David Purcell , Sociology
dpurcell@kent.edu

Devid Purcell received a B.A. in Computer Science from Thomas More College in 1988, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Cincinnati in 2007. In between two stints in graduate school, he worked primarily in the educational software publishing industry. Then he joined the KSU sociology department in fall 2007. He regularly teachs Race and Ethnic Studies and Inequality in Societies. In 2008-09, he will also teach a First Year Experience Flashpoint class, as well as a graduate seminar on Culture and Work.

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E. Owen Carew , Mathematical Science
ecarew@kent.edu

Evelyn Carew received his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Sierra Leone, M.S. from the University of Reading, U.K., in “Numerical solution of differential equations”, and his Ph.D. from the University of Wales Swansea, U.K, with a thesis entitled “Finite element simulation of creeping viscoelastic flow”.

His professional experience has been entirely in research and teaching. From May 1996 to December 2003, he worked at the Biomedical Engineering department of the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, investigating the biomechanics of soft tissues, specifically heart valves. Before joining KSU, he held adjunct faculty positions in Mathematics (Kent State University Geauga, Cleveland State University, and Cuyahoga Community College) and Biomedical Engineering (Cleveland State University). He joined the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Kent State Salem in the Fall of 2005. At the Salem campus, he has taught Developmental Math, Introduction to College Math, Fundamental Math, Modeling Algebra, College Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus.

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Helen Piontkivska , Biology
rlogan@kent.edu

Helen is an Entomologist turned population geneticist turned bioinformaticist (with a passion for genetics). Her research interests are in computational and evolutionary analyses of genomic sequences. On one hand, she is looking at the evolution of pathogens (viruses like HIV, and also bacteria) to better understand mechanisms that drive changes in their genomes and how this information can be used to combat these pathogens. On the other hand, in her “geneticist” hat, she is looking for genetic biomarkers of human diseases, including cancer. She can run a “dry” computers-only lab, and can spend most of her days working on data mining data and evolutionary analyses.

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Hyangsook Lee, Journalism and Mass Communication
hlee9@kent.edu

Hyangsook Lee teaches newspaper design, magazine design and informational graphics in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Lee joined the KSU faculty in spring 2007 as an assistant professor in information design. Lee began her newspaper career as a graphics intern at Newsday in Melville, New York in 1997 and spent the summer at The New York Times in 1998. She worked at The Tennessean, a Gannett newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee from 1998 to 2003 and spent the following two-and-a-half years at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. Lee earned her M.Ed. from Ohio University, and her B.A. in Computer Engineering from Hongik University in South Korea. She did additional study at the Watkins College of Art and Design in Nashville. Her research interests include newspaper design, magazine design, 2-D informational graphics, 3-D modeling and animation, and Flash animation.

Jeffrey T. Child, School of Communication Studies
jchild@kent.edu

Jeffrey T. Child (Ph.D., 2007, North Dakota State University) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies at Kent State University.  His research has examined communication and technology-based issues in interpersonal and family, organizational, and educational settings.  His current research explores the influence of parental, peer, and media influences on young adults’ blogging behaviors, communication, and privacy management.  Jeff currently teaches advanced interpersonal communication and communication research methods at the undergraduate level and relational communication, teaching of college communication, and quantitative research methods at the graduate level. 

Jeff is an active lifetime member of several associations, including the National Communication Association, the International Communication Association, Central States Communication Association, and Eastern Communication Association.  He has presented his research at multiple conferences from world, international, national, and regional communication associations.  His articles have appeared in Management Communication Quarterly, Communication Education, Communication Quarterly, Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, Health Communication, Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, and Communication Research Reports

Karen Kritzer, Educational Foundation and Social Services
kkritzer@kent.edu

New to the Ohio area, Karen L. Kritzer has lived in a variety of locations in the Northeast.  She was born and raised in New York, the Queens/Long Island area.  She received her B.A as a Teacher of the Speech and Hearing Handicapped from Hofstra University then moved to the Washington D.C area to pursue a degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University.  After earning her M.A from Gallaudet, Karen returned to New York, where she spent time working as a teacher at a variety of schools for the deaf in the New York area.   After a year in New York, Karen moved out to New England.  She taught for five years in a program for deaf students in Massachusetts, while living in Rhode Island.

With an interest in mathematics curriculum for deaf students, Karen moved to Pittsburgh where she pursued her Ph.D in Special Education. Her dissertation focused on early childhood mathematics for deaf students, and the role that parents and families play in deaf students’ development of early mathematics concepts.

Karen has just completed her first year at Kent State University in the department of Educational Foundations and Special Services. Her specialization is Deaf Education. Karen’s research interests include: early childhood mathematics with deaf children; the role of families in developing school readiness; and the development of thinking skills. 

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Ramona Freeman , Teaching Leadership & Curr Studies
rfreema1@kent.edu

Ramona received her Ph.D. from the University of Akron in Curricular and Instructional Studies. After having taught at the elementary level in Florida and Ohio, she owned and operated an academically focused child care program while serving as editor of a family child care newsletter for the Northeast Ohio Provider’s network. She taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, and co-authored a grant from The Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children. She has been appointed to the editorial review committee for ScholarlyPartnershipsEdu, and has presented at numerous state and national conferences. Her contributions to journals include: The Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, The International Journal of Learning, Early Childhood Education Journal, Young Children, and Early Childhood News. She is a member of the American Education Research Association, The Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Association of Family Child Care, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Phi Delta Kappa, and The North American Reggio Emilia Association.

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Steve L. Turner, Teaching Leadership & Curr Studies
sturner6@kent.edu

Steve L. Turner is an assistant professor in the Teaching, Leadership and Curriculum Studies Department. He teachs undergraduate and graduate courses in Middle Childhood Education, and Curriculum and Instruction. He joined the KSU faculty in 2005. He earned his PhD in Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education at the University of Virginia (2005) and my M.Ed from Boston University (2000). His dual undergraduate degree was honors liberal studies and special education from Longwood University (1998). His research interests include and methods for preparing K-12 teacher candidates to integrate ethical and appropriate high-stakes test preparation without narrowing curriculum or teaching to the test. His current research projects include the retention, support and professional development for first-year middle school teachers; and examining the alignment between how students learn and how teachers teach. Recent publications include articles in Teachers College Record-TCR, Principal and Ohio Middle School Journal.

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Susan Iverson is Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel. Prior to joining the faculty in 2006, Iverson served as adjunct faculty in both Higher Educational Leadership and Women's Studies at the University of Maine, where she also worked as Associate Director of Safe Campus Project, a federally grant-funded initiative to address interpersonal violence on campus. Prior to UMaine, Iverson worked as a student affairs administrator at colleges in Massachusetts and Virginia. Her scholarly interests focus on campus climates and cultures. More specifically, Iverson has engaged research on the following topics: diversity planning, women and advancement, service-learning, and uses of theatre to address social justice issues.

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Mary Louise, Holly

Center director
Facilitator