Professional Notes for May 21, 2015

Dr. Tom Bushlack, Theology Department, College of Arts and Sciences, is the author of an article “Pastoral Engagement in the Mindfulness Movement: Gift, Opportunities, and Challenges,” published in New Theology Review, vol. 27, no. 2 (2015): 56-63.

Dr. Massimo Faggioli, Theology Department, College of Arts and Sciences, is the author of a book, A Council for the Global Church. Receiving Vatican II in History, (Fortress Press, 2015, 349 pp.). His 2014 book, Sorting Out Catholicism: A Brief History of the New Ecclesial Movements (Liturgical Press 2014) won first prize of the 2015 “Excellence in Publishing Awards” for the category "General Interest” (together with "Rekindling the Christic Imagination" by Robert P. Imbelli). Faggioli's book John XXIII: The Medicine of Mercy was a finalist for the same award.

Dr. Hans Gustafson, Theology Department, College of Arts and Sciences, and Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, presented a paper, “Interreligious Panentheistic Approaches to a Changing Planet in Comparative Theology and Interfaith Studies,” in the “Comparative Theology” session at the annual convention of the College Theology Society held May 28-31 and hosted by the University of Portland.

Dalton Neu '14 presented a paper, “Jesus as the Theotic Culmination of Creation: A Comparative Analysis of Neuroscientific Evidence, Buddhist Worldview and Christian Emergentism,” at the Great Plains Undergraduate Theology Conference, held March 27, and hosted by Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. Neu researched and wrote this paper for an independent study he did under the guidance of Dr. Hans Gustafson (Theology Department, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning) titled “A Project in Comparative Theology: What Might a Christian Learn From Theological and Neuroscientific Approaches to the Mind, Body and Meditation in Hinduism and Buddhism?” in spring semester 2014.

Dr. Sarah Noonan, Leadership, Policy and Administration Department, College of Education, Leadership and Counseling, is the author of “Doctoral Pedagogy During Stage One: Forming a Scholarly Identity,” published in the spring 2015 issue of the International Journal of Educational Leadership. Noonan also presented a paper on “Group-Authored Reviews of Literature” in March at the International Conference on Doctoral Education.

Drew Puroway, Academic Counseling, was a panel member in a webinar sponsored by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). He spoke April 23 on "Academic Advising and Social Justice: Privilege, Diversity and Student Success." The panelists discussed ideas for reconceptualizing academic advising around issues of social justice and fostering both the ability and the responsibility of advisers to be voices for change at our institutions.

Dr. Manjeet Rege, Graduate Programs in Software, is co-author of a book chapter titled "On Utilizing Nonstandard Abbreviations and Lexicon to Infer Demographic Attributes of Twitter Users" published in Springer's Formalisms for Reuse and Systems Integration.

Dr. John Wendt, Ethics and Business Law Department, Opus College of Business, has been reappointed to the Ladies' Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Special Anti-Doping Arbitration Panel. The term of this appointment will cover the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero. All designated athletes are included in golf's anti-doping program.

From the History Department

Three students in the History Department, College of Arts and Sciences, participated in the Symposium for History Undergraduate Research (SHUR) conference held May 1-2 and sponsored by Mississippi State University in Starkville. The conference featured works based on original primary source research. Nathan Parsons presented “Fatal Progressivism: How the Movement’s Conflicting Views Justified American Atrocities in the Philippines,” based on a paper under consideration for the Journal of Military History. Andrew Ring presented “Eliminating the Last Capitalist Class: An Analysis of Kulak Stereotypes in Soviet Animated Propaganda.” Krista Mehrl presented “American Nurses in Vietnam.” Participants represented a wide range of private and public institutions from throughout the United States.

From the Chemistry Department

Seventeen students from the Chemistry Department presented a talk and posters describing their research, March 22-26, at the 249^th ACS National Meeting and Exposition held in Denver. The participating students, the titles of their posters, and their advisers were: Ben Gelinas, "Desilylation and deuterium enrichment of ethynyl substituted pyridines,” student of Dr. Eric Fort;  Dan Kremer, "Speciation studies between a novel pincer ligand with lanthanum (III) salts," and Meghan Talbot, "Trends observed during the nickel-catalyzed dehydrogenation of ammonia-borane utilizing asymmetrical triazolylidene ligands," students of Dr. Marites Guino-o; Andrea Westlie, "Synthesis of secondary amines," Abigail Heuer and Danielle Hinckley, “Synthesis of a novel isoxazolinone," Olga Zamulko, Abigail Heuer and Danielle Hinckley, "Synthesis of novel GLP-1 stimulants," students of Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti; Evan Eklund, “Supramolecular guanine-rich quadruplexes and their transfection into mammalian cells," student of Dr. Thomas Marsh; Kara Kassekert, "Benzylideneanilines and benzonitrile oxides: Solid-state structure and reactivity studies," Brianna Vickerman, “Solid-state structures and reactivity of some nitrogen-containing organic compounds," Jaya Dhami “Structures and reactivity of some nitrogenous organic solids," and Kaitlyn Van Auken, "Effects of Molecular Structure on Crystal Structure and Solid-State Reactivity of Some Nitrogenous Organic Compounds," students of Dr. William Ojala; Kirsten Mueller, “Polycation-DNA interaction thermodynamics: Tailoring gene delivery systems,” and Ryan Smith, “Impact of poly(ethylene glycol) molecular weight and degree of conjugation on the thermodynamics of DNA complexation and colloidal stability of polyethylenimine-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers," students of Dr. Lisa Prevette; Kyler Anderson, “Aqueous Photochemistry of Altrenogest,” Elizabeth Beck, "Integrons and Multiple-Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Minnesota Suface Waters," and Cole Fuerste, “The Ozonation of Roxithromycin: Determination of Products Through HPLC-MS/MS and their Antibacterial Activity," students of Dr. Kris Wammer.

During the ACS National Meeting and Exposition, the University of St. Thomas Student Affiliate Chapter of the American Chemical Society also received the highest possible award, the “Outstanding Award," for their service, educational and social activities during the fall 2013-spring 2014 school year. The president and vice president were Kristin Braden and Ryan Smith, respectively, and the faculty advisers were Dr. Gabriela Uzcategui and Dr. Eric Fort for that school year.

From the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department

On April 15, faculty, students and guests of the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department, College of Arts and Sciences, gathered to initiate three sociology and criminal justice majors and minors as lifetime members in Alpha Kappa Delta, the international sociology honor society. This marked the 25th initiation by Iota of Minnesota, chartered at the University of St. Thomas in 1991. Congratulations to new initiates Melanie Barreto, Jade Schleif and Alexander Tsadwa. Dr. Meg Wilkes Karraker, president emerita of AKD, is faculty sponsor.

At the same event, the department presented John C. Gessner scholarships to outstanding criminal justice and sociology majors Mitchell A. Hurrle and Danielle M. Kahler. The scholarship, which honors Jack Gessner, a professor in the department until his death in 1991, was presented by Dr. Bill Kinney.

The Sociologists for Women in Society Award, awarded to a promising sociology major concerned with the sociology of gender, was presented by Dr. Buffy Smith to Tiana Daniels for her research on intersectionality, including “Manifesto of Audre Lorde: A Study of the Erotic Power and Oppression.” Daniels is a University of St.Thomas Excel! Research Scholar.

The James G. Ahler Award, awarded to a sociology or criminal justice major who has distinguished herself or himself in research methods and statistics, was presented to Kahler. The award, which honors long-time, now retired faculty member Jim Ahler, was presented by Dr. Lisa Waldner, chair of the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department.

The Mikulay/Misencik Scholarship was awarded to Claire Alexis Tasler and was presented by Dr. Tanya Gladney.

Mathew Nybeck ’99 (criminal justice) and Birgitta Hessler Nybeck ’00 (sociology) offered congratulations and remarks, drawing on his work as an officer in the Bloomington Police Department, her work as an independent contractor and copy editor and their work in their community. Both are also lifetime members of AKD (inducted at the University of St. Thomas) and parents of Kevin and Isabella.

An honored guest at this year’s event was Rossella Galletti, a social anthropologist from the University of Naples studying the Mediterranean diet and “Identity and Practices of Social Distinction Through Food Consumption.” Galletti’s visit was made possible by a collaboration between International Education and the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department.