Publications (Books & Book Chapters):
Summer 2014
James Grove, Professor of English published a book chapter entitled “The Opening Quick Draws of True Grit: The Pleasures of the Coen Brothers Meeting Mattie Ross and John Wayne,“ in L’Adaptation Cinematographique: Premieres Pages, Premiers Plans, 197-213. Paris: Mare & Martin.
Fall 2014
Anna Waterman, Assistant Professor of Biology was the contributing author (with Kunst, M, and J. L. Cardoso) of a book chapter entitled “Human Bones from Chalcolithic Walled Enclosures of Portuguese Estremadura: examples of Zambujal and Leceia,” In Valera, A. (Editor), “Recent Pre-historic Enclosures and Funerary Practices Recent Prehistoric Enclosures and Funerary Practices in Europe: Proceedings of the International Meeting Held at the Gulbenkian Foundation,” 83-98 (2014, BAR International Series 2627).
Publications (Journal Articles):
Summer 2014
Jacob Christenson, Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy co-authored an article entitled “Integrating flow theory and the serious leisure perspective into mental health counseling,” in Counselling Psychology Quarterly. doi:10.1080/09515070.2014.944883 (with Dieser, R. B., & Davis-Gage, D., 2014).
Ronald Feldt, Professor of Psychology published an article entitled “Gender Invariance of Item-Cluster Subcomponents of the NEO-FFI: A Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis” in Individual Differences Research, 12(2), 59-68 (2014).
Mary Vermillion, Professor of English published the article entitled “The Uses of Tragedy: A Thousand Acres and American Exceptionalism” in LIT: Literature Interpretation Theory, 25(2), 151-173 (2014). doi:10.1080/10436928.2014.904712
Fall 2014
Dennis Dew, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Ron Feldt, Professor of Psychology, and Jennifer Lee, Assistant Professor of Psychology published an article entitled “Criterion Validity of Facets versus Domains of the Big Five Inventory,” in Individual Differences Research (2014, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 59-68.
Kristopher Keuseman, Assistant Professor of Chemistry published an article entitled “A ‘Green’ Approach to Synthesis of trans-4-Methoxycinnamic acid in the Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory,” The Chemical Educator, 19, 347-350 (2014, with N.C. Morrow).
Paper Presentations (National Conferences):
Summer 2014
James Grove, Professor of English presented a paper entitled “The Unique Multiplicity of the Two Women Adaptation Story: Sophia Loren, Motherhood, and Memories of War” at the 9th Annual International Association of Adaptation Conference, Flegler College, St. Augustine, Florida (September 2014).
Sharon Guthrie, Assistant Professor of Nursing presented a paper entitled “Developing an Elevator Speech: An Essential School Nurse Communication Method,” at the National Association of School Nurses Conference (June 2014).
Fall 2014
Jacob Christenson, Associate Professor of Marriage and Family therapy presented the following papers:
- Impact of Father Involvement on African American Women. A research poster presented at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI (October 2014, with Ashley Frazier and Ashley Merritts).
- Patterns in Eating Disorder Treatment Across the Life Span. A research poster presented at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI (October 2014, with Jaime Ballard and D. Russell Crane).
- Cost Effectiveness of Treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Adults. A research poster presented at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI (October 2014, with Micah Ingalls, D. Russell Crane, and Holly Pack).
- Barriers to MFT for Undocumented Hispanic Families. A research poster presented at the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI (October 2014, with Maria Isabel Ramos and Ashley N. Merritts).
Christopher DeVault, Assistant Professor of English Presented a paper entitled “The Fairy Tale of the ‘Here and Now’: The Mournful History of Waterland,” at the 2014 Midwest Modern Language Association Convention in Detroit, MI (November 2014).
Nathan Klein, Assistant Professor of Business presented a paper entitled “The Positive Impact Servant Leaders Have on Employee Engagement” at the 16th Annual International Leadership Association Global Conference.
Belkis Suárez, Assistant Professor of Spanish presented a paper entitled “Defining Mexican Culture While Teaching the Differences between the Simple Past and the Imperfect” at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), San Antonio, Texas (November 2014).
Paper Presentations (International Conferences):
Summer 2014
Belkis Suárez, Assistant Professor of Spanish Presented a paper entitled “Arráncame la vida en la cultura machista en México: un problema pedagógico de un pasado simple e imperfecto” at the Federación Internacional de Asociaciones de Profesores de Español (FIAPE), Cuenca, Spain (June 2014).
Fall 2014
Anna Waterman, Assistant Professor of Biology co-presented two papers:
- “Biographies, Practices, and Social Change: Multiscalar Research at the Late Neolithic-Early Bronze Age Collective Burial of Bolores.” presented at 20th Annual Meeting of European Association of Archaeologists, Istanbul, Turkey (with Lillios, K.T., J. Mack, J.A. Artz, and L. Nilsson Stutz, September 2014).
- “The collective burial cave of El Rebollosillo (Torrelaguna, Madrid) and the role of dead bodies in Late Copper Age Iberia,” at the 17th congress of the Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques (UISPP), Burgos, Spain (with Díaz-del-Río, P., S Consuegra, J. Audije, S. Zapata, Ó. Cambra, A. González, and J.T. Thomas, D. Peate, September 2014).
Guest Lectures:
Fall 2014
Sharon Guthrie, Assistant Professor of Nursing was the guest speaker at Kappa Xi Sigma Theta Tau Induction Ceremony, Mount Mercy University. Her talk was entitled “Leadership, Scholarship, Service – What Will You Do?” (Decemebr 2014).
Session Chairs/Workshop Facilitators:
Fall 2014
April Dirks-Bihun, Associate Professor of Social Work facilitated the workshop “Crossing the border: Implications for social workers” at the NASW Iowa Chapter Branch Meeting at Grandview University, Des Moines, IA (October 2014).
Joy Ochs, Professor of English helped lead two workshops on the pedagogy of experiential and place-based learning: “City-as-Text Workshop,” Committee Chair (facilitator), and “Partners in the Parks mini-excursion to Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge” (Lead Facilitator) at the Conference of the National Collegiate Honors Council in Denver, Colorado.
Art Exhibits, Performances, and Creative Endeavors:
Carol Tyx,Professor of English and 2014-2015 Feld Chair for Teaching Excellence published five pieces:
Summer 2014
- poem entitled “Vasectomy” in Hunger Mountain (July 2014 online issue);
- prose poem “Seventeen” in Hot Tin Roof Series, Little Village Magazine, Volume 16 Issue 160 (August-September 2014)
Fall 2014
- the poem “Notes” in the Fall 2014 issue of Earth’s Daughters;
- the creative nonfiction essay “ Byrdie Draws Birds” in Compose: A Journal of Simply Good Writing; and
- the creative short “Danger” in The Sun Magazine (2014)
Faculty Awards:
Fall 2014
Dennis Dew,Assistant Professor of Psychology was awarded Pathways funding to work on his research with the help of a student research assistant.
Kristopher Keuseman, Assistant Professor of Chemistry was awarded tenure and promoted to the rank of associate professor, effective 2015-16 academic year.
Nathan Klein, Assistant Professor of Business was the 2014 Greenleaf Scholar Award by the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.More information on the award/scholarship can be found here:
Research Funding, Scholarships & Fellowships:
Summer 2014
Neil Bernstein, Professor of Biology received a grant to study movements and habitat selection of hatchling and juvenile ornate box turtles (summer 2014). This was the second year of his US Fish and Wildlife Grant administered through the Iowa DNR. Prairie Biotic Network also funded a high school student to work on Dr. Bernstein’s “sand prairie plant succession” project ($1000); and he received another grant from the Iowa DNR to purchase equipment for the project ($3500).
Ryan Bezy, Assistant Professor of Biology was a Senior Fellow in the FUTURE (Fostering Undergraduate Talent; Uniting Research and Education) program at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. This program brings faculty from smaller colleges and universities in Iowa to do research over the summer at the University of Iowa and comes with research funds. It also allowed him to take an undergraduate student from Mount Mercy with him to work over the summer on a research project. Dr. Bezy was also the recipient of an R.J. McElory Grant to fund his research on bacterial cell division in Escherichia coli; as well as the MMU Summer Scholarship Fund (summer 2014).
Jose Clemente, Assistant Professor of Art (Graphic Design) received a Summer Scholarship Award from Mount Mercy University in 2014 to continue his research and interests in the Latino culture from the El Paso, TX area. His historical research focuses on Latino communities and community development, economic and social structures, and issues of immigration and population. Clemente also has filmed and photographed local art from the region that work within the same or similar themes to that of the Latino voice in America. Time was dedicated on researching and studying bodies of Mexican art created during the 16th-19th century period and that focused on thematic issues, as well as techniques and process. During Clemente’s research, his findings also led him to explore gentrification and the possibility of developing or illustrating a children’s storybook that highlights the history of the El Paso region.
Dennis Dew, Assistant Professor of Psychology was awarded Summer Scholarship funding to work with an undergraduate student on a research project that resulted in the student presenting at an undergraduate research conference.
Kristopher Keuseman, Assistant Professor of Chemistry was one of the recipient of the 2014 Summer Scholarship Award at Mount Mercy University.
Joy Ochs, Professor of English was recipient of the Mellon Fellowship for ASIANetwork Faculty Enhancement Program “India: Religion, Globalization, and the Environment in the 21st Century.”
Fall 2014
Jitka Stehnova, Assistant Professor of Mathematics was awarded Transamerica STEM Grant to fund the ExploreU program. This was awarded to both Dr. Stehnova and Dr. Elizabeth Kleiman from the Aegon Transamerica Foundation. For more information click here.
Mount Mercy University’s Endowed Feld Chairs:
Fall 2014
Carol Tyx, The 2014 Feld Chair for Teaching Excellence Led a faculty workshop entitled “Rethinking Writing Assignments” in November, with a follow-up small-group discussion in December 2014.
Departments and Faculty in the News:
Summer 2014
James Grove,Professor of English gave an interview on a local radio station about the premiere of the film adaptation of the novel The Fault is in the Stars.
Other:
Summer 2014
Jose Clemente, Assistant Professor of Art (Graphic Design) served as an item writer for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Learning Extension.
Sharon Guthrie, Assistant Professor of Nursing served as an item writer for the National Board Certification for School Nurses during June 2014.
Carol Heim, Associate Professor of Nursing served as an item writer for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Learning Extension.
As a member of the Honors Semesters Committee of the National Collegiate Honors Council, Dr. Joy Ochs, Professor of English took part in the Committee’s business meeting in Atlanta to help plan “Health Without Borders: A Winterim in Peru,” an NCHC student program, and “Food Politics: The Iowa State Fair and the World Food Prize,” an NCHC Faculty Institute that will take place in Des Moines next summer. For more information visit click here.
Jitka Stehnova, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Elizabeth Kleiman, Assistant Professor of Computer Science successfully ran third year of summer STEM program for middle school girls (ExploreU )in June 2014. The program was funded by the Mathematical Association of America Tensor Grant for Women in Mathematics granted to Dr. Stehnova as well as other donations from local companies. ExploreU was featured on the local TV station KGAN: KGAN-TV OR click here for more information. Visit the ExploreU website.
Fall 2014
Neil Bernstein, Professor of Biology served as Associate Editor for Journal of Herpetology.
Mohammad Chaichian, Professor of Sociology reviewed three book manuscripts for Brill, Lexington Books & Sage Publishers, respectively.
Dennis Dew, Assistant Professor of Psychology was co-author on a poster presentation with his undergraduate research assistant at the 24th Annual Tri-State Undergraduate Psychology Conference. The poster title was “Student Attributions for Test Grades: Do Class Grade Distributions Influence Academic Attributions.
Ronald Feldt, Professor of Psychology served as Peer reviewer for Career Development Quarterly (November 2014).
Joy Ochs, Professor of English was a Panelist at a session entitled “Best Honors Administrative Practices: Creating and Using Honors Spaces,” and Poster Judge for an Undergraduate Student Poster Session at the Conference of the National Collegiate Honors Council.
Jitka Stehnova, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and John Robeson, Associate Professor of Mathematics successfully ran the 17th annual High School Math Contest bringing over 100 high school students from southeastern Iowa to compete at the math competitions.
Ellen Warrington, Professor of Education Presented two sessions entitled, “Reading and Writing into Adulthood” at the Learning Disabilities Association of Iowa Conference (October 2014). Sessions included presentation and discussion of reading and writing skills needed for successful transition to adulthood beyond high school for students with disabilities.
Congratulations to the following students named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2014 semester. Students with a semester grade point average of 3.60 or better, and who are graded (letter grade, not pass/fail) for six or more semester hours, are eligible for inclusion on the Dean's List.
