April 2018

‌ ‌ In This Issue Dean's Note Congratulations to Outstanding CSSME Students Farewell to Retiring Faculty Author, Activist and Educator Geoffrey Canada Visits UT CSSME Takes the Stage at TEDxUTampa Florida Undergraduate Research Conference The Yellow Dress Students and Faculty at FPSA Annual Meeting UT Team Competes in Global Health Competition Students Discover Employment Opportunities in Criminal Justice Alumni Spotlight Faculty & Student News Upcoming Events Sign-Up for Our Newsletter Dean's Note Dear Friends: With spring break behind us and final exams right in front of us, everyone and everything seems to be racing toward Commencement on May 5. But for me, it seems like an appropriate moment to stop and look back on all the wonderful accomplishments that have occurred this academic year. So indulge me for a moment while I reflect back on a few key events and activities: Fall semester started with the inaugural class of 17 graduate students in our new Master’s program in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Needless to say the program has steadily grown since. Fall semester was also the start of our new partnership with Hillsborough County Schools and the establishment of a special cohort of graduate students in our Educational Leadership program specifically focusing on high-needs schools. In October, 2017 representatives from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conducted a campus site visit as our undergraduate program sought national program certification. November 2017 witnessed 97 History students participating in our History Poster Competition. In January 2018 site visitors from the Florida Department of Education spent a week on campus and provided a very positive assessment of our teacher education programs. In February, 2018 UT welcomed educator, activist and founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Geoffrey Canada to campus where over 350 students, faculty and friends heard his inspirational talk in the Falk Theater.  In February 2018 our Criminology faculty were in New Orleans where they accepted their accreditation certificate from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Well Done! And in April more than 170 students participated in the annual CSSME Undergraduate Research Conference. I also looked back at all of the research and scholarship that originated from our college this year and it is most impressive. Specifically, this academic year our faculty authored 8 books and 66 peer-reviewed journal articles/book chapters. And what is equally impressive is that 7 of those published journal articles were with our students serving as co-authors! What a wonderful way to instill the love of research, curiosity and inquiry in our students. Overall, the 2017-18 academic year was extremely productive and successful. And with that said, I want to wish all of our graduating seniors a hardy WELL DONE!

‌	Jack M. Geller, Ph.D., Dean

Congratulations to Outstanding CSSME Students

At the end of each academic year, departments within the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education recognize students for their outstanding academic achievements. Congratulations to the following students who have been honored for the 2017 - 2018 academic year.

Criminology and Criminal Justice Sara Bianchi - The Susan Brinkley International Achievement Award Sarah Kirk - Outstanding Criminology and Criminal Justice Graduate Matthew Riendeau - Outstanding Intern in Criminology and Criminal Justice Genesis Tatis - Quinn Education Aboard Scholarship Winner History Luis Cueva - Fred Pollock Award Rachel Donaldson - C. Herbert Laub Award  Selena Martinez - Fred Pollock Award Dana C. Reilly - J. Ryan Beiser Award Mathematics Robert Johnson - Oustanding Mathematics Graduate Miranda Serna - Outstanding Mathematics Graduate Political Science Julia MacDonald - Outstanding International Studies Graduate Marissa Milazzo - Pi Sigma Alpha Award, Outstanding Political Science Graduate Psychology Brett Boehne - Psi Chi Award Kamakshi Dadhwal - Psi Chi Award Sociology Nicole Cina - Sociology Student of the Year Larry Washington - Sociology Student of the Year

Farewell to Retiring Faculty

With the close of the 2017-18 academic year, we say farewell to three dear colleagues who are retiring. We will greatly miss your contributions and wish you well in your well-deserved retirement.

Professor of Sociology Norma Winston arrived at UT in 1977 and is capping off a remarkable 41-years of service to UT.

Professor of Psychology Joseph Sclafani came to UT in 1992 and has held every significant academic appointment/title there is on campus, with the exception of Provost and President.

Mathematics Instructor Dr. Martha Hunt has been a model on how to enhance the mathematics and quantitative skills of our incoming freshmen students.

Author, Activist and Educator Geoffrey Canada Visits UT On February 20, members of the UT community and local educators had the unique opportunity to meet and hear Geoffrey Canada, founder of the Harlem Children's Zone. Canada presented "Leadership is Only as Great as Those Around You" in UT’s Falk Theatre. Prior to the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to welcome Mr. Canada to Tampa at a reception held in the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery. The event was sponsored by the TD Charitable Foundation, the W.S. Pierce Endowment, The University of Tampa and Hillsborough County Public Schools.

CSSME Takes the Stage at TEDxUTampa

On February 3, members of the UT community took the stage in Falk Theatre to share their ideas and experiences at TEDxUTampa: Innovation and Development. The independently organized event brought together local speakers in the spirit of "ideas worth spreading" for a TED-like conference. Several members of the CSSME community organized and participated in the event. Senior psychology majors Nechelle Knott and Ekaterini Sheridan organized the event. Criminology major Adrianna Field handled production. Psychology major Meredith Glazer oversaw partnerships and sponsorships. Government and world affairs major Juhi Kore presented " Let's End Social Entrepreneurship." Assistant Professor of Education Enilda Romero-Hall presented " Making Social Media Work for your Educational Advantage." Philosophy and history major Zulema Ramos presented " Earth in Your Wallet."

Florida Undergraduate Research Conference

On February 23 and 24, several CSSME faculty members and students presented posters displaying their research at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC). This year's conference was hosted by Eastern Florida State College in Cocoa, FL. In addition to presenting their research, students have the opportunity to meet recruiters from graduate schools across the country. "Expanding ExploreIT: Creating A Smartphone App to Engage Visitors At A Children’s Museum" Claudia Caban, Dominique Coppola, Stephen Blessing and Jeffery Skowronek "How Online Searches Affect Attitudes Toward Mental Health Treatment: Preliminary Results" Forrest Harrison, Andrea Brunetti, Hannah Cox, Gabrielle Espert, Branden Rivera, Cynthia Gangi and Erica Yuen "Helicopter Parenting in Emerging Adulthood: Influence of Personal Experience on Perceptions Of Parenting" Nicole Bouchard, Lovia Feliscar, Wendy Rote and Renee Patrick "The Effects of Hyper-categorization on the Political Efficacy of LGBTQ+ Movements" Nathalia Carneiro and Maggie Cobb "The Effects of Rumination on Mood After Facebook Use" Danielle Russo, Victoria Pena, Holly Stogsdill, Marissa Del Vecchi, Nhari Bryant, Erin Koterba, Michael Stasio and Erica Yuen "Hurricanes and Hegemony: A Study of American Imperialism in Puerto Rico, 1898-1940" Ian Seavey, Elizabeth Littell-Lamb and Spencer Segalla The 2019 Florida Undergraduate Research Conference is scheduled for February 22 and 23, 2019 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL.

Play to Address Topic of Dating Violence Join us on Thursday, April 26, at 6 pm in Plant Hall's Fletcher Lounge for a performance of " The Yellow Dress." Based on stories of young women who were victims of dating violence, the play depicts a tragic story of dating violence through the monologue of a young woman speaking to the audience as to her friends. A question and answer session led by the actress will follow the performance.

UT Students and Faculty at FPSA Annual Meeting

Many students and faculty members from the political science and international studies department participated in the Florida Political Science Association's Annual Meeting on March 24 at Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers. The event brings together political scientists from public and private institutions throughout the State of Florida to network, collaborate on research, and discuss innovative classroom strategies. Faculty, talented undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to submit papers and participate in panel sessions and discussions. Senior Giacomo Mattei and junior Casey Bauer both presented papers during a comparative politics discussion on research in Latin America. About the experience, Mattei said "presenting on the panel as an undergraduate has allowed me to witness the competitive level at which the Political Science and International Studies department at the University of Tampa prepares students to do research." Bauer said, "Overall I was really impressed by my fellow student's research, the feedback from the audience and I am really grateful for all the guidance my professor showed me. Without Dr. Rey, I wouldn’t have had this great opportunity." Mattei's paper "How does Union Strength Affect Economic Development in Latin America?" that he presented at the conference was recently published in the Undergraduate Journal of Politics, Policy and Society. Sophomore Noah Elliott presented his paper during a comparative politics discussion entitled "Topics in the Americas & Beyond." In reflection upon the experience, Elliott said "Overall, the experience helped me improve skills related to researching and presenting and will be useful for the remainder of my time at UT as well as post-graduation. Additionally, the conference allowed me to listen to several other panels of research and expand my awareness on relevant political topics". Download the program to see a full list of students and faculty members who participated in the event. Next year's conference will be held here at UT on March 2, 2019. For more information, please contact Associate Professor Denis Rey at  denis.rey@ut.edu.

UT Team Competes in Global Health Competition

Psychology major and senior Forrest Harrison was a member of the interdisciplinary UT team that participated in the Emory Global Health Competition. The purpose of this event was to help foster awareness and creative problem-solving of contemporary global health issues. Teams had several days to respond to a hypothetical scenario and develop a solution to contain and prevent the transmission a deadly viral outbreak. The group of UT students, led by cybersecurity professor Mia Plachkinova, flew to Atlanta in mid-March to participate and present their solution. Forrest’s leadership skills and background in psychology and technology earned him a spot on the UT team for the Emory Global Health Competition. He stated, “What I loved most about this competition was the way our team connected and collaborated, as well as, the case itself. Most of us had never met before the team was assembled, but we blended together well and friendships were made very quickly.” The other members of the UT team were: Kelly Hartnett (senior, allied health major), Aman Shah (sophomore, cybersecurity major, Elena Figueroa (senior, allied health major), Indraja Vaddadi (graduate MBA program), and Christopher Eifler (freshman, finance major). The competition opened the eyes of each member to the massive amounts of effort needed to handle a pandemic outbreak. UT’s team developed a solution which involved collaborating with various organizations and governments to obtain various forms of aid, creating a global Health Cloud & App to funnel data collection and distribute real-time information relevant to the outbreak, and using influential public figures to increase compliance to the intervention. Their data collection plan also involved utilizing drones with iPads capable of telehealth sessions and capable of heat mapping to pinpoint high density areas of infection. Forrest never expected to learn so much in such a short amount of time. He said, “The case itself was extremely eye-opening to the process of handling a pandemic outbreak. This competition is something I am honored to be a part of. I would do this again in a heartbeat.”

Students Discover Job Opportunities in Criminal Justice

On February 12th, the Criminology Club and the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice co-hosted a Criminal Justice Employment Symposium in the Grand Salon in Plant Hall. Representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Probation Office, Florida Department of Law enforcement, Florida Guardian ad Litem Office, St. Tomas School of Law, and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office participated in the event. Roughly 110 UT students were in attendance, along with faculty members from the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice. Following brief presentations by each agency, students had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with representatives from their agency of interest to learn about opportunities for internships and employment, as well as network with some of the top law enforcement agencies in the federal, state, and local governments.

Criminology Club Executive Board and Faculty Advisor, from left to right: Caroline Fenstermacher, Erika Roy, Soriyah Kahn, Haley Maglio, Emma Wulff, and Dr. Andrea Walker.

Alumni Spotlight

Anna Higgins, B.A, Psychology, 2016 ‌ What attracted you to UT? I was drawn to the University of Tampa because it is one of the few universities nationwide to provide an undergraduate program for art therapy! In my high school AP Psych class, I knew I wanted to pursue mental health counseling and clinical psychology, but I also wanted to combine my passion for art. As soon as I found UT online, I knew it would provide me with a solid foundation to build my career as an art therapist. The small class sizes and location were a bonus!   What experiences or people at UT influenced you the most? I was always influenced by my peers. I was inspired by all the outreach programs my peers were involved in and their academic and research interests. I was very inspired by their motivation and it helped me to continually strive towards my goals. Some of my most memorable experiences were through completing research projects and presenting research at conferences and symposiums. The culminating project I completed through my Honors Research Fellowship with Dr. Stasio, for example, is a defining moment in my development as a researcher – I am inspired to continue attending conferences and doing outreach activities to promote mental health awareness and share new insights. The ability to work on independent research projects and work on a research team were phenomenal experiences that were incredibly rewarding.   What advice would you give to an incoming student at UT? To incoming students, I would advise to find a balance with school and personal life. Taking care of yourself and knowing when to take breaks are incredibly important when taking challenging courses and becoming involved in projects. Practicing healthy self-care will help in alleviating stress and avoiding academic burn-out – I would advise new students to seek out support in their peers and treat themselves with care.    Describe your current position.    Currently, I am a first-year graduate student at Florida State University, pursuing a master’s in art therapy. This semester I am in my first practicum experience interning at an inpatient psychiatric hospital where I provide art therapy services for adults living with persistent and severe mental illness. I also provide services for the residential forensic units.   What are your goals for the future? My goals for the future are to continue advocating for art therapy as a profession and accessible mental health services. I am currently on track to earn my credentials as an art therapist once I graduate in a year and a half. I also hope to become a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) upon the completion of my master’s program.

Faculty & Student News

History, Sociology, Geography & Legal Studies

Assistant Professor of Sociology Brittany Harder will be featured in a "Speaking of Success" section in the upcoming 9th Edition of Professor Robert Feldman's P.O.W.E.R. Learning: Strategies for Success in College and Life, a textbook for undergraduate student success.

Professor of Sociology Norma Winston co-authored the entry on "Accreditation" that will be published later this year in Dictionnaire de sociologie clinique. The entry was reprinted reprinted in the Journal of Applied Social Science. Winston serves as Vice Chair of the Commission on the Accreditation of Programs in Applied and Clinical Sociology (CAPACS). In February, Winston served as a site visitor for CAPACS accreditation of an M.A. in Applied Sociology program at a university located in the Northeast United States.

Part-Time Sociology Instructor Douglas Engelman's article " Making Our Classrooms Relevant by Integrating RPTS" was published in the Spring 2018 issue of Teaching/Learning Matters, the newsletter for the American Sociological Association Section on Teaching and Learning.

UT Sociology Professor Appears on PBS Episode Katie Schubert, visiting assistant professor of sociology, appeared on the January 17 episode of Up Close with Cathy Unruh to discuss unconventional dating in 2018. Read more video.wedu.org

Mathematics

Math Club Celebrates Pi Day Pi (π), the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, calculates to approximately 3.14 and continues infinitely without repetition or pattern. In recognition of this transcendental number, mathematicians around the world celebrate International Pi Day on March 14 (03/14). At UT, the Math Club organized a celebration that included a presentation entitled the "History of Pi" by senior finance/mathematical programming major Jordan Mitchel and "Fun Facts about Pi" by Associate Professor Angela Angeleska. Following the presentations, students and faculty had an opportunity to network together and enjoy a piece of pie. Join the UTampa Math Club on Facebook. ‌

Senior Seminars in Mathematics On April 19 and 26, students will present their research on selected topics in the field of mathematics. April 19 Kristen Parzuchowski - "Applications of the Laplace Transform" Robert Johnson - “A Space Filling Curve” Tyler House - “Probability & Statistics: Applications of Multivariate Distributions” Miranda Serna - “Algebra in Wonderland” April 26 Courtney Fuller - “Probability and Risk Management.” Joseph Maus - “Securities Pricing Models in Discrete and Continuous Times” Anthony Rice - “Financial Mathematics with a Twist” After the student presentations on April 26, awards will be presented to the outstanding mathematics graduates and students will be inducted into Pi Mu Epsilon honor society.

Criminology & Criminal Justice

Assistant Professor Carly Hilinski-Rosick co-presented "The Effects of Race and Gender on Juvenile Court Processing Decisions" as part of the Juvenile Justice: Correlates of Court Decision Making session at the American Criminal Justice Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans on February 15.

Assistant Professor Cedric Michel's "Public Knowledge About White-Collar Crime" has been accepted for publication in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Criminology Program Receives Accreditation Congratulations to the Criminology and Criminal Justice department for receiving certification of its Bachelor of Science program by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), an international association that promotes professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice. The UT program received special acknowledgement of their certification during the ACJS Annual Meeting, which was held in New Orleans on February 13 - 17.

Education

Assistant Professor of Education Enilda Romero-Hall co-authored “ Social Media Use by Instructional Design Departments” that was recently published under ‘early release’ by the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology in an open access format. This publication is a collaboration with Royce Kimmons, Ph.D. (Brigham Young University) and Dr. George Veletsianos, Ph.D. Their study examined how instructional design graduate programs used social media, in particular Twitter.  Romero-Hall's " Active user or lurker? A phenomenological investigation of graduate students in social media spaces" was published in the International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments.

Congratulations to the following UT Instructional Design and Technology graduate students on their invitations for membership to Phi Kappa Phi: • Gregg Aponte • Tamara Owens • Samantha Oliveira • Soniya Virani • Angela Ward • Cecilia Wolf • Jessica Luce • Craig Cuatt • Fernanda Amaral De Andrade • Natalie Anderson Invitation for membership is extended to graduate students who have completed at least 18 graduate hours or the equivalent at their institution and rank in the top 10 percent of their class.

Well Done! rom February 26 to March, CSSME's Department of Education underwent its five year accreditation site visit. Eight inspectors from the Florida Department of Education and TPI-US visited The University of Tampa to review and evaluate all aspects of the department's program management, program / course content and delivery, as well as clinical experiences and admission. Inspectors observed faculty teaching and visited final interns in schools to observe and rate the quality of UT teacher graduates. The Department of Education came through with flying colors by earning in the 3 judgement areas a rating of good (Quality of content knowledge and teaching skills), a rating of good (Quality of clinical placement, feedback, and candidate performance) and a rating of strong (Quality of program performance management). No institution in Florida has yet received a rating of strong in any category! Indeed, this is something to be proud of. Go Spartans!

Political Science and International Studies

Mary Anderson, associate professor of political science and international studies, co-authored " Beyond the media's explanation: Examining the determinants of attitudes toward torture" that was published in The Journal of Human Rights. In this article, Anderson and colleague David L. Richards of The University of Connecticut examine why those who support and oppose the use of torture do so.

Liv Coleman, associate professor of political science and international studies, has been selected by The Maureen and Mark Mansfield Foundation to participate in their "Bridging the Divide" program. In June, Coleman and eight other participants will travel to Seoul, Korea for a study trip to meet with Republic of Korea government representatives and scholars.

Psychology

Associate Professor of Psychology Deletha Hardin presented "The Role of Sense of Humor in Relationship Quality" at the Southeastern Psychological Association in Charleston, SC on March 7. Hardin has been invited to co-author a chapter entitled "'Many Forms of Culture' as Reflected in Interdependence Processes: What Does the Evidence Suggest?" that will be published in Advances in Personal Relationships by Cambridge University Press.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Laura Buchholz was the lead author of " Examination of the relationships between dietary restraint, alcohol, and adverse problems among women" that was published in the Journal of American College Health. Buchholz was the second author of "Psychological interventions for anxiety in adult primary care patients: A review and recommendations for future research" that was published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars for the following upcoming events at UT: April 19 and 26: Senior Math Seminars, Plant Hall, Room 240, 4 - 6 pm. April 25: CSSME Undergraduate Research Conference, Plant Hall, Fletcher Lounge April 26: The Yellow Dress, Plant Hall, Fletcher Lounge, 6 - 8 pm April 27: Criminology & Criminal Justice Student Social, Plant Hall, Music Room, 4 - 6 pm. April 27: History Department Student Reception: Plant Hall, Room 327, 4 - 6 pm

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