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2003/04 Sabbatical Leave Recommendations
Ellen Baker – Life Science (Spring 2004): This sabbatical will engage Prof. Baker in independent research with the goal of producing a manual for the maintenance of SMC’s greenhouse facilities. In addition, Prof. Baker will increase her mastery of the field of botany by studying plant taxonomy at UCLA.
Joan Barker – Earth Science (Fall 2004): Prof. Barker’s sabbatical will allow her to continue to do fieldwork in Bujan, Ghana, Africa and to incorporate the findings into her lectures. As part of this sabbatical project, Prof. Barker will produce audio visual materials drawn from the field to be used in her classroom and will obtain anthropological materials to be used at SMC in both teaching and display.
Diana Englemann – English (Fall 2003): This sabbatical will provide essential time for research and writing of the two remaining chapters in Prof. Englemann’s dissertation on the work of contemporary poet, Charles Simic. Prof. Englemann expects to structure these chapters as separate and publishable scholarly papers which will be submitted to conferences and periodicals. Her sabbatical will also give her the opportunity to interview Charles Simic at the University of New Hampshire.
Teresa Hall – Counseling/Scholars (Spring 2004): Prof. Hall’s sabbatical will allow her to research and develop a series of activities and strategies for motivating African-American male students and other high-risk student groups within the framework of student success seminar courses as well as special workshops. Her contact will be with Stanford University as well as local community colleges and support programs. Prof. Hall’s research will culminate in the development of a special section of Human Development 20 targeted toward African American males and a series of supplemental motivational materials designed to address underachieving students in general.
Jim Keeshen – Academy of Entertainment &Technology (Fall 2003): This sabbatical will enable Prof. Keeshen to enter into a unique internship with the animation studio of Klasky Csupo. As part of this internship, Prof. Keeshen will work closely with CEO Terry Thorne and will be able to see first hand how a large animation studio works on the business as well as creative level. Prof. Keeshen expects that the outcome will create greater opportunities for students in SMC’s AET program to network and develop professional relationships with animation artists, directors and human resource personnel.
John Kennedy – Math (Fall 2003): Prof. Kennedy plans to study and implement some of the features of the Internet Web language called MathML (Mathematical Markup Language). Part of his study will also involve learning parts of OpenMath and learning some of the basics of the XML language. Prof. Kennedy will also be writing software to interface parts of MathML with some of his existing math programs.
Melody Nightingale – ESL (Spring 2003): Prof. Nightingale will use her sabbatical to develop hybrid courses for her department, focusing on a complete revision of ESL 16A and ESL 16 B. This sabbatical will also provide the department with an accumulation of multimedia presentations to be used for auxiliary courses. Prof. Nightingale will take numerous technological training workshops at SMC and will establish connections with colleagues at Glendale College and the College of the Canyons where hybrid courses have been successfully integrated as part of the core ESL program.
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Marylynne Stephanou – Life Science (Fall 2003): This sabbatical project will allow Prof. Stephanou to develop proficiency in the production of digital video and multimedia for use by Anatomy and Physiology students and instructors. Prof. Stephanou will learn to edit software and video transfer techniques in order to revise digitized analog video that she produced several years ago and that is used extensively by both students and Anatomy faculty. She will produce at least two new videos for use as tutorials for students in Anatomy and Physiology and will also travel to scientific museums in Washington and London.
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Denise Travis – Interior Architectural Design/ Design Technology (Fall 2003): The aim of this sabbatical is the creation of ten professional industry career videotapes for use in SMC’s programs of Interior Architectural Design, Set Design for Film and Television, and the CAD Production and Design Program. In addition, Prof. Travis plans to create one departmental videotape for all new students explaining specific job opportunities in the industry and introducing the above three programs. This final video will be available to the Counseling Department, International Student Counseling Center, and the Counseling Department of the Academy of Entertainment and Technology.
Susan Wyman – Modern Languages (Fall 2003): Prof. Wyman plans to renew and refresh her knowledge and contact with Spanish through formal study abroad and travel to Spain. She will live with a Spanish family and travel to Salamanca as well as several areas of Spain that she has never been before. In addition to taking language courses at the Don Quijote School of Languages in Salamanca, she will spend one month walking the historic Camino de Santiago in order to immerse herself with the language and customs of rural Spain. Prof. Wyman expects to bring back new teaching materials and cultural knowledge which she will share in presentations campuswide.
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2004/05 Sabbatical Leave Recommendations
Miguel Aparicio (Modern Language, Spring 2005): This is a sabbatical project combining formal study of the French Language in France, professionally beneficial travel and independent research in the area of methodology in teaching French. Prof. Aparicio will enroll in the French University of Aix-Marseille III for a regular advanced level IV French semester (which comprises 3˝ months) with a load of 20 weekly hours of study. Independent research will be done concurrently with the courses. Prof. Aparicio will visit classes for the purpose of appreciation of methods used, engage in pedagogical discussions with the professors involved and undertake analyses of methodologies.
Mary Bober (Life Sciences, Spring 2005): Prof. Bober will obtain training in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Birrer in the area of genomics and cancer biology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The goals of the sabbatical are to acquire the skills required to perform microarray analysis of DNA and to obtain, through laboratory research and NCI seminars, a current perspective on both the molecular techniques relative to the study of cancer detection and prevention.
Ellen Cutler (DSPS, Fall 2004): Prof. Cutler will develop documents for evaluating text-to-speech options for college students with learning disabilities. These documents can be used by professionals as well as students to ensure choosing technologies that provide the most effective compensatory strategies. A range of options will be evaluated incorporating the following technologies: free software; multi-featured studying and writing software; software for listening to PDF files; digital talking book listening options; and MP3 players.
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Philip Daughtry (English, Spring 2005): Prof. Daughtry will write a series of short stories focused around a theme of initiation for his sabbatical project. A manuscript version of at least 125 final draft pages will be produced. Prof. Daughtry will also visit people and places central to his plots and encounter some characters and/cultures around whom he intends to base some of the stories.
Cynthia Gonzalez (Life Sciences, Fall 2004): In this sabbatical project, Prof. Gonzalez will establish a Nutrition and Wellness Associate of Arts program (for transfer) within the Life Science Dept. This program would strive to increase the representation of diverse and culturally competent health care practitioners in our communities by recruiting more women and underrepresented groups into the sciences and cultivating their awareness of and interest in health care professions (particularly nutrition). The program will also infuse cultural content/context through the nutrition curricula to enhance the cultural competency of all participants.
Gail Livings (Philosophy/Social Sciences, Fall 2004): Prof. Livings will undertake independent sociological research on social changes in the United States that have occurred since the events of September 11, 2001. She will focus primarily on the effects of 9/11 as a factor in the interaction between citizens and the criminal justice system. Prof. Livings plans to examine various legal changes, their implementation and their effects on ethnic/racial minorities, immigrants and organizations challenging the consequences of the USA Patriot Act and on our constitutional rights at the local, state and federal levels.
Deborah Schwyter (Physical Sciences, Spring 2005): Prof. Schwyter will learn the theory, operation and maintenance of SMC’s NMR spectrometer. This experience will allow her to actively teach NMR technology to the organic chemistry/biochemistry students of SMC. In addition, Prof. Schwyter will gain the background needed to create new course materials related to NMR technology. This will involve becoming a student in courses outside of science in the areas of foreign language and art. Through art and foreign language classes, Prof. Schwyter will gain a renewed understanding of what students need in a teacher, particularly when tackling a new and difficult subject.
Lynette Shishido (Business, Spring 2005): Prof. Shishido’s sabbatical project falls under two categories: professional development and field study relating to the area of human relations and ethical issues in business. Her field study will include talking with top managers, middle managers and employees regarding ethical issues in business as well as reading and analyzing various ethic codes and their implementation in the “real world.” Prof. Shishido’s professional development will include participation in training sessions and orientations, attending seminars presented at the Josephson Institute of Ethics, and conducting case studies.