Professional Notes

Professional notes

Editors' note: Finishing touchings to complete last week's "Professional Notes" column occurred after distribution. If you missed last week's column, click here.

Dr. Noreen Carrocci, a former professor of communication and dean of the College (precursor to the College of Arts and Sciences) at St. Thomas from 1994 to 1998, is the new president of Newman University in Wichita, Kan. Her inauguration was held Nov. 9. Newman is a Catholic college sponsored by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, an order of religious sisters, and enrolls 2,200 students.

Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti, College of Arts and Sciences (Chemistry Department), had a patent published, titled “Nanoparticle Precursor Structures, Nanoparticle Structures, and Composite Materials.” The United States patent number is 20070148461 and can be accessed at www.freepatentsonline.com. The patent is the result of a collaborative research project with Boston Scientific to develop new organic/inorganic hybrid materials for use in medical devices.

Dr. Mark Neuzil, College of Arts and Sciences (Communication and Journalism Department), is the author of an article, “In the Field: Kayaking a Coastal Estuary,” published in the fall 2007 SEJournal, the quarterly publication of the Society of Environmental Journalists. The article deals with Elkhorn Slough, near Monterey, Calif.

Dr. Shirley Polejewski, Opus College of Business (Accounting Department), presented a paper,“Is German Cost Accounting (GPK) and Activity-Based Accounting (ABC) Complimentary?” Nov. 11-14 at the Asian-Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Four hundred participants from 138 universities and 34 countries attended the conference. In attendance were academics, regulators, international and regional professional accountancy bodies, professional accounting standard setters and corporations.

Dr. Richard Raschio, College of Arts and Sciences (Modern and Classical Languages Department), was appointed to the Technology Advisory Board at Vista Higher Learning Publishers.

Sister Paul Therese Saiko, and Sister Katarina Schuth, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, delivered lectures on “Priestly Formation: Content, Structures, and Processes” Nov. 16 at the Irish College in Rome. They also discussed formation practices with the leadership of the Friars of the Third Order Regular Franciscans at the Convent and General Curia Residence at The Church of Ss. Cosmos and Damien in Rome.

Schuth was the keynote speaker for the Diocese of Winona Fall Ministry Gatherings Nov. 2 in Fairmont. Her topic was "Multiple Parish Ministry: Realities, Dynamics, and Leadership." She participated in the Jesuit Leadership Consultation Sept. 28-30 in Chicago. On Oct. 20 she addressed the gathering of the Hispanic Seminarians on “Multiple Parish Ministry and Hispanic Presence” at the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. On Oct. 26 she spoke at the Association of Theological School’s Women’s Conference on “Women and Men in Leadership Together: Opportunities and Challenges.”

Dr. Brenda Tiefenbruck, director of the Mathematics Resource Center, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation on “Elementary Teachers Conceptions of Graphical Representations of Categorical Data” Nov. 27. Her research study investigated 14 fourth grade teachers’ understandings of graphical representations of categorical data.