FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES // April 2024
IN PRINT
Benjamin Haller's book, "Greco-Roman Literature and Culture in the Imagination of Virginia's Tidewater Region, 1607-1826: The Empire of the Mind," is being released in hardcover on May 15, and is available for pre-order now on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Kathy Merlock Jackson published a review of "Blockheads, Beagles, and Sweet Babboos: New Perspectives on Charles M. Schulzs' Peanuts" by Michelle Ann Abate in the March 2024 issue of The Journal of American Culture (47:1).

Kathy Merlock Jackson published a review of "Teen Movies: A Century of American Youth," Second Edition, by Timothy Shary in The Journal of American Culture, March 2024, 47: 1.

Kathy Stolley's article, “Teaching Human-Animal Studies Courses: Exploring Student Characteristics Across Three Universities,” has been published in the journal, Society & Animals. Co-authored with colleagues from three other universities, this study is the first to empirically assess characteristics of students enrolled in human-animals studies, and to document differences across institutions.

President Scott D. Miller serves as executive editor for the President to President thought leadership series, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The sixth chapter of the 2023-2024 President to President thought leadership series is available online. In “Applying Sustainability to Presidential Leadership,” Hood College President Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D., explores the value of a leadership approach that carefully balances immediate and long-term considerations. She delves into specific strategies, such as promoting collaborative decision-making and creating a culture of empowerment, to improve student satisfaction, faculty and staff retention, and financial stability. President Miller's daily blog, Dialogue, can be found at prezscottmiller.blogspot.com.
PRESENTATIONS AND PANELS
Terry Lindvall presented "Exemplary Laughter: Anthropomorphic Models of Laughter in Animated Films" at the National Conference of Popular Culture Association in Chicago.

Jennifer Slivka gave an invited talk, "Riding the Waves of Feminism: Where It Started and How It's Going" at The Gardens of Virginia Beach, a local retirement community, for Women's History Month.

Joyce Easter presented an "Introduction to Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL)" workshop at the Innovative Teaching & Learning Conference hosted by The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Teaching & Learning Innovation.
At the National Convention of the Popular Culture Association in Chicago, Stu Minnis (director) and Terry Lindvall (producer) screened their documentary feature, "Hollywood, Teach Us to Pray." The film also had its Ohio premiere at the Historic Palace Theatre in Canton.

Denise Wilkinson presented the session, "Supporting Engagement and Learning with Student Reflections," at the Teaching Academic Success Skills conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Additionally, as a member of the conference advisory committee, Denise completed several conference-related tasks. 
Kathy Merlock Jackson and Kathy Stolley attended the Popular Culture Association Conference in Chicago. Co-chairs for the Animals and Popular Culture area, they chaired their respective sessions and presented papers. Merlock Jackson's was titled "Disney Adults and Their Dogs" and Stolley's was titled "'Animal Hauntings and the Hereafter: Animal Ghosts Meet Popular Culture."
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Benjamin Dobrin was recently recognized for his 20 years of service with Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services (VB EMS) Department.

Drian Glyde was interviewed on the ION/npnHub podcast titled, "Co-creativity and Neuroplasticity," about how a better understanding of biological outcomes of positive interactions can energize teams and people in their workplaces. Leaders who understand this process can leverage positive biological reactions in their teams to create energy, productivity, co-creativity, and, ultimately, a better workplace.

Drian Glyde was certified as a Master Neuroplastician (M.npn) by ION, the Institute of Organisational Neuroscience. The certification is awarded to practitioners with years of experience in applying neuroplasticity and who demonstrate exceptional proficiency, expertise, and understanding in applied neuroscience. 
Caitlin Williams was interviewed for a story on WTKR about microbes in used makeup products. She worked with two VWU students to collect and grow microbes for the project. 

Kathy Merlock Jackson served on the selection committee for the 2024 Jones Award for the best paper submitted in American culture studies for presentation at the Popular Culture Association Conference, March 27-30, in Chicago. The award is named for former Virginia Wesleyan political science professor William M. Jones.
USA Today reporter Charita Goshey wrote a feature article on "Faith: Documentary Chronicling Prayer in Film" on Stu Minnis and Terry Lindvall's film for the Canton Register.
GRANTS
Benjamin Haller's book project "Citizens Forged in Flame and Song: the Apatouria and the Homeric Hymn to Hermes in Peisistratid Athens" was selected as one of the 2024 winners of a Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies Summer Research Grant.

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