University Collective
My Summer in Israel
By Pat LeMay Burr
Dr. Pat LeMay Burr and skix colleagues from across the U.S. were hosted by the Israeli Office of Feoreign Ministry during their fact-finding work.
When Israel’s Office of the Foreign Ministry offered me an invitation to participate in a government-sponsored fact-finding program during Summer 2008, I immediately responded, “Yes… I am already packed!”
The World Affairs Councils of America and The America-Israel Friendship League, co-organizers of the program, developed a nonstop agenda that included Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and numerous holy sites along the study route.
Ambassadors, government leaders, academicians, Palestinian and Jewish leaders, settlers who had returned from the U.S., and Israel’s youth were all a part of the many voices that shared their views and experiences with the group of seven people from the U.S. who went to Israel for the trip.
Bur stands at a bunker in the Golan Heights with a member of the Israel Military Intelligence.
Jerusalem’s Western Wall through Haifa’s new technology presence of Microsoft and its high tech counterparts to the West Bank’s controversial building effort were studied by the group.
To contrast the old with the new through the eyes of Israel’s social fabric, visiting dignitaries stayed overnight on a kibbutz, a socialist community living situation, and then visited the Lebanon-Syria border in Israel’s northern sector. A 20-year veteran of kibbutz residence and management, and a military intelligence official who pointed out strategic elements of the border region led discussions during our visit.
The discussion issues of immediate global significance included the potential escalation of Israel-Iran tensions. One political analyst observed that if war between the parties were to begin, the strait of Hormuz would most certainly close. The closing of the strait would be significant in that 40 percent of the global oil supply flows through it. The speaker also observed that the world could not imagine the price that gasoline would reach in such a situation.
The group of seven who participated in the trip recently completed a book draft describing the discussion sessions, the full study agenda, as well as contact names of the participants and speakers of the Israel program.
Dr. Burr is the Distinguished Chair of International Business in the H-E-B School of Business and Administration. She also directs the school’s H-E-B International Peace Program that will undertake a Fall 2008 Social Justice Project in Guatemala. The project will include five faculty members and 10 graduate students with a study agenda of the coffee industry. That program’s first multimedia presentation—Just a Cup of Coffee—is available for viewing at www.uiw.edu/heb/
Dr. David M. Jurenovich
Dr. David M. Jurenovich, vice president for enrollment management and student services, was appointed to serve as a member of the Catholic Schools Council of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. He began the term in August, and it will last until May 2011.
Dr. Jeanette McNeill and Julie Nadeau, both faculty members in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, achieved certification as nurse educators, CNE (Certified Nurse Educator), through the National League for Nursing certification process in July.
Dr. Tim Henrich, professor of sports management and kinesiology, was re-elected commissioner of the Aquatics Council and nominated for the position of Secretary General of the North American Region. He received the Gold Medal of Honor from UNESCO- International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance for Scholarship and Leadership.
Dr. Zhanbo Yang, associate professor of mathematics, participated in the Summer Topology and its Application Conference held in Mexico City from July 28 through Aug. 1. He made a presentation titled “On Nearness Spaces and Pointwise Convergent Nearness Structure.” He also has received official notification that his paper “A New Proof on Embedding the Category of Proximity Spaces into the Category of Nearness Spaces” has been accepted for publication by the international journal “Fundamenta Informaticae.” This is a referred academic journal based in Europe that reports original research in the mathematical foundations of computer science.
Dr. Valerie Kesner Greenberg
Dr. Valerie Kesner Greenberg, associate professor and director of the graduate program in communication arts, traveled to England as an invited presenter to the Oxford Round Table at Oxford University, Oxford, England. Greenberg addressed the Round Table’s general topic on Government Trust with her paper “Media Ethics: Disinformation Campaigns – A Chilling Effect on Global Warming.” Greenberg also presented her paper “Attitudinal Effects Towards Technology Usage by Faculty in Higher Education” to the Academy of Business Education at their 2007 conference held in Bermuda. This follows her recent paper presentation held in Portugal at the International Association for Digital Learning on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in a Digital Age at the CELDA conference, which is sponsored by the European Union.
Dr. Julian Davis, assistant professor of chemistry, gave several research presentations this year at conferences in conjunction with undergraduate research students. They attended the 235th ACS national meeting in New Orleans from April 6-10, the 111th annual meeting of the Texas Academy of Science in Corpus Christi from March 6-8, and the end of summer research conference at the University of Texas at San Antonio on Aug. 23. The presentations they gave were titled “Synthesis and Ion Binding Properties of a 2-Quinoxalinol Salen Schiff-Base Ligand,” “Accumulation of Cadmium and Lead in Bouteloua Curtipendula and Cynodon Dactylon,” and “Identification of Nutritional Components and Small Organic Molecules in Nopalitos Cacti, a Homeopathic Remedy for Type II Diabetes.”
Dr. Arcelia Johnson-Fannin, founding dean of the Feik School of Pharmacy, received the Chauncey I. Cooper award from the National Pharmaceutical Association. It is the highest award given by this organization to one of its members in recognition of their lifelong contributions to the profession.
Dr. Denise Staudt, Dr. Michael Risku and Dr. Elda Martinez, all of the Dreeben School of Education, authored an article called “Science and Mathematics Alliance for Recruiting and Retaining Teachers (SMARRT): Addressing the Teacher Shortage in At-Risk Schools,” which was published in the August 2008 edition of the “Australian Journal of Teacher Education.”
Dr. Mary Ruth Moore, professor in the Dreeben School of Education, received an award of appreciation from the City of San Antonio for her dedication and service to the children and families of San Antonio and Bexar County.
Dr. Carla Perez
Dr. Carla Perez, associate professor of fashion management, will be making two presentations at the International Textile and Apparel Association conference in Schamburg, Ill., in November. The presentations are titled “To What Degree Does Selecting a One-Way Versus a Non-Directional Textile Impact Garment Cost?” and “What Role Does Textile Width Variance Play in Fabric Utilization Percentage?”
Dr. Richard L. Henderson, professor in the Dreeben School of Education, is the principal author of research that was presented in a session at the 2008 Phi Delta Kappa Summit on High-Performing Educators. Henderson, along with Dr. Absael Antelo and Dr. Norman St. Clair, both also of the Dreeben School of Education, authored “The Changing World of Education: Ethics and Values in the Context of Teaching Excellence.” The session in which the paper was presented included a summary review of research and position papers related to ethics and values in the context of teaching excellence. The presentation allowed participants to learn about what one may and may not do to be seen as promoting ethics and values in teaching excellence in a culturally diverse context. The summit in San Antonio convened international experts to discuss how to find and keep great teachers.
Dr. William D. Linn
Dr. William D. Linn, associate professor in the department of pharmacy practice, is the senior editor of a new textbook called “Pharmacotherapy in Primary Care,” published by McGraw-Hill.
Theresa Tiggeman, professor in the H-E-B School of Business and Administration, and Dr. Susan Hall, professor in the Dreeben School of Education, presented “Cooperative Learning: A Teaching Tool for Accounting Classes” at the 2008 meeting of the Academy of Business Education in Hilton Head, S.C.
Dr. Renea Fike, assistant professor in the Dreeben School of Education, and Dr. David Fike, research statistician in research development, presented “Reading as a Predictor of First-Year Student Retention” at the College Academic Support Programs 2008 conference on Nov. 6 in Corpus Christi. They also authored two articles that have been accepted for publication. “Predictors of First-Year Student Retention in the Community College” was accepted for the October 2008 issue of “Community College Review.” “Mathematics: Gatekeeper for Hispanic Success in Healthcare Professions” was accepted for the December 2008 issue of “Hispanic Health Care International.”
Dr. Elda E. Martinez, of the Dreeben School of Education, and Dr. Kathleen Martin, Dr. Marcos Oliviera and Dr. Grady Scott Weston, all of the Feik School of Pharmacy, made a poster presentation called “Student Perceptions of the Value of Peer Focus Groups to Facilitate Communication and Improve the Learning Environment” at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 2008 conference in July. Another co-presenter was Dr. Jodie Malhotra, a former faculty member at UIW.
Dr. Judy Beauford
Dr. Judy Beauford, professor in the Dreeben School of Education and director of the Doctoral Studies program, presented “Language Influences on Mathematical Understanding” at the School Mathematics and Science Conference on Nov. 14.