e-Exchange September 2009
In this issue
- School of Education awarded two E-nitiative grants
- New School of Education Faculty
- School of Education Expands Advocacy Services for Families
- Fall 2009 Lectures Feature the Arts, Pop Culture and Urban Education Themes
- Featured Fund: Jacobsen Graduate Scholarship
School of Education awarded two E-nitiative grants
Two faculty members in Syracuse University's School of Education have received E-nitiative grants to help promote entrepreneurship with Syracuse-area students.
Marion Wilson, Director of Community Initiatives in the Visual Arts, will design and build "601 Tully," a sustainable storefront and community arts center in Syracuse's Near West Side neighborhood. Tiffany Koszalka, School of Education associate professor, will work with Marilyn Arnone, an associate research professor in Syracuse's iSchool, to create Curiosity Creek, an after-school computer club that will engage middle schoolers and college students in entrepreneurship.
Both projects are made possible, in part, through an E-nitiative award. E-nitiative (the Syracuse Campus-Community Entrepreneurship Initiative) is funded by a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Mo., focusing on entrepreneurship in the arts, technology, and our neighborhoods. For more about E-nitiative, visit www.entrepreneurship.syr.edu.
The "601 Tully" project will focus on arts, writing, publishing and emerging entrepreneurialism created in collaboration with Fowler High School, Blodgett K-8 School, area elementary schools, SU and SUNY ESF. The project will be led by Wilson through her "Social Sculpture" class, which will work with the School of Education, School of Management, School of Architecture, SUNY ESF and Fowler High's Business Academy to develop a feasible business plan for the storefront. Participating Fowler students are eligible for college credit, and college students will gain experience in community-based design-build work.
"My enthusiasm for collective art practices is invigorated by E-nitiative's generous support," Wilson said. "Working collectively with artists, architects, educators, and neighbors creates a porousness to the Near West Side Scholarship in Action endeavors."
"Curiosity Creek" is an environmentally-themed after-school computer club that uses innovative storytelling to engage middle school students in entrepreneurial activities. The students develop knowledge of the environment and improve their reading, writing, and technological skills by creating new materials for the Curiosity Creek Web site, designed by Arnone for K-2 students. Club members will learn to assess their audience's needs; design, develop and test unique technology-based products; and present their product to the public. Koszalka and Arnone will also create and test online modules to help SU students develop better entrepreneurial, innovation, and creative educational product development skills.
Koszalka and Arnone hope to eventually expand their project, with ideas that include a television show, a summer camp and overseas work. The project was selected by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) to be showcased at its annual convention in Kentucky in October as an example of outstanding instructional design in practice and a promising program for students' development.
--Sapna Kollali
This fall 2009, the School of Education welcomes nine outstanding scholars to the ranks of its faculty:
Christine Ashby, Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education
Ph.D., Special Education, Syracuse University
Christy has been teaching in the School of Education since fall 2002. She is a co-Director of Schools of Promise and the Research Director for the Facilitated Communication Institute, both housed at the School of Education.
Sharif Bey, Assistant Professor of Art Education
Ph.D., Art Education, Pennsylvania State University
Prior to Syracuse, Sharif held a position as Assistant Professor of Art Education at Winston-Salem State University.
Tom Brutseart, Associate Professor of Exercise Science
Ph.D., Biological Anthropology, Cornell University
Prior to Syracuse, Tom held a position as Associate Professor of Anthropology at SUNY Albany.
Zaline Makini Roy-Campbell, Associate Professor of Reading and Language Arts
Ph. D. University of Wisconsin Madison
Zaline has been an Associate Professor with Reading & Language arts for 2 years and is coordinator of the Teaching English Language Learners program
Myong Dong Choi, Assistant Professor of Exercise Science
Ph.D., Exercise Physiology, Ball State University
Prior to Syracuse, Myong was a Research Associate at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.
Wendy S. Harbour, Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education
Ed.M., Learning and Teaching, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Prior to Syracuse, Wendy was an Adjunct Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Eunjoo Jung, Assistant Professor of Inclusive Early Childhood Special Education (Dual appointment with the College of Human Ecology)
Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction, Illinois State University
Prior to Syracuse, Eunjoo held a position as Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Louisville.
Melissa Luke, Assistant Professor of Counseling
Ph.D., Counselor Education, Syracuse University
Melissa has taught in the Counseling and Human Services Department since fall 2007 and is coordinator of the School Counseling program.
Jeff Rozelle, Assistant Professor of Science Education (Dual appointment with the College of Arts & Sciences)
Ph.D., Curriculum, Teaching and Educational Policy, Michigan State University
School of Education Expands Advocacy Services for Families
Syracuse University is hosting the first university-based Parent Advocacy Center in New York State, thanks in part to a grant from the New York State Education Department's Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities office.
The center, called SUPAC for short, will bring together SU faculty, students and staff with the local community in order to promote parent involvement in the education of students with disabilities. It will serve as a hub for information, resources, expertise and support services for families in the city of Syracuse and 13 surrounding counties in the Mid-State Region of New York. The parent center, which opened in June, is a project of SU's Center on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies.
Director Lisa Finnerty Coggi said the center is unique in its interdisciplinary nature as well as its mission to assist parents and provide them with access to a university's resources.
"Many times we have found parents are not aware of their rights within the system, and although they may not be happy with the program or services their child is receiving, they have not known they have had a voice in the process," she said. "It is important that parents have meaningful involvement as parent involvement improves outcomes for students."
SUPAC will aim to boost inclusive education practices for children with special needs – a focal point of SU's School of Education and the Center on Human Policy -- by arming parents with resources and advocacy strategies. These efforts include providing information and referral services; conducting in-person and technology-facilitated training, workshops and conferences; creating and distributing written materials in a language and format that is both appropriate and approachable; promoting early resolution and special education mediation in disputes between parents and school districts; and assisting parents in understanding their children's disabilities and their due process rights. The center also seeks to enhance parents' skills and confidence levels to effectively work with schools and actively participate in their children's education.
In addition to Coggi, the center has one full-time and one part-time Parent Outreach Coordinator to work directly with parents of children in the K-12 school system and students who are transitioning into either college or the workforce. Students from the School of Education and College of Law are also volunteering there, and an advisory board of parents and community agency representatives will meet with the center's staff at least twice a year.
Julie Causton-Theoharis, an assistant professor in the Teaching and Leadership department and co-founder of other inclusive education programs, said navigating the special education system is "daunting." She wants the center to help parents work with their children's schools to create better learning environments.
"Parents are their children's most important teachers," she said. "We are hoping this will provide more parents with the tools necessary to engage with the school system. We need to help parents learn how to be part of their children's education to work within the system to essentially change it."
SUPAC is maintaining a Web site, creating a newsletter and hosting a Listserv in order to keep the community and key stakeholders - most importantly, parents - informed of new developments. But the center also plans to host its inaugural SUPAC Fall Conference on Nov. 7. This educational advocacy conference, entitled "Reimagining Belonging: Achieving Inclusion Together," will bring together parents, professionals and community resources to help foster greater opportunities and better outcomes for all students. Topics to be covered include individual education plans, federal and state regulations, least restrictive environments and inclusion practices.
The conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center. It will be co-hosted by the Center on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies, the School of Education, The College of Law's Disability Rights Clinic, and SU's Disability Law and Policy Program. Space is limited for this event. For registration information, visit http://disabilitystudies.syr.edu/supac.aspx or call the Syracuse University Parent Advocacy Center at 443-4336.
--Sapna Kollali
Fall 2009 Lectures Feature the Arts, Pop Culture and Urban Education Themes
The Syracuse University School of Education is pleased to announce its Fall 2009 lectures, presented in collaboration with other programs, disciplines and schools in the University.
Entering its fifth year, the The Landscape of Urban Education Lecture Series is dedicated to the presentation of current ideas and strategies for navigating the changeable terrain of urban educational in the United States. The speakers engaged for this series are often well renowned scholars of modern American culture and have included writers, poets, academics, architects, and activists. Fall 2009 featured speakers are:
Ernest Morrell - October 1 at 4 p.m., Watson Theater
The Art of Critical Pedagogy: The Promise of Moving from Theory to Practice in Urban SchoolsErnest Morrell is associate professor of urban education and cultural studies at the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, where he is also associate director of youth research at the Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access. In his research, Morrell examines the possible intersections between indigenous urban adolescent literacies and the literacies of dominant institutions such as schools. Particularly, he is interested in the discourse of popular culture; adolescent literacy practices in nonschool settings; critical literacy education; and urban teacher development. Dr. Morrell is the 2009 Lynn D. and John L. Kreischer TELL Scholars Lecture.
Ira Glass - November 17 at 7:30 p.m., Hendricks Chapel
This American LifeSponsored in cooperation with the Syracuse Symposium in the College of Arts and Sciences and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Ira Glass's This American Life premiered on Chicago's public radio station WBEZ in late 1995 and is now heard on more than 500 public radio stations each week by more than 1.7 million listeners. Under Glass's editorial direction, This American Life has won the highest honors for broadcasting and journalistic excellence, including the Peabody and DuPont-Columbia awards. In 2001, Time magazine named Glass "Best Radio Host in America. In March 2007, the television adaptation of This American Life premiered on Showtime to great critical acclaim and in 2008 won two Emmy awards.
As one of the Chancellor's Leadership Projects, The Regional Holocaust and Genocide Initiative will present its inaugural event, HEAL Africa: Health for a Country at War, on October 8. The Initiative seeks to enhance education, cultural production, and public memory about the incidence of genocide- past and present. Faculty and graduate student participants conduct curriculum research, development and implementation with the support of the Spector/Warren Fellowship.
Dr. Kasereka Muhindo "Jo" Lusi and Lyn Lusi, Founders of HEAL Africa
October 8 at 4 p.m., Public Events Room, Eggers HallHealth For A Country At War
Co-sponsors include: African American Studies Department; the Center on Human Policy; Languages, Literatures& Linguistics Department; Maxwell Executive Education Program; Women's and Gender Studies department
Dr. "Jo" Lusi has spent his professional life in rural Congo as an orthopedic surgeon. In 1996 he went to Goma, Congo, to begin what is now known as HEAL Africa, training young doctors to practice rural medicine.
Lyn Lusi went to the Congo as a missionary teacher in 1971. In 1999, she joined HEAL Africa as Program Manager. She is currently responsible for the community outreach programs of HEAL Africa, which focus on the social determinants of health and women's empowerment.
HEAL Africa's hospital and community development work address the root causes of illness and poverty for the people of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The hospital and the 28 women's houses in Maniema and North Kivu have provided a safe place for victims of the war, many suffering from the effects of brutal sexual assault, and have been combating poverty and promoting community cohesion over the past 14 years.
Syracuse Symposium 2009 invites the Syracuse University and Central New York communities to celebrate "Light" through a diverse array of lectures, performances, exhibits, symposia and other special events. Syracuse Symposium is organized and presented for the College of Arts and Sciences by the SU Humanities Center, and co-sponsored by the School of Education, and other schools, colleges and departments at the University. Fall highlights include:
Shen Wei Dance Group Presents Re-
September 24 and 25 at 7 p.m., Landmark Theatre **Tickets are required
The third piece in a triptych that draws from Shen Wei's time in, and study of, Tibet, Cambodia, and China's Silk Road.All new and transfer first year students will be attending the Shen Wei Dance Arts performances. This spectacular academic event for new students will be their Shared First-Year Experience and is designed to catalyze year-long academic engagement across the campus.
Marian Wright Edelman
November 3 at 7:30 p.m., Hendricks ChapelMarian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. Under her leadership, the Children's Defense Fund has become the nation's strongest voice for children and families. The Leave No Child Behind® mission of the Children's Defense Fund is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
On September 15, Syracuse University welcomed Lynn Manning, actor, playwright, former judo champion and disability rights activist to campus to perform his one-man show WEIGHTS (One Blind Man's Journey.)
These events are free and open to Syracuse University students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as our friends in the community. For more information, contact the School of Education. 315-443-4696
--Amanda Tafel
Featured Fund: Jacobsen Graduate Scholarship
Hal Jacobsen shares memories of his wife and School of Education alum Shelley Baum Jacobsen '60, whose memory he chose to honor by establishing a graduate scholarship in her name.
Shelley Baum was born in 1939 and was raised in Manhattan. She attended the Bronx High School of Science and excelled in math and science. She graduated with her B.S. from the School of Education in 1960. Shelley was well- read in psychiatry and psychology, and after her graduation from Syracuse she served as a volunteer in Veteran's Hospitals, focusing on vets with mental disorders.
Later, she began a career in sales with RH Donnelley, where she became a legend, receiving the company's President's Award 21 times in a 27 year career. Her success in sales enabled her to work for professional equality for women in the workplace, and she was successful in ending discriminatory practices at the company.
Shelley was also an animal lover, contributing generously to shelters and animal protection groups. She and Hal often adopted cats from those shelters to share in their lives.
Hal describes Shelley's sense of humor, especially when she made herself the object of the joke. He lovingly recalls the time she was meeting a new client and Shelley asked how she would recognize him. He told her that he would be in a white blazer. Shelley responded, "I really don't know what I'll be wearing." The client retorted, "Ma'am, a Blazer is a kind of truck."
Most of all, Shelley loved engaging people. Hal says, "I can't think of a time that we finished dinner at a restaurant that Shelley had not involved herself with captains, waiters, and busboys, knowing their ethnic origins and interests. She cared for people deeply and her long-lasting friendships were testimony to that caring."
Shelley and Hal retired together, traveled and kept homes in New Jersey and Florida. Their co-op in New Jersey overlooking the Palisades on the Hudson River is filled with their art, family photographs and their beloved cats.
Shelley passed away in early 2009. She is honored as a beloved wife, sister, aunt and friend. Hal has established a scholarship in her name and her memory. His gift will support graduate students in the School of Education. Remembering Shelley's independence and strength in overcoming barriers to success for women in education and business, there is a preference for support to deserving female students. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic and personal merit. All graduate students at the School of Education are able to apply for this support. Shelley's passion for learning and legacy will endure through the work and lives of each of her scholarship's recipients.
--Victoria Kohl and Hal Jacobsen