1 Spring 2013

growing rapidly

recognized nationally

MagazineGraduate College Kennesaw State University

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contentsBuilding Bridges for the Arts 4

Doctoral Journey: Personal Perspectives 6

STEM: Transforming Institutional Growth 14

The Maya 24

Studying Abroad in Thailand 28

Student Services 30 GSA 32 University Place II 33 Graduate Library 35

GRA Juan Trejo on the Year of Peru 36

Kim Moulton: transforming her class-room 38

Programs of Study 39

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Picture

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Passionate words spill off the digital page in Amy Johnson’s blog, Artful Artsy Amy. By reading one post, it becomes evident that Johnson has a deep passion for the arts and for instilling the arts 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 experi-ence as a teacher.

Johnson began her blog in 2009 as part of a project in her MAT in Art Education program at Kennesaw State. 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 proj-ects that she has done with her students, 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 themselves, 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.

Building Bridges for

the Artsby Heather Cook

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Johnson began KSU’s MAT in Art Educa-tion program during her fifth year of teach-ing and is now a student in the Educational Specialist program. Her studies in the MAT program prepared her to pair teaching with research and provided a natural progres-sion toward a Specialist degree. “I always tell people I entered the MAT Art Education pro-gram 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 con-tent that is meaningful to both me and my

immediate community.” Johnson plans to continue towards a doctorate upon gradua-tion 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 educators build bridges to the rest of education so we can protect the arts as a necessary and highly valued part of the educational experience.”

art is sometimes mysterious

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Doctoral JourneyPersonal Perspectives

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 with AACSB accred-itation to offer a non-traditional style program.

It is a full-time, cohort based program with a resi-dency structure which allows a stundent 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 expertise that augment the skills and ex-pertise of our faculty”, said the Director of the DBA program, and KSU DBA alumni herself, Dr. Juanne

by Tamara Hutto

(From left to right) Dr. John Riggs, Dr. Ruben Boling, and Dr. Juanne Greene overlook the Burruss Building from Kennesaw Hall.

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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, “Wether it’s scheduled meetings with faculty to help you think through a topic or im-promptu sessions to assist with technical challenges, the program seeks to provide as much support as possible”.

Since the DBA admitted it first cohort in 2009, ap-plications have increased each year. The program is in demand by working professionals who want to enrich their career options while publishing and contributing to theory and practice in their respec-tive fields of interest.

Personal perspectives

Dr. Ruben Boiling, who was part of the first cohort to receive his DBA from KSU in May 2012, explains that “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 fam-ily life”.

It is often difficult for graduate students to balance personal, professional, and academic pursuits, but KSU’s DBA graduates all agree- KSU does a superb job of supporting its doctoral students all along the way. While interviewing some DBA alumni and a current DBA candidate, they all spoke enthusiasti-cally about the support and encouragement they received from KSU faculty, the administration, and particularly their fellow classmates.

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

The personal and professional contacts made dur-ing the program have potential to be lifelong con-nections. Carl Bishop, a current DBA candidate set to graduate in May 2013, explains “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 peo-ple that really understand what I am going through. They are my support team. When I have a question, personal or professional, they are the ones I turn to. That is one of the things I have really enjoyed about this program”.

Greene added, “your classmates provide the type of support the program cannot. Pursuing a doctorate degree is very much an individual journey, but with a cohort it is also a shared experience. Having class-mates who you can call on when you have a ques-tion makes a tremendous difference in the overall experience.”

(Above) DBA alumni chat about projects they are currently working on.

DBA candidates Carol Bishop (left) and Kim Honaker (right) are waiting outside of the KSU center for the results of Honaker’s dissertation proposal in October 2012.

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

He received his Executive MBA from KSU in 2000, where he first heard of plans for a DBA at KSU. He did not revisit the idea until 2008 when the DBA was approved. 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 schol-ars on various projects, and leading workshops for the business community in South Florida. He is also a speaker at many engagements around the country.

“The DBA is very theory-oriented, so it forced us to step back, not be a doer, but sit back and think. We had to relearn how to think.

After considering many options, Dr. Scott Widmier, sat me down with a blank sheet of paper and asked a very basic question. ‘John, when in practice as a sales and marketing executive, can you think of one issue that impacted how you did your job?’ Basically, what kept you up at night? That’s all it took. I immediately landed on a very interesting area of research in marketing and sales.

The process of writing the dissertation was very different. There was a lot of I had to learn how to gather data, and I had to learn how to work with the data, assess, and evaluate it. collaborating with external scholars and my committee members, all culminating to ultimately defending my dissertation. The exciting part is that now I have three to five publications in the works that will be devel-oped out of my dissertation research, which is extremely rewarding.”

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A Forsyth county native, Dr. Ruben Boling re-ceived his Bachelor in Civil Engineering Technol-ogy from Southern Polytechnic State University and later earned his Master of Business Adminis-tration from the Georgia Institute of Technology. After working in engineering at Georgia Power and as a management consultant for Arthur Andersen for several years, he started looking into several different doctoral programs, but the fulltime course loads and expectations of being a traditional doctoral student were not condu-cive to his family and work commitments at that time.

He put off his doctoral pursuits and started his own consulting firm and later built a specialty electronics company with a friend. During that time Boling continued to be drawn to the idea of being a university professor. He began to ask around about the steps needed to realize his dream. 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 professionals 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. Boling reflects on key moments in his journey through the DBA program.

“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.

The program allows students to put together a dissertation committee made up of experts in their field. We were exposed to many experts throughout the pro-gram as they visit the classroom to lecture on different theories and research methods. Nobody tells you where you should focus. They let you go through the journey and experience different ideas to ensure your chosen area of focus is something you enjoy because it is what you will build your career upon.”

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Carol Bishop, originally from Albany, Georgia, is a Certified Public Accountant. She received her Bachelor of Accounting 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 accounting courses 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 according to standards of the Associa-tion to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB.) As her colleague pointed out, if she wanted a career in higher education administra-tion, she would need the academic credentials to go along with her work experience. Bishop remembers her journey through the program.

“My accounting background, and the fact that I am married to a lawyer, led me to my dissertation topic. I am looking into fraud. I had always been curious as to why some people behave poorly and commit accounting fraud. The writing process was a long process. Every time I went down one path, I discovered five more. I had to pull back and make it manageable. I was dreading the idea of do-ing a dissertation. But once I got into it, I really enjoyed it, and I surprised my-self—it was a lot of fun.

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

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Transforming Institutional Growth STEM

On August 15, 2012, Dr. Daniel Papp an-nounced KSU’s Five Year Strategic Plan, which centers on a defining vision, “Ken-nesaw State University will be a nationally prominent university recognized for excel-lence in education, engagement, and inno-vation.” Part of Dr. Papp’s plan to achieve this is by way of supporting and expand-ing research and graduate programs at KSU. Escalating research is a relatively new objective for KSU, and with these strategic initiatives, 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 Col-lege explains, “We are constantly in a seek-ing mode for new sources of funding to support graduate education, and 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 industry, state, and federal needs, as well as follow national and international trends in disciplines and research questions.”

Advancement in this direction of gradu-ate education, engagement, and innova-tion is already evident on campus: five new graduate programs were approved in the past two years; two major teaching and research infrastructures were erected: Prillaman Hall and the Lab Science building; from FY11 to FY12 the number of graduate assistants increased by more than 50%; and stipends budgets increased dramatically from $150,000 to $750,000.

As word spreads about the exciting en-deavors KSU graduate students, alumni, and faculty are engaging in, high-quality

by Tamara Hutto

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

One of the defining characteristics of KSU’s graduate programs is that they are being designed today. Graduate students at KSU are trained in programs of study that con-sider 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 chemi-cal research. The MSCS was designed to better meet the needs of students and industry. Even as far back as 2006 when the MSAS was established, the faculty uniquely structured the program to meet industry needs based off recommendations made from their active advisory board. All four programs are advantageously structured to train professionals in their fields, giving them the skills and abil-ity 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. Looking to the future, I see this mere stepping stone to developing new PhD programs.”

MSIB’s first cohort started classes this past Fall 2012

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Dr. Joseph Dirnberger, 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 think it might be due to Spock on Star Trek. I was attracted to biology by the pattern and complexity of living things. When I figured out that I could do biology and be outside on the water, I knew aquatic ecol-ogy was the thing for me.”

Dirnberger received his Ph.D. in 1988 from the University of Texas, where he spent a lot of time doing research off the gulf coast. His dis-sertation explored how planktonic larval inver-tebrates 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. The most unique aspect of the MSIB program is the fact that it is called “Integrative” Biol-ogy. Dirnberger explains, “In modern biology, students need to be trained in multiple ways of thinking.” There is a significant distinction be-tween an M.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Integra-tive Biology, and it stems from the “recognition that big discoveries occur because [scientists] go outside of their sub-disciplines,” broaden-ing their tools, methods, and concepts, which results in cross-disciplinary, innovative research.

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 need 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 scien-tific disciplines, such as physics and chemistry. Scientific communities and organizations, such as the National Science Foundation, support this increase in interdisciplinary study. There is also a trend of prominent research universities, such as the University of California at Berke-ley and Yale University, who are creating new

departments in Integrative Biology in efforts to promote “this kind of integrative thinking,” noted Dirnberger.

The idea is not to eliminate study in biological subdisciplines. The MSIB wants their students to specialize in a subdiscipline. The intent is to expose students to additional techniques and theories outside the scope of their subdisci-pline in order to stimulate problem-solving skills from a multi-dimensional approach. For example, Eric Duncan, who is a part of the MSIB’s first cohort (Fall 2012), plans to do research in his subdiscipline of plant ecology, while also approaching his research from a geographic information system (GIS) perspec-tive.

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. For more information about the MSIB program visit http://science.kennesaw.edu/biophys/ms-integrative-bio.

M.S. in Integrated Biology

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M.S. in Chemical Sciences

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M.S. in Computer ScienceAnother new addition to KSU’s STEM graduate programs is the MSCS. Dr. Ying Xie (left), who has been a computer science professor at KSU since 2005, is the MSCS program director. When first asked to describe the program, Xie simply said, “novel. The program has a lot of unique features that blend theoretical foundations 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 mining, bio-informatics, and computational intelligence 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 option and pursue additional electives or participate in an internship, co-op, or study abroad opportunity.

The third model allows students to incorporate an interdisciplinary perspective by taking classes within KSU’s M.S. in Applied Statistics and M.S. in Information Systems degree programs. This interdisciplinary model allows students to meet industry demand for employees whose skills go beyond computer science. Picking up proficien-cies in other disciplines, particularly in statistics and management, will give graduates of KSU’s

MSCS program an edge over other computer science professionals in the job market. This pro-gram also offers flexible full-time, part-time, and an accelerated bachelor/master study plan.

In addition to the choices of program models and study plans, the MSCS program incorporates state of the art distance learning technology. 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.

With only a two-month lead-time from the mo-ment the Board of Regents approved the pro-gram to when the Fall 2012 semester started, the MSCS was able to competitively review appli-cants and admit eight highly qualified students. Three of them received teaching assistantships that include 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 employ-ment 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 se-curity, and Dr. Selena He in wireless networking.

For more information about the MSCS program, visit http://cs.kennesaw.edu/MSCS/.

Pascal’s Triangle is just one of the funda-mental maethatical quations used in the feild of Computer Science (right).

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M.S. in Applied Statistics The MSAS program prepares students to use cutting-edge statistical methods to draw valid and meaningful inferences from business, industry, gov-ernment, and health services data. Dr. Lewis Van-Brackle, professor of mathematics and statistics at KSU and director of the MSAS program, discussed that “statistics, especially applied statistics, is used to translate data into information to ultimately sup-port 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 Sta-tistics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He also holds a Master’s and Bach-elor’s degree in Physics, but he found that “the number of jobs in Physics was somewhat limited.” 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.”

“We have an emphasis on SAS statistical software,” said VanBrackle. “SAS is heavily used in businesses throughout the world, and a good background in SAS gives our students an edge in the job mar-ket. We also emphasize communication. It is not enough to turn data into information, but our graduates must be able to communicate that infor-mation to their clients clearly and concisely.”

A remarkable feature of this program is its very active Advisory Board. It is made up of representa-tives from Atlanta Metro area businesses, indus-tries, and government. “The Advisory Board meets with us regularly and helps us stay current with the needs of local employers,” said VanBrackle.

MSAS faculty members have PhD degrees in the fields of Statistics, Mathematics, Decision Science, Educational Psychology, Industrial Engineering, Bio-statistics, and Epidemiology. “That’s seven terminal degree areas for 11 faculty members!” VanBrackle enthusiastically noted. Most MSAS faculty mem-bers have industrial or business experience in industries such as healthcare, credit, automotive, telecommunications, and electrical utilities. These

diverse backgrounds help faculty prepare students to apply statistical techniques in a wide variety of fields.

Many great success stories come from the alumni of the MSAS program. One of VanBrackle’s fa-vorite stories is of an alumnus from Savannah, Georgia. “He started as an analyst at a marketing 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 Senior Consultant. He is now the Vice-President of Analyt-ics for a business analytics firm in Philadelphia. 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.”

The MSAS program admits every fall and spring. For more information, visit http://math.kennesaw.edu/academics/grad/MSAS/index.html

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The Maya: elevate Your graduate journey

with waived tuition and stipends

The Maya Heritage Community Project (MHCP) at KSU sponsors four to five Graduate Assistants every semester. Under the guidance of Dr. Alan LeBaron, graduate students are able to engage in service learning while receiving tuition waivers and monthly stipends. While working with and learning from the Maya, graduate students gain real world skills: “flexibility, creativity, the ability to be proac-tive, work in difficult situations and across different cultures” according to LeBaron.

by Tamara Hutto

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(Top) Maya girls in Guatamala in the 1970s, (Bottom) Woman during a Maya

faith ceremony at a Maya confrence. Photgraphs 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 describes the MHCP as an “opportunity to discover a people that many people do not know exist. This program is meant to connect students academi-cally 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”.

The MayaMost people associate Maya culture with the pre-Columbus Maya civilization and with images of astrol-ogy, calendars, mystical pyramids, and brutal human sacrifice. While the Maya have maintained their lan-guages 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 conquests and colonization of the Americas, which has left them to be regarded as second-class citizens and the subjects of racial prejudice. LeBaron explains that “the Maya have been oppressed for the last 500 years.” Mayas first immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s “primarily because the Civil War in Guatemala targeted and killed several hundred thousand Mayas in a decade. Government forces destroyed about 400 Maya villages, and approxi-mately a million Maya were displaced, with hundreds of thousands fleeing to Mexico and eventually the United States.”

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

LeBaronLeBaron is the MHCP Director and professor of His-tory and Interdisciplinary Studies at KSU. Over the past decade, he has been instrumental in connecting gradu-ate students from a wide variety of backgrounds to MHCP projects that benefit both the local Maya com-munities in Georgia, as well as across the nation.

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Mandy McGrew (above) was a GRA for serval semsters with the MHCP. Part of her assignment was devoted to developing a Maya Health Toolkit.

When first asked about how he originally got in-volved with the Maya people, he routinely explained that he was trained as a Latin American historian, and his dissertation was on U.S. relations with Guatemala. This goes to show that the endeavors and topics graduate students engross themselves in during graduate school can very well shape the paths and communities that are part of their future careers.

LeBaron received his PhD in Latin American His-tory from the University of Florida in 1988 and started working at KSU in 1991. The MHCP pro-gram 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, and in 2007 the MHCP became an approved project 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.

McGrewAnother example is the work done by LeBaron’s most recent Graduate Research Assistant (GRA), Mandy McGrew (MAST’11). McGrew worked with LeBaron and the MHCP as a GRA for two and a half years while she worked on her Masters in American Studies. She had been out of school for six years raising her two kids when she decided she wanted to pursue her master’s degree. According to McGrew, she was “randomly assigned” to be LeB-aron’s GRA because of her interest and background

25Image of a youth group roundtable at a Maya conference hosted at KSU.

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 op-portunity to meet and work with the Maya people on a documentary about Maya children speaking many differ-ent languages. “The kids really took to 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 Mayan 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 found it very difficult to communicate with health care professionals, as his wife did not speak English. They did not know what was happening or 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 prenatal care, to be translated into Mayan languages to assist oth-ers who are going through similar experiences. 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 Native Ameri-can. For more than 4000 years, they have been living in southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and throughout Central America, including Guatemala, Belize, El Salva-

dor and Honduras. They are one of the few Na-tive 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 only speak their native Maya language, while it is mostly the men and children who are multilin-gual in Spanish and English.

Along with others, McGrew worked on a national Maya Health Care Tool Kit for health care profes-sionals. The project was funded by a grant 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 lifestyles. With the success of the tool kit, the MHCP plan to develop additional health care kits in the future.

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 per-sonally. McGrew has already made two professional presentations at a national and regional conference as a result of her work. She was also able to write her master’s thesis on her experience.

Now that she has graduated, McGrew considers pursuing her PhD. “The Masters in American Studies program is a serious academic endeavor,” McGrew said. “Although very challenging, I loved all my classes, professors, and classmates. And now that I am think-ing 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 and become part of the community,” 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 about the MHCP and The MAST program by visiting them on the web at commons.kennesaw.edu/maya-project and amst.hss.kennesaw.edu.

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From May 30 to June 13, Sutham Cob-kit, 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 stu-dents with a close look of the Thai crimi-nal 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 Chon-buri. Cobkit noted that the group attended

the prison, Police Academy, and Police De-partment. Students noted that a highlight of the trip was the half hour elephant ride.

Financial aid is available for the trip to Thailand and for other study abroad ex-periences through the Global Learning Scholarship, which is supported through the global learning fee. All students who have paid the global learning fee and who have enrolled in the study abroad pro-gram by that specific program’s deadline

Studying Abroad in Thailand: Financing your study abroad experience

by Heather Cook

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are eligible. 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 that way.

Studying abroad is financially doable through the use of the Global Learning Scholar-ship, various other scholarships, 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 Ken-nesaw offers, visit http://www.kennesaw.edu/studyabroad/financial.html.

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Student

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Services

by Heather Cook

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The Graduate Student Association aims to assist students throughout their college careers as they balance their studies, work, family, and social lives. Through networking events, guest lectures, student con-ferences, student socials, and community service activities, the GSA provides graduate students an integrated support system throughout their studies to graduation. Events are planned for this spring 2013 semester, such as a networking event at an Atlanta Hawks game. If you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, discover all that they offer at https://clubs.kennesaw.edu/gsa/.

“Get involved in your graduate education by participating in activities that expand your learning. Try to create a

balanced life between graduate studies and your social life.” Alexander Tai, President of the GSA

Graduate Student Association

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by Mary Wilson, Graduate Librarian

The Graduate Library is located on the 3rd floor of the Sturgis Li-brary. It is being developed to become Kennesaw State University’s primary research collection 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 members of the public.

The Graduate Library supports graduate-level study, and the Library holdings include books, government documents, and electronic resources. The Library offers 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 facilitate academic inquiry.

In addition to research assistance provided in the Research Clinic on the 1st floor, professional staff are available on the 3rd floor by appointment for graduate research.

Graduate Library at the Sturgis Library

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

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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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University Place II, KSU’s latest addition to its on-campus housing, features a mature lifestyle, affording graduate students a new, state-of-the-art op-tion. 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 amphithe-ater 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 institution, 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

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Juan Trejo worked on the Year of Peru with Dr. Ernesto Silva. He summarized lectures from the visiting professors, interviewed 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. Trejo said, “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 understanding of the world I live in.”

GRA Juan Trejo on the Year of Peru

by Heather Cook

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Kim Moulton 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 suggested using the money for iPads and for using the money for getting 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.”

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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Programs of Study

Coles College of BusinessMaster of Accounting Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration (online) Master of Science in Information Systems Executive Master of Business Administration Doctorate of Business Administration

Bagwell College of EducationDoctorate of EducationEducational SpecialistMaster of EducationMaster of Arts in Teaching

College of Humanities and Social SciencesMaster of Arts in American Studies Master of Arts in Professional Writing Master of Public AdministrationMaster of International Policy ManagementPh.D. in International Conflict Management Master of Science in Conflict Management Master of Science in Criminal Justice Master of Arts in Integrated Global Communication

Wellstar College of Health and Human ServicesMaster of Applied Exercise and Health ScienceMaster of Science in Nursing Doctorate of Nursing Science Master of Social Work

College of Science and MathMaster of Science in Computer ScienceMaster of Applied StatisticsMaster of Science in Integrative Biology

Certificate in Leadership and EthicsDual MBA/MSIS & MBA/MPA

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

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contact uswww.kennesaw.edu/grad

Kennesaw State UniversityOffice of Graduate Admissions1000 Chastain Road, #9109Kennesaw, Georgia 30144.5591770.420.4377

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Heather CookWriter/Designer/EditorGraduate Admissions Counselor

Tamara HuttoWriter/Designer/PhotographerGraduate Admissions Counselor