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Spring 2013

Kennesaw State University

Graduate College Magazine

transform. elevate. lead.

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CONTENTS

4 Building Bridges for the Arts

6 Doctoral Journey: Personal Perspectives

12 STEM: Transforming Institutional Growth 14 M.S. in Integrated Biology 16 M.S. in Chemical Sciences 18 M.S. in Computer Science 20 M.S. in Applied Statistics

22 The Maya: Elevate Your Graduate Journey

28 Studying Abroad in Thailand: Financing Your Study Abroad Experience

30 Graduate Student Services 32 Graduate Student Association 33 Graduate Library 34 University Place II

36 Juan Trejo on the Year of Peru

38 Alumni Kim Moulton: Transforming Her Classroom

39 GraduateStudentsofConflict Mangement Engage with Cuban Society

42 Programs of Study

Heather CookEditor/Writer/Designer

Tamara HuttoEditor/Writer/Designer/Photographer

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Letter from the Dean

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Passionate words spill off the digital page in Amy Johnson’s blog, Artful Artsy Amy. By reading one post, it is evident that Johnson has a deep pas-sion for the arts and for instilling that passion in her students. She writes of recent projects and of projects she’d like to do, of the wonders of teaching sixth to eighth graders, and of her experience as a teacher.

Johnson began her blog in 2009 as part of a project in her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Art Education program at Kennesaw State University. The blog has stuck ever since and has become a platform to share inspiration and collaborate on art projects. Her blog is picture-rich and showcases

projects in which she has collaborated with her stu-dents, which reveals the array of personalities that she teaches. “Art is unlike any other school subject in that there is a highly emotional conversation between students and the teacher occurring at all times,” Johnson says.

“My students have so much to say about them-selves, their world, and their future. It is very rewarding to be the person who helps a student find his/her voice.” Johnson teaches 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Art at Cooper Middle School, a Title I school in the Cobb County School District.Johnson began KSU’s MAT in Art Education pro-gram during her fifth year of teaching and is now

Building Bridges for the Arts

By Heather Cook

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a student in the Educational Specialist program. Her studies in the MAT program prepared her to pair teaching with research and provided a natural progression toward a Specialist degree. “I always tell people I entered the MAT Art Education program to earn a degree to make more money and came out wanting to be a scholar. I was taught to think less about the final grade and more about researching and creating content that is meaningful to both me and my immediate community.” Johnson plans to continue towards a doctorate upon graduation from the EdS program.

“Art is sometimes mysterious,” Johnson says. “It often gets relegated to the area of unnecessary in education, but nothing could be further from the truth. My plan is to find a way to help art educa-tors build bridges to the rest of education so we can protect the arts as a necessary and highly valued part of the educational experience.”

For more information on the MAT programs:https://education.kennesaw.edu/gac/

“Art is sometimes mysterious.”

You can checkout out Amy’s blog here: http://artfulartsyamy.blogspot.com/

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(From left to right) Drs. John Riggs, Ruben Boling, and Juanne Greene talk to us about their journeys through KSU’s DBA program.

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DOCTORAL JOURNEYBy Tamara Hutto

Being able to complete a doctoral degree while working full time sounds a bit daunting, but that is exactly what KSU’s innovative Doctorate in Business Administration has set out to offer. The DBA is one of the few research doctorates to of-fer a non-traditional style program with an Asso-ciation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation.

It is a full-time, cohort style program with a resi-dency structure that allows students to attend classes once a month on the weekends and online. Dedicated full-time professionals work on their course work and dissertation in between trips to campus, and they graduate in three to four years.

The program also “exposes students to global scholars who are external to KSU’s Coles College of Business and have specific discipline and/or methods of expertise that augment the skills and

expertise of our faculty,” said the Director of the DBA program and KSU DBA alumni herself, Dr. Juanne Greene.

The program is designed to support seasoned pro-fessionals while they enhace their career flexibility and become distinguished experts in their field. Dr. Greene explained, “Whether it’s scheduled meetings with faculty to help you think through a topic orimpromptu sessions to assist with tech-nical challenges, the program seeks to provide as much support as possible.”

Since the DBA admitted its first cohort in 2009, applications have increased each year. The pro-gram is in demand by working professionals who want to enrich their career options while publish-ing and contributing to theory and practice in their respective fields of interest.

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DBA

can

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tes C

arol

Bish

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eft)

and

Kim

Hon

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Personal Perspectives

It is often difficult for graduate students to bal-ance personal, professional, and academic pur-suits, but KSU’s DBA graduates all agree--KSU does a superb job of supporting its doctoral stu-dents all along the way.

Once a month, students come to campus, some even fly and drive in from outside of Georgia. They spend time in class and engage with their classmates, faculty, and global scholars to enhance their learning beyond the classroom. The social and networking opportunities imbedded in the program add a significant personal dimension that is critical to balancing life while in a demanding doctoral program.

For more information on the DBA program, visit http://coles.kennesaw.edu/dba/

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“The application process is set up to help you decide if you really want to pursue a DBA or not. Part of the process is writing a research proposal. It forces you to work very hard and work similar hours as in the program and ask similar questions of yourself in order to be successful. The process gives you an idea of what it is like to research your interests in-depth, while juggling your work and family life.”

“The first day we started right away talking about theory. In the practitioner world, we know things happen in a certain way because we have experienced it. We did it for a living and did not consider the theory behind our actions. So it was a change of mind set. The first week was their attempt to break us of our practitioner thought process and to mold us into scholarly thinkers.”

Ruben Boling

Ruben Talks About His Application and Classroom Journey

A Forsyth county native, Dr. Ruben Boling received his Bachelor in Civil Engineering Technology from Southern Polytechnic State University and later earned his Master of Business Administration from the Georgia Institute of Technology. After working for several years in engineering and as a management consultant, he started looking into doctoral programs, but the full-time course loads and expectations of be-ing a traditional doctoral student were not conducive to his family and work commitments at that time.

He then started his own consulting firm and later built a specialty electronics company with a friend. Boling continued to be drawn to the idea of being a university professor. He found that if he wanted to teach at a university long term, he needed a doctoral degree. He caught wind of KSU’s DBA program and the fact that it was designed for working profession-als like him. Knowing that he would be able to work and complete the program at the same time was what propelled Boling to finally pursue his DBA.

The first week was

their attempt to

break us of our

practitioner thought

process and to mold

us into scholarly

thinkers.

”

”

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“After considering many disser-tation topics, Dr. Scott Widmier sat me down with a blank sheet of paper and asked a very basic question. ‘John, when in prac-tice as a sales and marketing ex-ecutive, what was one issue that impacted how you did your job?

John Shares His Dissertation Journey

Dr. John Riggs of Starke, Florida completed his Bachelor’s degree in Health Science Educa-tion at the University of Florida. He worked as an EMT for several years and later embarked on a career in pharmaceutical sales and mar-keting.

When he first heard of plans for a DBA he was completing his Executive MBA at KSU in 2000. Later, after 20 years of working as an executive in the corporate world, he wanted to change careers, get into a classroom, and do research.

Dr. Riggs is currently consulting, writing a book in sales management, collaborating with other scholars on various projects, and lead-ing workshops for the business community in South Florida. He makes many speaking en-gagements around the country.

Basically, what kept you up at night?’ That’s all it took. I imme-diately landed on a very interest-ing area of research in marketing and sales.

Now, the process of writing the dissertation was very different. I

John Riggs

had to learn how to gather data, how to work with it, assess and evaluate it. The exciting part is that now I have three to five pub-lications in the works that will be developed out of my disserta-tion research, which is extremely

“Kennesaw'S DBA is very theory-oriented,

so it forced us to step back and

think about how we think.”

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Carol Bishop, originally from Albany, Georgia, is a Certi-fied Public Accountant. She received her Bachelor of Ac-counting from Valdosta State University and her Master of Accounting from the University of Georgia. She has worked in the accounting field for 25 years in multiple capacities. After her children left for college, she wanted to start teaching. In 2006, she began teaching account-ing courses at night at Albany State University.

Later the next year, she started teaching at Georgia Southwestern State University. It was there that one of her colleagues encouraged her to pursue her DBA at KSU. A DBA was important for her because although she was already professionally qualified to teach in a business school, she was not academically qualified ac-cording to standards of the Association to Advance Col-legiate Schools of Business (AACSB.) As her colleague pointed out, if she wanted a career in higher education administration, she would need the academic credentials to go along with her work experience.

Carols Speaks About Her Program Journey

“KSU’s DBA program is a lot of hard work, but it is very much worth it—particularly if you want to teach at the college level. Al-though I knew it would help me teach, it really has had a great impact on my insight on the accounting field that I didn’t expect. My classroom is a much richer place now.

Also, the personal and professional contacts I made during the program made a big dif-frence in my experince. Just last week I was on the phone with four classmates, each one for over an hour at a time. I found they are the people that really understand what I am going through. They are my support team. When I have a question, personal or profes-sional, they are the ones I turn to. That is one of the things I have really enjoyed about this program.”

Carol Bishop

”My classroom

is a much richer

place now. ”

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By Tamara Hutto

On August 15, 2012, KSU’s President, Dr. Dan-iel Papp announced KSU’s Five Year Strategic Plan, which centers on a defining vision, “Kennesaw State University will be a nationally prominent university recognized for excellence in education, engagement, and innovation.”

Part of Dr. Papp’s plan to achieve this is by way of supporting and expanding research and graduate programs at KSU. Escalating research is a relatively new objective for KSU, and with these strategic ini-tiatives, much has been done and much is left to do to bring this vision to fruition.

Dr. Charles Amlaner, Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate College explains, “We are constantly in a seeking mode for new sources of funding to support graduate education, but it is both exciting and daunting. It is exciting to look for new money, but daunting to realize if you don’t find it, ideas won’t get off the ground. It is fair to say we have many more good ideas then money to support them. We just have to align our good ideas with in-

STEM TRaNSfORmiNg iNSTiTuTiONaL

gROwTh

dustry, state, and federal needs, as well as follow national and international trends in disciplines and research questions.” Advancement in this di-rection of graduate education, engagement, and innovation is already evident on campus: five new graduate programs were approved in the past two years; two major teaching and research infrastruc-tures were erected: Prillaman Hall and the Lab Science building; from FY11 to FY12 the num-ber of graduate assistants increased by more than 50%; and stipend budgets increased dramatically from $150,000 to $750,000.

As word spreads about the exciting endeavors KSU graduate students, alumni, and faculty are engaging in, high-quality graduate applicants will continue to apply to KSU, more faculty will en-gage in graduate research, and and more students can immerse themselves in graduate study to be-come alumni who are capable of attaining their career goals.” later become alumni and capable of attaining their career goals.

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A major part of KSU’s progression in graduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is the addition of three mas-ter degree programs in Computer Science (MSCS), Integrative Biology (MSIB), and the Chemical Sci-ences (MSChS). These three new programs will join our already very successful M.S. in Applied Statistics (MSAS) program as the graduate offering through the College of Science and Mathematics. These ad-ditions have positioned KSU to strengthen STEM education and research beyond its undergraduate and teacher education programs.

One of the defining characteristics of KSU’s grad-uate programs is that they are highly innovative. Graduate students at KSU are trained in programs of study that consider the expectations and needs of today and tomorrow’s job markets. The MSIB and the MSChS were designed as faculty in the Sciences witnessed an evolution in biological and chemical re-search.

The M

aster in Intergrated Biology’s first cohort started classes this past Fall 2012

The MSCS was designed to better meet the needs of students and the Computer Science industry. Even as far back as 2006 when the MSAS was established, the faculty uniquely structured the program to meet in-dustry needs based off recommendations from their active advisory board. All four programs are advanta-geously structured to train professionals in their fields, giving them the skills and ability to take advantage of employment opportunities.

Amlaner enthusiastically remarked, “As a professional scientist, I am excited when a graduate program in sci-ence gets approved. The fruits of graduate education are in solving the world’s problems. Kennesaw needed these programs. They are the next big steps in our graduate evolution to develop a solid set of degree programs based in the basic sciences.”

Each program has its own unique characteristics. In the next couple pages you can read about the pro-grams and the people who behind them.

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The most unique aspect of the MSIB program is the fact that it is called “Integrative” Biology. ... it stems from the “recognition that big dis-coveries occur because scientists go outside of their sub-disciplines,” broadening their tools, methods, and concepts which results in cross-

disciplinary, innovative research.

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Dr. Joseph Dirnberger (bottom), an aquatic ecologist, is the MSIB program coordinator and has been a biology professor at KSU since 1990. “I’ve had an interest in science since I was quite young,” Dirnberger explained, “I was attracted to biology by the pattern and com-plexity of living things. When I figured out that I could do biology and be outside on the water, I knew aquatic ecology was the thing for me.”

Dirnberger received his PhD in 1988 from the University of Texas, where he spent much of his time doing research off the gulf coast. His dissertation explored how planktonic larval in-vertebrates settle onto seagrass blades, a topic that emerged because of his interest in the importance of this event on the subsequence distribution and abundance of later life stages.

In the past decade, biologists have acknowl-edged that in order to keep up with the pace of modern biology research, the biological sci-ences needs to integrate perspectives between its subdisciplines, such as ecology and micro-biology. At the same time, there needs to be an incorporation of perspectives across scientific disciplines, such as physics and chemistry.

Scientific communities and organizations, such as the National Science Foundation, support this trend in interdisciplinary study. There is also a movement of prominent research uni-versities, such as the University of California at Berkeley and Yale University, who are creat-ing new departments in Integrative Biology in efforts to promote “this kind of integrative thinking,” noted Dirnberger.

The MSIB will expose students to additional techniques and theories outside the scope of their subdiscipline in order to stimulate prob-lem-solving skills from a multi-dimensional approach. For example, Eric Duncan, who is a part of the MSIB’s first cohort this past Fall 2012, plans to do research in his subdiscipline of plant ecology, while also approaching his research from a geographic information sys-tem (GIS) perspective.

There are seven MSIB students who make up the first MSIB cohort. Six of the seven are working as teaching assistants in lab sections of biology classes. They are responsible for running the lab and teaching undergraduate students. In exchange for this experience, stu-dents receive tuition waivers and stipends of $12,000 per year.

integrative BiologyMaster of Science

For more information science.kennesaw.edu/biophys/ms-integrative-bio.

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Chemical SciencesMaster of Science

The MS Chemical Sciences program is also an interdisciplinary graduate degree program that will prepare students for scientific research in any of the areas that span the traditional areas of chemistry and biochemistry as well as sub-jects at the interface between the traditional sci-entific disciplines.

This thesis-based program will offer tracks in chemistry and biochemistry starting in Fall 2013. It includes a flexible program of study tailored to the student’s background and re-search interests. On-going research projects demonstrate the interdisciplinary and multidis-ciplinary nature of the Chemical Sciences and include biochemistry, organometallic chemistry, astrochemistry, chemical biology, and materials science including nanochemistry.

An graduate from this program will be posi-tioned to enter a competitive Ph.D.-degree

granting program with a clear understanding of the disci-pline and how to devise, plan, and execute a research program. This program also prepares graduates to enter the industrial workforce on a path to a higher

salary and enhanced career options compared to a B.S. degree.

Faculty members in the Chemistry and Biochem-istry Department at KSU are currently support-ed by on-going projects funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Research Corporation, and the Petro-leum Research Fund.

The College of Science and Mathematics has ex-cellent facilities including a 104,000 ft2 Science building and a new 73,500 ft2 Science Labora-tory containing three floors of labs dedicated to research and office. - Teaching and Research As-sistantships are available

Teaching assistants will be expected to teach 2-3 sections of an undergraduate lab per semester, work with students in the tutoring center, and work with faculty members in the development of course materials

Research assistants will work closely with faculty on research projects leading to their thesis devel-opment, and gain important experience develop-ing, planning and completing a research project

For more information visit http://science.kennesaw.edu/chem/mscb/

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In addition to the choices of program models and study plans, the MSCS program incorpo-rates state of the art distance learning technol-ogy. This important feature offers students a variety of class attendance options, making the program flexible for people who work full-time

as they pursue their master’s degree.

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Another new addition to KSU’s STEM gradu-ate programs is the MSCS. Dr. Ying Xie (left), who has been a computer science professor at KSU since 2005, is the MSCS program direc-tor. When first asked to describe the program, Xie simply said, “novel”. The program has a lot of unique features that blend theoretical foun-dations of computer science with state of the art computer technology.”

Xie received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His dissertation explored the technological side of search engines. He continues to work towards building new models of information retrieval and language modeling technology. Data min-ing, bioinformatics, and computational intel-ligence are also his research areas of interest.

With three degree models, the MSCS program allows students to structure their degree to meet their needs. For those who want to focus on the research side, there is a thesis option. If one would rather explore a broader perspective of the field, they can choose the non-thesis op-tion and pursue additional electives or partici-pate in an internship, co-op, or study abroad opportunity.

The third model allows students to incorpo-rate an interdisciplinary perspective by taking classes within KSU’s M.S. in Applied Statis-tics and M.S. in Information Systems degree programs. This interdisciplinary model allows students to meet industry demand for employ-

ees whose skills go beyond computer science. Picking up proficiencies in other disciplines, particularly in statistics and management, will give graduates of KSU’s MSCS program an edge over other computer science profession-als in the job market. This program also offers flexible full-time, part-time, and an accelerated bachelor/master study plans.

With only a two-month lead-time from the moment the Board of Regents approved the program to when the Fall 2012 semester start-ed, the MSCS was able to competitively review applicants and admit eight highly-qualified students. Three of them received teaching as-sistantships which includes tuition waivers and monthly stipends.

One of the graduate teaching assistants is work-ing with Dr. Xie in the cloud computing lab to-ward building a “cloud platform that supports teaching, education, and research.” The lab is still in the beginning stages, but through the employment and efforts of graduate students, the lab’s progress will accelerate. The Computer Science department has hired two new research and teaching faculty to sup-port the MSCS and computing research: Dr. Hossain Shahriar in computing and software security, and Dr. Selena He in wireless net-working.

For more information visithttp://cs.kennesaw.edu/MSCS

Computer Science Master of Science

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The MSAS program prepares students to use cutting-edge statistical methods to draw valid and meaningful inferences from business, indus-try, government, and health services data. Dr. Lewis VanBrackle (pictured below), is a professor of mathematics and statistics at KSU and the Director of the MSAS program. He explains, “statistics, especially applied statistics, is used to translate data into information to ultimately support and improve decision-making.” The program focuses on real-world applications and requires students to complete a comprehensive, applied project that is based on a problem from their work, co-op or internship, or research with a faculty member.

VanBrackle received his Master’s and PhD in Statistics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. VanBrackle was drawn to the field of statistics because, “Statistics is mathematical enough to be interesting to me and employable enough to make it worthwhile to study.”

“In our program we have an emphasis on SAS sta-tistical software,” said VanBrackle. “SAS is heav-ily used in businesses throughout the world, and a good background in SAS gives our students an edge in the job market. We also emphasize com-munication. It is not enough to turn data into in-formation, but our graduates must be able to com-municate that information to their clients clearly and concisely.”

MSAS faculty members have PhD degrees in the fields of Statistics, Mathematics, Decision Science, Educational Psychology, Industrial Engineering, Biostatistics, and Epidemiology. Most MSAS fac-ulty members have industrial or business experience in industries such as healthcare, credit, automotive, telecommunications, and electrical utilities.

Many great success stories come from the alum-ni of the MSAS program. One of VanBrackle’s favorite stories is of an alumnus from Savannah, Georgia. “He started as an analyst at a market-ing research firm here in Atlanta immediately after graduating in 2008 from our first graduating class,” said VanBrackle. “He moved up through the ranks to Senior Analyst, Statistical Consultant, and Se-nior Consultant. He is now the Vice-President of Analytics for a business analytics firm in Philadel-phia. He accomplished all this in just four years! He applied his natural abilities, his work ethic, and the technical and communication skills we taught him to make himself into a real success.”

applied StatisticsMaster of Science

For more information, visit http://math.kennesaw.edu/academics/grad/MSAS

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A remarkable feature of this program is its very active advisory board. It is made up of representatives from Atlanta Metro area businesses, industries, and gov-ernment. “The advisory board meets with us regu-larly and helps us stay current with the needs of local

employers,” said VanBrackle.

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The Maya Heritage Community Project (MHCP) at KSU sponsors four to five Graduate Assistants every semester. Under the guidance of Dr. Alan LeBaron (below), graduate students are able to en-gage in service learning while receiving tuition waiv-ers and monthly stipends.

The Maya:By Tamara Hutto

elevate Yourgraduate Journey

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While working with and learning from the Maya, graduate students gain real world skills: “flexibility, creativity, the ability to be proactive, work in diffi-cult situations and across different cultures” accord-ing to LeBaron.

LeBaron describes the MHCP as an “opportunity to discover a people that many people do not know exist. This program is meant to connect students academically and methodologically with an engaged university program, which is achieved through a unique human interaction with the Maya. Our goal is not judgment or ideology, but it is a more intense, more profound level of university learning.”

Most people associate Maya culture with the pre-Columbus Maya civilization and with images of astrology, calendars, mystical pyra-mids, and brutal human sacrifice. While the Maya have maintained their languages and many of their values and traditions, today’s Maya people are struggling with their place in modern society and how to accommodate without doing away with, and being ashamed of, their Maya heritage.

The Maya people have endured Spanish con-quests and colonization of the Americas, which has left them to be regarded as second-class citizens and the subjects of racial preju-dice. LeBaron explains “The Maya have been oppressed for the last 500 years.” Mayas first immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s “primar-ily because the Civil War in Guatemala target-ed and killed several hundred thousand Ma-yas in a decade. Government forces destroyed about 400 Maya villages, and approximately a million Maya were displaced, with hundreds of thousands fleeing to Mexico and eventu-ally the United States.”

Some of those who came to the U.S .in the 1980s and early 1990s were granted refugee status. Now that they are in the U.S., they of-ten ignore their cultural practices for western ideas because they are learning to undervalue their culture in efforts to redefine themselves and better their opportunities, LeBaron ex-plained. “What will happen to them as they rise out of poverty has been a long-time ques-tion.”

elevate Yourgraduate Journey

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(Top to bottom) Maya Faith Ceremony taking

place at a Maya conference in Los Angeles, Maya girls in Guata-

mala in the 1970s, Maya girls at a conference in Omaha NE, Mandy McGrew was a GRA, Mandy and

Dr. LeBaron with some Maya from the community.

Photographs provided by the Maya Heritage and Community Project.

“This program is meant to CONNECT students ...with an

ENGAGED university program...through a unique human

INTERACTION with the Maya.”

LeBaron is the MHCP Director and professor of History and Interdisciplinary Studies at KSU. Over the past decade, he has been instrumental in connect-ing graduate students from a wide variety of back-grounds to MHCP projects that benefit both the lo-cal Maya communities in Georgia, as well as across the nation. When first asked about how he originally got involved with the Maya people, he routinely ex-plained that he was trained as a Latin American his-torian, and his dissertation was on U.S. relations with Guatemala. This goes to show that the endeavors and topics graduate students engross themselves in dur-ing graduate school can very well shape the paths and communities that are a part of their future careers.

LeBaron received his PhD in Latin American History from the University of Florida in 1988 and start-ed working at KSU in 1991. The MHCP program stemmed from a class assignment LeBaron created for one of his History of Mexico classes. It “started as a small one day meeting with some local Maya to learn from them about their culture” stated LeBaron. As interest grew about the project, more students and faculty volunteered for the program. By 2004, it became a national engagement program hosting national Maya conferences. KSU hosted the Maya conferences from 2004 - 2007 and they continue to help organize yearly conferences in other parts of the USA. In 2007 the MHCP became an approved proj-ect connected to the United States Peace Corps, Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program.

Over the years, graduate students increasingly work with LeBaron and the MHCP. He assesses their skills and academic goals to assign them to appropriate

projects, always striving to ensure graduate students are having a “living experience--meaning, personal interactions with the Maya people to one degree or another.”

An example of a past assignment involved a student that assisted a Maya family with issues their child was experiencing in the public school system. A report was written about policy obstacles and recommendations for real world issues the Maya are facing in today’s society.

Another example is the work done by LeBaron’s most recent Graduate Research Assistant (GRA). Mandy McGrew, who is now an alumni of the MA in Ameri-can Studies, worked with LeBaron and the MHCP as a GRA for two and a half years while she worked on her Masters. She had been out of school for six years raising her two children when she decided she wanted to pursue her master’s degree. According to McGrew, she was “randomly assigned” to be LeBaron’s GRA because of her interest and background in history. “When I first heard about the Maya project, I was a little intimidated. I didn’t know anything about the Maya people. And I would be one of the only women working with a lot of older established Maya men – I didn’t know what to expect.”

She started out doing bibliographies and compiling recent books related to the Maya. Then she had the opportunity to meet and work with the Maya peo-ple on a documentary about Maya children speaking many different languages. “The kids really took to

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Youth group roundtable at a Maya conference hosted at KSU conference.

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me, and everyone was so sweet. It was so casual. I fit right in.” Although McGrew does not speak Spanish or any Maya languages, she worked closely with a Ma-yan interpreter, Gilberto, who volunteered his time to be a leader for his people.

Gilberto wanted to bring his people closer together, and he saw firsthand the difficulties they encountered. In his native country of Guatemala, he was a student leader and is relatively well educated. He moved to Georgia, and his wife later became pregnant. When it came time for their baby’s delivery, Gilberto and his wife found it very difficult to communicate with health care professionals, as his wife did not speak English. They did not know what what their options were during their stay in the hospital.

After this experience, Gilberto voiced that there was a need for health care information, specifically pre-natal care, to be translated into Mayan languages to assist others who are going through similar experi-ences. McGrew mentioned that there are many Maya women who are alone in the U.S., and when they go to the hospital, they have no way to communicate their needs.

Contrary to common misconceptions, the Maya people are not Latino or Hispanic—they are Na-tive American. For more than 4,000 years, they have lived in southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and throughout Central America. They are one of the few Native Americans who continue to primarily use their native languages and practice their ancient culture. There are more than 30 different Maya languages in use today with over 50 different dialects. Women tend to speak primarily their native language, but many of the men speak Spanish as well.

Along with others, McGrew and Gilberto worked on a national Maya Health Care Tool Kit for health care professionals. The project was funded by a contract

awarded from Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, because they, too, saw a need for such a tool kit to help both the Maya and health care workers. This project tackles the larger issues of language and culture the Maya face as they try to assimilate to life in the U.S. These issues hold the Maya back from rising above their notoriously underprivileged history and making the best of their futures while maintaining healthy life-styles. With the success of the tool kit, the MHCP plan to develop additional health care kits in the fu-ture.

Although McGrew did not start out her master’s program with an interest in the Maya people or even health care, she quickly adapted and became engaged with the program academically and personally. Mc-Grew has already made two professional presenta-tions at a national and regional conference as a result of her work. She was also able to write her master thesis on her experience.

Now that she has graduated, McGrew considers pur-suing her PhD. “The Masters in American Studies program is a serious academic endeavor,” McGrew said. “Although very challenging, I loved all my class-es, professors, and classmates. And now that I am thinking about PhD programs, they are willing and able to help me embark on that next journey.”

“You have to have a dialogue with your fellow stu-dents” McGrew advises. “Talk with your professor, not to just get though the program, but because you can learn so much from their experiences.”

Find out more information:MHCP commons.kennesaw.edu/maya-project

MAST amst.hss.kennesaw.edu

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KSU

Work with your community

resumeyour

develop

Staff. faculty. Students. alumni.

ENGAGE

www.kennesaw.edu/engageksu

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Studying Abroad in Thailand: Financing your study abroad experience

By Heather Cook

From May 30 to June 13, Dr. Sutham Cobkit, Director of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program, and a group of graduate and undergraduate students departed for a two-week trip to Thailand.

The annual trip, which began in 2003, provides students with a close look of the Thai criminal justice system. Once in Thailand, the group stays in Bangkok, but has excur-sions to cities outside the capital, such as Nakorn Pathom, Kanchanaburi, and Chonburi. Cobkit noted that the group attended the prison, Police Academy, and Police Depart-ment. Students said the highlight of the trip was the half-hour elephant ride.

Financial aid is available for the trip to Thailand and for other study abroad experiences through the Global Learn-ing Scholarship, which is supported through the global learning fee. All students who have paid the global learn-ing fee and who have enrolled in the study abroad program by that specific program’s deadline are eligible.

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There is no application process for the scholarship as long as students apply for the study abroad program by the posted deadline. A minimum adjusted cumulative 3.0 graduate GPA is required for consideration. Scholarship recipients are required to provide five hours of volunteer service, which can take the form of essays or classroom visits.

Another common way of funding study abroad trips is through personal fundraising. Students will compose what are called “beg letters” to send to relatives, friends, and coworkers asking for any denomination of money to help them fund their trip. Other times, students will research fundraisers on the internet to raise money.

Studying abroad is financially doable through the use of the Global Learning Scholarship, various other scholar-ships, and through personal fundraising. If traveling and studying abroad is a passion of yours, don’t let finances be a hindrance.

For more information about the Global Learning Scholarship and the other scholarships Kennesaw offers, visit http://www.kennesaw.edu/studyabroad/financial.html.

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StudentGraduate

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Graduate Services

Graduate school can be stressful and daunting - but it can also be an exciting place where you find

yourself immersing in subjects you care about. KSU has many resources exclusively for graduate students which aim to maximize time and efforts to assist with the stressful and fun parts of being

a graduate student on campus.

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The Graduate Student Association assists stu-dents throughout their college careers as they balance their studies, work, family, and social lives. Through networking events, guest lec-tures, student conferences, student socials, and community service activities, the GSA pro-vides graduate students an integrated support system throughout their studies to gradua-tion. Events are planned for this spring 2013 semester, such as a networking event at an At-lanta Hawks game.

https://clubs.kennesaw.edu/gsa/.

“Get involved in your graduate educa-tion by participating in activities and using resources that expand your learn-ing. Try to create a balanced life be-tween graduate studies and your social life.”

~Alexander TaiPresident of the GSA

graduate Student association

By Heather Cook

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The Graduate Library is located on the 3rd floor of the Sturgis Library. It is being developed to become Kennesaw State University’s primary research collec-tion for social sciences, business, education, sciences, health sciences, and humanities.

Dr. Randy Hinds and Dr. David Evans developed the concept of the Graduate Library, which is open to doctoral and master’s students and faculty, and all others, including all students, faculty, staff, and mem-bers of the public.

The Graduate Library supports graduate-level study, and the Library holdings include books, government documents, and electronic resources. The Library of-fers a number of services designed to meet research needs, including research, circulation services, and interlibrary loans. The Graduate Librarians offer in-class, small-group, and individual instruction to facili-tate academic inquiry.

(From left to right) Jon Hansen, Dr. David Evans, Dr. Mary Wilson, and Dr. Linda Golian-Lui

graduate Library By Mary Wilson,

Graduate Librarian

http://www.kennesaw.edu/library

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“After spending so much time in class and then in the library burning the midnight oil, graduate students can take a short walk to arrive at their apartment conveniently located right here on campus.”

Jeff Cooper, Director of Housing and Residence Life

university Place ii

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By Heather Cook

University Place II, KSU’s latest addition to its on-campus housing, features a ma-ture lifestyle, affording graduate students a new, state-of-the-art option. With Wi-Fi hotspots in every apartment, Wi-Fi connectivity outdoors in the amphitheater and courtyard, and a recently renovated computer lab, UP II provides graduate students with the necessary tools to succeed in their studies. The new housing is also all-inclusive whose monthly rate includes all utilities, cable, and Internet. UP II is also furnished. An amphitheater is nestled at the center of UP II and serves as the venue for many exciting events, including painting classes, concerts, talent shows, and open mic nights.

“Living on campus is about engaging not only with your peers, but with campus life. Many graduate students still desire to connect to their insti-

tution, and the ones that don’t, still want a quiet, but exciting, place to call home. Residence Life and University Place II afford those opportunities.”

Jeff Cooper, Director of Housing and Residence Life

http://www.kennesaw.edu/housing

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Juan Trejo, graduate student in the Master of Arts in Ameri-can Studies program (right) worked on the Year of Peru with Dr. Ernesto Silva as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA). He summarized lectures from the visiting professors, inter-viewed students to see how the lectures improved their under-standing of Peru and Latin America, and gave tours and brief lectures on the Machu Picchu exhibit. Trejo’s goal is to earn a Ph.D. in history, and his experience with the Year of Peru has contributed to his knowledge of Peru and Latin America.

Juan Trejo On the Year of Peru

By Heather Cook

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“The greatest thing that I have received from being a GRA has been more knowledge, and that is the one thing that I can say I would never trade for anything else. In order to be a great person in this world, one has to understand this world. Working on the Year of Peru has improved my understand-

ing of the world I live in.”- Juan Trejo

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Kim Moulton, graduate of KSU’s Master of Arts in Teaching in English, was the recipient for the Georgia Power New Teacher’s Grant this year. Darren Crovitz nominated Moulton for the award, who didn’t even hear about the grant until she won it. Moulton plans to use a portion of the funds for a document camera for her classroom. She is still brainstorming ideas for uses for the remaining funds. Other teachers have sug-gested using the money for iPads and for earning her gifted certification. Moulton said, “I completed my AP Language certification right after I graduated, and I plan to pursue my Gifted certification as soon as possible.”

Alumni Kim Moulton: Transforming Her Classroom

through the New Teacher's Grant

By Heather Cook

Moulton (second from right) stands with her family after her graduate commencement.

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By Josh Azriel

Cuba is a mysterious destination for many Americans. With the U.S. trade embargo in effect for 52 years and restrictions on travel, many Americans do not have a deep understanding about the island. Under U.S. law, only professors and students are allowed to visit the island for educational purposes, and Cuban relatives who live in the U.S. are allowed to visit and bring products and goods into Cuba.

Cuba was a semester long case study for this year’s Masters of Science in Conflict Management program (MSCM) cohort. They studied Cuban society, eco-nomics, and politics to learn about how these various conflicts begin and are potentially resolved. In No-vember 2012, 14 students and three professors visited Cuba for seven days to meet various economic, legal, and social policy leaders, as well as everyday Cubans

Graduate Students of Conflict Mangement Engage with

Cuban Society

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trying to overcome economic challenges. This study abroad trip was an opportunity for graduate students to to hear and see for themselves how “truths and story-telling” emerge from the population.

Before leaving for Cuba, the MSCM students met Cuban exiles who live in the Atlanta area. Students learned why they fled Cuba for more economic opportunities and to live in a free society. While in Cuba, the students met individuals who discussed the economic changes now un-derway in society. Graduate student also spoke with econ-omists and attorneys who spoke about the new opportu-nities to own small businesses and to sell homes and cars.

One of the conflicts at hand is mainly economic as Cu-bans struggle to earn enough money to buy food for their families. Cubans who work as doctors, nurses, teachers and other professions are paid by the state and earn their salary in one type of currency. This money is used to buy food and other goods. Tourists pay for the same products in a separate, stronger currency that buys more products. This tourism-oriented currency is highly valued by Cu-bans and they struggle to earn it so they can buy more food and medicine.

Cuban families are given a ration card for a month’s worth of food including meats, vegetables, and rice. The money used to buy this food is based on the lesser state currency. Many Cubans we met complained that one month of food in reality sustains their families for just one week. Many Cubans supplement their rations by selling arts and crafts or operating ‘paladares’, restaurants, in their homes. In or-der to run these businesses, they receive money and goods from relatives who live abroad. As the students engaged with Havana community leaders, they met representatives from the Cuban Peace Council, leaders of the Martin Luther King Center, and an attorney with the UNJC, National Juridical Council, a Cuban le-

gal advisory group. These leaders talked about their groups’ projects in Havana and Cuban American re-lations including the impact the U.S. embargo has on Cuban economy and society.

Beyond official meetings, informally MSCM stu-dents met local Havana residents as they explored the city. Also, the people-to -people contact incor-porated into the trip created many learning benefits that can’t be measured. For example, one woman who owns a crafts shop in her home, gave a few students a personal tour of her house where they saw first-hand the family’s poor living conditions. Parts of the home had no roof, one sink for washing food and clothes, and needed many other repairs. She ex-plained that by opening a crafts shop, she hopes to earn enough money to buy food beyond the monthly rations and repair her house.

The conflict management tools and techniques stu-dents are trained in vary greatly from country to country. This study abroad trip to Cuba provided a unique personal insight into the issues of conflict management than any textbook could ever offer.

*Josh Azriel is an Associate Professor and Director of the Journalism and Citizen Media program at Kennesaw State University.

For more information visit: http://www.kennesaw.edu/pols/mscm/

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www.kennesaw.edu/globalengagement

~Have you studied abroad ? ~Have you taken a foreign language?

~Do you have Intercultural work experience?

Then you are already more than half way to being able to earn this

distinguished certificate to put on your resume!

Certificate Requirements

~Global Coursework (6 hours)~ There are many graduate courses in your program to satisfy this!

~Education abroad- (4 weeks)~ Undergraduate and Graduate experiences count!

~Foreign Language Proficiency~ Two years of foreign language in high school or two semesters at the college level

~Global Experiences Cross cultural teamwork, awareness, and community service

Resume Building

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Coles College of Business- Doctorate of Business Administration - Executive Master of Business Administration - Master of Accounting - Master of Business Administration - Master of Science in Information Systems

GraduateCertificates- Leadership and Ethics- Information Security and Assurance- Creative Writing- Writing for International Audiences

Wellstar College of Health and Human Services- Doctorate of Nursing Science - Master of Applied Exercise and Health Science- Master of Science in Nursing - Master of Social Work

College of Science and Mathematics- Master of Science in Computer Science- Master of Applied Statistics- Master of Science in Integrative Biology- Master of Science in Chemical Sciences

Bagwell College of Education- Doctorate of Education- Educational Specialist- Master of Education- Master of Arts in Teaching

graduate Programs

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graduate Programs College of Humanities and Social Sciences- Master of Arts in American Studies - Master of Public Administration- Master of Science in Criminal Justice- Master of Arts in Professional Writing - Master of International Policy Management-MasterofScienceinConflictManagement- Master of Arts in Integrated Global Communications-Ph.D.inInternationalConflictManagement

Apply today

http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/apply.shtml

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www.kennesaw.edu/grad

Office of Graduate Admissions, 1000 Chastain Road, #9109 Kennesaw, Georgia 30144

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“It is in fact a part of the function of education to help us escape, not from our own time

— for we are bound by that — but from the intellectual and emotional

limitations of our time.”T.S. Eliot