Provost's Wednesday Briefing for October 3, 2018

Personnel Updates

A special thank you to all who participated in the many search committees over the past academic year. Your hard work and dedication has resulted in successful searches for the following faculty and administrative positions. As we begin this academic year, please join me in welcoming these colleagues to their new positions at Eastern:

Faculty

Mohammed Alsaleh, Assistant Professor (Cybersecurity), School of Information Security & Applied Computing
Adam Briggs, Assistant Professor (ABA – Autism), Department of Psychology
Jie Cao, Assistant Professor (Cybersecurity), School of Information Security & Applied Computing
Arman Dabiri, Assistant Professor (Mechanical Engineering Technology), School of Engineering Technology
Catherine Gammon, Assistant Professor (Exercise Science), School of Health Promotion & Human Performance
Donald Gibson, Assistant Professor (Number Theory/Cryptography), Department of Mathematics & Statistics
Dejuana Jackson, Assistant Professor (Family Health), School of Nursing
Siyuan Jiang, Assistant Professor (Computer Science), Department of Computer Science
Andrew Mansfield, Assistant Professor (Mechanical Engineering), School of Engineering Technology
Valerie Pauli, Assistant Professor (Adult Health), School of Nursing
Laura Pawuk, Assistant Professor (Music Therapy), School of Music & Dance
Amani Rashid, Assistant Professor (Microeconomics), Department of Economics
Ivan Rodriguez, Jr., Assistant Professor (Finance), Department of Accounting & Finance
Franklin Schaller, Assistant Professor (Psychiatric), School of Nursing
Heather Silander, Assistant Professor (Therapeutic Recreation), School of Health Sciences
Charles Teague, Assistant Professor (Finance), Department of Accounting & Finance

Department Heads

Doug Baker, Interim Department Head, School of Music and Dance
Wendy Burke, Interim Department Head, Teacher Education
Sanjib Chowdhury, Interim Department Head, Management
Jennifer Kellerman-Fritz, Interim Director, Social Work
Bob Lahidji, Interim Director, School of Engineering Technology
Kathy Stacey, Department Head, School of Communication, Media and Theatre Arts
Hung-Lian Tang, Interim Department Head, Computer Information Systems

Senior Administrators

Dana Heller, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Kenneth Lord, Dean, College of Business
Rhonda Fowler, University Librarian

Eastern Faculty Receive Major Awards

Congratulations to Dr. Tsu-Yin Wu, professor of Nursing, and team members Dr. Alice Jo Rainville, Professor and Graduate Coordinator; Dr. Olivia Ford, Assistant Professor and Co-Director Dietetics and Human Nutrition; and Xining Yang, Assistant Professor of Geography, on receiving funding for their project, “Evidence-based strategies to empower Asian Americans in reducing health disparities.” The project focuses on nutrition and physical activity as ways of eliminating health disparities among Asian American communities. As a cooperative agreement, EMU will work in conjunction with the CDC in its efforts to improve the health of all Americans through its Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program. The team has been awarded year one funding in the amount of $593,307 with anticipated future funding of $2.96 million over five years.

Congratulations to Dr. Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, Professor of Psychology, Dr. Judith Brooks, Professor of Dietetics, and Dr. Angela Lukomski, Professor of Nursing, for securing NIH funding for their project, “PediaTrac: Web-based Measure to Screen and Track Early Developmental Trajectories.” Year one funding of $842,291 has been released towards a total five-year award of $4,474,265!

Historic Preservation Students Partner with Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Matt Cook on his $7,500 grant from the Ford Community Corps Community Grant Program. With the funds, his fall GHPR 335 Historic Preservation class will take on an Academic Service-Learning component, working with Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley on reconstruction/rehabilitation work on a project in Ypsilanti Township.

Eastern’s Student Affairs Professionals Expand Regional Presence

Of the 100+ sessions accepted for the NASPA IV-E Regional Conference in Milwaukee, Julia Heck’s session, "The DEI Profile: An Introspective Approach to Leadership Development and Capacity Building", was selected for Knowledge Community (KC) sponsorship. The KC sponsorship ensures additional promotion of a conference session and reflects Region IV-E’s interest in supporting and elevating KCs and the key role they serve. Congratulations to the entire Student Affairs team on earning this designation.

Gateways to Completion Initiative

The Gateways to Completion process at Eastern creates and implements evidence-based plans for improving student learning and success in high-enrollment courses that have historically resulted in high grades of D, F, Withdrawal, or Incomplete (DFWI), especially for low-income, first generation, and historically underrepresented students as defined by race and ethnicity. I encourage you to explore our fall 2018 Newsletter and learn more about this powerful initiative to improve student success at Eastern.

SAFE Now Walk for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness

Eastern’s SAFE (Stigma and Fear End) Now and Counseling and Psychology Services (CAPS) have partnered with a number of student organizations, such as Active Minds, Students For Recovery, and Student Government to host the second annual EMU Walk for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness. This event increases awareness surrounding suicide prevention, helps to reduce the stigma and fear around mental illness, and reminds those suffering that someone cares.

Date: Friday, October 5, 2018
Time: 3:30 to 5 p.m. (Walk begins at 4 p.m.
Location: Big Bob’s Lake House

Constitution Day Lecture

On October 8, 2018, in recognition of Constitution Day, we are proud to welcome renowned historian Dr. David Blight to campus for a lecture on the historical and contemporary impact of Frederick Douglas. Dr. Blight will sign copies of his new book, Frederick Douglas: Prophet of Freedom at a reception beginning at 4 p.m. in Room 300 of the Student Center; the lecture follows at 5:30 p.m.

Soup and Substance

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) invites all campus community members to an exclusive faculty and staff Soup and Substance Series. This educational lunch series is designed to engage university students, faculty, staff and community members in discussions, presentations, and research that foster understanding and appreciation for disability awareness. Come enjoy a free lunch provided by the DRC and participate in a video conference presentation by Peter Berg of the Great Lakes ADA Center on ADA/Section 504: "What you Need to Know to Ensure Access for Students with Disabilities". During this interactive presentation, faculty and staff will learn about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), how the ADA grants students with disabilities access to higher education and allow participants the opportunity to ask Peter questions on how to implement accommodations inside and outside of the academic classroom.

Please consider attending on October 11 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in room 300 of Halle Library. RSVP by 5 p.m. Thursday, October 4. For more information, please contact Izzie Bullock at 734-487-2470 or [email protected]

Eastern Selected as a Finalist in Vital Seniors: Community Innovation Competition

Eastern has been selected as one of ten finalists in the Glacier Hills Legacy Fund at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) Vital Seniors: A Community Innovation Competition, a $2.5 million initiative designed to catalyze high-impact innovation and create enduring outcomes for vulnerable seniors and their caregivers in Washtenaw County. This next phase of the competition will allow you to vote for one of the ten finalists to receive the People’s Choice Awards of $50,000! Enjoy the 30 second videos and vote for your favorite program!

Grant Opportunity - Women in Philanthropy at EMU

Women in Philanthropy (WIP) at EMU is accepting grant applications. All EMU faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to apply for up to $5,000 to support research or projects that align with the mission and vision of the university and demonstrate the following priorities:

Enhance learning opportunities for EMU faculty, staff, alumni and/or students
Improve the EMU climate through collaborative efforts
Foster creativity and innovation as it relates to EMU
Improve communication among diverse groups with the EMU community

The deadline to apply is October 8, 2018. For more information, visit the WIP at EMU website.

Faculty and Staff Giving Campaign

There is never a bad time to make a contribution to the EMU Foundation in support of students. If you’ve never contributed, please consider making a gift this year. If you contribute regularly, please consider increasing the amount you donate this year. The EMU Foundation makes it easy to give via payroll deduction, credit card, check, or through planning future gifts through your will or trust. To learn more, contact Carole Booms, Director of Annual Giving, at 734.487.7682.

ORDA Weekly Updates

As you may know, the Office of Research, Development, and Administration publishes weekly updates to keep the campus community informed on a wide array of internal and external funding opportunities. Please consider visiting ORDA’s website today to see what opportunities exist for funding your next research endeavor.