Faculty receive grants to enhance teaching

Thu, February 7, 2008 |

Seventeen Valparaiso University professors have received grants from the University’s Committee to Enhance Learning and Teaching for classroom tools and software, travel expenses and other activities to improve student learning.

Grants totaling nearly $10,000 were awarded to:

• Dr. Pamela Blackmon, assistant professor of political science, to present research on gender and economic development policies of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund at the annual conference of the International Studies Association;

• Dr. Stewart Cooper, director of counseling services, to chair a session on research into personality and mental health at an international conference on counseling psychology;

• Dr. Nirupama Devaraj, assistant professor of economics, to present her research on economics and public choice;

• Dr. George Heider, associate professor of theology, to attend the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature;

• Dr. Todd Hillwig, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, to purchase software that will help students analyze research data collected from astronomical observations;

• Dr. Peter Johnson, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, to supervise and travel with a student engineering team that will install a wind generator for a poor community in Nicaragua;

• Ann Kessler, associate professor of theatre, to attend the annual conference of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology;

• Dr. Alan Kraft, professor of electrical and computer engineering, to purchase a handheld oscilloscope to be used by students in a course on power transmission and distribution;

• Dr. Joel Lehmann, associate professor of mathematics and computer science, to present a paper on adding value to mathematics laboratory experiences at the International Conference on Technology in College Mathematics;

• Dr. Gregory Maytan, assistant professor of music, to purchase a Berg violin bow for teaching and performance;

• Dr. Bonita Neff, associate professor of communication, to present a paper on teaching at the annual International Public Relations Research Conference;

• Dr. Lee Orchard, professor of theatre, to participate in a symposium on the work of Stephen Sondheim;

• Dr. Kevin Ostoyich, assistant professor of history, to present a paper on German-American academics during World War I at a regional conference of the American Historical Association;

• Donna Resetar, associate dean for library services, to present a program on library system administration at conference representing libraries throughout the world;

• Allison Schuette-Hoffman, assistant professor of English, to sponsor a campus reading by Chicago-born poet and writer Ronne Hartfield and talk to students in her course on creative nonfiction writing;

• Dr. David Simpson, assistant professor of psychology, to present a paper on gender and religiousness at the annual conference of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies;

• William Weare, access services librarian, to present a paper on increasing student engagement in library instruction sessions at the Library Orientation Exchange national conference.

Valparaiso’s Committee to Enhance Learning and Teaching awards grants annually to faculty members developing new courses, enhancing current courses, presenting their scholarship and engaging in other activities that benefit student learning.