Today@Sam Article

SHSU Update For Week Of Sept. 4

Sept. 4, 2016
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt

 

 

Career Services To Host Beginning Of Semester ‘Extravaganza’

careerservicesextravaganzaSam Houston State University’s Department of Career Services will kick off the semester with its “Career Services Extravaganza” on Wednesday (Sept. 7) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Mall Area.

Students can meet with Career Services staff and learn about the many resources offered to them, as well as chat with representatives from Fastenal; Enterprise; Reynolds & Reynolds; Global Shop Solutions; Walgreens; Buckeye; and Saville, Dodgen and Company.

“We want to get to know our students while promoting our resources and upcoming events,” said Veronica Gonzalez, marketing and events coordinator for Career Services. “This event is a perfect opportunity to ask questions, network, learn more about the companies’ values, and see what they look for when hiring for the various positions they want to fill.

Students can enjoy free popcorn and lemonade while meeting with representatives or taking pictures at the selfie booth. Students who tag their pictures with #BearkatsGetHired on social media will be eligible for a number of door prizes and giveaways.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Career Services at 936.294.1713.

 

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‘Not On My Campus’ To Spread Sexual Assault Awareness

notonmycampusSam Houston State University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion–Title IX will launch its “Not On My Campus” campaign Tuesday (Sept. 6) with a table set up in the Lowman Student Center Mall Area from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Not On My Campus” is a national student-led movement striving to end the silence surrounding sexual assault on college campuses. The campaign promotes awareness by a simple gesture: writing the phrase “Not On My Campus” on the palm of your hand, taking a picture and posting it to social media.

“This campaign promotes dialogue about sexual assault, a prevalent issue on college campuses and across the country,” said Title IX investigator Jasmine Rodriguez. “We want to spread awareness and end the silence, as well as for survivors to be empowered knowing that others are standing up against sexual assault and putting prevention techniques into practice.”

Students can stop by the table, where they can sign a pledge and take photos displaying their palms, and share photos on their own social media pages.

The event is free and open to all students.

For more information, contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion–Title IX at 936.294.3080.

 

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Alumni Association To Bus Fans To Piney Woods 

The Sam Houston State University Alumni Association will go on the road for the 91st “Battle of the Piney Woods,” chartering a bus for football fans to travel to Houston.

The bus will depart from the Bowers Stadium parking lot at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 1 and will return immediately following the game. 

Seating is limited.

The cost is $30 per person, which does not include a game ticket. Reservations are requested by Sept. 28. 

“There are many alumni and friends in Walker County and nearby who do not want to fight the traffic in Houston and the parking and crowds at NRG Stadium,” said Charlie Vienne, associate vice president for Alumni Relations. “With the charter bus, the Alumni Association is providing another opportunity to our alumni to show there are advantages to staying connected to the university and being an active Alumni Association member. 

“At only $30 per person for the round-trip bus ride, this is an economical opportunity to make it to the game and cheer on the Bearkats," he said.

Approximately 26,000 tickets are available starting at $15 in the lower bowl, which can be purchased online at gobearkats.com/tickets.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call the Office of Alumni Relations at 936.294.1841, or go online to alumni.shsu.edu.

 

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Chapman Honored As American Mathematical Society Fellow

Scott Chapman, professor and scholar in residence in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Sam Houston State University, recently was invited to join the 2017 class of the Fellows of the American Mathematical Society, after nomination by department chair Brian Loft and letters of support from current fellows earlier this year.

Designation as an AMS fellow is a prestigious distinction.

“The fellows of the American Mathematical Society program recognize members who have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication, and utilization of mathematics,” according to the AMS website.

 Chapman will join a select group of distinguished scholars and researchers designated as AMS fellows. There have been 50 fellows in Texas, and all but three of them are from the state’s flagship institutions (University of Texas, Texas A&M University), and Rice University, according to Loft.

“I am highly honored to be designated as a fellow by the American Mathematical Society. It is the highlight of my academic career to be invited to join a group that includes several Nobel Prize winners and fields medalists,” Chapman said. “During my career, I have been fortunate to work with many outstanding people, and I owe this honor to all of them. I thank Sam Houston State University for offering me the environment to let my work flourish, and I look forward to helping the advancement of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics for many years to come.”

For more information on the AMS fellowship program, including a history of its enactment, visit the AMS website.

 

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SHSU Programs Rank Top 10 In Nation

Sam Houston State University recently was ranked in the top 10 in the nation for two different programs by GradSource.com.

SHSU was ranked No. 2 in the nation for the “Best Online Master’s Degree Programs in Criminal Justice” and No. 4 in the nation for the “Best Online Education Doctoral Programs.”

“Our methodology for the ranking looks at many different factors, including tuition, flexibility and student success, and compares thousands of schools–which is how we determined SHSU to be one of the best online options for master’s degrees in criminal justice or a doctorate in education in the U.S.,” said Mark Burnham, general manager for GradSource.com.

GradSource.com offers comprehensive information on several career fields, including business, healthcare, education, and more to help prospective graduate students make informed decisions about their future.

 

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Impaired Driving Training Targets Remote Texas Counties

Law enforcement officers in remote areas of Texas will receive training on detecting drunk and drugged drivers through a special grant awarded to the Impaired Driving Initiatives program at Sam Houston State University. 

SHSU teamed up with the Texas Department of Transportation to apply for the grant and was one of only four recipients selected nationwide out of 27 agencies that sought funding. 

The grant, funded by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility and the Governors Highway Safety Association, will provide Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement training in Abilene, Arlington, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Harlingen, Lubbock, and Midland.

The programs will include free courses for up to 200 local and county law enforcement officers, school and campus police, Department of Public Safety troopers, and prosecutors’ offices to recognize the signs and symptoms of impaired driving in order to keep Texas roads safer. 

“The training is geared toward a number of Texas counties with wide expanses of roadways, including those within reach of the Texas international border that unfortunately have a number of fatal crashes involving drugs and alcohol,” said Cecil Marquart, project director of the Impaired Driving Initiatives Program. “Reducing the number of crashes and fatalities in these areas would benefit the state economically and protect the public, thus enhancing road safety in a number of Texas counties.”  

The training is designed to bridge the gap between standard field sobriety testing and the recognition of impairments caused by drugs, alcohol, or a combination. The program educates officers about impaired driving, the effects of drug and alcohol on the ability to operate a vehicle safely, and methods to identify and process the impaired driver.

Since 2007, the Impaired Driving Initiatives Program at Sam Houston State University has trained more than 2,600 officers in ARIDE in Texas. The program also trains Drug Recognition Experts, a National Transportation Safety Program that focuses on the apprehension of impaired drivers. Less than 1 percent of law enforcement in Texas are certified as DREs.

 

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Scott Menard Announces Retirement From College

menardScott Menard, professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, is retiring after a decade of teaching in Sam Houston State University’s College of Criminal Justice. 

Menard came to SHSU in 2006 because of its faculty, graduate program, and proximity to his wife’s family. He said he has learned as much from his doctoral students as he taught them.

“I was expecting good things when I got here, and it has been better than I expected,” he said. “The program, the people, and so many other things came together at the right time. If I had the decision to make all over, I would make the same one again. It’s been a good 10 years and definitely a good move for my career. Right now is the time to move into my retirement.”

He is the author of four books on logistic regression and longitudinal research; coauthor of books on youth gangs, neighborhoods and crime, and multiple-problem (crime, drug use, mental health problems) youth; and contributor to more than 80 peer-reviewed articles, which have been cited more than 12,000 times.

Menard is one of the principal investigators of the National Youth Survey Family Study, a database of youth behavior that stretches over three generations and 30 years, collecting wide-ranging information on a large sample youth and their parents, such as demographic and socioeconomic status, disruptive events in the home, and sexual activity. 

Menard’s key areas of study focused on criminology theory, patterns of illegal behaviors over the life course, victimization, and suspects falsely accused of crime. He used the data to test theories such as strain, social control, and learning theory, and studied patterns of illegal behavior to understand both crime and victimization over time. 

“The data set is great, having extensive information on criminal behavior as well as pro-social behavior that follows youth through the life course,” Menard said. “I work with doctoral students to get research published not only for the students, but also for the study. I am really pleased at how nicely the needs of the student doing research matches with the data in the study.”

 

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Staff Council Spotlights Accountant For August

 

marthawilsonThe Sam Houston State University Staff Council has selected Martha Wilson, accountant for the Office of Research Administration, for its August “Spotlight on Staff.”

A self-proclaimed “records queen,” Wilson began her career with SHSU in 2009, where she works with faulty to monitor grant awards. 

“I know where to find information and details,” she said. “You could call me a detective of sorts. One of the greatest parts of my job is working with people, helping them in any way that I can.” 

She has been a member of the Tall Pines Quilt Guild in Huntsville for 15 years, and currently serves as treasurer for the organization. She also volunteers her time for the Walker County Fair, Fair on the Square, Cabin on the Square, and the Airing of the Quilts.

Wilson believes that the best way to motivate others is to set a goal and stay committed.

She is also a member of the Natural Council of University Research Administrators, a national organization that provides education on current trends on research administration.

 

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Student Services Offers Scholarships For 2017-18 Academic Year

Sam Houston State University’s Division of Student Services will offer students the opportunity to apply for three different scholarships for the upcoming academic year: the Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Endowment Scholarship, In-Kind Textbook Scholarship, and the Student Services Generation and Student Employee Scholarship.

To be eligible for the Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Endowment Scholarship, students must be a full-time undergraduate in good standing, currently enrolled at SHSU, and majoring in any program within the Departments of Theatre and Dance and/or the School of Music. They also must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.50. 

The In-Kind Textbook Scholarship was established by Barnes and Noble College and the university bookstore. SHSU selects 10 full-time freshman or sophomore students each semester with unmet financial need and a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Recipients will receive an email from the Office of the Vice President for Student Services advising them they were selected for the $250 scholarship for the designated semester, along with recommendations indicating how the scholarship should best be utilized. 

The Student Services Generation and Student Employee Scholarship awards one or more $1,000 scholarships to a full-time undergraduate currently enrolled and in good standing at SHSU, majoring in any discipline, who is a natural, step or adopted child or grandchild of a currently employed staff member from the Division of Student Services of a student assistant currently employed in the division.

Qualified applicants can apply now through Scholarship4Kats. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1.

For more information on these and other scholarships offered through departments in the Division of Student Services, contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Services at 936.294.1784.

 

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Today@Sam Seeks Experts, Story Ideas

Are you an expert in a topic might be of interest to reporters? Or even a unique topic? Would you like to have your research interests highlighted or discuss your expertise with reporters seeking interviewees?

The university Communications Office is collecting information and story ideas for its ongoing projects, including the online SHSU Experts Guide, the SHSU home page and Today@Sam. 

The SHSU Experts Guide was established as a resource for the media, who turn to university experts lists for potential interviewees for news stories. Faculty who are interested in being a part of the university's database of experts can submit their biographical and personal information, as well as their areas of expertise, through the Experts Guide Submission Form available online at shsu.edu/dept/marketing/experts/submit-info.html.

Other story ideas, both news and features on faculty or student research and accomplishments can be sent to today@sam.edu or jenniferg@shsu.edu. For news stories, please include the date, location and time of the event, as well as a brief description and a contact person.

All information, including news story ideas and update items for Today@Sam, should be sent a minimum of a week in advance of the event in order to make necessary contacts and write a story. Feature story ideas for the SHSU home page ("sliders") should be sent a minimum of two months in advance.

To see a full list of the Today@Sam submission guidelines, or to access submission forms for news and feature stories or hometown releases, visit shsu.edu/~pin_www/guidelines.html.

For more information, call 936.294.1836.

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