UHD / Academic Affairs / College of Public Service / Degree Programs / Acknowledging Excellence / College News - February 2018
College News - February 2018
- Franklin Allaire, Urban Education faculty member and NASA Project Chair, adjuncts teaching science methods courses with him, and our teacher candidates in Urban Education who have been working on the NASA/ISS/UHD project will host Houston area teachers and students on February 9th and a Downlink with NASA Astronaut Joe Acaba on the International Space Station on February 13th.
- Best wishes to the interdisciplinary team committed to submitting a proposal for
a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant: Nina Barbieri (CPS), Matt Fugate (CPS),
Windy Lawrence (CHSS), Judith Quander (College of Sciences and Technology), Jacqueline
Sack (CPS), Steven Villano (CPS) and Jerry Wallace (UHD-Male Minority Initiative).
- In mid-January, the UHD-Criminal Justice Training Center directed by Steven Bracken
and the College of Public Service hosted 45 students from the Central Police University
for a 2-1/2 week course of study and cultural exchange. The visit was supported by
Hsiao-Ming Wang, Director of International Education in Criminal Justice in the College
of Public Service and Judith Harris, Assistant Director of International Education
in Criminal Justice the College of Public Service.
- On January 25th the members of our Social Work Program hosted Mr. Jim McIngvale
as the Social Work Person of the Year. Robin Davidson, faculty member in the Department
of English, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and former Poet Laureate of
Houston wrote an original poem honoring Mr. McIngvale.
- Jacqueline Sack was awarded the College of Public Service REACH (Research Examining
and Acting in Community Houston) award for her “Near Northside Community Engagement
Project”. She returned the funding to the college upon receipt of a grant from a near
Northside organization to fund the project.
- Krista Gehring has been invited to serve on the editorial board of Criminal Justice
and Behavior, An International Journal.
- Social Work student, Abigail Murillo, and her UHD student peers in the Cosplay for
Kids organization were featured in an article in Houston Press titled, “UHD Students
Take Their Superhero Alter Egos to Kids in Homeless Shelters”.
- Diane Miller nominated Urban Education student, Selena Garcia for Student Regent
– UH System. The nomination has gone forward and Selena is one of three students system-wide
to be interviewed by the Board of Regents members. More on this topic in future reports.
- Jace Valcore received the Faculty Development Award for international visiting scholarship
and research collaboration in queer criminology and criminal justice at the University
of Tasmania.
- Dana Smith received the Faculty Development Award for field practicum site development
and research in Costa Rica associated with our Spanish track in Social Work.
- Bernardo Pohl received the Faculty Development Award to present his work on service
learning.
- Ash Tiwari received a Faculty Development Award to present his research on pre-service
teachers’ beliefs and perspectives about teaching special education students in inclusive
classrooms at multiple conferences.
- Beth Sanders’ paper/poster, “The Evolution of a Service Learning Course,” has been
accepted for presentation at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conference.
- Ashley Blackburn agreed to assist the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects
in Spring, 2018. The request came from Jerry Johnson in ORSP who noted that the volume
of applications to the committee have increased steadily. There were 90 total applications
last year and this year, with only one quarter of the academic year completed they
are on a trajectory to break last year’s record having already reviewed 38 applications.
Franklin Allaire is our representative from the College of Public Service.
- Maria Bhattacharjee received a Community Engagement and Service Learning award of
course designation and funding for her proposal for service learning in PED 3314.
- Nina Barbieri received a Community Engagement and Service Learning award of course
designation and funding for her proposal for service learning in CS 3306.
- Judith Harris received a Community Engagement and Service Learning award of course
designation and funding for her proposal for service learning in CJ 4370.
- Ash Tiwari received a Community Engagement and Service Learning award of course
designation and funding for his proposal for service learning in PED 3301.
- Laura Mitchell received a Community Engagement and Service Learning award of course
designation and funding for her proposal for service learning in READ 3317.
- Hsiao-Ming Wang’s paper, “Nigerian immigrants’ perception of the police” An exploratory
study in Houston,” was accepted for presentation at the Academy of Criminal Justice
Sciences conference.
- Matt Fugate’s paper, “Teaching gifted children: Success strategies for teaching
high ability learners,” has been accepted for presentation at the Texas Association
for the Gifted and Talented. While at the conference, Matt will attend a Leadership
Retreat in his new role as Vice-Chair for the Research Division.
- Bernardo Pohl’s paper, “Research in social studies education: Teaching social studies
for social justice,” has been accepted for presentation at the Ethnographic Qualitative
Research conference.
- Assistant Director of Assessment, Sharon Noel, and Data Analyst, Carol Boethel will
attend the Texas Association for Institutional Research conference to gain knowledge
of collection, analysis, interpretation, and communication of data and the strategic
use of information for effective decision-making and planning. This will be of great
assistance to us as they enable us to evaluate our progress on the fast-track initiatives
to increase enrollment and retention in the next three semesters.
- Welcome to Anne Baronitis who joins us as the Assistant Director, Graduate Studies,
for our graduate programs in Criminal Justice, Master of Science in Criminal Justice,
and Urban Education, Master of Arts in Teaching.
- Beverly Alford’s paper, “The disappearance of play-based literacy instruction for
early childhood classrooms,” was accepted for presentation at the Texas Council for
Teachers of English Language Arts conference.
- Mike Cavanaugh’s paper, “Officer involved shooting: The state of publically available
data in the U.S.,” was accepted for presentation at the Academy of Criminal Justice
Sciences conference.
- Franklin Allaire’s paper with Bernardo Pohl, “Transforming the typical classroom:
Literacy engagement in the content area,” was accepted for presentation at the Texas
Council for Teachers of English Language Arts conference.
- Kevin Buckler’s papers, “Variation in movement of proposed criminal justice and
criminal procedure bills: An analysis of the Texas legislature,” with Brandon Andrews,
“Construction of police-citizen encounters resulting in death or injury: An examination
of media coverage of events in Harris County, Texas,” with Beth Gilmore and James
Holt, and “Gendered blue views: A comparative analysis of police views on recent
high profile use of force cases,” with Beth Gilmore and James Holt have been accepted
for presentation at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conference.
- Bernardo Pohl’s paper with Franklin Allaire, “Transforming the typical classroom:
Literacy engagement in the content area,” has been accepted for presentation at the
Texas Council for Teachers of English Language Arts conference.
- Beth Pelz will attend the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Field of Study
Meeting in early February representing Criminal Justice in discussions of the transfer
of criminal justice courses from community college.
- Kevin Buckler received a Faculty Involved in Research/Studies with Students for
Transformation (FIRST) Award for his independent studies and presentations with UHD
students Brandon Andrews and James Holt.
- Elizabeth Gilmore received a Faculty Involved in Research/Studies with Students
for Transformation (FIRST) Award for her independent studies and presentations with
UHD student James Holt.
- Elizabeth Gilmore received a Conference and Research Experience for Students (CARES)
Award for UHD student James Holt. This award will fund Mr. Holt’s travel to the Academy
of Criminal Justice Sciences conference where he will present the results of his literature
and participation in the final manuscripts for “Social construction of police-citizen
encounters result in death or injury: An examination of media coverage of events in
Harris County, Texas,” and “Gendered blue views: A comparative analysis of police
views on recent high profile use of force cases”.
- Shannon Fowler’s paper, “Peer delinquency’s impact on the offender-victim relationship,”
has been accepted for presentation at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conference.
- Beth Pelz’s paper, “Managing student demand, student success, and faculty perceptions
in scheduling online,” has been accepted for presentation at the Academy of Criminal
Justice Sciences conference.
- Krista Gehring presented a workshop “Needs and Pretrial Outcomes: A Gender-Informed
Approach for Male and Female Defendants” at the American Probation and Parole Association
Winter Training Institute in Houston, Texas.
- Shahnaz Savani’s paper, “Investigating suicide in Central Asia: Examining cultural
risk and protective factors, and adapting interventions,” has been accepted for presentation
at the American Association of Suicidology annual conference.
- Franklin Allaire’s paper, “Using the teacher emotional scales (TES) to measure pre-service
teachers’ emotions related to in-class science lessons” was accepted for presentation
at the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences conference.
- Christal Burnett’s paper, “Celebrating international literacy day with a readathon:
Stories of pre-service teachers in an urban literacy project,” was accepted for presentation
at the Conference on Academic Research in Education.
- Krista Gehring facilitated a Women’s Risk Needs Assessment end user training for
the Department of Probation Services in York, Pennsylvania.
- Shahnaz Savani’s paper, “A systematic study of prevalence, risk, and protective
factors for suicide in Central Asia: The implicit role of culture,” has been accepted
for presentation at the International Association of Suicide Prevention conference.
- Franklin Allaire’s paper with undergraduate student, Leidy Yanes, “Developing elementary
science teaching efficacy through critical self-analysis of digitally recorded lessons,”
was accepted for presentation at the Conference on Academic Research in Education.
- Amelia Hewitt’s paper, “Celebrating international literacy day with a readathon:
Stories of pre-service teachers in an urban literacy project,” was accepted for presentation
at the Conference on Academic Research in Education.
- Franklin Allaire’s poster, “Semester interrupted: Freshmen responses to Hurricane
Harvey’s impact on their first semester in college,” was accepted for presentation
at the Ethnographic and Qualitative Research conference.
- Diane Miller’s paper, “Celebrating international literacy day with a readathon:
Stories of pre-service teachers in an urban literacy project,” was accepted for presentation
at the Conference on Academic Research in Education.
- Shahnaz Savani’s paper, “Conversations and skill practice in an online suicide prevention
and intervention course,” was accepted for presentation during the 4th Annual Social
Work Distance Education conference.
- Beverly Alford and Ashley Blackburn will serve as our College of Public Service
Ambassadors for the 2018 Faculty and Staff Campaign.
- Franklin Allaire was awarded a Conference and Research Experience for Students (CARES)
award and a Faculty Involved in Research/Studies with Students for Transformation
(FIRST) award to support his upcoming conference presentation with undergraduate student,
Leidy Yanes.
- Diane Miller will serve as the President of the Texas Council of Teachers of English
Language Arts (TCTELA) in 2018!
- Amelia Hewitt was appointed by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language
Arts to serve as Chair of the Elementary Section.
- Ten students from the University of Houston – Downtown; 8 Urban Education majors
and 2 English majors received a Pre-Service Teacher Conference Grant which includes
conference registration and accommodations in exchange for their volunteer efforts
during the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts conference.
- Ash Tiwari’s paper, “Inclusive education practices in schools across the U.S.-Mexico
border,” was accepted for presentation at the American Educational Research Association
Conference. A co-author on this paper is Bernardo Pohl. This paper was also accepted
for presentation at the Comparative and International Education Society conference
on Re-Mapping Global Education.
- Bernardo Pohl’s piece, “Will magnet schools survive the HISD budget?” was published
in the Gray Matters column for the Houston Chronicle.
- Susie Nelson will take a group of students in her “Be A Teacher” student organization
for pre-service teachers to the Texas State Teachers Association conference.
- Ash Tiwari’s paper, “Measuring general education teachers’ attitudes and perceptions
towards inclusion of special education students,” was accepted for presentation at
the International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences conference.
- December, 2017 UHD Graduate, Heather Echols accepted the nomination of the TCTELA
Board Members to serve as the Pre-Service Teacher Committee Chair.
- All of us appreciate the attendance and participation of the following individuals
at the December, 2017 Commencement in Minute Maid Park: Beverly Alford, Nina Barbieri,
Ron Beebe, Barbara Belbot, Kevin Buckler, Christal Burnett, Matt Fugate, Angie Goins,
Heather Goltz, Judith Harris, Cynthia Hartman, Amelia Hewitt, Larry Karson, John Kelly,
Dawn McCarty, Diane Miller, Laura Mitchell, Angela Lopez-Pedrana, Rebecca Pfeffer,
Bernardo Pohl, Terrilyn Ratcliff, Jackie Sack, Clete Snell, Leigh Van Horn and Hsiao-Ming
Wang.