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Liberal Arts Achievements: 2018-2019

Help us congratulate our students, faculty, and alumni for their dedication and hard work! If you have an achievement you'd like to share, please .

Spring/Summer 2019

Josey Roth, a 2015 91社区 graduate in Writing, was named the听Young Professional of the Year听by the Southwest Indiana Chamber at its 2019 Young Professionals Conference held on August 2 at UE. Roth, who serves as the director of strategy and organizational development at the Evansville Christian Life Center, was an intern for Southern Indiana Review during her time at 91社区.

She was presented the award by Christine Keck, 91社区 trustee and chair of the SWIN Chamber Board of Directors.

In a Facebook post, Roth says 鈥淚 want to say thank you to my undergrad professors and advisors, especially Professor Matthew Graham, Professor Marcus Wicker, and Ron Mitchell who trusted in me to take on my first internship my senior year at the听.鈥

A Facebook post from SWIN Chamber is viewable at听.


Justin Groenert,听听graduate,听joined the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce as vice president, Public Policy in August 2019.听

鈥淛ustin brings a wide breadth and depth of public policy experience that will advance the Chattanooga Chamber鈥檚 advocacy initiatives. He has led transformative chamber and community policy work and we are excited to welcome him to our innovative team,鈥 said Christy Gillenwater, Chattanooga Chamber president and CEO.

Since July 2018, Mr. Groenert has served as chief of staff for Kelly Mitchell, Indiana State Treasurer. He oversaw office staff and six quasi-governmental organizations and served as legislative director for the Treasurer鈥檚 office. Previously he served as Government Relations and Public Policy Director, Southwest Indiana Chamber, where he managed advocacy and lobbying at federal, state and local levels.

Mr.听Groenert has worked for two Congress members and managed several congressional campaigns.听


nstructor in听,听Yu-Li Alice Shen's original full-length play,听Image May Contain, was produced by STAGEtwo Productions on July 12-14, 2019. The script was developed last summer with STAGEtwo's Summer Playwriting Workshop and at the 40th Annual Mid-America Theatre Conference in Cleveland, OH.

The production was directed by Katy Haun and featured performances by 91社区 theatre student听Sarai Dinkens Agalaba and local thespians, Daryl Fink, Jared Brosmer, Aaron Stofleth, Mikayla Robledo, Diane Marie-Louise. Partially inspired by Shen's going to Taiwan to perform Buddhist funeral rituals for her late father, the play is a darkly comic exploration of racial identity, "life-share" culture, and the families we choose.


Dr. Urska Dobersek, assistant professor of听, and her students presented their research, "Are levels of testosterone, willingness to cheat and exercise motives related?" and "The relationship between facial asymmetry and exercise" at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity national conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dobersek also received a $10,555 grant from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association to conduct a systematic review on "Beef for a Happier and Healthier Life."


Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl, assistant professor of, received theInnovative Research on Aging Bronze Award听from Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging for the article she co-authored titled "Me time, or we time? Age differences in motivation for exercise."听Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging was created to conduct research for senior living and community-residing older adults..


Dr. Julia Galbus Kiesel, associate professor of听听and chair of the department, had her article "Working (with) History: Marlene Kadar and Louise DeSalvo" published in the journal听Auto/Biography Studies.


Professor Emerita of English, Sherry Bevins Darell, recently published a collection of work entitledEclectic Cowboy and Other Poems. Her book can be published at.


Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has appointedDr. Trent Engbers,听assistant professor of听听and director of the听听program, as the faculty member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for a two-year term.鈥


Assistant Professor of听听Dr. Casey Pycior听had听three pieces accepted for publication in the summer of 2019. One essay, "Fear Fact(or), Fear Fiction" appeared in Eckleburg Review (read it now at听), and a second essay was accepted by The Laurel Review. A short story called听"Remittance" was accepted for publication by a Kentucky literary journal calledExit 7.听

In June, he was also awarded an Indiana Arts Commission Individual Advancement Program Grant to work on his baseball novel project.


Dr. Daniel Bauer, associate professor of, presented the paper "Crafting听Justice and Inclusion: Chambira Weaving in Amazonian Peru" at the 2019 International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association in Boston, Massachusetts.


Eight College of Liberal Arts faculty members representing six departments spent a week in May focusing on their own personal projects during a new, on-campus working retreat organized by Dr. Amy Montz, associate professor of English.


Dr. Laura Lutgen, assistant professor of,听presented her work "Recidivism and Drug of Choice for Individuals in a Jail-Based Treatment Program" at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conference in Baltimore, Maryland. The听听is an international association established to foster professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice. ACJS promotes criminal justice education, research and policy analysis within the discipline of criminal justice for both educators and practitioners.


David O'Neil, assistant professor of, presented the paper, "Continuity and Bifurcation: A Metrical Study of Piers Plowman and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," at the 54th International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. The panel, The Places and Spaces of Alliterative Verse, was jointly sponsored by the International Piers Plowman Society and the Pearl-Poet Society.


Forty-six members of the听听travelled to New York City鈥檚 famed Carnegie Hall as a part of the听听in May 2019.

91社区 is one of five higher education institutions that will perform that evening, with 91社区 performing Gabriel Faur茅鈥檚听Requiem, a 45-minute, seven-movement piece based on the Catholic Mass of the Dead. 鈥淚t is absolutely beautiful,鈥 says Daniel Craig, associate professor of music and director of the 91社区 Chamber Choir. The Chamber Choir will be accompanied by the New York City Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Simon Carrington.听


Dr. Trent Engbers,听director of the听听program and associate professor of,听was selected as one of two Youth Resources outstanding alumni for 2019.听This award recognizes the individual's involvement in Youth Resources and their broader contribution to the community.听Youth Resources is a local youth-serving nonprofit that encourages responsible decision making and positive life choices.


In April,Dr. Jessica Jensen,听director of听and associate professor of听, presented her paperWriting the unwillingly reproductive body in Contemporary French Fiction听at the Kentucky Foreign Language Conference at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.


Dr. Jason Hardgrave, chair of the听听department and associate professor of History,听has recently been named听Committee Chair for 91社区鈥檚 Boy Scouts of America Venture Crew 313.

Hardgrave was a 2018 recipient of the District Award of Merit from the Boy Scouts of America, Buffalo Trace Council, Native Trails District of Indiana. The District Award of Merit is a council award presented by districts to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level.听Hardgrave, an eagle scout, has served as Cub Master, Den Leader, Day Camp Program Director, Shooting Sports Officer, Merit Badge Counselor, and Scout Master. He says he happily gives over 600 hours to scouting each year. The best part is being able to do it all with his family; his son is also an eagle scout.听


Dr. Todd Schroer, chair of听and associate professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice, has been chosen as a Fellow for the Holocaust Educational Foundation's Summer Institute on the Holocaust and Jewish Civilization at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. This two week Institute, is comprised of intensive seminars on Holocaust studies and related topics, conducted by some of the field鈥檚 top experts.


In March,听Dr. Jessica Jensen,听director of听and associate professor of听, presented her paperSurviving the unwillingly reproductive body in Rien de grave听at the 20th and 21st Century French and Francophone Studies International Colloquium at University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City.


In honor of its 50th anniversary, the听听has awarded Alexandria Bailey 鈥14 a commission for a new sculpture to be located outside the McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries in the Liberal Arts Center on the 91社区 campus.

Bailey鈥檚 sculpture,听Standing Together, will consist of five ceramic columns standing between nine and 12 feet tall, one for each decade of the 91社区 Foundation鈥檚 existence. In her description of the work, Bailey says that viewers will be able to walk among the columns and hopes the piece will 鈥渟erve as a starting point for fostering empathy and as a site to develop and nurture fellowship.鈥澨


Dr. Silvia Rode,听chair of听听and professor of, was nominated as Southwest Regional Leader for the Indiana Language Roadmap Project, School of Global and International Studies/Center for the Study of Global Change Indiana University, Bloomington and the State of Indiana, 2018-2019.


History student Jordan Kroeger听received the Outstanding Future Educators Award from the Indiana Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (IACTE) on April 12, 2019. Jordan was one of three recipients selected from 91社区's Teacher Education Program this year.


Lisa [Schenk] Schaefer '97听has been appointed Executive Director of the Robinson Chamber of Commerce in Robinson, Illinois.

Her degree from 91社区 in Art & Communications and several years of experience helped in creating her small graphic design business,听.听"I am a proud alumna of 91社区 and I have been able to successfully utilize both of my degrees throughout my career over the last 20+ years." Lisa is pictured here with her sons Leo & Jack.


Dr. Silvia Rode, chair of听and professor of German, published a book in February of 2019:George Rapp. Gedanken 眉ber die Bestimmung des Menschen besonders in Hinsicht der gegenw盲rtigen Zeit von der Harmonie Gesellschaft in Indiana 1824听[Thoughts on the Destiny of Man, Particularly with Reference to the Present Times; by the Harmony Society in Indiana A. D. 1824]. This book can be purchased on听.


Dr. Melinda Roberts, associate professor of criminal justice and assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and听Dr. Marthinus Koen, assistant professor of criminal justice, along withGabrielle Wy '19听and Dr. Bryce Newell of the University of Kentucky, presented "A Case Study of Administrator Perceptions and Experiences with the Implementation of Body-Worn Cameras" at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Koen and Wy also presented "Making Sense of Body-Worn Cameras: An In-Depth Examination of Special Units Across Two Agencies."


Communications studentsRachel Lowhorn听andNoah Alatza听received awards from the Indiana Chapter of听Society of Professional Journalists听who held their annual "Best in Indiana Journalism" contest to recognize the most outstanding work of the year in Indiana print, broadcast and online journalism.听The Special Honors division recognizes outstanding dedication to journalistic principles, service to journalism and the professional and student journalists of the year. Lowhorn and Alatza were recognized in the statewide competition for their work on student radio, taking home 2nd and 3rd places in different categories.


Dr. Melissa Stacer, associate professor of criminal justice, presented "Students Touring Prisons: An Examination of Inmate Attitudes" at the听听conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. States/provinces represented by the NCSA include: eastern Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada.


91社区听French Teaching Major Recipient of Prestigious National Scholarship for Study Abroad

91社区 French Teaching Major Mercy Fulton has been听awarded the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Walter Jensen Scholarship for Study Abroad.听

Each year, the AATF selects one recipient nationwide听for this award which provides $2,000 to support a听future French teacher's听study abroad. Mercy plans to study in France in Spring 2020.听F茅licitations, Mercy!

For more information about the Walter Jensen Scholarship:听


Communication Studies听student Riley K. Cornett听


Dr. Leigh Anne Howard, professor of communication studies, published the article,听in the Winter 2019 volume of Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. The article discusses a research project based on a student service learning project in Howard's performance studies courses.


John Morris, instructor of radio/tv and general manager of WSWI (95.7 The Spin), will retain his position as president of College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI) following听.听CBI is a member-driven organization serving students and advisers of college and high school electronic media outlets.


AmyMontz, associate professor of English, had her article,听听published in Children's Literature Association Quarterly.


The 91社区 student-run newspaper, The Shield, won second place in Division II Newspaper of the Year at the Indiana Collegiate Press Association awards on March 28, 2019 in Indianapolis, along with over 30 individual and staff awards.听Congratulations to everyone on staff who put in hard work on this publication!


Kyleigh Shearin鈥檚 鈥淔uzzy Armor鈥 from the 2018 issue of FishHook won the award for "Best Hand-Drawn Illustration" in the听Indiana Collegiate Press Association's Spring Contest.


Oana Popescu Sandu, associate professor of English, wrote the article "Staging the Postsocialist Woman: Saviana Stanescu's Alternative Transnations" which appeared in the journal Twentieth Century Literature (Vol. 65, Numbers 1-2, March 2019), published by Duke University Press. The article is part of a special issue entitled "Postsocialist Literatures in the United States."


Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl,听assistant professor of psychology, presented a听听to Philippine Researchers for Open Science at University of the Philippines Diliman Department of Psychology in Manila, Philippines.


On Friday, April 19th, Arts Place will display a collection of works fromRob Millard-Mendez. The exhibit, entitled 鈥淗ibridity,鈥 will remain on display from April 19th through May 19th. The public is welcome to view the exhibit in the gallery of the Portland Center of Arts Place during business hours.


Dr. Darrin Sorrells, learning assistance specialist and adjunct instructor of psychology, was recognized as a听. Sorrells is听among more than 70 initial educators from across the nation this year to receive the honor based on his years of service to the education profession and his commitment to the Phi Delta Kappa Association鈥檚 core values of research, service, and leadership.


On Saturday, March 16, six English Teaching majors from the College of Liberal Arts鈥擬addi Ausenbaugh, Sam Barsan, Emily Catterton, Erica Denison, John Martin, and Kennya Santiago Olmos鈥攖raveled to Indianapolis to represent the university at the Indiana Council of Teachers of English (ICTE) 2019 Conference. The students were there to present their original teaching ideas during a special roundtable session, 鈥淭he Future is Now: Exploring 21st-Century Teaching Ideas with Indiana鈥檚 Next Generation of English Teachers,鈥 which showcased the ideas and experiences of undergraduate and master鈥檚 level students enrolled in teacher education programs across the state. The trip was facilitated by Dr. David O鈥橬eil, assistant professor of English, who accompanied the students to the event.

The student presentations covered the following topics:

  • Maddi Ausenbaugh and Emily Catterton:听鈥淚STEP Preparation for 10th听Grade Inclusion Classrooms鈥
  • Sam Barsan: 鈥淢eme鈥檇ucation: Enriching High School Literature and Expression with a Modern Edge鈥
  • Erica Denison: 鈥淟inking the Present to the Past: YA Literature and the Classics鈥
  • John Martin: 鈥淭echnology Tips and Tricks: Surviving the 1:1 Classroom鈥
  • Kennya Santiago: 鈥淓nglish vs. Englishes: Historicizing the ELA Debate over Standard and Non-Standard Usage.鈥

ICTE is a state-level off-shoot of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), a century-old professional organization that provides accrediting standards for 245 teacher preparation programs nationwide, including 91社区鈥檚 own program. The 2019 ICTE conference was titled 鈥淩evitalize Your Teaching, Revitalize Yourself鈥 and featured interactive workshops, craft talks, networking opportunities, and presentations on practical strategies delivered by English teachers from around the state. Featured speakers included authors Thomas C. Foster and Barb Shoup, Professor Kathy Higgs-Coulthard from Saint Mary鈥檚 College, and Professor Adrian Matejka from IU Bloomington, Indiana鈥檚 current Poet Laureate.


Dr. Marthinus Koen,assistant professor of criminal justice, co-authored the peer-reviewed article,听听which was published in听Police Practice and Research: An International Journal.


The Efroymson Bridge Year Fellowship is a competitive fellowship awarded to one graduating senior or recent alum from the Art and Design Department annually.听Justin Cecil was the 2018 recipient of the fellowship award.听His exhibition, titled听Reflection/Variation, was on display in the听McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries in February and March of 2019. His show听included fine art prints and other works on paper he recreated during the fellowship. Some of the printmaking materials used to create the artworks (including hand-carved woodblocks, copper intaglio plates, and lithographic stones) were also on display as an educational component.

The goal of the Efroymson Bridge Year Fellowship is to fund a post-undergraduate year, allowing the recipient to focus on their studio practice to expand their artistic vision and enhance their portfolio, to gain maturity as an art maker, and to successfully gain entrance to graduate school in his/her area of expertise.


Dr. Melanie Lee,听assistant professor of English, co-authored the chapter, "Towards a Researcherly Ethos: Building Authority with Inquiry in Information Literacy and Writing," published in Purdue University Press's听, an edited collection that is part of Purdue鈥檚 Information Literacy Handbook Series.


Performing arts students earn array of awards at The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival


91社区 performing arts students who traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, for听听at the start of the semester brought home an array of awards. They also had the honor of performing the closing show,听The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, at the event.

KCACTF awards and recognitions:

91社区 Performing Arts -听The Gold Hand Truck (awarded to the University with the most efficient load-in of their festival production, demonstrating teamwork and safety)

Cast of听The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time听-听Certificate of Merit, Ensemble Acting

Ashley Boruff -听Finalist,Regional听Design Project (Costume听Design)

Rachel Clark -听Certificate of Merit, Costume Design of听The Dog in the Manger; Finalist, National Design Project (Costume Design)

Ashleigh Dulik -听Certificate of Merit, Co-Direction of听Italian American Reconciliation听听

Mikaela Fish 鈥听Winner, Allied Design and Technologies Award; Finalist, National Design Project (Costume Design)

Megan Gilbert 鈥听Winner, Regional Designer Project (Lighting Design)

Rafael Gonzalez -听Certificate of Merit, Lighting Design of听Standing on My Knees

Jada Hampton -听Alternate for ASPIRE KCACTF/LORT Arts Leadership Fellowship听Award

Cole Henrich -听Vocal Finalist, Musical Theatre Initiative; Dance Finalist, Musical Theatre Initiative

Kaitlyn Kearschner -听Honorable Mention,听Regional Designer Project (Costume Design)

Nathaniel Robles -听Irene Ryan Acting Competition Finalist (final 16 of 247 students)

Isabelle Rogers -听Certificate of Merit, Student Direction of听Standing on My Knees


Dr. Melissa Stacer,associate professor of criminal justice studies, andLydia Moll '18, criminal justice and sociology, presented "'I expected something different...': Students' perceptions and realizations after correctional tours" at the Western Society of Criminology conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, in February 2019., who is pursuing her master's degree in social work at 91社区, have been conducting research on the impact a prison or jail tour has on students and student learning for several years.


Rob Millard-Mendez,professor of art, won a Juror's Award on January 10, 2019, at the Regional Juried Exhibition at ArtLink Gallery in Fort Wayne, IN. The competitive exhibition includes work from Indiana and its neighboring states. Millard-Mendez has shown work in more than 510 professional exhibitions. He has won more than 80 awards for his art, teaching and university/community service.


Dr. Casey Pycior,assistant professor of English, published听听a creative nonfiction essay about baseball, potential, failure and taking a ground ball to the face (!) in BULL: Men's Fiction in December 2018


Lenny Dowhie, professor emeritus and founder/director of the New Harmony Clay Project (NHCP), has been selected as a recipient of the 2019 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Excellence in Teaching Award. This award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in teaching as well as in their own creative work, have previous recognition for and a history of awards in teaching and have highly visible former students in the field.


Dr. Linda L. M. Bennett,听professor emerita of political science and president emerita, will be named a laureate of the Evansville Regional Business Hall of Fame at a breakfast held at 7 a.m. Thursday, March 14, 2019 at the Old National Events Plaza in downtown Evansville


At the beginning of the Spring 2019 semester,听听that have gone above and beyond in their service to the College of Liberal Arts. The recipients and their awards are listed below.

  • Dr. Rocco Gennaro, Professor of Philosophy,听received听the听Excellence in Research and Creativity Award
  • Dr. Jessica Jensen, Associate Professor in French and听Director of Master of Arts in Second听Language Acquisition, Policy, and Culture, received the听Excellence in Teaching Award
  • Mr. Elliot Wasserman, Professor of Theatre听and听Chair of Performing Arts, received the听Distinguished Faculty Award

  • Mrs. Kathy听Oeth, College of Liberal Arts听Senior Administrative Associate, received the听Excellence in Service Award

Fall 2018

Dr. Melissa Stacer,听associate professor of criminal justice, and听Lydia Moll (current MSW student)听presented their research titled "Dirty and smelly: Student expectations of jails and prisons" at the annual meeting of the Indiana Academy of Social Sciences held at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, IN.


Dr. Todd Schroer,听associate professor of sociology & criminal justice and chair of Criminal Justice, presented his research titled "The Effects of the Charlottesville Killing on the Alt-Right" at the Indiana Academy of Social Sciences annual meeting held at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, IN.听


Dr. David O'Neil,听assistant professor of English, presented the following research during the month of October: "The Space in the Middle: An Argument for Continuity in the English Alliterative Tradition" at the Medieval Association of the Midwest Conference, "Medieval Problem, Digital Solution" at Writing Research Without Walls: A Symposium for Interdisciplinary Writing and Collaboration, and "The Poets are Revolting: Scholarly Identity in the Field of Old English Metrics" at the Indiana College English Association Conference.


Dr. Linda L. M. Bennett,听professor emerita of political science and president emerita, will present "Higher Education: America鈥檚 Troubled Dream Machine" as the 2018 Stephens-Otterson Lecture at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 14 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Evansville. Bennett's presentation will use Frank Bruni鈥檚 book听Where You Go Is Not Who You鈥檒l Be听as a foundation for analysis of the relationship between higher education and the American public.


Dr. David O鈥橬eil听joined 91社区 as an assistant professor of English in August. His paper, 鈥淓nglish as the Lingua Franca of International Publishing," was published in the June issue ofWorld Englishes.


Dr. Casey Pycior,听assistant professor of English, was a Visiting Writer for Murray State University's MFA Summer Residency, where he gave a reading and delivered a craft talk called, "Dear Fiction Editor: A Primer on Submitting."


Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl,听assistant professor of psychology, co-authored the article 鈥淒o Others Understand Us? Fighting Game Community member perceptions of others鈥 views of the FGC,鈥 which was published in听Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice.


Dr. Dan Bauer,听associate professor of anthropology, had his book,听Identity, Development, and the Politics of the Past: An Ethnography of Continuity and Change in a Coastal Ecuadorian Community, published by University Press of Colorado. It is available for purchase .


Dr. Casey Pycior,听assistant professor of English, is a finalist in the Short Story category of the 2018 American Book Awards for his book,听The Spoils.


Matthew Graham,听professor of English, has had three new poems, 鈥淒ick and Jane,鈥 鈥淥h, Baltimore鈥 and 鈥淭he Sadness of Dogs,鈥 published in the summer issue of the听Free State Literary Review.


Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl,听assistant professor of psychology, co-authored the article 鈥,鈥 to be published inAdvances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science.


Dr. Tamara Hunt,听professor of history and director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program, wrote a winning grant proposal to the Institute for Museum and Library Services that garnered nearly $100,000 for projects that linked 91社区 and the Evansville African-American Museum in 2011. Her co-authored article, "Rediscovering 'Baptistown': A Historical Geography Project on Local African-American History," which describes one of the projects funded by the grant was published by the peer-reviewed journal,听The History Teacher.


Dr. Urska Dobersek,听assistant professor of psychology, had her manuscript, 鈥淪elf-Objectification in the Fitness Center Environment: A Qualitative Perspective,鈥 published in the听Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences.


Ms. Christy Baker, associate professor of social work, has been appointed chair of the Social Work Department.


Al Holen, associate professor of ceramics, was invited to participate in American Pottery Festival. Her artwork also appeared on the cover of their catalog.


Dr. Urska Dobersek,听assistant professor of psychology, had her manuscript, 鈥淪elf-Objectification in the Fitness Center Environment: A Qualitative Perspective,鈥 published in the听Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences.


Dr. Melinda Roberts,听associate professor of criminal justice, co-authored the paper, "Japanese women and critical feminism: A qualitative study" with Melanie Belarmino, a 91社区 alumna. The paper was published in the Social Science Review, an international journal.


Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl,听assistant professor of psychology, had her paper titled 鈥淛ustify Your Alpha鈥 published in Nature (International journal of science.) Her article received coverage in听,,, and听. Her article is available听.


Dr. Amie McKibban, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl, assistant professor of psychology, presented 鈥淭hree years later: Reflections on Map Evansville and LGBTQA inclusivity鈥 at Midwest Eco in East Lansing, Michigan.


Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl, assistant professor of psychology, presented her research at the following conferences in 2018:

鈥淕amers as individuals and communities: Perspectives of fighting game players,鈥 presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

鈥淥bstacles and solutions to emerging challenges in qualitative research,鈥 a roundtable presentation at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

鈥淐ommunity psychology online: Virtual sense of community among gamers.鈥 symposium presented at Midwest Eco in East Lansing, Michigan.


Matthew Graham, professor of English, has had his fourth book of poetry,听The Geography of Home, accepted for publication by the Galileo Press. Publication date is January 1, 2019.


Dr. Lionel Phelps II, adjunct professor in psychology, presented "Adverse Childhood Experiences: Relationship to Substance Abuse and the Family" at Kentucky Rehabilitation Association Annual Conference in Owensboro, Kentucky.


Dr. Julie Evey, adjunct professor of psychology, received the Peer Reviewer Extraordinaire Award for Merlot Psychology Editorial Review Board Member.听


Dr. Amie McKibban, associate professor of psychology, and Alex Kessler, 91社区 alumnus presented 鈥淭ransgender awareness: obstacles and opportunities in the Evansville area鈥 for the community Cultural Conversations lecture series at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science.


Dr. Srikanth Dandotkar,听assistant professor of psychology, to present his paper, "Role of Students鈥 Epistemologies in Evaluation of Arguments" at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Society for Text and Discourse in Brighton, UK.


Dr. Crystal Steltenpohl,听assistant professor of psychology, had her paper 鈥淢e Time, or We Time? Age Differences in Motivation for Exercise,鈥 accepted to听The Gerontologist.It is available听.


Dr. Martin Koen,听assistant professor of criminal justice, recently had an article accepted at听Policing and Society, a journal published by Taylor and Francis. The article is titled "The Effects of Body-Worn Cameras on Police Organization and Practice: A Theory-Based Analysis." The co-authors are James J. Willis and Stephen D. Mastrofski, professors at George Mason University.


Dr.听Todd Schroer,associate professor and chair of criminal justice, has been accepted to attend the 2018 Curt C. and Else Silberman Faculty Seminar in Washington, D.C. June 4-15, 2018. The seminar this year is titled "Racial Practice: Theory, Policy, and Execution in Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South." Seminar participants will be introduced to Holocaust-related sources in the Museum鈥檚 unique film, oral history, testimony, recorded sound, archival, and photography collections, and the International Tracing Service Digital Archive. They will also meet staff scholars with expertise in various Holocaust-related topics with whom they can discuss their work.


Dr. Stella Ress, assistant professor of history, presented her co-authored work, "'Beam Us Up, Scotty!': Using Pop Culture to Discover User-Friendly Hand Gestures and Body Movements for Embodied Interaction" at the 2018 National Conference for the Pop Culture Association in Indianapolis, Indiana. The individuals who comprise the PCA are a group of scholars and enthusiasts who study popular culture. The Popular Culture Association (formally the Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association) is a 501c3 which offers a venue to come together and share ideas and interests about the field or about a particular subject within the field. It also provides publication opportunities and sponsors the PCA Endowment.

Ress has presented and published in the area of popular culture since 2008. Her latest research on the topic is a collaborative effort with faculty at the School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI in which researchers identify familiar gestures from popular culture in order to facilitate full body interactive displays at museums.


Joan DeJong, former assistant dean of College of Liberal Arts and professor emeritus of art, and听John McNaughton, professor emeritus of art, collaborated on a sculpture remembering the 1937 Ohio River flood. This work was recently unveiled and can be seen at 220 S. Fulton Avenue next to the Levee Authority Office in Evansville.


Dr. Melissa Stacer, associate professor of criminal justice, and Lydia Moll, criminal justice and sociology major at 91社区, had an article published in听The Journal of Criminal Justice Education. The pair collaborated on the article 鈥淣ew opportunities or closing doors? How correctional facility tours impact students鈥 thoughts about careers.鈥


Dr. Rocco J. Gennaro, professor and department chair of philosophy, served as editor for the newly published book.听听(Routledge Press, 2018) including an introductory essay and two of the 34 chapters.听

Book summary: There has been an explosion of work on consciousness in the last 30鈥40 years from philosophers, psychologists, and neurologists. Thus, there is a need for an interdisciplinary, comprehensive volume in the field that brings together contributions from a wide range of experts on fundamental and cutting-edge topics. The Routledge Handbook of Consciousness fills this need and makes each chapter鈥檚 importance understandable to students and researchers from a variety of backgrounds.

This anthology also contains a chapter by听Dr. Chad Gonnerman, assistant professor of philosophy, titled "Consciousness and Experimental Philosophy."


Dr. Veronica Huggins, along with collaborator Dr. Nubian Sun from Tennessee State University, presented their paper "E'tru Most: Exploring Linguistic Cultural Self-Efficacy Among Gullah Speaking People of Charleston, South Carolina," at the International Journal of Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada.


Dr. Linda L. M. Bennett,听91社区 president emerita, received the Lifetime Achievement in Education award from Leadership Evansville at the 2018 Celebration of Leadership on Thursday, March 15.


Dr. Oana Popescu-Sandu, associate professor of English, had an article, "Translingualism as Dialogism in Romanian-American Poetry" published in the听Journal of World Literature, Volume 3, issues 1, 2018.

The article examines how translingual poetry by immigrant Romanian writers who live in or travel to the United States requires a transnational community framing rather than a national one and raises new questions about cultural and linguistic identity formation that reflect on both national and world literature issues. This analysis of the Romanian-American contemporary poets Mihaela Moscaliuc, Andrei Guruianu, Claudia Serea, and Aura Maru uses literary and rhetorical translingual theory to show that the 鈥渘ational literature鈥 framing is no longer sufficient to address works created between two languages in a globalized world鈥擱omanian and English, in this case. Born between two cultures and languages, their poetry does not belong entirely to either. In its turn, the national framing鈥攂oth the Romanian and the American one鈥攃an become more porous and inclusive if read through a sociolinguistic mobility lens that gives a more powerful voice to migrant writers. (The article can be accessed听.)


Dr. Melissa Stacer,听associate professor of criminal justice, has been published inCritical Military Studies,(a peer-reviewed journal through Taylor and Francis.) She co-authored the article, 鈥淛ustice-Involved Veterans: A Critical Review and Future Research" with Dr. Monica Solinas-Saunders from Indiana University Northwest. (The article can be accessed听.)


Dr. Daniel Bauer,听associate professor of anthropology, had an article, "Home Garden Diversity of the Tahuayo Region, Peru," published in the听Journal of Ecological Anthropology. The article was co-authored by Duncan Taylor and Nelly Pinedo Alvarado. The article is based on field research conducted with former student Duncan Taylor in the summer of 2014.


Dr. Andrew Buck, associate professor of sociology, and a co-author had their article, "Coalitional Configurations: A Structural Analysis of Democratization in the Former Soviet Union," published in听Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, 26, 1 (Winter): 25-54, 2018.


Dr. Matt Hanka听has been named an administrator for the Commission on Homelessness for Evansville and Vanderburgh County. In this volunteer role, Hanka will provide leadership for the Commission, a group of area government and community leaders working together to prevent and end homelessness in the region. More information is听.