JMU Research, Scholarship & Creative
Endeavors
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Greetings!
It has been a busy month for Research & Scholarship. We met with congressional staff to advocate for clean energy transportation programs, attended the Grant Resource Center's Funding Competitiveness Conference, moderated a panel in Switzerland on the future of mine action and unveiled the Global Conventional Weapons Destruction Repository, attended the Association of University Technology Managers annual meeting, and participated in the Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Student Symposium.
We and our colleagues at JMU are gearing up to showcase some fantastic programs on campus and around the state this spring. We hope you will join us to learn about the incredible efforts of our faculty and students.
The Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) will host Post-Conflict Recovery Week during the first week of April. A theme of
JMU Dukes Changing the World
will focus on a number of JMU/CISR alumni who are currently working in international and humanitarian affairs. For more details, visit the event
website
Rally at Main Street will showcase Virginia Clean Cities' leadership in the Commonwealth to bring clean energy vehicles and fueling infrastructure to fleets and individuals. The event will be held on April 5th at Richmond's Main Street Station. Additional info and registration can be found on the event
website
JMU X-Labs will host the 2018 VIRTUES Summit on March 1st and 2nd, which aims to connect industry and higher education to foster creative, confident and market-ready students who are experienced in emerging technologies. Senator Mark Warner will deliver the keynote presentation. Learn more and
register here
to attend.
If you would like more information about any upcoming events or activities, please do not hesitate to reach out to us!
Yvonne Harris
Vice Provost for Research & Scholarship
James Madison University
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tet[R]ad, an international art-making exchange founded by David R. Modler and Samuel H. Peck, recently visited campus. Check out our
flickr page
to view pictures from the Tet[R]ad Draw and Play Here event.
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Cyber Hygiene and Cyber Intelligence Boot Camp
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JMU intelligence analysis faculty and students hosted a cyber intelligence boot camp for K-12 teachers last fall semester. Professors Edna Reid and Kathleen Moore led hands-on exercises and developed a web repository where teachers can access lesson plans for integration into high school courses across the Commonwealth. This event would not have been possible without generous funding and support from the Virginia Secretary of Technology's Office and Department of Education.
View photos from the boot camp
here
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JMU Students Win Bitcoin Competition Prize
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Nathan Nichols, JMU accounting graduate, and his colleagues took their startup business to the North American Bitcoin Conference in Miami this past January. Nichols’ team included four other JMU students and graduates (George Michael Foland - business; Lauren Grey Rhodes – hospitality; Mackenzie Kelley - writing, rhetoric and technical communication; and Gaurav Dutt Kale - computer science). Their business, TaxToken, took second place, adding the $33,333 prize award to the more than one million dollars in venture capital they have already raised. The company sells an electronic tax-filing platform based on the blockchain technology that underlies cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
Read more
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Marketing Unit Head Publishes on the Sales Profession
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Marketing Department Head Dr. Andy Wood and Dr. Vinita Sangtani recently co-wrote and published an article titled "The Impact of Stigma: Negative Stereotypes of Salespeople" in
The Journal of Selling & Major Account Management
. Wood and Sangtani reported that "society has often stigmatized commissioned based salespeople as only being interested in the commission rather than the well-being of the customer." In their research, Wood and Sangtani found that "many if not most commissioned based salespeople are aware of these negative perceptions and over time it can demoralize the salesperson. However, support from the immediate supervisor by helping the salesperson focus on their individual effort rather than the stigma will increase motivation and outcomes." William DeFries, owner/CEO of Copp Systems and a guest columnist in
Forbes Magazine
drew on Wood and Sangtani’s article to spark a discussion about the responsibilities of ethical commissioned salespeople.
Read more
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Nursing Alumna Recognized for Service
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Patra Reed graduated from JMU in 1993, started her career as a nurse, and later returned to JMU as a member of the inaugural class of JMU's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Reed joined Sentara RMH Medical Center in 2013, where she serves as the regional director of integrated care management. Reed is responsible for leading, directing and deploying innovative initiatives to support patients and their families across the continuum of care.
While a student in the DNP program, Reed helped initiate a Continuum Case Management program. In order to further the efforts of the program, she was awarded a $200,000 grant from the RMH foundation to pilot the addition of three community health workers to assist patients in the central Shenandoah Valley with chronic heart conditions. Evidence from Reed's pilot study showed a significant reduction in hospital readmissions, decreased emergency room visits, increased patient quality of life and decreased health care costs. Last April, Reed received The Graduate School's Civic Engagement Award, which recognizes a student's academic, co-curricular or service activities that exemplify JMU's vision of civic engagement.
Learn more
about the impact of Dr. Reed's work.
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College of Education Hall of Distinction
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Five individuals were inducted into the JMU College of Education Hall of Distinction last year, honoring their contribution to the university and the education profession. Phil Bigler ('74, '76M) spent more than 40 years in the public-school classroom and served as the director of JMU's James Madison Center for nine years. Mildred Dickerson, who joined the Madison College faculty in 1958, taught education students and established the nursery school in the newly developed Anthony-Seeger Campus School. Cornelius Heatwole was the first head of teacher education at JMU and went on to serve as the executive secretary and editor of the Virginia Education Association. Esther and J. Gerald Minskoff are honored as a couple due to their frequent collaborations. Much of their work was in the field of special education. Jerry is remembered for setting up what many considered the best special education teacher training program in the country during his tenure.
Read more
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New Faculty Book -
Creating Identity in the
Victorian Fictional Autobiography
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English faculty member Heidi Pennington recently published a book-length study of the fictional autobiography. In her text, Pennington examines the history and dynamics of interpretation in relation to this subgenre. Pennington says her fascination with the interpretive effects that literary texts can have on readers and her awareness of how frequently questions of personal identity are at the heart of the literature led to her dissertation and this larger project. Pennington credits her liberal arts education for helping her develop the habits of mind that allowed her to see the textual and historical patterns that eventually shaped her book’s main arguments. In turn, she says “encouraging students to cultivate active and critical thinking of their own is always at the forefront of what and how I teach here at JMU.”
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ISAT Partners with the Sports Broadcasting Industry
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Morgan Benton, associate professor of integrated science and technology, has teamed up with Tony Britt, a sports communication professional who recently launched his own company. Spotter Charts produces pre-made charts for announcers of football games. Benton became involved as Britt sought a software that would simplify the creation of these elaborate charts. In no time at all, Benton identified two students, Adam Mass and Jason Farber, and this four-person team developed software that is now in use by major sports broadcasters. Mass and Farber graduated in 2012 and Mass is now working with Britt handling the technology aspects of Spotter Charts.
Read more
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Student Affairs Professional Recognized for Mentorship
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Chervon Moore (pictured left), Assistant Director of Multicultural Programming, was recently recognized in the “Purple & Gold Society” as one of 13 Dukes powering
Be the Change
. Chervon was additionally named one of JMU’s most influential people by student writers at
The Breeze
. Moore graduated from JMU as an undergrad in 2010 and again in 2012 with degrees in Organizational Communication Studies and Adult Education Human Resources Development. Moore left JMU briefly but returned in 2013. She now oversees all programs and events within the multicultural Greek community and advises each organization’s leadership team. Moore says her own experience at JMU gave her some of the tools to successfully connect with and serve students at JMU today.
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Art History Student Presents at Harvard
Faculty mentor named College of Visual & Performing Art's Madison Scholar
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Luke Tokman (left), a senior art history major, was among approximately 250 undergraduate researchers invited to participate in the 2018 National Collegiate Research Conference at Harvard University this past January. Tokman presented research exploring the changing legal and social boundaries of sexuality and gender in Victorian Britain during which Aubrey Beardsley published his illustrations for Oscar Wilde’s Salome (1894).
Dr. Shanahan (right), professor of art history and mentor to Tokman, was selected as the 2018 Madison Scholar Award winner for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Prior to being nominated for this award, Shanahan received a research grant from the Fulbright Foundation, which supported her four-month stay and research in Paris from March-June 2017. Tokman expressed gratitude to Dr. Shanahan for connecting him to opportunities, such as the conference, as well as for allowing him to collaborate with her on multiple research projects.
Read More
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