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University at Buffalo CADS Newsletter 2011
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The Center for Academic Development ServiceNEWSLETTER
University at Buffalo Spring 2011
CADS
Message from the Director of CADS The 2010-2011 year has been challenging, exciting, and productive for the CADS programs. As you’ll read in these pages, our students and staff con-tinue to achieve excellence in academics, professional endeavors, and community service. Though these are difficult economic times, we’ve faced the challenges as opportunities to evaluate our efforts, streamline our programming, and focus on accomplishing our mission. We continue to meet our objectives for retention and graduation rates, and we continue to offer students enriching experiences, such as opportunities to engage in undergradu-ate research. With every year that passes, I am grateful to direct a unit of outstand-ing admissions, academic support and enrichment programs. Please join me in recog-nizing some of our stand-out students and staff in this issue of the CADS Newsletter.
Inside This Issue:Student Accomplishments
Program Highlights
Staff Updates
CADS Staff Contact List
Dr. Henry DurandSenior Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director
This is an exciting time of the year as our scholars eagerly await the results of their many applications to gradu-ate programs. At this time we would like to extend a
special congratulation to a few students who have already received some wonderful news.
First and foremost, we have already had four scholars accepted into doctoral pro-grams before they even graduated with their bachelor’s. Carlos Camacho (also Acker Scholar) has been accepted to the CUNY Grad Center’s Sociology PhD program with a teaching assistantship. Jesse Hartl-off has been accepted to UB’s Computer Science and Engineering PhD program with a teaching assistantship. Lauren Hennings
McNair Students Moving UpSTUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
(also SSS, ACE, CSTEP) has been accepted to the University of Pittsburg Mathemat-ics PhD program with a fellowship. Also, Shenita McLean (also EOP) has been accepted to UB’s PHD program in Anthropology with an assistant-ship and a Schomburg fellowship.
Finally, we would like to offer special con-gratulations to four of our McNair Alumni who have recently earned their doctorates: Folarin Erogbogbo McNair class of 2002, An-drew Griffith McNair class of 2005, Shola Olabasi McNair class of 2003, and last but not least Folashade Shasanya McNair class of 1995. Congratulations to all of these won-derful scholars for achieving their dreams!
Peace Corps BoundBy: Danielle Johnson Shervin Stoney, an Acker Scholar and politi-cal science major with a minor in photog-raphy, was accepted into the Peace Corp, where he will serve in Africa. Shervin’s pas-sion for serving his community is evidenced by his leadership within the UB community, where Shervin currently serves as Vice-Pres-ident for UB’s Student Association. Shervin
works closely with student clubs and organizations to provide
opportunities for students to en-
gage in community services. We are so proud of Shervin and
confident that he will have a tremendous impact on the world!
Lauren Hennings
Shentia McLean
Acker Scholar Donates Bone MarrowAcker Scholar and CADS Lab tutor Alex Tesche-macher never thought he’d be a match when he registered as a bone marrow donor in 2009. Yet just a few weeks ago, he underwent a bone marrow extraction pro-cedure at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in hopes of saving a life threatened by leuke-mia. According to the UB Reporter, Tesche-macher missed two weeks of classes, but is healing quickly, and he is glad to have been able to help a patient in need. He encour-ages other eligible donors to consider reg-istering, saying: “It is absolutely worth the the shot at saving someone’s life.” Informa-tion about the National Marrow Donor Pro-gram is available at: www.marrow.org.
According to the latest edi-tion of UB’s student newspa-per, The Spectrum, Michael Tyson’s official title is Assis-tant Life Editor and his lat-est article is a background piece on Pulitzer Prize-win-ner Jhumpa Lahiri’s upcom-ing visit to UB. Mike is Eng-lish major and SSS student who took a writing class that led to several articles being published in The Spectrum. In the next semester, he
CSTEP Research Intern: Joseph DiehlA double major in civil engineering and mathe-matics, CSTEP student Joseph Diehl’s (also Acker Scholar) focus lately has been engineer-ing. He applied to the CSTEP Summer Research Program to help him decide what he should pursue after gradua-tion. He comments that “my CSTEP Summer Research experience has definitely helped make that de-cision way easier.” He worked as an intern in the Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Lab in Ketter Hall. Instead of working with comput-ers or test tubes, his time in the lab was spent doing construction. Joseph states “I enjoyed contributing to this experiment in any way I could.”
The subject of his research was the effects of pounding on seismi-cally isolated structures. He as-sisted in the construction of a model three-story, seismically isolated structure with moat wall pounding simulation as an eventual goal. This experiment is part of the NEEStips program, which is funded by the NSF. Joseph worked with Dr. Gilberto Mosque-da. Joseph admits “It is the first time I’ve ever done research, but so far I have really enjoyed it and hope to continue.”
landed a job with the paper. Besides his work on the newspaper, Mike is also involved in cre-ative writing and publicly reading his poetry at UB’s Center for Inquiry. He has had his writing published in the literary magazine Head as well.
Mike is also one of UB’s non-traditional students. He has been away from college for 10 years and has had several careers in the interim. His wife, Gigi, was the first of the two to enroll at UB and join SSS. Now, Mike and Gigi have both earned GPAs of over 3.5. Mike will graduate next spring and plans to earn an MFA in creative writing.
CSTEP Research Intern: Chiamaka AgbasionweCSTEP student Chiamaka Agbasionwe was born in Nigeria and raised in the US. As a sophomore biology
major, she plans on becoming a doctor with a focus in integrative/holistic medicine.
She applied to the CSTEP Summer Re-search Program because she “needed
an internship that would utilize my talents and enable me to think, ex-
plore, grow, and discover. For the most part, the program was every-thing I expected – organized, hard work, effective, and fun.” She
enjoyed the workshops on profes-sionalism, resume writing, technical
writing, money management, effec-tive presentation skills, and graduate
school. She was also able to build last-ing relationships with her fellow interns.
Chiamaka worked with Dr. Kathryn Medler in the Department of Biological
Sciences. Her research topic concerns the taste system, specifically a new
dual responsive transduction sig-naling pathway that has been re-cently discovered in taste cells.
The goal of the research is to learn more about how chemical stimuli
are transduced into electrical signals.
“A ‘silent’ benefit of the CSTEP research program is that it verified that I indeed
want to continue in this career path,” Chiamaka writes. She feels empowered by the experience. “That I can say I have done graduate school level research, without yet being a junior, is a testimony to my ability to succeed in becoming a doctor.”SSS Non-Traditional Star
EOP alumna Yanelba Ferreira was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. At the age of seven, she arrived to America with her parents and siblings and lived in a one-bedroom apart-ment in the Bronx. During her sophomore year of high school, Yanelba’s passion for acting be-gan when she auditioned for her school’s Drama Club. The audition consisted of concentrating on a point on the wall and saying, “Get out of my face.” The drama teacher immediately gave Yanelba the part. Audience members enjoyed her dramatic performances and referred to her as “The Screamer.”
Yanelba is the first of her family to leave home for college. Fortunately, UB’s Educational Op-portunity Program provided her with tutoring, guidance, and support throughout her college experience. Yanelba graduated cum laude from UB with a BS in Computer Science which she refers to as “the safe, comfortable, and smart route.” After graduation in 2005, she started working as a Project Manager in the IT Division of a NYC investment bank. Although Yanelba
enjoyed her work and was gaining invaluable experience, she realized that she would never achieve fulfillment unless she pursued her dream of acting. She resigned from her full-time position and registered for a three-month acting workshop which offi-cially started her journey to get to Hollywood. She has already earned two IMDb credits.
Yanelba is currently re-hearsing at the Manhat-tan Repertory Theatre for Here I Stand and Face the Rain, which opens in April. The EOP staff is proud of Yanelba’s ac-complishments and wish her great suc-cess in the pursuit of her dreams.
tural shock and, at times, I struggled with racial differences and feeling misunderstood. Learning Spanish was also hard, but now I empathize with the struggle that international stu-dents have adjusting to UB. It is not easy, but overall it’s worth the effort.I also visited Patagonia, Uruguay, and Puerto Iguazu, which is where the famous waterfalls are located. This experience changed my life for the better, and I encourage all students, especially students in the CADS programs, to go abroad. It is a decision that you will never regret!
Gilman Scholarship AwardeeI always wanted to study abroad in college; however, as an EOP student I knew my finances were scarce and I needed to find alternative ways to fund my adventure. The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship provided me the ability to study abroad. Writing the Gilman scholarship essay clari-fied my goals for studying abroad and increased my confidence in my decision to go. The Gilman is a prestigious scholarship: out of 4000 applicants, only a 1000 receive it.While abroad, I lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a family. The family was very nice, but I experienced cul-
YANELBA FERREIRA, EOP STAR…RISINGSubmitted by: Christina Nietopski, CADS/EOP
The Department of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences invited Jessica Beaty (a graduating EOP and SSS student) to represent them at UB’s open house with the dean in March. She was selected because of her cheerful personality and the valuable experi-
ence she is gaining from her current internship at the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation. In addition, at her first Erie county-wide conference this April, Jessica will present an overview of how Alzheimer’s disease is related to dementia.
CADS Student Represents UB
Not Your Typical Internshipby Cathleen Morreale
Jordan GhasemiCity Hall—Corporation CounselSummer 2010 Internship
During the 2010 summer semester, PSIP student Jordan Ghasemi completed in an internship at the Buffalo City Hall Law Counsel, which handles legal matters of the City of Buffalo. Jordan’s day-to-day responsibilities included reading con-tracts, researching the background on City and County contracts, and analyzing contracts to de-termine who had the right of way in a dispute. Jordan gained a working knowledge of how the City Law Counsel operates and now is consider-ing his possible career paths after law school.
Li ZhongPhysical Therapy Department – Fall 2010-VA Medical Center
An EOP and CSTEP student Li Zhong completed an intern-ship with the Physical Therapy De-partment at the Buffalo Veterans Affairs Medi-cal Center (VA), a government-based military veteran health benefit system. Interning at the VA has changed Li’s view of the field of physi-cal therapy and confirmed her interest in pur-suing that career path. Through her intern-ship, Li learned about evaluations, treatments, client education, PT techniques, treatment supplies and equipment, and the differences between physical therapists and physicians.
The SSS family and their support in all areas of my life have made UB the best experience ever. Jashira Castro
Pictured in top row starting from left. Jennifer Christian (also CSTEP) has been accept-ed to UB’s Master’s in Education ProgramOkoa Kinsey has been accepted to UB’s Master’s program in ArchitectureKrystal LaJoie has been accepted to UB’s MS pro-gram in EngineeringJean Mandat (also EOP, CSTEP, McNair) as been accepted to New York College of Osteopathic MedicineNathan Nabatjhorian has been accepted to the law schools at St Thomas Miami, Florida Interna-tional University, NOVA Southern Law, Touro Law, Loyola New Orleans Law, and Albany Law
SSS Advanced Degrees Roll CallPictured in bottom row starting from left.Julie Rivera (also in EOP) has been accepted to the MSW program at UBNima Sadeghian accepted into the Phoenix School of LawLeah Scarborough has been awarded a Graduate Assistantship as she pursues her Master’s of Sci-ence in Nutrition at UBAntonio Upia (also CSTEP) has been accepted to UB Master’s in Engineering ProgramAshlee Waite has been accepted to UB’s Doctor-ate of Physical Therapy Program Min Yi Zhang (also EOP)was accepted into UB’s Dental School.
Acker Graduate School Acceptances!!By: Danielle Johnson
The Acker Scholars class of 2011 has received quite a few graduate school acceptances! Juliana Jaramillo, a major in biomedical sciences was accepted into SUNY Downstate Medical School. Alex Pontikos, also a Biolmedical science major, was accepted into Penn State’s Medical School. Carlos Camacho, a major in sociology, who is also a McNair Scholar, was accepted into CUNY Gradu-ate Center Ph.D. program in Sociology. Amanda Arnst, a double-major in psychology and social sciences, was accepted into Boston College’s Master’s Program in Psychology. Jillian Castrel-lon, a double-major in English and social scienc-es, was accepted into Northeastern’s Law School. Olivia Schlager, a major in psychology, was ac-cepted into Penn State’s School Psychology Ph.D. Program. Congratulations on your acceptances and accomplishments, Acker Scholar graduates!
Juan Pereyra – NUFP FellowAcker Scholar and sociol-ogy major Juan Pereyra was accepted into the NASPA Undergraduate Fel-lows Program, or NUFP as it is called at UB. NASPA, a national organization for Student Affairs Profes-sionals in Higher Educa-tion, provides informa-tion, conferences, and publications that focus on student development and learning. As a NUFP fellow, Juan will work with the Associate Director of Student Unions and Activities to learn about the student affairs profession, apply to graduate programs, and attend the annual national NASPA 2011 confer-ence in Philadelphia. Congratulations Juan!!
Carly Rehac Interns at The Buffalo ZooBy: Cathleen Morreale
In fall of 2010, Carly Rehac completed an in-ternship at the Buffalo Zoo in the Education Department. The Education Department at the Buffalo Zoo consists of primarily safe, friendly animals, with some exceptions such as the large birds of prey and the vampire bats. Caretakers learn the diets, cage set up, appropriate en-richment, and proper handling skills for each animal. Carly learned directly from professionals in the field and trained a variety of animals. As a result of her internship, Carly has found her calling and will pursue a degree in animal be-havior. She feels like she is a better animal care provider for the experience, and that in a small way, she has made a difference in the lives of these animals, which is the best reward of all.
Julie Rivera in BrazilEOP and SSS student Julie Rivera is a star stu-dent with many accomplishments. She received the Hispanic Women’s League Award and the New York State Chancellor’s Awards in the fall 2010. This June, Julie will earn her BA with a double major in psychology and social sciences, and a minor in Latino Studies. She is currently completing an internship at the Community Ac-tion Organization’s Head Start Program. Julie also completed a study abroad in Brazil in Au-gust of 2010. There, she learned about their uni-versal health care system, particular the aspect of community outreach. Julie’s advice to other students: “I recommend any student who is in-terested in study abroad to take advantage of the opportunity. I was able to explore a different country while learning in a safe environment. It was an amazing experience.” I was able to explore a different country while learning in a safe environment. “It was an amazing experi-ence.” She begins UB’s MSW Program in the Fall.
We’d like to take this opportunity to highlight Acker Scholars who have participated in study abroad programs, where they learned a great deal about themselves, diversity, and intercul-tural competencies on a global scale. For ex-ample, Samantha Gross-Galindo, a fourth-year student double-majoring in Spanish and social sciences studied abroad in Argentina, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Samantha states, “Studying abroad has helped me see that each country has a separate, unique culture, even if they share the same language.” Tara Brown, a fourth-year student majoring in psychology, studied in Paris. Additionally, Jillian Castrellon, a fourth-year student double-majoring in English and social sciences, studied in Sheffield, England.
Currently, Dominiqua Griffin, a fourth-year stu-dent majoring in sociology, is studying abroad in London. Dominiqua shares, “So far while here in London, I’ve learned that thinking big is not enough. You have to think bigger than that and then think bigger than that. If [students] can fit a study abroad program into [their] college experi-ence, [they should] not hesitate due to financial reasons or missing home.” We are so very proud of the Acker Scholars and their accomplishments!
“bonjour” from Tara BrownParis, France
“hola” from Samatha Gross- Galindo
Argentina, Mexico
“tah” from Jillian CastrellonSheffield, England
“ello” from Dominiqua GriffinLondon, England
Acker Scholars Study Abroad
Year Long Internship With Local Refugees
SSS student Hamdi Hersi was simply looking for professional development experiences outside of the classroom. What she gained was a treasure trove of experiences, memories, and new skills. Her fall 2010 and spring 2011 internship was with H.E.A.L. International, Inc., a not-for-profit lo-cated on the West Side of Buffalo. H.E.A.L. stands for Helping Everyone Achieve Livelihood, and as an intern, Hamdi was able to contribute directly to their mission. The organization is unique in that it is founded by refugees from Africa, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula who have experienced the hardships of resettlement or mi-gration to America. These refugees have gained a measure of success and stability, and they are giving back to their new community by sharing their knowledge and improving the welfare of
other immigrants, many who have come from Somalia, the Sudan, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Yemen.
Hamdi provided individual services to refugees, such as driving them to the hospitals, provid-ing translations, and making preparations for PTO meet-ings with the parents, teachers, and prin-ciples. All of these services were of-fered with the goal of fostering self-sufficiency when the refugee clients faced similar situa-tions in the future. Nice work, Hamdi!
Spencer Eng: Flying High Over Singapore
Dustin Muscato: Stellar Technology Intern
After relocating from New York City, SSS engi-neering student Dustin Muscato has been on a
mission since his arrival to UB. Dustin has achieved Dean’s List twice and, as only a sophomore, participated in a rare paid summer internship with Stellar Technology in Amherst, New York.
Dustin brings to UB his ten years of experience from the private sector where he held administra-tive and management training positions. Dustin has been awarded grant aid from SSS twice, and he was awarded the Isaac Waug Memorial Scholar-ship from the Engineering Department. He is also a beneficiary of tutoring in the CADS Lab which he claims has “really paid off.” Dustin is also a member of Engineers for a Sustainable World, UB Academies, and UB Ski Club. We’re expecting more great accomplishments from this rising star!
Senior accounting student Spencer Eng has been in SSS since September 2008. Last summer, he travelled to Singapore and China through the Asian Business & the Global Economy study abroad program. He enjoyed his time living, working and studying in another country. In fall 2010, Spen-cer was a recipient of the John G. and Elizabeth Gibbons Scholarship through the UB School of Management. Ever the active SSS student partici-pant, Spencer has been a panelist at SSS work-shops, served on the SSS advisory board, and at-tended performances such as Shen Yun and Ballet Hispanico. Last year, Spencer was chosen as an Inroads intern and he plans to attend graduate school in the NYC area after graduation this spring.
Alexis Gruschow, an Acker Scholar graduating with her BS in Mechanical Engineering, was of-fered an amazing internship at General Electric (GE). As an Intern, Alexis’s primary responsibility was to create a transfer function for the Product Definition Team to improve budgeting accuracy by 75%. Additionally, Alexis was responsible for detecting the origin of infancy defects through locomotive comparisons. Although Alexis’s re-sponsibilities focused on engineering tasks, Alex-is was also expected to participate in commu-nity service and social events coordinated by GE. Alexis served as one of the Captains of GE’s Relay for Life Teams and participated in the HealthA-head initiative, which encouraged healthy life-styles among GE employees.
After graduation, Alexis will begin her studies in the Edison Engineering Development Program
(EEDP), a two-year commitment where she will work in six-month increments in different jobs within the GE Trans-portation plant. Each week, Alexis will be re-sponsible for collaborat-ing on a 40-page report that proposes a solution to a problem within that unit. Alexis said, “Stud-ies are only half the battle. My interviewers at GE wanted me to be well-rounded and show that I was active in my community.” We are so thrilled for Alexis and all of her accomplish-ments.
Acker Scholar Works Internship Into Job
In spring of 2011, Dr. Christine Gray Tinnesz introduced CPM 203 “Academic Survival Tech-niques” to CADS students. Formerly, Dr. Tinnesz was the Associate Director of the Methods of In-quiry (MOI) Program at UB. MOI had been at UB since 1987 and many CADS students enrolled in the course. MOI demonstrated tremendous suc-cess in raising students’ GPAs and graduation rates. In fact, UB’s Office of Institutional Analysis found that EOP students who took MOI had a 15% higher retention rate and an 8% higher gradua-tion rate than EOP students who did not take the course. CPM 203 draws many of its insights from the Methods of Inquiry course material. Students taking CADS 203 are learning how to learn and they improve their critical thinking skills. In ad-dition to class instruction, students meet with a peer monitor who helps them apply what they are learning in lecture to their other coursework.
Dr. Tinnesz has been at UB since 1997 and earned her doctorate in Educational Founda-tions. She has co-authored a textbook, pub-lished journal articles, and presented at many conferences nationwide. Christine is mar-ried with two daughters, Ellie and Casey.
Academic Survival Techniques Course - CPM 203
Academic Survival Techniques course available for all CADS students.
The CADS Lab has been given an updated look! We have new geometric-style grey carpeting along with new ceiling tiles and lights. Students have responded positively to the welcoming environment. The CADS Lab employs 10 aca-demic coaches and 85 tutors in all disciplines, and they are always busy. Tutors are enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and professional de-gree programs. Forty-five percent of CADS tu-tors have been certificated by the College Read-ing and Learning Association, in one or more of the three levels. At this time we have five
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
graduating tutors who have been accepted into medical school, along with 15 other tutors ad-mitted into various graduate school programs.
Laura Neese, a CADS tutor and academic coach since January 2008, received the UB Chancellor Award for 2011 and the Dean’s Award from the Department of Theater and Dance for most out-standing senior. Laura has earned level III CRLA certification in tutoring and has conducted sev-eral tutor-training workshops for the CADS Lab.
Good Things Happening in The CADS Lab
After months of planning, CADS welcomed 185 of its newest CADS and EOP students to its three-week residential summer bridge program. Activi-ties kicked off on July 9 with the Staff Training day, where 55 academic counselors, faculty, tu-tors, residential counselors, and administrative staff participated in presentations and workshops including Academic Integrity and Assisting Survi-vors of Sexual Assault, which was presented by UB’s Counseling Services. Staff also participated in team-building and strategic planning activities. This year’s Summer Program instruction featured an interdisciplinary approach with collaboration among Writing, World Civilization, and Criti-cal Inquiry faculty to help students complete extended research assignments. Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson, was required reading and it helped to facilitate critical examination of many issues across the curriculum, including globalization and transcending borders. Stu-dents also completed mini-courses in Psychology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology in lecture,
lab, and recitation-style settings. In particular, Biological Sciences prepares students to be suc-cessful in Evolutionary and Cell Biology at UB.
Students met with academic counselors to final-ize course selection, housing, and financial aid. Students were introduced to aspects of univer-sity life, including tutoring and academic coach-ing, course syllabi, UBLearns, and CIT. Students experienced life in the residence halls, cultivat-ed faculty-student relationships, and learned of the rigors and expectations of college life at UB. These are important connections for low-income, often first-generation, students to make, and the students were recognized for their accomplish-ments at the Summer Program Awards Ceremony on July 29. Students were honored for High Aca-demic Achievement, Best Effort, and a number of citizenship awards. Sariah Duran was recognized for achieving the highest GPA during the pro-gram with a 3.90. The EOP staff wishes the Class of 2014 all the best in their future endeavors.
THE 2011 CADS/EOP SUMMER PROGRAM Submitted by James Louis Ramsey
Educational Opportunity Program 4.0 Club On October 15, 2010 at the Thirty-Sixth Annual EOP Awards Convocation the below students were in-ducted into the EOP 4.0 Club for achieving a QPA of 4.0 while completing a minimum of 12 credit hours. The admiration and pride of their accomplishment is felt by all of us within EOP. Their superior performance is a direct result of hard work and strong focus on their academic studies. We are so proud to recognize:
Fall2009: Man Chiu, Fatima Elabass, Qi Qi Liang Spring 2010: Ashley Ayala, Antonia Cathcart, An-thony Chipre, Yu Lin Dong, Fatima Elabass, Eliza-beth Hernandez, James Minter III, Anna Qu, Ash-ley Smith, Katie Tanzini, Johnny Wang, Shihe Zeng
On March 26, 2011, the Acker Scholars partici-pated in Relay for Life, an annual fundraiser that supports cancer research and awareness. This year’s Relay for Life was organized by Col-leges Against Cancer, and two Acker Scholars are leaders in that organization. They have invested many months in planning this year’s event. Juli-ana Jaramillo, a fourth-year student majoring in biomedical sciences, serves as President of Col-leges Against Cancer, and Merlyn Vilma, a third-year student majoring in biotechnology with a minor in pharmacology & toxicology, serves as Vice-President. Also, Carlos Camacho, a fourth-
year student ma-joring in sociology, served as Master of Ceremonies for the event this year. We appreci-ate Juliana, Mer-lyn, and Carlos for all of their hard work, dedi-cation, and com-mitment to such an amazing cause!
Acker Scholars Serve as Leaders within Relay for Life and Colleges Against Cancer!!By: Danielle Johnson
Juliana Jaramillo [left] and Merlyn Vilma [right]
The UB CSTEP Day of Service is part of a state-wide initiative to provide education and career information to students in grades 7-12. On the CSTEP Day of Service, college students go into classrooms to speak to students about pursu-ing a college degree and to discuss the under-representation of minority students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers and the licensed professions.
On April 6, 2011, CSTEP students visited Buffa-lo’s International Prep Academy (IPA), formerly known as Grover Cleveland High School. They dis-cussed their backgrounds and majors, how their college workload differs from high school, fac-tors to consider when choosing to attend college, and some popular misconceptions about college. Overall, our CSTEP volunteers spoke to nearly 20 classes and reached over 400 students at the IPA.
The CSTEP motto is: To whom much is given, much is required. The Day of Service serves as a way for the CSTEP students to give back for all of the support that they have received as they transitioned from high school to college.
“I am very excited to begin graduate school in the fall. I feel that UB has given me some ex-cellent opportuni-ties that will help me to succeed in my academic ca-reer ahead” ~Olivia SchlagerAcker Schoar
The staff of SSS is proud to announce that the federal grant that funds the Student Support Services Program was renewed at the start of the 2010-2011 academic year. As a result, SSS will remain at UB through the 2014-2015 year to support students who are lower-income, first generation, and/or have a disability. SSS is funded by the US Department of Education with the goal of helping students earn their bachelor’s degree. Though UB’s SSS Program had earned prior experience points to help them earn renewed funding, we are espe-cially pleased to report that the program was funded on the quality of the application alone in the most recent competition. SSS has been in continuous operation at UB since 1979.
Funding Renewed for SSS
CSTEP Day of Service
On October 15, 2010, the Educational Opportu-nity Program held its 36th Annual Awards Convo-cation to recognize the outstanding academic ac-complishments of EOP students for the 2009-2010 academic year. The hard-working students who graced the Student Union Theatre stage were acknowledged for a variety of achievements.
Bei Di (Betty) Wang, a graduating accounting stu-dent, received the Percy Sutton Award in recog-nition of her impressive academic record and
Thirty-Sixth Annual EOP Awards Convocationdemonstrated qualities of leadership and achievement. Betty intends to pursue an MBA and CPA after graduating from UB.
Patrick D. Crosby, also a graduating senior, received the Arthur O. Eve Award, highlight-ing his determination and dedication to self-improvement and public service and to over-coming significant challenges while pursuing academic achievement. Patrick will graduate with a double major in communications and media study and will pursue graduate study.
Shenita Ann McLean, the recipient of the in-augural William R. Greiner Leadership Award, was recognized for outstanding leadership, scholarship, and service to the UB commu-nity. A double major in physical anthropology and sociology, Shenita has been accepted to UB’s PhD Program in Forensic Anthropology.
EOP students who joined the 4.0 Club, received State-wide recognition, Latin honors, and athletic honors were high-lighted, and all students receiving a 3.0 or above were also specially recognized.
Azaliah O’Banyoun earned her PharmD from UB Ivoire LaVann (also in EOP) is finishing up her MS in Creative Studies from Buffalo State CollegeTiffany Mincey is finishing her first year in the Master’s of Public Administration Pro-gram at Florida International University, where she has also been awarded the Nata-sha Sejas “Women in Public Service” Scholar-ship from South Florida Chapter of the Ameri-can Society for Public Administration (ASPA).Hieu Nguyen (also in McNair) is finish-ing his second year in the DDS program at UBOluwatomi (Tomi) Abayomi (also EOP) finished her Master’s in Higher Education Administration at UBFalania Pierre-Louis (also in EOP) is finish-
ing her first year in the Master’s of Edu-cation program at Adelphi UniversityWilliam Frempong is finishing his first year in the PharmD program at the Massachu-setts’s College of Pharmacy and Allied HealthMohamed Ahmedin is finishing his first year in UB’s PharmD program.Darrell Kelly is finishing his first year in the BS program in Psychology at Medaille CollegeColeman Pettway and Danielle Maurice (who was also in EOP) are finishing their first year in UB’s Master’s of Social Work Program and Veronica Ivey is finishing her second year in UB’s MSW programSeng Wong (also EOP) is finishing her MS in Biology from Temple University
News From Our SSS Alumni
I am looking forward to graduate school and this new part of my life, and I could never have done any of it without the suppoert and experience that I recieved as an Acker Scholar and CADS Lab tutor. Because of my time within these programs I know that I am prepared for the future. ~ Amanda Arnst, Aker Scholar
2010 McNair Scholars ConferenceThe University at Buffalo Undergraduate Re-search Conference, sponsored and hosted by the UB McNair Scholars Program, was held from July 15-18, 2010 in beautiful Niagara Falls, New York. It provided an exceptional opportu-nity for undergraduate students from across the country to present faculty supervised re-search; network with professors, graduate stu-dents and their peers; participate in workshops on the graduate school application process; at-tend a graduate school opportunities fair; and learn from inspiring speakers who have earned doctoral degrees and advocate the importance of higher education. The conference formal-ly introduced them to the world of academia.
The Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program prepares low-income, first generation college students and students from groups underrepresented in graduate education for doctoral study. Services include research opportunities, summer internships, seminars, academic advising, mentoring, and assistance in securing admission and financial aid for gradu-ate programs. The scholars at this conference will be the next generation of professors, re-searchers, and influential thinkers in our society.
In total, twenty (20) University at Buf-falo McNair Scholars gave oral presenta-tions of their research, and a large num-ber of their fellow CSTEP scholars gave poster presentations of their research, as well.
Overall, 425 participants from across the nation attended this event and the feedback was ex-tremely positive!
We look forward to welcoming everyone to our 17th Annual McNair Undergraduate Research Con-ference scheduled to be held in Niagara Falls, NY from July 14-16, 2011.
The McNair Scholars Program is very pleased to announce that we have five scholars who will have the privilege of presenting their research at the UB’s Celebration of Academic Excellence. Oswald Dadson (also Acker Scholar, Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow), a pharmacology and toxicol-ogy major, is presenting a poster entitled “Es-timating Egyptian Cotton Field Worker Exposure to the Organophosphorus pesticide profenofos.” Lesthia Isaacs, (also Acker Scholar, CSTEP) a psy-chology major, is presenting a poster entitled, “Teenage Drivers with ADHD: Effectiveness of Technological Interventions.” Shenita McLean (also EOP), a physical anthropology and sociol-ogy double major, is presenting a poster entitled “The Perception of and Resilience to Pain Among Athletes in the Culture of Athleticism.” Will Richardson, a sociology major, is doing a pre-sentation entitled “An Analysis of Neighborhood Perceptions among Residents of Spatially Iso-lated and High Poverty Areas”. Yun Zheng (also CSTEP), a medicinal chemistry and pharmaceuti-cal science double major, is presenting a post-er entitled “Analysis of Anions in Local Water.”
McNair Scholars at the UB Celebration of Excellence
Shenita McLeanWill Richardson
Emmanual Effah-Appiah
Jean Mandat
CADS Staff at Assisting with the McNair Conference
In January, SSS Retention Coordinator Gudiya Msuku-Purks travelled to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Africa with a group from UB’s Center for Educational Col-laboration (CEC). The CEC group also trav-elled to Zanzibar, the Serengeti, Musoma, Mwanza and Kitenga during their two-week visit, logging thousands of bus and air miles. Kitenga is the site of several ongoing CEC projects, such as solar cookers. With the help of Solar Liberty Foundation, twelve solar cook-ers were donated. Gudiya and her CEC travel companions assisted the villagers in putting the cookers together. Solar cookers cut down on the time spent gathering firewood and maintain a safe cooking environment compared to cooking over an open fire. Recently, Gudiya has been up-dated that the women have created their own recipes and most importantly the cookers work!
The CEC, along with partners such as the Immac-ulate Heart Sisters of Africa, have spearheaded building schools for disenfranchised girls in the village of Kitenga and surrounding Mara region. Two schools are in process, as well as a health clinic. Much is still needed to finish these build-ings. The very remote village can only be ac-cessed by dirt roads, and the villagers must make their own bricks. However, it will happen in time.
Gudiya’s goal is to return to Africa with her husband and children. She would like to check on the projects that she had a small part in shaping and, of course, visit new friends she met during her travels. Asante Sana, which is Swahili for thank you very much.
Karibu (Welcome) to Tanzania!By: Gudiya Msuku-Purks
In February of 2010, SSS Director Jennifer Mor-
rison was awarded a scholarship from the National Academic Adv-ing Association to at-tend the NACADA Ad-ministrators’ Institute in Florida. The goal of this three-day institute
is support administrators as they improve their ad-
vising programs and to foster future lead-
ers in NACADA.
Since her participation in the NACADA Insti-tute, Dr. Morrison has also presented a paper at the Annual NACADA Conference in October of 2011. (To be precise, SSS Retention Coordi-nator Gudiya Msuku-Purks attended NACADA to read Dr. Morrison’s paper, while Dr. Morrison was on maternity leave.) The presentation was titled “Developmental Advising and Advising-as-Teaching: Re-evaluating the Relationship” and was written in collaboration with John Brolley from the University at Cincinnati. Their presen-tation was well-attended and well-received, and Drs. Brolley and Morrison have since been invited to present their work at Indiana Uni-versity for their staff development in April.
SSS Director Active in National Professional Organization: NACADA
. STAFF UPDATESKirkshinta Turnipseed, Advi-sor/Co-Coordinator of the Acker Scholars Program in Cora P Maloney College, has been named as one of the 2010 recipients of the Out-standing New Advisor Certifi-
cate of Merit Award from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). Recipients of this award demonstrate a passion for advising, empathy in working with students and advisors, and the potential to impact on the larger field of advising through the individual’s leadership.
Kirkshinta earned her master’s in Student Per-sonnel Administration from Buffalo State Col-lege and is currently working on her Ed.D. in educational leadership at Northeastern. “I feel such gratitude to receive the Outstanding New Advisor Certificate of Merit Award and be rec-ognized by my peers for my work creating pro-grams for at-risk college students and my com-mitment to student success” said Turnipseed, who was presented with the award in Orlando this fall during the annual NACADA conference.
Kirkshinta (Shin) Turnipseed is the newest Co-Coordinator/Academic Advisor in CPMC. Prior to her position with the Daniel Acker Scholars Program, she worked at Utica College where she coordinated first year programming. Her most recent position was at the University of Illinois where she served as Assistant Director/Academic Skills Specialist for the Mannie L. Jack-son Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program (I-LEAP). In this capacity, she worked closely with the Dean’s office and academic ad-visors on admissions and recruitment programs as well as academic outreach and retention.
She is a proud graduate of both the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, cooking, and exercising. Guiding students through-out the college experience is her passion, and she enjoys seeing students reach their full potential.
Acker Staff SpotlightCADS Staff Accomplishments
Shanna Crump-Ownes CSTEP Director is a Master Sergeant at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station with
the 107th Airlift Wing. Recently she was appon-
ted to serve as a paralegal in the Judge Advocates General’s
(JAG) Office.
James Louis Ramsey, EOP Counselor,
was selected for the Tri-State C o n s o r t i u m of Opportu-nity Programs’
Leadership In-stitute, held in
Tarrytown, New York this spring. The Institute
prepares professional staff for lead-ership positions in higher education, especially in opportunity programs. James attended workshops and a panel discussion featuring execu-tive-level administrators from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Cathleen Morreale was awarded a Fulbright-
Hayes Seminar Abroad Program: Land of the Fu-ture or of the Present? A histor-ical perspective on
Brazil, for summer 2011. The Seminars
Abroad Program, autho-rized by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange (Fulbright-Hays) Act of 1961, provides opportuni-ties for qualified U.S. educators to participate in short-term seminars abroad.
Heather Welser has enjoyed a long and storied career in CADs, and she’s only just getting started!
As an undergrad, Heather joined the CADS Lab as a tutor in fall of 2006. After she
graduated in Sep-tember of 2008 with a double major in psy-chology and health
and human services, Heather gained admission to graduate school at UB in the School Counseling Program. Soon, she joined the staff of the ACE program as their grad-
uate assistant in February 2009. After graduating with her Ed.M. in September 2009, Heather spent the next year working on a license in counsel-ing and working part-time for the ACE Program.
In June 2010, Heather began working for the McNair Scholars program as a temporary em-ployee and in October 2010, she was hired as the McNair Project Assistant/Counselor. Heather enjoys her work with the scholars very much, and she enjoys the challenge of coor-dinating and hosting the largest undergradu-ate research conference in the nation! It is her intention to continue her education and com-plete a doctorate in Higher Education Adminis-tration. We’re so lucky to have you, Heather!
Not Really New to CADS: Welcome Heather Welser
I am graduating with a bachelors in the Information Sys-tems program and am looking forward to attending Carn-egie Mellon University. I would like to thank the CADS pro-grams especially McNair and Lani, my EOP counselor. ~Felix Ofori
As the current recently ap-pointed Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education at the Univer-sity at Buffalo, Dr. Scott Weber leads the efforts to ensure that undergraduate students have a transfor-mative educational expe-rience with opportunities to engage in truly distinc-tive research, creative and public service activi-ties that are hallmarks of a top-tier university educa-
tion. Dr. Weber provides leadership for central-ized undergraduate student support services and transformative extracurricular programs, as well as all CADS programs and activities.
As former chair of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at the University at Buffalo, Weber helped to establish UB’s transportation engineering research pro-gram and oversaw the department’s rise to No. 27 in the nation among all U.S. civil engineer-ing programs, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Dr. Weber has been a member of UB faculty since 1983 and twice was named professor of the year by the UB student chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society. He received his BS in civil engineering in 1977 and an MS in sanitary engineering in 1978 from Virginia Tech. In 1983 he earned a PhD in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis.
CADS Welcomes New VPUE
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heav-en...” (King Solomon)
After serving for nearly 33 years as EOP coun-
selor, Mrs. Sheryl Marable retired on December 31, 2010.
S h e r y l states that it was a blessing, honor and pleasure working with wonderful colleagues and with so many talented and diverse students. She thanks God for entrusting her with the re-sponsibility of facilitating the academic careers of over 1000 students during her tenure at UB.
Some of the congratulatory remarks ex-pressed by students and colleagues include:
“Congratulations - We love you Sheryl!” EOP Staff“ Yo u are an extraordinary person who has made
a difference in this world with all your years work-ing in EOP. Happy Retirement!!” G. Dougherty“I wish you a wonderful retirement, and may God continue to shine through your life and may you continue to be an example to others.” S. Clarke“I will miss your smiling and encouraging face in the hallways here. All the best to you!” R. Toomey“I am both happy for you and wish you the best in the future, but I am sad that future students here at UB will not benefit from your wisdom, and your kind and generous spirit.” K. Takeuchi“My deepest gratitude for all your service to me and the rest of the students you served throughout your 30+ year career.” M. Morand
It is apparent that Sheryl was appreciated and will be truly missed. We extend to Sheryl our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on her retirement. May she experience a wonder-ful new beginning and phenomenal future!
Retired After 33 Years
Salvation Army Stocking Stuffing for Christmas
By: Cathleen Morreale
During the past holiday season, CADS staff found a way to share their good-will. In partnership with the Education-al Leadership and Policy Graduate Stu-dent Association, CADS staff members stuffed 150 stockings full of toys, cloth-ing, and small tokens that were donat-ed to the Salvation Army. The stock-ings were distributed to children and families in the Salvation Army’s home-less shelter. This is an annual event for CADS and the donation grows yearly. The 150 stockings stuffed and do-n a t e d were the second
largest dona-tion the Salva-tion Army re-ceived in 2010.
Assistant Vice-Provost Retires from CADS
Marita K. Daniels, an Assis-tant Vice Provost in VPUE and
Director of the Academic Chal-lenge and Enrichment Program
(ACE), retired in August of 2010. Maritia begain her career in higher education at Alfred University and in May 1994 joined the UB staff. She first worked in UB’s Millard Film-ore College (MFC) and she remains active on the scholarship committee to this day. In 2003, Marita became the Director of the ACE program which is part of the CADS family. Maritia was always helpful, enthusatic and wearing a smile from ear to ear, and she has made a difference in countless lives while at UB. We will miss Marita and her dedication to the CADS Programs, and we wish her well as she enjoys her retirement in South Carolina.
CORA P. MALONEY COLLEGE255 Capen Hall 645-7301Dr. Letitia Thomas-Rogers
Assistant Vice Provost / [email protected]
Kendra CadoganGraduate [email protected]
Ramelli ChoatesSenior Academic [email protected]
Danielle M. JohnsonAcademic Advisor
Cathleen MorrealeCoordinator
Public Service Internship [email protected]
Arlene Parker DixonAdministrative Assistant
Sarah PirainoAcademic [email protected]
Yousef TahaAdvisor/ Graduate Assistant
Kirkshinta TurnipseedAcademic [email protected]
CADS FINANCIAL/ HR ADMIN255 Capen Hall 645-7301
Brenda SaukaCADS Finance/HR Manager
CADS TUTORIAL LAB46 Capen Hall 645-6693
Linda ZilgmeTutorial Coordinator
Rebecca OttGraduate Assistant
CENTER FOR ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICESSTAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
Dr. Henry J. DurandSenior Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director
COLLEGIATE SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY ENTRY PROGRAM
222 Norton Hall 645-2234Shanna Crump-Owens
Patricia GreerAdministrative Assistant
Grace C. MukupaCSTEP Graduate [email protected]
Matthew WoodforkCSTEP Graduate Assistant
RONALD E. McNAIR PROGRAMTRIO Programs
220 Norton Hall 645-5478Dr. Susan J. Ott
Heather WelserProject Assistant
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM
TRIO Programs215 Norton Hall 645-2732
Dr. Jennifer MorrisonDirector
Linda DelBelloAdvisor
Shannon JohnsonProject Assistant
Gudiya Msuku-PurksRetention Coordinator
CADS PEER MENTORING 255 Capen Hall 645-7301
Cathleen [email protected]
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITYPROGRAM
208 Norton Hall 645-3072Dr. William Coles III
Assistant Vice Provost / Associate Director
Janice Anderson DanielsCounseling Secretary
Darryl K. BarnesAssistant Director
Roland GarrowSenior Counselor
Denise HareAdministrative Counselor
Lani JendrowskiAcademic Coordinator
Christina M. NietopskiOffice Manager
James RamseySenior Counselor
Marcelina Rodriguez-RondónSenior Counselor
Lucinda ScottSenior Counselor
Manuel WongSenior Counselor
CADS/EOP SUMMER PROGRAM208 Norton Hall 645-3072
