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Faculty Laurels 2006-2007
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Greensboro College Faculty, Staff Participate in SACS Annual Meeting
Najjaj Will Be Published in “Food and Foodways”
Greensboro College Psychology Professor Named Outstanding Teacher
Charles-Liscombe Named Director of NCATA Board of Directors Crane Presents Work at Association of Holocaust Organizations Winter Seminar
Professors Lesperance, Charles-Liscombe Participate in NATA Conference
Greensboro College Professor, Students Participate in Humanist Sociology Conference
Walter-Fromson Recognized as Certified Environmental Educator Langer Honored with Virginia Clarke Gray Award
Larkin Receives Exemplary Teaching Award
Faculty Colloquium Explores Link Between Teaching, International Travel
Bond Participates in International Biology Meeting
Greensboro College CMENC Chapter Garners Excellence Award Professors Diliberto, Hair Present at Conference on Exceptional Children
Greensboro College Faculty Members Explore the Student Study Abroad Experience
Nayar Published in Book Examining the French Fabliaux
Najjij Participates in Conference at Villanova University Malotky Participates in Ethics Conference Held at Oxford University
Greensboro College Faculty, Staff Participate in SACS Annual Meeting
Greensboro College was invited to participate in the Annual Meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
During that conference – held Dec. 8 to Dec. 11 in Orlando, Fla. – four members of the Greensboro College faculty and staff led a session titled “How One Small College Developed Its QEP: Focused Learning, Focused Teaching at Greensboro College.”
Presenters at the conference were Paul Leslie, vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty; George Cheatham, assistant dean of faculty and professor of English; Martha Bunch, dean of academic services; and Cynthia Hanson, professor of marketing.
The session focused on the college’s efforts to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, a requirement for each institution seeking reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. That QEP must target a specific project to enhance student-learning outcomes.
Greensboro College’s QEP largely focused on the transition from a system of three-credit courses to one based primarily on four-credit hour courses.
The goal of that curriculum shift – implemented at the start of the 2006 academic year – is to provide students with an opportunity to hone their focus and gain a greater depth of knowledge from their classes.
The new curriculum also means professors teach fewer courses – allowing them more opportunity to explore innovative classroom learning and expand professional development opportunities. The Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, headed by Professor of Psychology Ann Walter-Fromson, plays a key role in that process.
Greensboro College faculty and staff members who presented at the conference discussed successes and challenges of implementing the curriculum change.
“The acceptance of our session – one that focused on the establishment of a colossal curriculum change at the College – is a testimony to the hard work of the faculty and staff to bring to fruition a vision for enhanced opportunities for student learning and faculty teaching,” said Paul Leslie.
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Najjaj Will Be Published in “Food and Foodways”
April Najjaj, assistant professor of history at Greensboro College, will have her work published in a special edition of the journal “Food and Foodways.”
She and Beth Marie Forrest at Boston University co-authored the article titled “Is Sipping Sin Breaking Fast? The Catholic Chocolate Controversy and the Changing World of Early Modern Spain.”
The article weighs the potential conflict in the 1700s regarding whether the New World foodstuff of chocolate should be classified as a food or drink, and the implications of that classification for consuming chocolate in times of fasting without committing a mortal sin.
Najjaj, who joined the Greensboro College faculty in 2004, earned the B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Arkansas and holds the Ph.D. degree from Boston University.
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Greensboro College Psychology Professor Named Outstanding Teacher
The 2007 Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award has been presented to the chair of the College’s Psychology Department, Dr. Lisa Gunther-LaVergne.
Dr. Gunther-LaVergne has been teaching at Greensboro College (GC) since 1998, specializing in cognitive psychology and teaching a variety of courses from introductory psychology to upper-level research curricula.
In addition to her psychology chair responsibilities, Gunther-LaVergne is coordinator of the College’s Social Sciences Division and director of the First Year Seminar Program.
She commented, “Over the last year, we have made some exciting changes in the First Year Seminar, including a common reading for first year students. It’s extremely rewarding to assist first year students in their transition to college.”
GC President Craven Williams commented, “Our College has long been noted for its individual attention to students, in particular those who are beginning their college careers. Dr. Gunther-LaVergne appreciates that tradition and does a wonderful job of nurturing it.”
Dr. Gunther-LaVergne earned undergraduate, M.A. and doctoral degrees at the State University of New York at Binghamton. After her undergraduate years, she was a special education teacher at a Port St. Lucie, Fla. middle school.
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Charles-Liscombe Named Director of NCATA Board of Directors
Robert Charles-Liscombe, assistant professor of athletic training at Greensboro College, has been elected to serve as District 5 director for the North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Directors.
He will represent members of the organization who live and work in Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham and Stokes counties.
Since its creation in 1974, the North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association has worked to support athletic trainers as well as promote and advance the profession within the state. The organization is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers Association and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
Charles-Liscombe joined the Greensboro College faculty in 1991. He holds the B.A. degree from Guilford College and the M.S. degree from Indiana University.
Crane earned the B.A. from Eastern Connecticut State
University and the M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of
Connecticut. He joined Greensboro College in 1997.
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Crane Presents Work at Association of Holocaust Organizations Winter Seminar
Richard Crane, professor of history at Greensboro College, presented his work Jan. 7 at the Association of Holocaust Organizations Winter Seminar in Washington, D.C.
He is a 2006-2007 Hoffberger Family Fellow at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The title of Crane’s lecture was “Jacques Maritain, Jewish-Catholic Relations and the Holocaust.” That lecture focused on his research of Jacques Maritain – the French Catholic philosopher, intellectual and staunch opponent of anti-Semitism.
Crane, whose research also is supported by the Christopher Browning Fellowship from the Holocaust Educational Foundation, is working on a novel. He is the author of “A French Conscience in Prague: Louis Eugene Faucher and the Abandonment of Czechoslovakia.”
A member of the Greensboro College faculty since 1997, he earned the B.A. in history at Eastern Connecticut State University, and the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history from the University of Connecticut.
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Professors Lesperance, Charles-Liscombe Participate in NATA Conference
Two Greensboro College faculty members participated in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Athletic Training Educators’ Conference.
That conference – titled “Strategies for Recruiting, Educating and Supporting the Approved Clinical Instructor” – was held Jan. 12 to Jan. 14 in Dallas.
Michelle Lesperance and Robert “BC” Charles-Liscombe were lead presenters during a pre-conference workshop that explored “Using Technology to Enhance Clinical Education.”
Their presentation was called “Open Source Alternatives to For-Profit Assessment and Course Management Systems.”
It focused on how the Greensboro College Athletic Training program uses PHP Surveyor and Moodle to collect data about classes, clinical program evaluations and post-graduation employment. Both programs are available at little or no cost to colleges and universities.
Lesperance and Charles-Liscombe also served as site-visitors for the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, assisting with the review process for institutions seeking or renewing their athletic training accreditation.
Lesperance is an assistant professor of athletic training at Greensboro College. She joined the college in 2000 and holds the B.S. degree from Binghamton University and the M.S. degree from Illinois State University.
Charles-Liscombe, an assistant professor of athletic training and clinical coordinator of athletic training, joined Greensboro College in 2001. He holds the B.A. degree from Greensboro College and the M.S. degree from Indiana University.
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Greensboro College Professor, Students Participate in Humanist Sociology Conference
Six representatives from Greensboro College – one professor and five students – took part in the annual meeting of the Association for Humanist Sociology held Nov. 1 to Nov. 5 in St. Louis, MO.
The organization was created in 1976 to promote peace, equality and social justice through sociology.
Joti Sekhon, a Greensboro College sociology professor, presented a paper titled “Tibetan Culture Under Chinese Occupation.”
That presentation was based on Sekhon’s work during an international faculty development seminar in Tibet this summer, sponsored by the Council on International Educational Exchange. It is part of Sekhon’s two-year research project on Tibetan Culture and Buddhism Under Chinese Occupation and in Exile in India.
At the meeting, she was reappointed for a three-year term as secretary of the Association for Humanist Sociology. Sekhon also will serve on the editorial board for the association's peer-reviewed journal, Humanity and Society.
Greensboro College seniors JoAnne Cross and Robin Robertson presented an audio-visual program titled “The Colors of Mexico” based on the Sociology Club and Vidas de Esperanza service-learning program in Ixmiquilpan, Mexico, in Spring 2006.
Robertson also presented a paper titled “Parental and Family Acceptance of Lesbian and Gay Children.” Greensboro College students who also attended the conference were: Billy Dodson, Lindsey Dawson and Latasha Lisenby.
“The conference provided the students with an invaluable opportunity to expand their classroom learning,” said Sekhon. “They heard from sociologists, students, and activists from other parts of the country who are engaged in the production of sociological knowledge and improving the human condition.”
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Walter-Fromson Recognized as Certified Environmental Educator
For Ann Walter-Fromson, becoming a certified environmental educator is a way to share her zeal for the natural world with others.
Walter-Fromson, a Greensboro College psychology professor, was honored for her accomplishment Nov. 17 at a ceremony in Durham. The Office of Environmental Education, part of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, sponsored that ceremony.
To receive her environmental education certification, Walter-Fromson participated in outdoor environmental education activities; completed instructional workshops; and learned about the state’s environmental education resources.
She also coordinated a service project to install signs along the evergreen trail at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch of the Greensboro Public Library. Those interactive signs teach visitors about the native wildlife and flora of Triad forests.
Walter-Fromson heard about the environmental education program through her work with the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society of Guilford County. She is a board member for the group, which helped pay for installing the trail signs.
This fall, Walter-Fromson taught a course at Greensboro College called “The Psychology of Environmental Problems.”
The state program through which she earned her certification recently garnered a national award from the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation.
“I am a more informed and appreciative citizen,” she said about the program. “I have the tools to share my love of nature and my concerns for the environment with people of all ages.”
Walter-Fromson joined the Greensboro College faculty in 1989. She holds the A.B. degree from Oberlin College and the M.Ed. and Ph.D. degrees from Duke University.
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Langer Honored with Virginia Clarke Gray Award
Greensboro College professor James v Langer received the Virginia Clarke Gray Award during the annual Founders’ Day ceremony held Jan. 25.
Recipients of the award demonstrate excellence in teaching, regard for students and colleagues, as well as service to the college and community.
Students lauded Langer for sparking their curiosity in art, and challenging them to discover the connection between an artist’s and daily life.
A member of the Greensboro Artists League board, Langer’s work has been displayed at the Greenhill Center for North Carolina Art, Marshall Gallery, Weatherspoon Gallery, Bushnell Gallery, Hitchcock Museum and Valley Arts Center in Connecticut.
Langer also is an accomplished actor having appeared at the Riverton Theatre Festival, Hartford Stage Company and Centennial Theatre, as well as in productions staged by Greensboro College.
“He is well known to this community as one who believes in the beauty of dreams, philosophy and hard work,” Paul Leslie, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, said during the award presentation.
“He has taught hundreds of students to appreciate the significance of art and how to develop skills to contribute to the expression of our humanity through art.”
Langer holds a M.F.A. degree in painting and drawing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a B.F.A. degree in painting from Boston University. Although he has taught courses at Greensboro College since 1995, the 2006-2007 academic year is his first as a full-time assistant professor of art.
Virginia Clark Backus, a 1942 Greensboro College alumna, established the Virginia Clarke Gray Award in 1994 to honor excellence among faculty members who have taught full-time at a college or university for less than five years.
The Greensboro College Academic Council selects recipients based on nominations from the eight academic divisions.
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Larkin Receives Exemplary Teaching Award
Greensboro College biology professor Marjorie Boyd Larkin received the Exemplary Teaching Award Jan. 25 during the annual Founders’ Day convocation.
That award, created by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church, recognizes meaningful contributions to academia by faculty members at Methodist colleges and universities nationwide.
Since joining the Greensboro College faculty in 1991, Larkin has garnered praise from students for her expertise, and her ability to infuse humor and wit into complex science material.
She created the curriculum for classes in the Biology of Women, Human Evolution, Environmental Biology and Modern Epidemics. Larkin also has worked to advance training and educational opportunities for students pursuing careers in science education.
With the help of a grant awarded in 2006, she and a colleague are creating a new curriculum for middle grades and secondary licensure in science education, which includes a physics course in Earth/Space Science.
“In her direct, scientific manner, she has contributed significantly to our excellence in preparing future science teachers,” Paul Leslie, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, said during the award ceremony. “She has helped to prepare countless students for medical, dental, veterinary and graduate schools.”
Larkin has been a leader with numerous nonprofits and civic groups. For more than 20 years, she has worked with the Children’s Corner, Day in the Park event – both as a committee member and chairperson.
Larkin also devoted her time as librarian, vice-regent and committee chairwoman with the Alexander Martin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
She holds the M.S. degree and an education specialist degree from Georgia Southern University. Larkin, an assistant professor of biology at Greensboro College, earned the B.S. degree in biology from the University of Georgia.
The Exemplary Teaching Award, created in 1992 is open to all full-time faculty members at Greensboro College. A committee comprising past award recipients selects the winner from divisional nominations.
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Faculty Colloquium Explores Link Between Teaching, International Travel
Two Greensboro College professors will explore ways international travel can enrich teaching opportunities in the classroom.
“Enhancing Teaching through International Travel Study” will be the topic of the next faculty colloquium Feb. 9 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Campbell Lyceum, Proctor Hall West Room 109. The event is free and open to the public.
April Najjaj, assistant professor of history, and Joti Sekhon, professor of sociology, will be the featured speakers.
Each lecture in the 2006-2007 Greensboro College faculty colloquia series will focus on teaching, providing faculty members with additional opportunities for professional development.
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Bond Participates in International Biology Meeting
Calhoun Bond, professor of biology at Greensboro College, participated in the 2007 annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in Phoenix, Ariz., Jan 3-7.
That international organization strives to unify specialties within the field of biology and promote knowledge about new advancements in biology.
Bond also serves on the executive committee for the American Microscopical Society, which met during the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology meeting.
The American Microscopical Society is an international society of biologists organized to encourage the use of microscopy. Most of its members are scientists and educators who use various types of microscopes in their research and teaching.
The American Microscopical Society publishes reports of research on invertebrate biology and conducts research that uses microscopy. Bond assisted the society in planning activities and publications for the coming year.
Bond holds the B.A. degree from Amherst College and the Ph.D. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Greensboro College CMENC Chapter Garners Excellence Award
For the ninth straight year, the Greensboro College CMENC (Collegiate Music Educators National Conference) chapter has been recognized with a chapter excellence award.
The chapter – among the oldest collegiate music educators professional chapters in the nation – was honored during the N.C. Music Educators Conference Nov. 11 to Nov. 14 in Winston-Salem.
The Greensboro College CMENC chapter was commended for its educational projects and community service, including a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina and performances at area rest homes.
Twenty Greensboro College students, all CMENC members, as well as college faculty participated in the annual conference that included workshops, seminars and concerts.
New at the conference were special events geared toward collegiate members such as teaching workshops, a hands-on drum circle and Cuban music session. Jane McKinney, Greensboro College professor of music, coordinated all collegiate activities at the conference.
Associate Professor of Music Neill Clegg presented during a session titled “Starting a High School Jazz Program – Materials/Pedagogical Techniques/Approaches to Improvisation.”
The Greensboro College Jazz Ensemble was the featured band during the all-conference reception. They performed under the direction of Benjy Springs, director of bands at Greensboro College.
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Professors Diliberto, Hair Present at Conference on Exceptional Children
Greensboro College faculty members Jennifer Diliberto and Beth Hair participated in the 56th Annual Conference on Exceptional Children.
That conference, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Instruction, was held Nov. 6 to Nov. 8 in Greensboro.
Diliberto presented a summary of her recent research in a poster titled “Effects of Syllable Skills on Reading Achievement in Struggling Middle School Readers.”
An assistant professor of special education, she holds the B.S. degree from Western Carolina University, the M.Ed. degree from N.C. State University and the Ph.D. degree from UNC-Charlotte. Diliberto joined the Greensboro College faculty at the start of the 2006-2007 academic year.
Hair presented a poster on the “Development of a Literacy Lending Library for Classes Serving Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities,” which included a display of books completed by Greensboro College students enrolled in the adapted curriculum program in special education.
The Greensboro College students modified those books, making them easier to use for students with significant cognitive and physical disabilities – including laminating the pages and creating interactive exercises. The books will become part of the literacy lending library, housed at the college.
Teachers at Gateway and McIver Education Centers will be able to check out the books for use in their classes. The literacy lending library project was funded through a grant from the N.C. Council for Exceptional Children.
Hair, an associate professor of special education, joined the Greensboro College faculty in 2003. She holds the A.B degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, the M.A. degree from Appalachian State University and the Ph.D. from UNC-Greensboro.
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Greensboro College Faculty Members Explore the Student Study Abroad Experience
Two Greensboro College faculty members, Paul Leslie and Cheryl Brown, took part in the Mid-South Sociological Association’s annual meeting.
The conference “Sociology in Ill-Starred Times: Crisis, Survival and Reconstruction,” was held in Lafayette, La. And many of the conference sessions tackled sociological issues related to Hurricane Katrina.
Leslie presented a paper titled “Taking Students Abroad: The VPAA’s Strategy,” which discussed the advantages, pitfalls and questions surrounding the study abroad process.
He was one of three presenters during a session Brown organized that focused on “The World as Classroom: Taking Students Abroad.”
Leslie serves as vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Greensboro College. He also is a professor of sociology, and holds the B.A. degree from Clark University and the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Boston University. Leslie joined the college in 1989.
Brown, who also is a professor of sociology, holds the B.A. degree from Agnes Scott College and the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Georgia State University. She began teaching at Greensboro College in 2001.
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Nayar Published in Book Examining the French Fabliaux
Greensboro College professor Sheila Nayar has recently been published in a collection of essays examining the French fabliaux.
The fabliaux are short narrative verses that gained popularity in 13th and 14th century France. Some were comical, often bawdy tales, while others tried to teach moral lessons.
Nayar’s chapter titled “Coprus [sic] Christi: The Scatological Tales of the Fabliaux,” developed from work she did during a National Endowment for the Humanities seminar in 2003.
Writings from several participants in that seminar, held at Yale University, were included in the book “Comic Provocations: Exploring the Corpus of the Old French Fabliaux.”
An associate professor of English and communication studies, Nayar earned the B.A. degree from Concordia University and the M.F.A. from Columbia University. She joined the Greensboro College faculty in 1999.
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Najjij Participates in Conference at Villanova University
Greensboro College professor April Najjaj presented a paper at the 31st International Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance Studies Conference held at Villanova University.
Her paper was titled “Avignon and the Alhambra: Cross-Cultural Spaces in the 14th Century.”
Najjij examined similarities between the Alhambra – a palace-city built during the last Islamic dynasty in Granada, Spain – and the Palace of the Popes, - a 14th century papal residence in Avignon, France. She explored their architectural styles as well as how the artistic design of those structures demonstrated power and authority.
A member of the Greensboro College faculty since 2004, Najjij earned the B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Arkansas and the Ph.D. from Boston University. She is an assistant professor of history.
That conference, called “Structure, Space and Meaning: The Walls and Portals of Premodern Worlds,” was held Oct. 13 to Oct. 15.
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Malotky Participates in Ethics Conference Held at Oxford University
Greensboro College Associate Professor Daniel Malotky was invited to present his work during a conference at Oxford University addressing political ethics and international order.
Two groups – Societas Ethica, the European Society for Research in Ethics, and the British Society for the Study of Christian Ethics – sponsored the conference held Aug. 23 to 27.
Malotky, an associate professor of religion and philosophy, presented his paper titled “Fundamentalist Violence and Despair: A Response” Aug. 26. He tackled the theme of violence and religion, one of the conference subject areas.
The paper was inspired by the growing impact of religious fundamentalism, Malotky said. His paper explores a structure for understanding the driving factors, such as despair, that incite some fundamentalists to violence.
“It was a privilege to spend a few days at Oxford in the company of so many distinguished scholars,” Malotky said about the international conference. “I learned a great deal, both by attending the presentations of others and listening to the feedback from my own presentation.”
Malotky joined the Greensboro College faculty in 2003. He earned the B.A. degree from St. Olaf College, and the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago.
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