JMU Research, Scholarship & Creative Endeavors Newsletter


JMU Research, Scholarship & Creative Endeavors

     Volume 1, Issue 6

Greetings!
 
The Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center.  That sure has a nice ring to it.  I had the honor of attending a groundbreaking ceremony in late October for what is sure to be a game-changer for James Madison University and Harrisonburg.  Set for completion during the spring of 2018, the 230-room Hotel Madison will provide a much needed venue to host major conferences and events in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, as well as experiential learning opportunities for students from the Hart School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management.  Read more
 
On campus, the College of Business announced plans for COB2020, a modern Learning Complex that will both update and expand Showker Hall.  With plans to launch during the 2020-2021 academic year, the state-of-the-art space will feature cutting-edge technology for cybersecurity courses and research, private space to host Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and C-suite speakers, and an expanded Capital Markets Lab providing hands-on financial software experience for students.  Read more
    
In our effort to connect faculty with funding opportunities supporting research and scholarship, we partnered with our local and regional economic development offices to host representatives from the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT).  JMU faculty and staff, industry representatives, and public sector officials received a briefing on the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund, a program designed to support technology-based research, development, and commercialization.  We are working hard to advance innovative ideas and projects, and we welcome conversations to discuss how we can partner.

Happy Holidays!

   
Yvonne Harris, Ph.D. 
Vice Provost for Research & Scholarship 

Local business, university, and community leaders break ground for the new Hotel Madison and Shenandoah Valley Conference Center.
FosterFostering a Culture of Collaboration  



College of Business faculty members Daphyne Thomas, Adolph Coors Business Professor of Finance and Law, and Tom Dillon, PricewaterhouseCoopers-Dan Caputo Teaching Professor in Computer Information Systems, began conversations about airport security changes shortly after the September 11th attacks.  What began as friendly hallway discussions led to a research collaboration focusing on how full-body scanning and pat-down screening procedures affect the privacy rights of U.S. citizens.  Students assisted Drs. Dillon and Thomas design their survey instrument, collect data, and analyze the results.  The College of Business scholars jointly published two papers in the Journal of Transportation SecurityRead more
JMU Earns Green College Recognition Green

James Madison University was once again included on the Princeton Review's Guide to 361 Green Colleges list.  JMU has been on the list since the rating's inception in 2009.  The guide recognizes colleges and universities, "with the most exceptional commitments to sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives, and activities."

Since 1946, the Department of State's Fulbright Scholarship Program has awarded approximately 8,000 grants a year, providing scholars the opportunity to teach and research in one of over 140 countries.  While it is impressive for an academic to be awarded a Fulbright Scholarship once in a career, it is a rare feat when they are awarded a second.  This was recently accomplished by Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) Professor Dr. Lincoln Gray, who will be traveling to Mumbai this winter break and next summer to continue his research on oral and breast cancer metastases.  Read More
Cross-disciplinary Cooperation Triumphs at the 14th Annual Model African Union MAU

For the very first time, a team of students from JMU participated in the National Model African Union Conference held annually in Washington, D.C.  The interdisciplinary team of students attended the conference as representatives of the Republic of Namibia.  Forty-two colleges and universities from across the country gathered to participate in the three-day event.  Read More
 
Education Professor Leads Policy DiscussionEducation

Dr. Mira Williams, JMU Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations & Exceptionalities, led a national discussion for the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood.  The web-based program, "Every Family Has a Story: Building Family-Centered Practices Capacity in Preservice Educators," focused on promoting partnerships with local providers and families to enhance coursework.  Dr. Williams coordinates, advises, and teaches in the Inclusive Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education programs at JMU.  Her research focuses on connecting with families and preparing future educators to embrace inclusive and family-centered practices.  She recently received a grant to engage JMU faculty and students with the Sentara RMH Medical Center's Parenting Education and Supports program.

The Bible in Political Debate Bible
  
Frances Flannery, Director of the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Terrorism and Peace, and Professor of Religion at James Madison University, recently published a new book through Bloomsbury Press.  The book contains a collection of fourteen essays by biblical scholars that examine certain passages of the Bible that are often cited in political debate.  The contributors present an unbiased look at the original historical context of the passages in order to see whether or not they are misrepresented in the political sphere.  Read more   
Honoring Faculty Scholarly Accomplishments Honor

Office of Sponsored Programs Recognition Reception

JMU's Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) hosted the inaugural Recognition Reception to honor faculty and staff involved in the pursuit of external funding during fiscal year 2016.  The event featured remarks from university leadership and faculty scholars, including Provost Jerry Benson, Vice Provost Yvonne Harris, Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics Cynthia Bauerle, and Associate Professor of Engineering Olga Pierrakos to name a few.  These distinguished speakers addressed the importance of external programs and projects to the vitality of the university and faculty careers.  An award ceremony recognized various accomplishments of JMU principal investigators, as well as the support staff in their efforts to seek, secure, and manage external funding at JMU.  Read more



Noftsinger Celebration of Madison Scholarship

JMU Research & Scholarship hosted the 6th Noftsinger Celebration of Madison Scholarship in October.  This annual event celebrates the scholarly achievements of faculty, promotes a better understanding and appreciation of the many diverse forms of scholarship that exist across campus, and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration through panel discussions and themed networking sessions.  As an additional form of recognition, the JMU Provost Award Winner for Excellence in Research and Scholarship delivered a keynote presentation on the topic of motivation.  The 2016 honor went to Professor of Psychology Dr. Kenn Barron.
Spotlight on International StabilizationSpotlight


Celebrating 20 years of Service

The Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.  For the past two decades, CISR has worked worldwide to help communities build peaceful and prosperous futures free from the repercussions of war and disaster.  CISR helps communities affected by conflict and trauma through innovative research, training, information exchange and direct services.  Read more

CISR Associate Hosts President Obama


Dr. Ken Rutherford, CISR Director, awards Thiphasone Soukhathammavong  a certificate of completion for the 2016 Global Senior Managers' Course in ERW and Mine Action.  Mr. Soukhathammavong is currently the Director of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Laos, the national UXO clearance operator.

In September, Mr. Soukhathammavong hosted President Obama at the UXO Laos headquarters.  Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world, with many of the explosives dating from the Vietnam War.  During the visit, President Obama announced that $90 million over 5 years would be given to Laos to help safely clear unexploded remnants of war.


International Studies Association Conference

Two papers by Director Rutherford were recently accepted by the International Studies Association (ISA) to be presented at their annual convention in February.  ISA is the largest association for international relations scholars in the world, and this year's conference will focus on global politics.  Dr. Rutherford, who also holds the rank of Professor in the JMU Political Science Department, was also invited to chair a panel on Security in Africa.
Theatre and Dance Partners with Sentara RMHDance


A new partnership between James Madison University and Sentara RMH will allow dance majors in the School of Theatre and Dance to receive training and treatment, much like athletic trainers provide for other sports at JMU.  Three years in the making, this program is the brainchild of Sarah Gosselin, a JMU alumna who now works as a physical therapist at the Sentara RMH Orthopedic Center.  Gosselin graduated from JMU in 2008 with a double major in dance and pre-physical therapy.  According to Gosselin, the goal of this partnership is "to provide dancers with quick and easy access to a medical professional who specifically understands their needs and demands, and how best to treat them."  Read more
Voices of Scholarship: Dr. Tim WaltonVoices
This edition of Voices of Scholarship features Intelligence Analysis Associate Professor Dr. Tim Walton, who traces his path to JMU, beginning with his service in the U.S. Navy to a distinguished career with the CIA.  His research centers on the history of intelligence and how to improve the intelligence analysis process through lessons learned from past intelligence operations.
James Madison University | Research & Scholarship |  www.jmu.edu/research