35 graduate students win excellence awards

Service/Outreach: Lynda Carroll, Laurie Miroff, Kim Allen Gleed, Karen Ryabchenko, Elizabeth Bidwell

Teaching: C. Cody Barteet, Jina Kim, Duncan Omune, Jessica Datema, Ruzima Charles Sebuharara, Bambi Lobdell, Adale Sholock, Feigue Cieplinski, Laura Murphy, Nicolas Koban, Bryan Castelda, Adam Krantweiss, Barrel Gueye, Mary Raymondi, Dmitry Ponomarev

Research: Sarah Bassnett, Hong Kal, Aaron Sullivan, John N. Gitua, Yan Zhang, Marella Feltrin-Morris, Chad Davidson, Victoria Warren, Marianne Lloyd, Michael E. Nizhnikov, Yuliya V. Tverdova, Eric Morier-Genoud, Alex Kurov, Dmitry Ponomarev, Sunil Gopakumar

The Graduate School has named 35 graduate students as recipients of the 2002-03 Graduate Student Excellence Awards in recognition of their service/outreach, teaching and research. The awards were presented at a February 27 ceremony in the Chenango Room by David Payne, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School; Mary Ann Swain, provost and vice president for academic affairs; and Frances Carr, vice president for research. Profiles of the recipients for each area follow.

Service/Outreach
Lynda Carroll, PhD candidate in anthropology, has worked extensively with groups of children from the Boy Scouts to the Public Archaeology Facility’s Community Archaeology Program (CAP) and taken a leadership role in directing and coordinating CAP. Her recommender wrote, “She has mastered the art of sharing her skills, knowledge and experience with the general public. Under her direction, the program received media attention, helping make the University more visible within our community.”

Laurie Miroff, PhD recipient in anthropology, was one of the organizers of the Community Archaeology Program for adults and children and incorporated her efforts in her dissertation research. She has worked with local schools and in the development of educational pamphlets for the public. Originally started as a summer program, CAP rapidly grew to include annual visits from the SPARK program (an enrichment program within the Union-Endicott school district), site tours, visits to schools for career days, teacher-training programs and innovative archaeology workbooks for teachers and the public. Miroff’s research will be published in the inaugural issue of PAF’s new series Educational Pamphlets in Archaeology, a non-technical publication geared toward middle schools, libraries and historical societies.

Kim Allen Gleed, PhD candidate in comparative literature, was nominated by the Translation Research and Instruction program (TRIP) as a result of her work at Translation Referral Service. She began working with the service as an intern for TRIP director Marilyn Gaddis Rose in 1999 and eventually became referral service manager, planning schedules and monitoring assignments for graduate students assigned to TRIP’s Center for Research in Translation (CRIT). Her recom-mender wrote, “Since its founding in fall 1973, the referral service has had several good managers, but it has never had a better one.” Gleed has also taught in the Educational Opportunity Program and in the local Irish community, and has worked in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.

Karen Ryabchenko, PhD candidate in psychology, was nominated for her work in the Psychological Clinic, her external placement work and her mentoring of more junior graduate students. As an adjunct instructor at the Hancock Field Campus of Columbia College in Syracuse, she was cited by her recom-mender for her enthusiasm and zeal for her subjects, as well as her personal interest in the students. When the Broome County Department of Mental Health contracted with BU’s Psychology Department to evaluate its State Incentives Cooperation Agreement (SICA) project, the project coordinator wrote that Ryabchenko’s abilities “continue to be an integral and critical component to the success of the project.” She is a member of the University evaluation team working with several community organizations, school districts and the county health department on a grant designed to reduce adolescent use of alcohol and drugs.

Elizabeth Bidwell, master’s degree student in elementary education, was motivated to action by Jonathan Kozol’s book Savage Inequalities about substandard conditions and lack of adequate materials in many New York City schools. She collected books and supplies for P.S. 79 in District 10 in New York City and eventually developed a volunteer corps of reading tutors, along with collecting materials for other schools in the Northeast. She also matched approximately 40 students from BCC, BU and Vestal High School with children from Greater Binghamton area schools in a “Reading Buddy” program. Her recommender said, “For the past nine years, Beth’s quiet leadership and unflagging commitment to volunteerism have made a huge difference in the lives of innumerable children and young people in New York.”

Teaching
C. Cody Barteet, PhD candidate in art history, follows a teaching philosophy with two main objectives: to provide his students with a constructive learning environment and to challenge them to become critical thinkers. His nominator commented in particular on his warmth and humane manner. “That he moves with ease among people from vastly different walks of life and speaks with a quiet confidence mixed with sincerity and as strong sense of propriety undoubtedly account in large part for his effectiveness as a teacher.”

Jina Kim, PhD candidate in art history, served as a teaching assistant in three different classes and has taught her own undergraduate courses. She was recently selected unanimously to represent the department at the annual art history symposium at the Frick Museum in New York City. Her nominator called her “a modernist with a twist” who “has turned her bilingualism (Korean and English) to great advantage and has succeeded in distinguishing herself as a teacher with important contributions to make in the areas of multiculturalism and the globalization of modernity.”

Duncan Omune, PhD candidate in chemistry, served as a teaching assistant for three semesters in general chemistry, in which students and faculty praised his patience and enthusiasm. One student wrote, “To find a TA with such a passion about his work and such fervor to help students was indeed a rarity. His willingness to even stay until the very end of the laboratory session for any students who either worked slowly or had questions made him that much more approachable.” His re-commender wrote, “He is exceptionally patient and very good at explaining things several times, but in different ways. He keeps at it until the point finally gets through.”

Jessica Datema, PhD candidate in comparative literature, is writing her dissertation with the support of a dissertation-year fellowship. She describes her teaching style as a kind of “Socratic form of ‘midwifery,’ engaging students in ‘free-associative hypothesis,’” as well as activities emphasizing “the student’s own potential limits to spark inquisitiveness.” She was described as “very knowledgeable, passionate . . . fine talent, indeed, for engaging students at their very best . . . Ms. Datema is a very sophisticated scholar, and it was interesting to see how she was able to communicate with the young students so as to convey her ideas.”

Ruzima Charles Sebuharara, PhD candidate in economics, has had responsibilities both within and outside the department. His teaching approach and philosophy are, he said, based on a set of beliefs and principles derived from his expectations as a student and as a teacher. He has developed two courses offered jointly by the departments of Africana Studies and Economics and served as a resource for international business in the School of Management, for the Schweitzer Chair and Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton, and in courses in Africana studies at Cornell University. One of his students wrote, “Not only did I find his class to be informative, but the material was also presented in a way that encouraged his students to learn.”

Bambi Lobdell, PhD candidate in English, has been described as “a bold, dynamic, creative instructor who brings together materials from both popular culture and the medieval literary canon.” One of her recommenders wrote, “Bambi’s teaching is student-centered in that she encourages her students to take articulate, principled, well-reasoned stands in their writing and in their oral presentations, while recognizing that unilateral, absolute ‘truths’ are arbitrary constructions that beg for analysis and reassessment.”

Adale Sholock, PhD candidate in English, says her teaching philosophy is determined by “the politicized nature of studying gender, sexuality, race and class in the contemporary academy. I structure my courses as well as scholarship around these topics, since I make the assumption that learning about marginalized identities and cultures is academically, politically and personally necessary.” Her recom-mender called her “an inspiring, even charismatic teacher” who uses innovative methods (including electronic discussion groups). One of her students said, “She has the ability to engage the minds of a wide diversity of students in challenging and innovative ways.”

Feigue Cieplinski, PhD candidate in history, is studying Jewish history and will take her oral examinations this spring. Her students have called her “a great instructor,” “a brilliant educator who deserves only the best of things,” “one of the reasons I declared a history major” and “one of the best teaching assistants I have had during my education at Binghamton University.” They laud Cieplinski for her concern, patience, passion and availability. A senior faculty member with more than 30 years on campus wrote that she was “imaginative in the ways she involved the students in discussing the readings, employing such things as small-group discussions followed by oral reports on the results.”

Laura Murphy, PhD candidate in history, received a year-long fellowship from the Cushwa Center for the study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame and then a dissertation-year fellowship from Bing-hamton. According to her recommender, she has “succeeded in stimulating free and open discussion among her students and helped the entire class feel comfortable and at ease.” One of her students wrote, “Her wonderful attitude toward the subject matter and teaching itself certainly set the standard for the class.”

Nicolas Koban, PhD candidate in mathematical sciences, has been both a teaching assistant and instructor. Quotes in his nomination package say, “He knows his stuff,” “He’s good-natured, approachable and patient, and has great rapport with students” and “He is always looking for ways to do things better and took the initiative in doing things beyond the call of duty.” Other comments include: “Did an outstanding job teaching the course. Best math teacher I ever had,” and “ . . . excellent. No matter how difficult the subject matter, I am always able to grasp it with Nic.”

Bryan Castelda, PhD candidate in psychology, was responsible for teaching students general research concepts and basic information regarding arthritis, exercise and behavioral health. His nominator wrote that he also served as a teacher to professionals at the hospital site when there were conflicts over study procedures within the hospital: “Bryan showed excellent judgment regarding the issues, and his ability to explain things in an understandable manner helped clarify things for the hospital staff.” One of his students wrote, “His openness to questions and motivation to leave students with a full understanding of the material made me admire and respect him as an instructor.”

Adam Krantweiss, PhD candidate in psychology, uses Socratic dialogs “to turn a lecture into an active learning experience,” said his recommender. “In this way, he is able to gauge how well the students are comprehending his lectures.” One of his students wrote: “Adam creates an atmosphere of comfort and professionalism . . . he often shows clips from popular television shows and movies to grasp students’ attention, provide ‘real’ examples of psychological disorders and simplify things to make the class more stimulating.”

Barrel Gueye, EdD candidate in education, describes her philosophy of teaching as evolving and rooted in her strong belief in education as a means to promote social justice and equality. She has taught in three contexts for Languages Across the Curriculum, taught the department’s Senegal course and taught a cross-cultural perspectives course. Her recommender wrote, “When we began the Senegal program about six years ago, we worked hard to promote it, worrying whether we would have enough students for the course and trip to take place. Barrel is teaching the class and leading the trip again for spring 2003. This week, as I write this letter, 48 undergraduates are vying for the 15 places in the program.”

Mary Raymondi, EdD candidate in education, served as a member of the Discovery Instructional Support Team during the 2001-02 academic year, actively participating in the design of the Center for Learning and Teaching. Recommenders noted not only her rich knowledge base related to learning and teaching, but also her ability to design activities that “offered students access to insights about their own abilities and values.” One student said, “During the HDEV 475 course, Ms. Raymondi exhibited a personal commitment to make a difference in the lives of each student. It became clear to me that her class was not just a few check marks in a grade book, but a process in which each student was engaged and encouraged to be creative.”

Dmitry Ponomarev, PhD candidate in computer science, emphasizes in his teaching philosophy “that it is very important to keep the students engaged in the class activities. I try to keep the class challenging for the best students and yet make sure that the weak students do not get lost.” His recom-mender wrote, “He spends a lot of time on his courses and with his students and has an excellent reputation for giving a demanding course while providing a lot of support to the students to do well.”

Research
Sarah Bassnett, PhD candidate in art history, is in her fifth year in the program. Her dissertation focuses on the instrumental role of architecture drawing, photography and cartography in emergent forms of planning and in the new techniques of social regulation and management in modern urban environment. She is funded for her dissertation research by a three-year doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Her nominator said, “While proceeding in the tradition of scholarship so famously established by her supervisor, John Tagg, Sarah has worked admirably to inflect her work with an intellectual style of her own. Her dissertation, “Representing the Urban ‘Real’: Instrumental Discourse and City Planning in Early- 20th- Century Toronto and Montreal,” will undoubtedly be published soon after it is completed, opening the way for (a) tremendous professional career.”

Hong Kal, PhD candidate in art history, is in her fifth year in the program. She is completing a dissertation on the mobilization of Euro-American cultural institutions (expositions, museums, state monuments and memorials) in empire and nation building and in the consolidation of collective identity in East Asia — specifically, in imperial and post-war Japan and colonial and post-colonial Korea. She was awarded one of the most competitive grants in her field last year, a doctoral dissertation research fellowship from the Japan Foundation (based in Tokyo). This, along with numerous speaking engagements at prominent universities and museums in East Asia and the U.S., was cited as “emblematic of the high regard in which her work is held internationally.”

Aaron Sullivan, PhD candidate in biological sciences, was cited by his dissertation supervisor: “In research, he has pioneered field methods for validating our laboratory research in the general area of chemical ecology, has made important discoveries relating to ecological and genetic distance as factors in the chemical ecology of predator avoidance, has obtained independent federal funding to support his research and has managed to contribute to 10 research papers — four as a senior author. At least two or three more senior-authored manuscripts . . . will bring his total to around 13 manuscripts in press or published by the time of his PhD. This productivity is quite unusual and more typical of the total productivity of a two- or three-year assistant professor.”

John N. Gitua, PhD candidate in chemistry, is researching organometallic complexes containing low-valent titanium. He is sole student author of two papers that will be published in two leading journals, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallics. In addition, he is first student author of a paper published in the Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, a co-author of a second full paper in the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry and a co-author of a book chapter. He is sole student author of a new technology disclosure submitted to the Technology Transfer Office, from which a patent application is being prepared, based on his discovery of an entirely new family of catalysts for the polymerization of polyolefins, derived from his fundamental studies of titanium chemistry.

Yan Zhang, PhD candidate in chemistry, selected as her dissertation research topic the preparation of polymers designed to have specific fluorescence properties. The field is one branch of a larger area — at one of the leading frontiers of materials science research — aiming to produce materials with particular macroscopic properties through the careful choice of molecular materials and fabrication methods. She is first author of a recent full paper published in Macromolecules and second author of a full paper published in Inorganic Chemistry, another leading journal. In addition, she has been senior author of three pre-print/proceedings papers and co-author of three additional papers. She has presented her research at numerous American Chemistry Society national meetings.

Marella Feltrin-Morris, PhD candidate in comparative literature, is writing a doctoral dissertation primarily focusing on ideas that defy definitions and considering the difficult placement of an entire genre within the traditional boundaries of Italian literature. She is translator of two crucial books on Western philosophy, both published by major university presses, and her forthcoming book-length translation of Domenico Losurdo’s work on Hegel has already been accepted for publication by Duke University Press.

Chad Davidson, PhD candidate in English, has already had his creative dissertation, Consolation Miracle, accepted for publication by Southern Illinois University Press as the winner of this year’s Crab Orchard Prize. When he wanted to improve his Italian enough to be able to read Dante, he arranged to study for a year at the University of Perigua on a Rotary scholarship. Said a distinguished professor of English, “His overall publication record already looks like that of a tenured professor.”

Victoria Warren, PhD candidate in English, has conducted distinguished research on a broad range of British and Anglophone literatures. Her nominator said, “Our discipline has already rewarded her scholarship with publications in such top quarterlies as Studies in English Literature, Critique, Studies in the Novel and Modern Language Studies. She has published essays on Chaucer, 18th century drama, Austen, Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell and Arlene Chai — an astounding range for such a young scholar.”

Marianne Lloyd, MA recipient in psychology, has done research generally focused on retrieval processes for verbal information in humans, and more particularly on how priming of memory can sometimes enhance retrieval. Three of her papers are either published or are in press at top-tier, peer-reviewed journals. She is also author or co-author of five presentations for regional or national conferences. Her nominator said, “She has completed her MA on the effects of repetition on recognition memory with distinction and it is already in press in a highly regarded professional journal. This is most unusual for a graduate student in only her fifth semester on campus.”

Michael E. Nizhnikov, PhD candidate in psychology, focuses his research on the development of suckling behavior in infant rats and how learning influences this behavior. He has three publications in print, all in refereed journals of the highest quality, and one more manuscript under review. Additionally, he has made seven important conference presentations. His adviser wrote. “The experiments he has completed are unusually innovative and significant. . . yielding a substantial contribution to the field of early memory development and the ontogeny of processes associated with ingestion.”

Yuliya V. Tverdova, PhD candidate in political science, entered the University on a Muskie Fellowship, which sponsored her studies toward the master of public administration (awarded in 1999). Her research now focuses on investigation of how citizens in countries undergoing economic and political transitions form perceptions of the state of the economy. She is co-author of forthcoming articles in the top-ranked American Journal of Political Science, the highly recognized sub-field journal Electoral Studies, the international high-visibility journal International Political Science Review and an edited volume published by Cambridge University Press. She is co-author of several more papers under review at prestigious professional journals and has presented seven papers at professional conferences.

Eric Morier-Genoud, PhD candidate in sociology, has received three grants to fund his dissertation research, including trips to archival holdings in Portugal, particularly the Portuguese National Archives in Lisbon. He was also able to investigate primary source materials held by various religious orders in Maputo, Mozambique, and at the national archives in Maputo. He has published six articles, with two more forthcoming, and book reviews in six journals in three countries (the U.S., England and France). His nominator said, “. . . the visible expression of his intellectual ability to communicate ideas beyond the English language is the fact that he has published in French, Portuguese and German, in addition to English.”

Alex Kurov, PhD candidate in management, has had one paper published in the Journal of Future Markets. A second paper received an excellent review from the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (JFQA), one of the top five journals in the field, and is being revised and re-submitted. He has also presented two papers at the national meeting of the Financial Management Association — one of which was named one of five best papers out of of 500 presented.

Dmitry Ponomarev, PhD candidate in computer science, is conducting dissertation work focusing on the discovery of techniques for reducing the power requirements of microprocessors without sacrificing performance. He has published extensively in competitive conferences in his area of research. In addition, he has a pending journal publication and several journal submissions. His dissertation supervisor said, “Dmitry’s research record as a PhD student is the best I have ever seen in my entire academic career.” Ponomarev has won both the Excellence in Research and Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Sunil Gopakumar, PhD candidate in systems science and industrial engineering, has produced two articles for publication and more than 15 technical reports, all as lead author. His research has been sponsored by the Surface Mount Technology Laboratory at Universal Instruments Corporation. His primary area of research is in lead-free flip chip assembly, an area of research that is still in its nascent stages. Peter Borgesen, project manager at Universal Instruments, said, “While his public presentations and publications in the open literature speak for themselves, it is important to realize that the major part of his work has been proprietary to a worldwide consortium of companies from across the industry. . . Sunil has measured up very well against older, professional researchers.”