#facultyresearch

[ukfineartsresearch]

Director of Music named Editor of Music Forum

Congratulations to Stanley Pelkey, director of the UK School of Music. Dr. Pelkey has been named the new editor for the Forum section of the College Music Society's official journal, Symposium. Visit the website >

[kateconwayturner]

Research and Creativity: The Buffalo State Way

It was a totally enjoyable experience to attend the 19th annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum on Thursday. As I made the rounds in Houston Gym to appreciate the research displayed on posters and to engage in conversations with faculty members about their research projects, I was amazed at the diversity of research being explored on campus.

Hibajene Shandomo presented on “The Impact of Internationally Trained Educators on Youth at Risk, including Refugee Population in the U.S.A. classrooms”

The research covered all academic areas and varied in focus, but many projects tackled applied issues. From the exploration of the aged yellow hue in the Indian yellow pigment to the factors behind the economic growth in China, I was truly enthralled by the projects discussed. I am always impressed by the deep knowledge of our faculty and staff and the enthusiasm they have for their research areas.

Jing Zhang discussing her research topic and presentation: “A Comparison on Elementary Mathematics Textbooks among U.S., Mainland China, and UK”

And I was not disappointed this year! I agree with Provost Perreault, who shared the excitement of learning about new areas.  This wonderful event is an affirmation that Buffalo State faculty and staff members are strong researchers who address complicated and often applied questions. And it is rewarding to see how they cultivate the love of research and creative efforts within our students.

Provost Melanie Perreault welcomes and congratulates participants 

I personally had a wonderful time exploring the projects displayed and only wish I had had more time to spend chatting with faculty, puzzling over new questions, and learning more from our research experts. But then there will be next year, and I can’t wait to see the research projects that will be shared with our community.

Presentation on “Clinical Skill Development for Graduate Clinicians: Five Essential Elements of Intensive Summer Proramming” by Sara Mann Kahris and Theresa M. Cinotti, Speech-Language Hearing Clinic

[cornellcomm]

Cornell ranked #12 in NSF research expenditures--up 2 spots from last year. And Comm is a big part of that--we have several NSF grants!

[kateconwayturner]

Faculty Again Gain Great Value from the FITT Academy

One of the many reasons I love being a part of a campus community is that I learn something new every day. Friday was a great example of extending my knowledge as I listened to presentations by five faculty members who were integrating technology into their classes in new ways after completing the Fostering Innovation in Teaching with Technology—or FITT—Academy. Each was extremely interesting, and I appreciated the energy and dedication that the faculty and RITE staff members had put into each project.

Kathleen McNerney, assistant professor of speech-language pathology, described how she would use badges to promote learning in her graduate courses. I was impressed with the careful way she and her RITE team had thought through these issues and had developed an array of methods to document knowledge learned at varied levels.

Kathleen McNerney, assistant professor of speech-language pathology

Andrea Nikischer, assistant professor of adult education, presented on the increased engagement and retention see wished to foster by adding gamification to an online graduate course. It was interesting to hear her describe the different levels of confidence that adult learners bring to her classes and how she hoped to build and expand on their initial knowledge.

Andrea Nikischer, assistant professor of adult education

Nirmala Nutakki, lecturer in the Mathematics Department, presented on how she developed digital e-learning modules to support the learning of elementary math content by preservice teachers. The thoughtful way she described how to parse learning into smaller chunks to improve comprehension was very interesting. And I loved her comment that “math is not a spectator sport.”

Nirmala Nutakki, lecturer, Mathematics Department

Robin O’Dell, associate professor of mathematics, gave an informative presentation on how she had used Adobe Captivate as an interactive remediation tool to help students in MTH 122. Her detailed and humorous descriptions of how she mastered the Adobe program gained not only some good chuckles from the audience but also a clear appreciation of the hours of work she had put into learning this tool.

Robin O’Dell, associate professor of mathematics

The last presentation was given by Lisa Rafferty, chair and associate professor of exceptional education, on increasing student engagement and individualized feedback in an e-learning environment. She will use Qualtrics in the fall with her EXE 501 class to enrich student learning. I was particularly impressed to learn that she would be able to give students real-time feedback, so they would be practicing with useful information.

Lisa Rafferty, chair and associate professor of exceptional education

In each presentation, faculty members shared the value of their RITE team and others in implementing their technology to better serve student learning. It was an exciting set of presentations, but most importantly, each will have a positive impact on teaching and learning.

Kate Conway-Turner with all the presenters

I encourage those not in attendance to seek out these faculty members to learn more about what they developed during the FITT Academy and how they are moving the needle to enhance student learning at Buffalo State.

[kateconwayturner]

Recognizing Research

Two annual celebrations recently highlighted the varied research opportunities that are nurtured and cultivated at Buffalo State. Last week, 350 students presented their research and creative work at the 19th annual Student Research and Creativity Conference. Students from across campus showcased their faculty-mentored research to the campus and broader community.

Faculty, staff, and students gathered at the 19th annual Student Research and Creativity Conference

Again the students demonstrated that undergraduate students can and do delve deeply into issues to answer important questions, illuminate fields of study, and creatively attack questions related to their academic pursuits. Kudos to Jill Singer, director of the Undergraduate Research Office, for bringing national recognition to Buffalo State’s undergraduate research program and for her many years of coordination of this splendid conference.

Student Emily Parra-Amador presents her research to Kate Conway-Turner

Student Robert Flores discusses his research with faculty member Saziye Bayram

Following closely on the heels of the Student Research and Creativity Conference was the 20th annual Research Recognition Reception. This event celebrates the significant faculty research that occurs on campus and especially those who have successfully competed for external funding to support their research.

The event was held in the atrium of the Science and Mathematics Complex, and faculty, staff, and students came together to celebrate another successful research year. Many thanks to the Research and Economic Development Office and the Sponsored Programs Office for co-sponsoring this important event.

Undergraduate summer research fellowship recipients with their faculty mentors

The Research Recognition Reception ended with an announcement from Dr. Singer of this year’s Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship recipients and their mentors. The topics ranged widely from landscape-inspired tapestries to cell-to-cell communication responses to osmotic challenges to elderly support systems. The summer projects promise another group of outstanding presentations for next year.

Jill Singer making her closing remarks

Research at Buffalo State College is an important part of what we do, but our research is uniquely applied, tied to our strong teaching mission, and provides opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students to work alongside our outstanding faculty members.

[cornellcomm]

Katherine McComas coauthors paper on genetically-modified food labeling

The Conversation recently published an article, “ What consumers want in GM food labeling is simpler than you think,“ by Prof. Katherine McComas and COMM PhD alums Graham Dixon (‘14) and John Besley (’06)

[cornellcomm]

Prof. Jon Schuldt makes the Cornell Chronicle again! He’s featured for his research and new article “The role of race and ethnicity in climate change polarization: Evidence from a U.S. national survey experiment,” which is published online in the journal Climatic Change. Congrats Jon.

[cornellcomm]

Prof. Katherine McComas and coauthors Graham Dixon, John Besley, and Department of Communication postdoctoral associate, Joseph Steinhardt, were profiled in the Cornell Chronicle for their research on transparency in decision making. Their research appeared in the Journal of Risk Research.

[apooria]

Mediating Volumetric Thresholds: Detached fabrication processes for non-uniform solids Gabriel Fires-Brigss

“Relatively simple process work towards a number of goals. By using fabrication instruments to guide the interaction of tools through densities of material, rather than directly manipulating those tools, the instruments are subject to fewer orbital constraints and object conflicts than tooling directly on the surface of object with milling, 3D printing, or hot wire cutting.”

[cornellcomm]

Prof. Jon Schuldt was interviewed in the Cornell Chronicle for research to be published in Health Communication. According to Jon, who co-authored the article with former Comm graduate, Jamie Guillory, Ph.D. ‘12 (now a researcher at RTI International), and Prof. Geri Gay, when the photo of an overweight woman accompanied a meal, “our participants perceived those meals to be less healthy than the same meal presented with a photo of a thin blogger.”