisters. She left in 1997 to pursue her doctorate at Catholic University, where she was later hired as director of graduate and international admissions.
While at Catholic, Dr. Lisle managed to streamline admission procedures, which, prior to her tenure, were handled by 45 separate departments. The experience helped hone her strong organizational skills. "I'm very good at helping to bring change along," she said. "I'm able to see what needs to be done and I enjoy that process."
Dr. Lisle plans to integrate Dr. Curt Naser's Eidos system into the GSEAP assessment system, providing a highly sophisticated database for tracking student performance. In terms of NCATE requirements, she said, "this will put us years ahead in the accreditation game."
In her studies, Dr. Lisle has also found a passion for helping others, something she achieved at Blackburn, a small "working" college similar to Kentucky's Berea College, where students learn and work to help pay for their education. There, Dr. Lisle won grants to start a reading lab where her teacher candidates could gain vital experience and local children could boost their reading skills. She's hoping to augment GSEAP's many existing outreach efforts in similar ways. "I want to see what kind of collaborations we can create to link our courses to service to the community," said Dr. Lisle, who hopes to work with the Office of Service Learning. "When you train a teacher, you're not just helping one child. You're training someone who will teach a thousand or two thousand children over the course of a career. It's an awesome responsibility and a great opportunity."
Dr. Umansky joins Phi Beta Kappa
Dr. Ellen Umansky, the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Professor of Judaic Studies, has been elected as an honorary member of Fairfield University's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest undergraduate honors organization in the United States. Zeta of Connecticut, the University's chapter, elected Dr. Umansky at its November meeting.
On Sunday, April 13, Dr. Umansky will be formally inducted at the regular Induction of Members in Course Ceremony. She will also give the keynote address. "To receive this wonderful validation of my scholarly work from peers whom I value so highly is a great honor," said Dr. Umansky, who is also director of the Carl & Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies. "Learning that I'd been elected to the Zeta chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was a wonderful surprise and one of the happiest moments of my career."
As an honorary member, Dr. Umansky will carry full membership privileges such as the right to vote for new members and the ability to hold office in Fairfield's Zeta chapter. Dr. Umansky is only the second person to receive honorary membership in the chapter's 12-year history. Her areas of academic interest include modern Jewish history and thought and women's spirituality.
Dr. Terry Tavella Quell, RN, '79, undergraduate program director in the School of Nursing, has assumed the presidency of the Connecticut Nurses' Association (CNA), an organization that represents nurses across all specialties in the state and works to promote issues that affect the nursing profession.
As CNA's chief elected officer, Dr. Quell will represent the association at national and state meetings and serve as the spokesperson for the association. She also will lead CNA's board of directors as it carries out its mission and strategic initiatives concerning the education of nurses, legislation, and compensation to protect and advance the practice of nursing.
"I see my role as being patient advocate, and vocal proponent of the value of the profession," said Dr. Quell.
A major challenge to the nursing profession, she noted, is the looming shortage of registered nurses. Connecticut is facing a shortage of 11,000 nurses by 2010, and, just as alarming, almost 75 percent of nursing faculty will retire in the next 10 to 15 years. "We don't just need students to consider nursing, because that is happening and, in fact, programs across the country are bursting at the seams, and turning away thousands of qualified candidates. The challenge now is that we don't have enough nursing faculty." She has called upon CNA members to further their education and to mentor younger nurses.
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In January, the School of Nursing and Bridgeport Anesthesia Associates welcomed the second class of 13 nurse anesthesia students at a reception at Cinzano restaurant. From left, student Marilyn Osuchukwu, Clinical Coordinator Karen LeCleir, and Anesthesiologist Dr. David Jaffe.
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Service trips: Students can make a difference
Riverton School in Kingston, Jamaica.
Campus Ministry welcomed back students and staff who spent part of their winter breaks on the annual January mission trips. This winter, teams traveled to Jamaica and Ecuador for 10 days, immersing themselves in a new culture while helping others.
And, from March 2 to 8, five more groups will be headed out for Spring Break trips to Habitat for Humanity in Lebanon, Penn.; Urban Plunge in New York City; rural Kentucky; New Orleans; and the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.
"Spring break service trips give us the opportunity to walk in someone else's shoes, even if just for a short time," says Wylie Smith Blake, a campus minister who coordinates the program. "The immersion experience brings awareness of systemic problems and root causes that make service necessary and galvanizes us to return better able to create change in our community."
Joe Ginese, Residence Life orientation coordinator, and grad assistant Erin Holmes will lead the Pennsylvania trip to help build a house for a Habitat family. Campus Minister Crissy Bowen will lead the New York trip to help at a work camp, serving in a soup kitchen and a homeless shelter. The Appalachia trip to Kentucky, led by Jim Fitzpatrick, assitant vice president of Student Affairs, and Devin Hagan, library circulation assistant, will focus on home improvements and learning about the realities of poverty in this region.
In New Orleans, Charlie Sousa of Residence Life and bookstore staffer Heidi Schoenfeldt will work with Camp Restore to rebuild local schools and churches. Smith Blake will lead the trip to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, where students will feed, train, and care for animals awaiting new homes.
In the next few weeks, the groups will meet regularly to work toward gaining an understanding of the issues facing those they will be serving and raising awareness among the student community about those issues. "The immersion experience brings awareness of systemic problems and root causes that make service necessary and galvanizes us to return better able to create change in our community," Smith Blake said.
For more information on these and future trips, contact Smith Blake at ext. 2668 or e-mail wsmith@mail.fairfield.edu.