Melaine Kenyon, director of instructional technology for Instructional Resources, presented "Measurement, Benchmarking, and Improvement of Learning Environments: Using LSRS and Flexspace to Achieve Institutional Objectives" at the Educause Learning Initiative annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, February 2–4. Kenyon's co-presenters were Jennifer Strickland, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Mesa Community College, and Jim Twetten, director of academic technologies at Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

Mark Norris, associate director of web administration and editor in College Relations, has been invited to speak at a panel discussion on the life and times of musician David Bowie at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, at Kleinhans Music Hall. Norris will join Buffalo News pop music critic Jeff Miers and writer and performer Ron Ehmke for the discussion, which will precede the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's "Music of David Bowie" concert at 7:30 p.m.

Catherine Cardina, assistant professor of health, nutrition, and dietetics, published her research article "Attitudes Towards Teaching and Perceptions of School Climate Among Health Education Teachers in the United States, 2011–2012" in the Journal of Health Education Teaching 7 (1): 1-14. The article's coauthor is Joshua M. Fegley, assistant professor in the College at Brockport's Department of Public Health and Health Education.

David Wilson, associate professor, and Nirmala Nutakki, lecturer, Mathematics, received the Cheektowaga Central School District Community Involvement Award from the board of education in recognition of their significant contributions to the students of Cheektowaga Central as part of their New York State Math and Science Partnership project.

Christienna Fryar, assistant professor of history and social studies education, has launched New Books in British Studies, a podcast channel that she will also host. As part of the New Books Network, New Books in British Studies showcases the newest research of scholars in British studies and presents their work to a global listening audience.

Heather Maldonado, assistant dean of University College and director of Academic Standards, was the invited keynote speaker for the 2016 WNY Advising Conference, held on February 24 in Amherst, New York. Organized by a group of dedicated advising professionals from several Western New York area institutions, the annual one-day conference brings together over 200 advising professionals from across the region. This year's theme was "Campus & Community."

Maldonado's presentation, "Using Academic Advisement to Build Bridges for Student Engagement," highlighted key advising pillars promoted by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) and high-impact practices identified by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). She also provided practical methods for academic advisers to use their processional expertise and mentoring relationships to help teach students about the importance of student engagement and identify ways to connect students to high-impact practices such as learning communities, service learning, study abroad, and research with faculty.

Jane Cushman, associate professor of mathematics, was one of several faculty members from across the country selected to serve as workshop facilitators for Cal Poly’s Academy of Inquiry Based Learning (AIBL) program. Funded by a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the AIBL’s 2016 Summer Inquiry Based Learning workshops will provide professional development opportunities for math instructors across the country to increase inquiry-based learning (IBL) in the classroom. Cushman joined fellow facilitation team members at Cal Poly over Presidents Day weekend to plan content for the summer workshops. These teams will train other math instructors on how to implement IBL methods in their own classes.

Workshop participants are college math instructors and professors new to IBL. This year, 65 percent of the participants are from minority-serving institutions. Research has shown that IBL is especially effective at mitigating achievement gaps in math courses within minority groups and women.

Frances Gage, associate professor of art history, Fine Arts Department, published her essay “Visual Evidence and Periodization in Giulio Mancini’s Observations on Early Christian and Medieval Art in Rome” in the volume Remembering the Middle Ages in Early Modern Italy (L. Pericolo and J. N. Richardson, eds.; Brepols Publishers, 2015).

The following faculty and staff members have earned a Community of Inquiry Specialization Certificate from the Instructional Resources Department:

• Kristin Fields, Training Coordinator, Center for Development of Human Services 

• Paul Reynolds, Project Manager, Information Services and Systems

• Jo Yudess, Lecturer, Center for Studies in Creativity

Lindsey Freeman's article "Catastrophic Snow Globes as Oneiric and Mnemonic Gadgets" was published in the journal Space and Culture.