march 2011 newsletter, texas state college of applied arts

FROM THE DEAN’S DESK College & Graduate Students, As we begin the spring of 2011, we will begin reviewing the institutional mission to determine what will be our goals and priorities for the next five years. An assessment of this past five year planning cycle reveals that the College of Applied Arts and the University focused on the strategic plan accomplished and exceeded the stated goals. In terms of programs and faculty hires, the departments accomplished the following: The Department of Criminal Justice was able to conceptualize and receive approval for a Criminal Justice Doctoral program, which is about to select its third cohort for fall 2011. Secondly, the department added eight Faculty positions to support the growth and development of the department and graduate program. The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences was approved by the Coordinating Board to become the School of Family and Consumer Sciences. In addition, during the last planning cycle they have added and replaced fifteen new faculty to address the growth issues of the individual programs. They also added graduate programs in Human Nutrition and Child Life Studies. The School of Social Work has added seven new faculty during this planning cycle to address the growth of the graduate Master’s in Social Work (MSW) program. In addition they are seeking reaccreditation. The Department of Agriculture has appointed three new or replacement faculty and are currently completing a search for a new professor in Soil Science. The Occupational Education Program has hired three new tenure line and replacement faculty as they continue to expand the online graduate program.

During this past planning cycle the College has exceeded 10.7 million in annual grants and contracts and this year the faculty has solicited or submitted $37,553,216 in grant proposals. As the institution grows the College will face new challenges and we will need to be cognizant of the economic challenges that State and Federal agencies are facing. We will need to be strategic and flexible as we partner with communities, the foundations and agencies so that we can continue to leverage funding opportunities that benefit key research, training issues and graduate student experiences. Jaime T. Chahin Dean of the College of Applied Arts

CAA Quarterly Newsletter March 2011

College of Applied Arts Newsletter

Dates to Remember

March

25 The Future is Here Lecture, Ag 204, 7 pm (See p. 27 for details)

26 Bobcat Build

Registration for Summer I & II: March 28 – April 7

28 The Life Course of Police & Forensics Lecture, Hines 207, Refreshments at 4 pm (See p. 13 for details)

April

6 Wildlife Crime Lecture, Ag 204, 3:30 pm (See p. 16 for details)

16 Bobcat Day

28 CAA Awards Banquet, LBJ Ballroom, 6 pm (See p. 28 for details)

28 OCED Graduate Research Forum, (See p. 26 for details)

May

12 CAA Master’s Hooding Ceremony, (See p. 4 for details)

14 Commencement Ceremony, Strahan, 2 pm

15 Study Abroad in Russia, (See p. 14 for details)

A Member of The Texas State University System

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GRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Meet Georgianna Brain, Criminal Justice Major

Ms. Georgianna Brain is currently completing her thesis, titled “A Comparison of the Nature and Prevalence of Sexual Fantasies between Sex Offenders and Non-Sex Offenders. This, however, is just a launching pad for her academic career. Georgianna Brain completed a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Florida in 2002. Georgianna has had many influences and much support that led her to the path she has chosen. Her father, William Brooks, was a Massachusetts state trooper and she always admired the difficult choices he had to make. She knew this was a field that would always have an impact on her life. At the University of Florida she was introduced to criminological theory by Dr. Alex Piquero, who is now one of the most published academics in the field. Georgianna says criminological theory is her favorite area of criminal justice. All of her research is focused and centered on a strong theoretical foundation. In 2007 Georgianna and her husband, Kevin Brain, moved to Corpus Christi after her husband (a pilot in the U.S. Navy) was relocated to the area. She chose to commute to San Marcos to begin the Masters program in Criminal Justice here at Texas State University. Luckily, her mother, Lori Huey, lived in San Marcos and welcomed her to stay with her as she took classes. Georgianna was willing to make the sacrifice to be here while her husband was in Corpus Christi. Georgianna worked as a Graduate Assistant for Dr. Mark Stafford. Later she applied for and was awarded a competitive Research Fellowship position. Here, she learned how to conduct research from the ground up. She was closely mentored by Drs. Mark Stafford and Donna Vandiver during this project. She assisted in developing the research project from the first stages to the final collection and analysis stage. This project involved collecting data from approximately 100 sex offenders and 100 non-sex offenders. This involved coordinating many meetings and managing a great deal of information. The purpose of the project was to identify characteristics that distinguish sex offenders from non-sex offenders. This project led to her carving out her own niche of the project and presenting that information at a national conference. She also relied on the data to develop her thesis. Below is an abstract of the paper she presented at American Society of Criminology in San Francisco in November 2010.

Researchers purport that sexual fantasy is important in the development and maintenance of sexual behavior, including deviant sexual acts. Despite the theoretical importance placed upon sexual fantasies, there is a paucity of research linking them to the etiology and maintenance of deviant sexual acts.

Ms. Georgianna “Georgie” Brain, Master’s Criminal Justice Major with a bright future in

criminal research .

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GRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT (cont.)

Georgianna Brain, Criminal Justice Major

Studies have employed a variety of methods to assess the nature and extent of sexual fantasies, however; only a few validated instruments exist to measure the incidence and frequency of deviant sexual fantasies. The Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire (WSFQ) is one of the Sex Fantasy Questionnaire (WSFQ) is one of the most widely used surveys for measuring the content and frequency of sexual fantasies. This study uses the WSFQ to compare the frequency and type of sexual fantasies used by a sample of child molesters with those of a group of male college students. A total fantasy scores and four primary factor (exploratory, intimate, impersonal, and sadomasochistic) scores are used to determine whether sex offenders’ fantasies differ significantly from those of the male college students. The findings and implications are discussed in this paper.

Many aspects of Georgianna’s journey are coming full circle for her. She recently re-introduced herself to Dr. Alex Piquero at ASC and was able to tell him how his class was a launching pad for her academic curiosity. Also, her husband begins a new journey—he has relocated to Norfolk, Virginia. Lucky for her and her husband, though, she recently received acceptance into Old Dominion University’s Ph.D. program in criminal justice and criminology. Old Dominion is located in Norfolk.

Georgie & Mom (Lori Huey).

Dr. Donna Vandiver, Georgie Brain, & Dr. Mark Stafford.

Georgie: we all wish you the best of luck in your future!

–The faculty of the Criminal Justice Department.

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Occupational Education Program

CAA Quarterly Newsletter

Graduate Studies News & Events

The Office of the Dean of the College of Applied Arts cordially invites you to attend the

Mast e r ’ s Hood ing Ceremony Class of May 2011

"The noblest search is the search for excellence." - Lyndon B. Johnson

Thirty-Sixth President of the United States, 1963-1969 Texas State University Class of 1930

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The Master’s Hooding Ceremony honors Scholarly Achievement & Graduate Research

Alkek Teaching Theater Thursday, May 12th, 2011, 6 pm

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RSVP by May 6th to 512-245-3538 For special accommodations,

please contact 512-245-3538 at least 72 hours prior to the event.

Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State

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Graduate Studies News & Events (cont.)

Department of Agriculture

Kayla Box, MSAG Elizabeth Callen, MSAG James Drzymala, MSAG

Chad Hajda, MSAG Alyson Ivey, MSAG

Weldon Whalen, MSAG Melody Baker, MSAG

School of Family and Consumer Sciences

Sara Clausen, MS Jennifer Garibay, MS

Sarah Jones, MS Molly Kier, MS

Hilary Koenig, MS Kristen Neal, MS

Jordan Perkins, MS Megan Brooks, MS

Christina Davison, MS Jeanna Martinez, MS

Maryelaine Sotos, MSHN Jennifer Stepter, MSHN Jennifer Swanson, MS Hope Van der Heijden,

MSHN


Kerry Craig, MED Alonzo Ellison, MED Catherine Glunt, MED

Diana Hernandez-Quinonez, MED

Ely Reyes, MED Jay Tschoepe, MED Henry Acosta, MSIS

Nathan Rodrigues, MSIS Joseph Shaeffer, MSIS

Ronnie Tacquard, MSIS Nathan Willis, MSIS

School of Social Work

Laura Carpenter, MSW Lora Faulds, MSW

Olivia Foadey, MSW Shannon Frawley, MSW Brenda Gauthier, MSW Patrick Gensler, MSW

Christina Hernandez, MSW Linda Meeker, MSW

William Peterman, MSW David Schrieber, MSW Britni Slocombe, MSW

Kelly Smith, MSW Kimberly Walker, MSW Arnold Williams, MSW Luzmila Evans, MSW Beth Johnson, MSW

Jacqulyn Johnson, MSW Peter Morgan, MSW

Christie Neufeld, MSW Vickie Orcutt, MSW

Amber Armani, MSW Kimberly Barnhill, MSW Angela Blackwell, MSW

Carrie Brown, MSW Concepcion Cantu, MSW

Michelle Hale, MSW Valerie Hardenburg, MSW

Leslie Jones, MSW Jessie Jones, MSW

Brandi Jurecek, MSW Brittany Mays, MSW

Sean Morales, MSW, MSW Nicole Pulver-Rodriguez,

MSW Janette Soliz, MSW

Janet Williams, MSW Patrece Mack, MSW

Department of

Criminal Justice

Lorraine Garcia, MSCJ Rudolph Perales, MSCJ Rebecca Meyers, MSCJ Cheryl Rowden, MSCJ Barbara Smith, MSCJ

James Anderson, MSCJ Robert Beach, MSCJ Selah Guerra, MSCJ Tonya Harry, MSCJ

Jacqueline Iwuchukwu, MSCJ Michael Martaindale, MSCJ

Suzanne Martinez, MS Judith Pusch, MSCJ

Aniekan Umobong, MSCJ Georgianna Brain, MSCJ

Stephanie Engeling, MSCJ David Marshall, MSCJ

* Graduate Advisors and Graduation Candidates

please be aware that participation in the CAA

Master’s Hooding Ceremony constitutes that

all graduation requirements have been successfully met

(thesis defense, comprehensive oral and

written exams, etc.) at the program, departmental and

University levels.

Master’s Graduation Candidates for May 2011

Congratulations to all our candidates. Your hard work and perseverance will be

rewarded.

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Department of Agriculture

TRANSFORMATION: Students Turn Waste into

Renewable Soil

The University Star

(Erica Jane Meier, agriculture education graduate, Greg Frank, agriculture business & management senior, and Tyler Barlow, general agriculture senior, work together on Mueller farm's compost site. The students dispose food waste they've collected from dining halls in an ecofriendly manner by creating compost mounds to be used in research projects.) Students might not realize how valuable a combination of food waste, wood chips, invasive river plants and poultry litter can be when it comes to saving the environment. An ongoing composting project could lead to the creation of a more resourceful and renewable soil for the environment, not to mention a cheaper resource for food waste and invasive plant disposal. “When I first started thinking about this research project, I noticed how much food waste the university was paying to throw away,” said John Montoya, former agricultural education graduate student. “Also, the water hyacinth, a very invasive, floating aquatic plant, chokes out endangered native species. Nobody was doing anything about either one.” Montoya decided to launch a composting project called, “Large-Scale Composting System and a Means of Managing Water Hyacinth, Eichhornia Crassipes” in August 2008. Searching for a spot to begin composting, Montoya found Mueller Farm, campus-owned land located behind the outlet malls. Mueller Farm, about 10 miles from campus, is used as an alternative grazing site for the animals on Freeman Ranch. Tina Marie Cade, research project adviser and professor in the department of agriculture, said the department was given five acres to use for the composting project. Composting equipment was purchased and undergraduate students were hired to help Montoya with the project with about $50,000 in grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Montoya began composting water hyacinth removed from the San Marcos River, food waste discarded by the university at Commons Dining Hall, wood chips dropped by campus trees, and poultry litter to produce rich potting soil. (Continued on page 7)

‘The results with compost so far have proven just as good as it is conventional.’

- John Montoya, Agricultural Education Graduate Student

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Department of Agriculture (cont.)

More than 22,000 pounds of water hyacinth were harvested and about 104,000 pounds of food waste from Commons, Harris and the LBJ Student Center dining halls were collected during the two-year project. “We started collecting food waste from the Family and Consumer Sciences nutrition lab and just got funding to expand food waste collection at Jones Dining Hall starting this semester,” Cade said. Erica Meier, agricultural education graduate student, took over the composting project when Montoya graduated with his masters in December of last year. “My study is similar to his with composting and invasive species,” Meier said. “I am using piles of water hydrilla, water lettuce, water hyacinth and wood chips to create the compost. We want to make sure the invasive species are rendered non-viable through the composting process.” Meier plans to add another material, wool, to the compost to create a better synthetic soil. “I want to intermesh wool with the compost to help hold water in the soil for plants and keep their roots from freezing in the winter,” Meier said. “Wool absorbs a great deal of water.” The development of synthetic soil will help eliminate the use of peat, a non-renewable, partially decayed vegetation material in potting soil, Montoya said. “It’s a growing trend to substitute peat with compost,” Montoya said. “The results with compost so far have proven just as good as the conventional method.” The department of agriculture only has grants to fund one more year of the composting project, Cade said. “It seems wasteful not to use these materials because we can make a product that’s not only useful, but helps the students in their money-making endeavors in the composting business.”

(Source: The University Star, Vol. 100 Issue 45, Wednesday January 26, 2011.)

The Science of Composting

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/news/foxe/FOXe-Report-Science-of-Composting-20110207-ktbcw

Texas State University, Horticulture students at compost site featured in Fox 7 News televised

report.

(Source: FOX 7 News, 5 pm, Tuesday February 8, 2011.)

Ag graduate students and greenhouses were featured for a campus student TV news broadcast. Cole Etheredge and AJ Perez did a wonderful job representing us:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4rlsD1WCVI&feature=player_profilepage

Students turn waste into renewable soil

(Graduate Student, Erica Meier determines compost temperature.)

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Department of Agriculture (cont.)

Agriculture Bio-Security Training Course Hosted

The Department of Agriculture hosted an Agriculture Bio‐Security Training Course on January 11‐12, 2011 on campus at the Agriculture Building. The title of the course was Preparedness and Response to Food and Agriculture Incidents. The 16-hour course was taught over two days and covered 10 modules. There were a total of 31 registrants for the course. Registrants included faculty, students and staff, from Texas State University; representatives from two other universities and one junior college, one state agency, two federal agencies, and one state association.

The course was taught by Jeff Witte, Director of Ag Bio‐Security for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and New Mexico State University. Through securing the food supply, promoting trade, and protecting our natural resources and environment, NMDA is a producer consumer and regulatory agency that plays a fundamental role in multiple sectors of New Mexico’s agricultural and consumer services industries.

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Criminal Justice Professor Named to Federal Advisory Board

Attorney General Eric Holder named a Texas State criminal justice professor, to serve on the Office of Justice Programs’ newly created science advisory committee.

The committee will provide the Office of Justice Programs with advice to better the different programs involved in the system and will award grants to certain programs related to criminal justice.

Joycelyn Pollock, criminal justice professor, will take her experience at Texas State to a federal position when the board convenes for the first time this month.

Holder said in a press release the members of the advisory board will help focus on evidence-based approaches to prevent and reduce crime, and science will be used in providing advice and counsel to the Justice Department.

Alfred Blumstein, professor at Carnegie Mellon University and chairman of the advisory board, said he has not met Pollock yet but has read her work and received useful feedback through e-mail in the beginning stages of the board. Blumstein said Pollock and other board members will discuss and decide on topics that are of interest for the board to focus on, such as budget issues caused by overpopulation in prisons.

Pollock said board members will know about what they will be responsible for doing after the first meeting, which is open to the public.

Blumstein said the meeting will begin with a briefing from the heads of bureaus, because the board is a federal advising committee.

“We will be making sure that the programs are scientifically sound to do research and so we can be more effective,” Blumstein said.

Seventeen other experts along with Pollock named to the board will use their combined knowledge of the system to provide an extra-agency review and recommendations for research that the office conducts.

Blumstein said the director of the Office of Justice Programs and Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson helped to create the program with input from the Justice Department about who should be on the board.

(Continued on page 10)


Department of Criminal Justice

Faculty Accomplishments

Science advisory committee welcomes Bobcat

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Criminal Justice Professor Named to Federal Advisory Board

Blumstein said the director of the Office of Justice Programs and Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson helped to create the program with input from the Justice Department about who should be on the board. Pollock has received awards during her career and has written 16 books and focuses her studies on women in the criminal justice system, prisons, ethics and legal topics. Pollock worked with colleagues in 2009 to develop the doctorate program of criminal justice at Texas State, in which she teaches classes.

(Source: The University Star, Vol. 100 Issue 43, Thursday January 20, 2011.)

Hostage Competition Imitates Life-Threatening Situations

Three convicts escaped from a transport van after a vehicular accident last week, taking a 45-year-old correctional officer hostage. The criminals were identified as Leonard Ambry, William Bennett and Evan Waugh. Ambry led the group of escaped convicts and invaded the home of John Murcheson. Murcheson, who was home at the time of the robbery, was held hostage along with Janet Brace, the corrections officer driving the van. The San Marcos Police Department knew the situation would occur, however, as they were one of the law enforcement teams participating in the annual hostage negotiation training competition held at Texas State. The one-of-its-kind competition consisted of a fabricated set-up to test law enforcement members on resolving hostage situations. Teams from across the United States and Thailand responded to this mock scenario during the competition. Approximately 21 teams gathered for the event Jan. 11 to Jan. 13 in the Hines Academic Center. Classroom sessions took place the first day to provide insight on real-life hostage situations and bring teams up-to-date on criminal justice trends. Participants gathered at 8 a.m. on the competition days in their respective team rooms to be briefed on the scenarios. Each team was required to use negotiating techniques to reason with hostage takers. “There’s a process with guidelines that have been successful through the years that we use when talking to someone in a state of crisis,” said Max Howard, who judged the event. “Our job as judges was to evaluate how teams perform while applying these principles.” Texas State students were invited to act as hostages and abductors that would interact with negotiators. Teams were briefed upstairs while scenario actors met downstairs to learn more about the characters they would play. Each team was given the same scenario, which involved a cast of five actors. Each team was allowed to negotiate with the hostage takers via telephone to learn details about each character, such as whether or not hostages were in physical danger. Any details learned from characters were recorded on intelligence boards at the front of the room. (Continued on page 11)


Department of Criminal Justice (cont.)

11

Negotiators asked hostage takers additional questions about their lives before (fictional) prison to establish rapport and build trust. Negotiators were given information sheets throughout the scenario in addition to knowledge learned through conversation. The sheets reflected information that would be gathered from outside sources during an actual hostage negotiation, with quotes from family members of characters in the scenario. Negotiators learned one of the hostages, Murcheson, had a wife and son whom neighbors and schoolmates had not seen in weeks from the sheets. Negotiators used this information to humanize the hostages toward captors and gain insight on individuals in the house. The negotiations lasted approximately seven hours, although each team participated in only one day of the competition. “It does get tiring, but we practice a lot and use a lot of different situation scenarios to get used to negotiating,” said Lee Fairchild, case manager with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Fairchild said the State of Oklahoma has not recently experienced a hostage situation, but his team has been involved in the competition for more than five years. The combined team of San Marcos Police Department and the Hays County Sheriff’s Department took second place in the police division. Criminal Justice Professor Wayman Mullins said Texas State has hosted the competition for 21 years, and while there are hostage negotiation conferences across the nation, it is the only competition in the United States. Former FBI Agent Max Howard said scenarios were created to be as realistic as possible. Leonard Ambry, a hostage taker, shouted fowl language and racial slurs throughout the scenario, playing the part of a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. Negotiators remained calm attempting to coax hostage takers out of the house despite Ambry’s obscenities. The situation developed a twist despite efforts to gain control. A frightened-sounding William Bennett answered the phone and told negotiators he and fellow-convict Evan Waugh had found human remains in the basement. Bennett said he needed to hang up the phone, and when negotiators called back three gunshots were heard. The next character who answered the phone was homeowner John Murcheson, who told them he had killed Ambry and wounded Waugh. Murcheson refused to let the convicts turned captives leave the house and Waugh eventually died of gunshot wounds. Murcheson called the deaths self-defense and denied the evidence of remains in the basement. Murcheson became the new hostage taker in the scenario and told negotiators he would not let William Bennett or Janet Brace go free. He admitted to negotiators after many phone calls the remains belonged to his wife and son, but refused to leave the house for fear of consequence. Negotiators held lengthy conversations with Murcheson to keep him from harming Brace and Bennett. Negotiators were able to establish enough communication with Murcheson through conversation and persuade him to vacate the house. Murcheson allowed Bennett to leave first, followed three minutes later by Brace. Murcheson was last to leave the home and followed the others peacefully.

(Source: The University Star, Vol. 100 Issue 42, Wednesday January 19, 2011.)



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Dr. Beth Sanders presented a poster entitled “Survey Research for Small Police Departments” at the American Society of Criminology annual meeting held in San Francisco in November 2010. Dr. Mitch Chamlin is to be congratulated for being selected as the recipient of the Inaugural 2011 Minority Mentorship Grant Award. Dr. J.D. Elshoff has been added to the faculty of Wayland Baptist University in San Antonio, Texas, where he teaches Business Law.

International Contribution Well Noted

Dr. Kim Rossmo of Texas State University-San Marcos contributed to the Esri Netherlands’ GIS Conference 2010. His lecture reflected the high academic standards of Texas State and made a memorable impact on all attendees and Esri staff. The conference was attended by more than 1500 visitors this year. Dr. Rossmo was keynote speaker for the lecture "Military Geographic Profiling" that was given by Major H.D.G.T. Oey, M.Sc. and Captain O. Goldbach, M.Sc. of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence. It was rated by the public as second best with 8.3 points out of 10! The professional presentation was innovative, yet accessible and entertaining and the initiative of Major Oey and Captain Goldbach to invite Dr. Rossmo was much appreciated by both the public and Esri Netherlands as a valuable addition. The lecture by Dr. Rossmo, Major Oey and Captain Goldbach has far exceeded all expectations. Recent examples from Afghanistan and Iraq indicate that the Ministry of Defence occupies a unique position within the field of Geographic Profiling and employs extremely motivated and well-trained academic personnel. It was a delight to have witnessed the results of the professional cooperation of Dr. Rossmo and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence in the academic research of Geographical Information Systems and Geographic Profiling.

CJ ALUMNI ACCOMPLISHMENT Many of you will remember Jonathan Ede, one of our ALERRT grad students back in 2004-2005. Jonathan earned his Masters Degree in Criminal Justice in 2005 from Texas State with a 4.0 GPA. He went to work for the Travis County Probation Department and has since moved over to the corrections department. He is living in Austin and continues working for Travis County, and just received word that he has been tapped for a national award. Jonathan has been named the American Jail Association's Officer of the Year! Jonathan will be traveling to Ohio to the AJA national conference to receive this prestigious award later this spring.

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Acquisition of Downs Documents for Texas State Library Dr. Tom Mijares was instrumental in the acquisition of the Downs documents for the Texas State Library. As a result of his application for a library grant, Texas State University will become the proud owners of Federal materials that were sealed after the Downs v. US court case. This acquisition has some great research and service potential.

International Attention Drawn to Texas State The Department of Criminal Justice’s newest “scholar in residence”, Dr. Marcus Felson has a book being translated into the Serbian language. The book will be published in the edition Crimen on the following Internet address: http://www.ius.bg.ac.rs/Naucni/knjige/13crimen.htm (For those of you who are fluent in the Serbian language). Number of printed copies would be around 200 but we are sure that this book will have influence in Serbian Criminology.

Dr. Marcus Felson is also mentioned in this Hong Kong City University newsletter. Click on the PDF link, Crime Prevention Newsletter (Dated Dec. 2, 2010)

http://www.cityu.edu.hk/cityu/dpt-acad/fhs-ss.htm

Crime Conundrum

Dr. Marcus Felson and Texas State are mentioned in the following article:

Why are rates of violence and theft dropping in the recession?

http://www.tnr.com/article/80316/relationship-poverty-crime-rates-economic-conditions

(Source: The New Republic, Bradford Plumer, Assistant Editor, 12 am, December 22, 2010)

Study Abroad in Russia

Dr. Donna Vandiver will be taking a small group of students (undergraduate as well as graduate students) to Russia this summer for a two-week study abroad excursion. The group will depart on May 15, 2011 and return on May 29, 2011.

Once in Russia, students will visit St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vladimir and a few other small towns. Students will also meet with the Russian Militia (equivalent to police in the United States), a judge, law students, and more. Students will also have the opportunity to visit many historical landmarks/museums, including (but not limited to): St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, and the Kremlin.

Students may qualify for financial aid to cover some of the expense. Questions should be directed to Dr. Vandiver ([email protected]) or feel free to stop by her office (Room 105, Hines Building).

Below is the link to the web site where the informational flyer is posted.

http://www.cj.txstate.edu/special/russia.html




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A Two-Fold Journey

In 2010 Dr. Tom Mijares of the Criminal Justice Department took a journey through the Philippine Islands. He was accompanied by his first cousin and close friend, Ramon Mijares, now of Cedar Park, Texas. The cousins had conducted a great deal of research and learned that they had several relatives who had been instrumental in the resistance against the Japanese who had invaded the archipelago ten hours after the raid of Pearl Harbor. They also learned that one of their relatives, an uncle by marriage, had been a member of the Filipino Scouts and had been taken prisoner during the infamous Bataan Death March. Ultimately he was killed at Camp O’Donnell and thrown into a mass grave with 31,000 other prisoners. Thus, the purpose of the journey was two-fold: To learn more about the war crimes and to honor their relatives who had been so heroic.

The journey began with a walking tour of the American Cemetery and Memorial at Fort Bonifacio in Manila. On the next day they took a boat to Corregidor Island, which served as General MacArthur’s headquarters until he was ordered to withdraw to Australia by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Next came a trek that began in Mariveles where the Death March started and ended in Camp O’Donnell where the cousins found the mass grave where their uncle is buried.

A major point of the trip took place in front of a monument erected by the Philippine government to honor the Philippine and American military personnel who had been killed in captivity. The cousins were approached by a local couple who asked them to pose for a photo with their two-year old daughter. They said that the people of the Philippines place a great emphasis on the heroism of the American soldiers who gave so much for their freedom and they wanted their daughter to know that she will always have American friends.

Dr. Mijares has incorporated pictures of his trip into a class session when he talks of war crimes and has provided a motivational speech to Aerospace cadets prior to their participation in a marathon in White Sands, NM commemorating the Bataan Death March.



A huge cannon on Corregidor Island.

A new friend at Camp O'Donnell Prison.

A marker 2 kilometers from the starting point.

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Human Nutrition Program Makes the Local Newspaper

‘Best Food Fits’ aims to help kids

San Marcos — A new program for San Marcos restaurants encourages kids to make healthier decisions when dining out. Nicole Baker, a registered dietician, is the project coordinator for the Best Food for Families, Infants and Toddlers (FITS) program carried out by Texas State University’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. The program is a grant-funded research project funded by the Texas Department of State Health Services that was implemented earlier this year. “We are trying to improve children’s health by reducing their risk for obesity,” Baker said. “Our two main objectives are to make it easier for families, infants and toddlers to eat more fruits and vegetables and to drink fewer or no sugar-sweetened beverages.” The program is currently working with 15 San Marcos restaurants that have chosen to change either their current children’s menu or add a new children’s menu. “We want to change the default on kids’ menus to be the healthier options” instead of the typical choices such as french fries and potato chips. Alternative beverage choices include water, milk, unsweet tea and 100 percent fruit juice instead of sweet tea or sodas, which Baker said is a concern for many restaurant owners. “One of the biggest issues for them s the profit from sugar-sweetened beverages. Many owners said ‘Oh, but our customers expect these items to be on our menus’,” she said. Baker said they are focusing on fruits and vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages early in a child’s life. “When they start drinking these beverages, they crave them more and more, and as a child develops they need to be exposed to healthier options,” she said. Some owners also worry about the cost of adding new items to their current menus that might result in waste if the healthier options are not popular. But so far, Baker said, the program has been successful. “I think having 15 restaurants agree to work with us has been a huge success. And they are all at different stages” of adopting new menus or modifying their current menus, she said.

(Continued on page 16)


Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

18

This success “A big motivation for the restaurants that I’ve seen has been competition with other restaurants, she said. “When they hear that this restaurant and that restaurant has joined, they want to be a part of it too.” Baker said the restaurants that partner in the program also receive free publicity on their website and when program has a booth at local festivals. Restaurants that participate in the Best Food FITS program also receive a decal to put on their front door that indicates their involvement.

Baker said Grin’s on North LBJ was the first restaurant in San Marcos to join the program earlier this year. Paul Sutphen, owner of Grin’s Restaurant, said he had his restaurant join the program this summer as a way to help encourage people to change their eating habits. Sutphen said he sells a lot of healthy dishes to adults but noticed that the options for children were lacking. “When I looked at the children’s menu, they could get french fries and that was it,” he said, adding that the new children’s menu offers vegetable and salad options as well as alternatives to sugar-sweetened beverages. It may be too early in the project to determine if the changes have been successful, but Sutphen said he believes that when customers are presented with alternative choices they will make healthier choices. “I think it’s been successful because we give parents an option, and that’s what everyone wants is the option,” he said. Sutphen said his own experience as a parent seeking healthier food choices influenced his decision to change the menu at Grin’s. “It’s a feel good thing, and I feel good about it,” he said. The San Marcos restaurants participating in the Best Food FITS program to date are Grin’s, Palmers Restaurant, Bar & Courtyard, Cool Mint Cafe, El Rey de Pollo, Herbert’s Taco Hut, Mana’s Restaurant, Rogelio’s, Taqueria Del Charro Tapatio, Los Vega Mexican Restaurant, Asian Garden, China Palace Buffet, Gil’s Broiler, EuroCafe and The Coffee Pot Bistro. Of these restaurants, the children’s menus at Grin’s and EuroCafe are currently available while the others are in the process of creating new menus and expect to have them completed soon, Baker said. She said her goal was to have 50 restaurants involved by the end of January 2011. The program staff are also planning to offer cooking classes in January at the new Chapultepec Homes community center geared toward feeding infants, toddlers and children. Texas State’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences recently donated four complete kitchen sets to the Chapultepec Homes community center. Texas State Nutrition and Foods Professors BJ Friedman and Sylvia Crixell, both registered dieticians, are the principal investigators for the program.

(Source: The San Marcos Daily Record Sun Dec 05, 2010, 11:45 AM CST)


Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

19

Articles Former Family and Child Studies graduate student Brittany Kolkhorst published an article with Drs. Ani Yazedjian and Michelle Toews entitled “Students’ perceptions of parental support during the college years” in The College Student Affairs Journal. Drs. Michelle Toews and Ani Yazedjian published an article in Children and Youth Services Review entitled “I haven’t done nothin’ crazy lately”: Reducing violence in adolescent mothers’ dating relationships” with Denise Jorgensen, a recent graduate of the Professional Counseling program at Texas State. Presentations Family and Child Studies graduate students Sarah Clausen and Ryeshia Jackson presented a paper entitled “College students’ contraceptive responsibility: The role of gender” at the International Research Conference for Graduate Students at Texas State. Drs. Ani Yazedjian and Michelle Toews were coauthors. In November, Drs. Ani Yazedjian and Michelle Toews presented two posters entitled “Development, validity, and reliability of the Parental Support Scale” and “Breakups, depression, and self-esteem as predictors of college adjustment” at the annual conference for the National Council on Family Relations in Minneapolis, MN. Invited Talks Dr. Ani Yazedjian gave an invited lecture entitled “An overview of child development and the impact of divorce on children” at the November Family Mediation Training at the Hays County Dispute Resolution Center in San Marcos, TX. Dr. Michelle Toews and Sarah Marton, an undergraduate student in the Nutrition and Foods program, gave an invited presentation entitled “A century of enlightenment: Sharing our enlightenment with the parents and children of the Texas State child development center” at Phi Upsilon Omicron’s biennial conference in Savannah, GA. Drs. Michelle Toews and Ani Yazedjian published an invited chapter (“Personal and interpersonal factors as predictors of college success among White and Hispanic students: An overview”) in a new book entitled “Higher education: Teaching, internationalization and student issues.” The chapter was cross-published in “Journal of Education Research.” Hustvedt, G. (2011) Review of laundry energy efficiency studies. International Journal of Consumer Studies. 35 (2): 228-236. Also, Dr. Hustvedt just returned from the Cotton & Sustainable Water Use Roundtable, Berkeley, CA (March 2-3, 2011). This invitation only industry meeting at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business was sponsored by the GAP, inc. She contributed as an expert on consumer behavior to a discussion of solutions for improving the sustainability of cotton products.


Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (cont.)

Faculty& Graduate Student Collaborations !

20

Mr. Jene Laman, Interior Design faculty in the FCS Department, had artwork selected for exhibition in the 13th Annual All Media Juried International Art Exhibition at the People Gallery at Omaha, Nebraska. The work is on view from January 1 through December 31, 2011. His work was selected from 225 entries submitted by artists from various parts of the world.

Mr. Jene Laman, Interior Design Professor, had a one-person exhibition of his artwork at the Alkek Library, Texas State University from February 2 to February 28, 2011.

His artwork was accepted in the Austin Visual Artists Association national juried exhibition titled "Love of Art" at the Art Space Gallery in Austin February 11 to March 5, 2011.

Laman was invited to show his artwork at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences-Texas Affiliate Annual Meeting in March 2011.

Dr. Ryu received the Sara Douglas Fellowship for Professional Promise at the 2010 International Textile and Apparel Association Conference (10/27 - 10/30, 2010). The fellowship is intended to recognize an individual who demonstrates outstanding potential and commitment to the field of textiles and apparel.

Dr. Ryu also presented the manuscript, 'DOWNTOWN BRANDING AS AN ENGINE OF DOWNTOWN AND BUSINESS SUCCESS IN SMALL COMMUNITIES', at the 2011 United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference (1/13 - 1/16, 2011). His research was recognized as one of functional approaches for venture creation/financing.

Dr. Jiyun “Yuni” Kang, an Assistant Professor of Fashion Merchandising in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, won the 1st Place of Doctoral Best Paper at the annual conference on the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA), which was hosted in Montreal, QC, Canada in October 2010.

Dr. Jiyun “Yuni” Kang presented “Social shopping for fashion” at the ITAA conference, which is published in the referred proceedings of 2010 ITAA.

Dr. Jiyun “Yuni” Kang’ s another research paper, titled “Understanding sustainable apparel consumption among global young consumers,” was also presented at the ITAA conference, which is published in the referred proceedings of 2010 ITAA.

Dr. Jiyun “Yuni” Kang’s grant proposal, titled “Toward sustainable consumption: Understanding sustainable consumer leadership for the adoption and diffusion of socially responsible apparel products,” has been funded FY11 Research Enhancement Program (REP) of Texas State University – San Marcos.



Faculty Collaborations

(Picture: Dr. Jiyun “Yuni” Kang with the certificate of

the 1st Place of Doctoral Best Paper at the annual conference of ITAA)

21

Refereed Journal Articles Sullivan P., Chan-Halbrendt, C., Krishnakumar, J. (In Press). Are Farmers' Market Only Shoppers Different Than Cross Shoppers? The case of Hawaiian avocados purchasers, Journal of Food Products Marketing.

News From the Child Development Center (CDC) Ms. Laura Callihan, Teacher Assistant received a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential in December. The CDC has been awarded an $2250 Infant-Toddler Enhancement Grant. The grant was written by Ms. June A. Blades-Wiese, CDC Director to enhance the safe evacuation of the infants and toddlers on the first floor. The grant was awarded through Workforce Solutions.

THECB Approve Departments Name Change

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is to be congratulated on their recent approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. On March 10th the Board approved to rename the Department to the ‘School of Family and Consumer Sciences’. The name change is effective fall 2011. Congratulations to the faculty and Chair for their perseverance in this endeavor.

FCS Graduate Student Contribution to White Paper Series We are pleased to let you know that the public access website for the Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences (SBE) 2020 White Papers is now open. Please take a moment to visit the site http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/sbe_2020/index.cfm, and to share the URL with your co-authors and colleagues. Dr. Elizabeth Morgan-Russell and graduate fellow, Alyssa Taylor authored the following white paper entitled, “Parent Involvement and Kindergarten Readiness: An Approach for Success”.

http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/sbe_2020/submission_detail.cfm?upld_id=140

FCS Departmental Scholarships

Graduate Scholarships For information on scholarship opportunities outside the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, please

refer to the Financial Aid Office.

* Available for the 2011-2012 school year

!Faculty Collaborations



22

UPCOMING MANY HATS SEMINAR The Many Hats Seminar scheduled for January 10-13, 2011 has been temporarily postponed until later in Spring 2011. The new place and time will be posted to the School of Social Work’s official web site at, http://www.socialwork.txstate.edu/ once it has been rescheduled. Should you have additional questions, please contact Sonya Kraus at [email protected].

The Center for Children and Families (CCF) is a university-level resource center for education and information about children and families.

Our Vision: is to be a nationally recognized, interdisciplinary resource center for education and for best practices information about children and families across the lifespan.

Our Mission: is to foster collaborative research, grant proposal-writing, and experiential student learning to improve the quality of life for children and families. The Center provides consultation and support for faculty members and community practitioners to write interdisciplinary grant proposals and to manage grants. The grants offer learning opportunities for university students as well as research opportunities for faculty members and practitioners. Center activities promote comprehensive, collaborative services for children and families across the lifespan.

CCF Director: Dr. Nancy Chavkin

If you are interested in an internship or volunteering for the Strengthening Relationships Program for the Fall, Spring or Summer semesters, contact Renee Perez at 512.245.6766 or [email protected]


School of Social Work Faculty Accomplishments

Dorinda Noble Elected to ASWB Post Dorinda Noble, director of the School of Social Work at Texas State University‐San Marcos, has been elected to the board of directors of the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).

The election was held at the association’s annual meeting in New Orleans, La., in early November.

Noble holds a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Texas and a Master’s in social work from Tulane University. Noble currently serves as vice‐chair of the Texas Board of Social Worker Examiners, and has held multiple volunteer roles for ASWB, most recently as chair of the ASWB program and education committee.

ASWB is the organization of the boards in 49 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., the Virgin Islands and 10 Canadian provinces that license and regulate social workers. Its purpose is to provide support and information toward the goal of protection of the public, which uses social work services. Its current president is Amanda Duffy Randall of Nebraska.

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School of Social Work (cont.) Faculty Accomplishments

Center for Children & Families (CCF) Research and Networking Fair

The Center for Children & Families (CCF) sponsored a research and networking fair February 21st, in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom at Texas State University-San Marcos. The fair was co-sponsored by the Office of the Associate Vice President for Research, the Council for Interdisciplinary Research and Grants, the College of Applied Arts, the College of Education and community partners. The event focused on connecting new faculty, graduate students and others with existing researchers and community agencies to make new interdisciplinary research connections both on and off campus. Faculty and graduate students from across the college participated.

(Picture: Adjunct Faculty, Rhonda Smith and Martha Wildberger with their exhibit representing the Title IV-E grant and child welfare research. Dr. Nancy Chavkin is the principal investigator for the project.)

24

Rogers, K., Norton, C.L., and Christensen, K. (2010, November 14). Texas REACH: Helping foster care youth reach their dream of a college education. National Students in Transition Conference, Houston, TX. Norton, C.L. & Hsieh, C. (2010, November 5). Cultural bridging through shared adventure: Cross cultural perspectives. Association for Experiential Education International Conference, Las Vegas, NV. Drs. Anne Deepak and Mary Jo Garcia had an article published in the latest issue of the Journal of Ethnic and cultural Diversity in Social Work titled Intimate Technology: A tool for teaching anti- racism in social work education. Drs. Betsy Wisner and Mary Jo Garcia Biggs received an internal Research Enhancement Grant for $16,000 to study the Benefits of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy for Vulnerable Adolescents. Dr. Mary Jo Garcia Biggs received the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education’s (AAHHE) 2011 Distance Learning in Higher Education Award. This award is given to a Latino or Latina who has advanced distance learning in higher education via online instruction, research or the development of distance learning processes that impact Latino students in higher education. March 5, 2011. The School of Social Work Sponsored guest lecture "Disproportionality Across Human Services" by Joyce James and Sheila Craig. Ms. James was recently appointed (September 2010) as Director of State Health and Human Services Center for the Elimination of Disparities (2010, November). Social Work students Amanda Lewis (also president of Interruptions and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority) and Lynz Costa (Vice President of Interruptions) and Dr. Anne Deepak organized the campus-wide event: Interrupting Islamophobia: Educating Ourselves and Taking a Stand. Co Sponsored by: Muslim Student Association, Middle Eastern Culture Club, Organization of Student Social Workers, Phi Alpha Honor Society, Diamond Way Buddhist Group. Over 200 students, faculty, family and alumni attended. Evaluations revealed that attendees found the event educational and would like more educational opportunities like this one.

Bilingual Scholarship Possibility Dean Chahin met with a group of community agency leaders on February 28 to discuss possible scholarships for bilingual scholars. This event was part of the Hogg Foundation for Bilingual Mental Health Scholars in Social Work. Dr. Mary Tijerina is the principal investigator and also attended along with Dr. Dorinda Noble and D. Nancy Chavkin.


School of Social Work (cont.) Faculty & Graduate student Collaborations

25



CAA Quarterly Newsletter

OCED Alumni Accomplishments

Trinity Police Chief Paul Chapa Finalist For

Campus Safety Director of the Year Award

The award recognizes police chiefs for outstanding leadership and management.

SAN ANTONIO – Trinity’s Police Department Chief Paul Chapa has been named a finalist in the 2010 Campus Safety Director of the Year, an award sponsored by Campus Safety magazine. According to Campus Safety, the award honors school, university, and hospital security administrators and police chiefs in the United States and Canada who “exhibit outstanding leadership and management in their departments.” Chapa was recognized for: * Increasing funding for staff training by 70 percent * Revising the hiring process to include extensive background investigations * Requiring all security officers to become certified by the State of Texas and providing them with classroom and tactical training Chapa has been Trinity’s police chief since July 2009. Before coming to the University, he was assistant director/captain for the Texas State University Police Department. The Trinity Police Department has 29 members and is in charge of the safety and security of about 2,700 students and 500 faculty and staff. Chapa has received previous honors during his career including the Crime Prevention Manager of the Year Award in 2008 and 2009 by the Texas Crime Prevention Association and the Aguila Award in 2007 by the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association. Eleven campus safety directors are among the finalists for the 2010 Director of the Year award. The magazine will announce the winner in late spring.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Russell Guerrero

[email protected]

26


Occupational Education Program (cont.) Faculty & Graduate Student Accomplishments

Dr. Stephen Springer, Program Chair, provided a presentation on PTSD especially related to students attending the junior college. This was presented at the national NCPN conference in Dallas, Texas." (October, 2010)

Dr. Matthew Eichler, assistant professor, and Justin Williams, graduate research assistant, attended the Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association, held March 16th-19th in Las Vegas, Nevada and presented their research: • Gay and Lesbian Bars: A Hidden Site for Community Building (Matthew Eichler and Justin Williams) • Drums of War: Media, Miseducation, and the Need for Media Literacy in Higher Education (Justin Williams and Matthew Eichler)

Graduate Research Forum

April 28, 2011 AG room 204

Light supper at 5:30 PM

Research for all Master’s of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies majors must be presented at the Graduate Research Forum or at a professional conference. Research at this venue will be judged on; effective delivery and sound communication techniques with clear organization; significance of the problem that would lead to an appropriate review of related research literature; methods utilized in the study fit the problem well; results are fully presented and explained; and finally that the conclusions and implications are appropriate and supported by the results and overall study.

Graduate Student Research to be Presented:

1. Donna Harrell, “What You Want, When You Want It: An Analysis of Utilization of Benefits by Recently Discharged Veterans in Williamson County, Texas”

2. Nathan Rodrigues, “An Actigraphy Based Quantitative Comparison of

Objectively Measured Sleep Parameters in Military Veteran and Nonveteran College Students”

3. Joseph Shaeffer, “Expectations and Perceptions of Texas State University Student

Veterans Receiving Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits”

4. Ronnie Tacquard, “Relevance of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Veterans Assistance Program”

For event details please contact Dr. Matt Eichler at 245-3566 or [email protected].

27


Occupational Education Program (cont.)

28


Newsletter Editor

Yolanda Quintanilla Graduate Recruiter

College of Applied Arts Agriculture Building, #306

[email protected]

Graduate Studies News & Events (cont.)

Board of Regents

A nine member Board of Regents appointed by the Governor governs the Texas State University System. In addition, a nonvoting student regent is appointed annually to the

Board.

Ron Blatchley (2011) Chairman BMB Homes

Bryan | College Station

Charlie Amato (2013) Vice Chairman

Southwest Business Corporation San Antonio

Kevin J. Lilly (2015) Avalon Advisors

Houston

Ron Mitchell (2015) Horseshoe Bay Resort

Horseshoe Bay

David Montagne (2015) Sabine River Authority

of Texas Beaumont

Trisha Pollard (2013) Pollard Development, L.P.

Bellaire

Michael Truncale (2013) Orgain Bell & Tucker, LLP

Beaumont

Donna N. Williams (2011) Parsons Infrastructure &

Technology, Inc. Arlington

Christopher Covo (2011) Student Regent San Marcos

Brian McCall Chancellor

The College of Applied Arts

Cordially invites you to the

Annual Awards Banquet

Awards will be given for the:

Outstanding Undergraduate & Graduate Student

Departmental Awards from:

Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC) Agriculture

Criminal Justice School of Family and Consumer Sciences

Military Science (Army ROTC) Occupational Education Program

School of Social Work

LBJ Student Center Ballroom Thursday, April 28th, 2011, 6 pm

--------------------------------------------------------- For coordination

or event details contact the

School of Social Work at 512-245-2592.

Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas

State University System.