CASA faculty among honorees for Helen Stevens Outstanding International Educator Award

Tamara McKinnon, a nursing professor, and Linda Levine, a health science and recreation professor, in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, will be honored with the Helen Stevens Outstanding International Educator Award on Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. in the Martin Luther King Library, Room 225/227. Yasue Yanai, a World Languages and Literatures professor, will also be recognized at the event.

Dr. Tamara McKinnon, far right, and students Mina Paz Arzadon and Claudine Luzano appeared on  "Good Morning Grenada," one of 5 media appearances by the group during their program.

Dr. Tamara McKinnon, far right, and students Mina Paz Arzadon and Claudine Luzano appeared on
“Good Morning Grenada,” one of 5 media appearances by the group during their program.

McKinnon led a pilot international program in Grenada this summer which included 23 nursing and occupational therapy students from SJSU who completed a global service-learning course on the Caribbean island. During their visit, students met with the Ministry of Health, hospitals and clinics and also had an opportunity to visit clinical sites throughout the island. The students participated in a health fair in a rural part of the island, conducting home visits to train family members and local students, and conducted television and radio interviews. The students all kept a reflective journal during their trip with photos and narrative.

The core principles of the program included compassion, curiosity, courage, collaboration, creativity, capacity building and competence, according to McKinnon.

Levine spent part of her summer in Paris, teaching 14 students about the history and diversity of France. During their trip, which provided credit in two GE areas, students learned about various cultures that included different religious backgrounds, occupational backgrounds and other aspects of identity. During the trip students had the opportunity to visit the Chateau de Marseilles, Musee D’Orsay and to take a Thai/French cooking class, among other activities. Levine encouraged students to consider study abroad programs with a blog post (http://blogs.sjsu.edu/casa/2014/08/20/enterprising-students-find-unique-ways-to-fund-study-abroad/)sharing some of the creative ways her former students raised money for their trips, from making macarons to sending donation request letters to family and friends.

SJSU students enrolled in the faculty-led program "Paris: City of Culture," took a bike tour around Paris.

Linda Levine, center in a blue top, taught “Paris: City of Culture.”

Linda Levine earns ‘Outstanding Faculty Award’ from Quarterback Club

Linda Levine received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the SJSU Quarterback Club at the first football game of the season.

Linda Levine received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the SJSU Quarterback Club at the first football game of the season.

Linda Levine, a Health Science and Recreation professor, in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts at San José State University was awarded the Outstanding Faculty Award by the SJSU Quarterback Club for her many years of inspiring and supporting Student Athletes. She was celebrated on the football field during the first game of the season on Thursday, Aug. 28 against North Dakota. She enjoyed the game and fireworks from the Provost’s box and routed home a 42-10 win.

Enterprising students find unique ways to fund study abroad

SJSU students solicited sponsorships, baked and found other ways to raise money to head to Paris

By Linda Levine, Health Science and Recreation, College of Applied Sciences and Arts, and David Buseck, Global Studies, College of Social Science

Nearly everyone I have ever met who has studied abroad agrees that to do so is worth every penny spent. Unfortunately, the steep price tag frightens many students off before they begin. While the numbers might deter interested students away, it’s important to note that not only the wealthy students travel – it is the creative and determined ones who find themselves studying in France with us each summer on the Faculty-Led Program “Paris: City of Cultures!”

Students in Linda Levine and David Buseck's faculty-led studio abroad program visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Students in Linda Levine and David Buseck’s faculty-led study abroad program visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

For our 2013 Faculty-Led Program to Paris, Hospitality Management Student Sarah Moline took our suggestion to write a letter to potential supporters and she was delighted at the response. Sarah made contact with potential sponsors through snail mail and e-mail. Her list included friends, relatives, co-workers, old teachers, service agencies, her religious institution and others. She reminded people who she was, she included photos of herself and iconic French locations. She emitted a contagious enthusiasm for her upcoming experience highlighting how learning about French culture and visiting businesses in France would support her career goals. She included details about the program and how she believed our study abroad experience was an investment in her future. She said that sponsorship for this experience would be the perfect graduation present in advance. She followed up with individual thank you notes, a group newsletter during the trip and a personal post card to donors who gave $100 or more.

Health Science major Jayne Baltazar baked her way to “Paris: City of Cultures” ’14 by selling delicious macarons, the favorite sweet of the French. This was not a small bake sale: Jayne paid for her airfare, tuition, housing, food and everything associated with the trip by selling 7,000 macarons at approximately a $1 a piece. If you do the math that is $7,000 raised from the time of acceptance in the Fall until the plane took off in June! She has been so successful that she now intends to pay off her student loans this way to be debt free at graduation. She is also considering baking as part of her future.

In 2012, two creative students got their families and friends involved by saving glass bottles to recycle. Other resourceful student travellers reached out to family friends offering to cater or act as servers and dishwashers for fall and winter holiday meals and parties around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. They earned hundreds of dollars each night. Students who were committed to our study abroad moved home for the semester, took out loans, took second jobs or drastically restricted spending to ensure they had the money to make the trip possible.

Health Science student Jayne Baltazar baked and sold macarons to raise money to attend a faculty-led program in Paris.

Health Science student Jayne Baltazar baked and sold macarons to raise money to attend a faculty-led program in Paris.

With the benefit of ingenuity, creativity, confidence and perseverance students can embark on a fundraising journey that paves the way for their global experience. When Jayne was asked about her favorite aspects of her study abroad experience she said paying for it herself through her new business endeavor, Macaron by Jayne, was high on the list of associated joys and personal accomplishments. Eating macarons at famous boulangeries (bakeries) and patisseries (pastry shops) while fulfilling her dream to travel to Paris was a close second. And, making the “Paris: City of Cultures” video to entice future students to study abroad with us was a near third!

For more information on the Faculty-Led Program “Paris: City of Cultures” contact Linda.Levine@sjsu.edu.

To view a video promoting the program by Jayne Baltazar, visit: Video Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqe5kMMcVvo&feature=youtu.be

New faces take on leadership roles in College of Applied Sciences and Arts

Vinh City2

Alice Hines, right, meets with representatives at partner universities in Vietnam as part of the Social Work Education Enhancement Program.

Alice Hines, Interim Dean

Dr. Alice Hines took over the top administrative role in San José State University’s College of Applied Sciences and Arts as interim dean on July 1, 2014, after three years of serving as an Associate Dean for the College. In her three years as an Associate Dean, Hines oversaw curriculum and scheduling processes for the college, reviewed student petitions, and worked closely with departments and schools to foster international partnerships. She is the co-director of the Social Work Education Enhancement Program, which is funded with a grant from USAID to provide Social Work training for educators in Vietnam. She and her team hosted a fellowship and conference in 2013-14 that brought representatives from partner universities in Vietnam to SJSU for intensive training.  In her role, she has also traveled to Vietnam to visit the partner universities.

As Associate Dean, Hines helped to shepherd in a new scholarship with donor Helen L. Stevens, dedicated to supplementing the cost of faculty-led study abroad programs. For the first year, Stevens donated 12- $500 scholarships to CASA students enrolled in faculty-led study abroad programs for the summer. Hines has expressed a dedication to continued expansion of the international experience initiative in the College beyond the first three pilot programs started this summer so more CASA students have the opportunity to study in other countries.

Before joining the dean’s office staff, Hines worked in the School of Social Work, where her scholarly work focused on: substance abuse and risk of AIDS, particularly among ethnic and cultural minority groups; methodological issues in research especially as they pertain to diverse cultural and ethnic groups; and, research on child and family-related issues with a particular focus on examining family-based correlates of adolescent and young adult development. She served as director of the School of Social work from 2005-2011. Hines has an M.S.W and Ph.D from the University of California, Berkeley.

Pamela Richardson, Acting Associate Dean

Dr. Pamela Richardson joined the Dean's Office staff for the College of Applied Sciences and Arts in July as acting associate chair.

Dr. Pamela Richardson joined the Dean’s Office staff for the College of Applied Sciences and Arts in July as acting associate chair.

Pamela Richardson joined the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, Dean’s Office staff as Acting Associate Dean in July 2014. As acting associate dean, she will have a role in facilitating curriculum development, scheduling and the expansion of international programs for the College. She served as Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy for the past two years, coordinating a major curriculum revision and program update. Dr. Richardson is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Richardson was the 2011 Honored Lecturer for the California Foundation for Occupational Therapy and received the California Occupational Therapy Association Award of Excellence in 2013.

Dr. Richardson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma , Wash.; a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Medicine and a Ph.D in Early Childhood Special Education/ Rehabilitation Medicine from the University of Washington, in Seattle. Her research and clinical interests include social participation of children with disabilities, play-based and peer-mediated interventions for children with autism, family-centered therapy services, occupational justice issues for youth, transition services for youth with autism, international occupational therapy practice and online teaching. She has taught and presented recently from the inaugural interdisciplinary study abroad course focused on community health in Grenada with OT and nursing faculty and students. She developed and managed a bilateral study abroad program between the departments of occupational therapy at SJSU and the University of Western Sydney, one of the first study abroad programs for students in an occupational therapy curriculum. She helped to design the curriculum for the online Master’s degree in occupational therapy at SJSU and coordinated and taught in the program for several years.

Matthew Masucci, Chair, Kinesiology

Matthew Masucci is the new chair for the Kinesiology Department. He takes the helm after 12 years teaching in the department.

Matthew Masucci is the new chair for the Kinesiology Department. He takes the helm after 12 years teaching in the department.

Dr. Matthew Masucci started as the chair of Kinesiology on July 1, 2014. He oversees a department with an estimated 1,000 students enrolled, including a hundred whom are graduate students. Within the department, there are eight different concentrations ranging from adapted physical activity to exercise and fitness to athletic training to societal studies, among others. Masucci has been a professor of Interdisciplinary Sports Studies in the Kinesiology department since 2002, when he joined SJSU as a full-time temporary faculty member. His background when he joined the faculty included a strong interdisciplinary focus. He earned a bachelor’s in philosophy and psychology at Salisbury University, a master’s in philosophy from Ohio University and had started his Ph.D in Socialcultural Foundations of Sport and Cultural Studies at the University of Tennessee when he came to the Bay Area. He completed his Ph.D while vying for a tenure-track position in the department. Masucci’s research includes an examination of mixed martial arts (MMA) from cultural, historical and psychological perspectives. For the project, he spent a year conducting participant-ethnography where he was both a student and researcher, interviewing participants from a local MMA studio in San Jose, among other projects. For more on Masucci, visit http://blogs.sjsu.edu/casa/2014/07/24/profile-new-chair-prepares-for-first-year-as-head-of-kinesiology/

 

Anne Demers, Interim Chair, Health Science and Recreation

Anne Demers will serve as interim chair for Health Science and Recreation.

Anne Demers will serve as interim chair for Health Science and Recreation.

Dr. Anne Demers will take on the role of interim chair of Health Science and Recreation in Fall 2014. Her goals for 2014-15 include:

  • Conducting successful searches for HS&R open faculty lines;
  • Working with faculty to begin developing a strategic plan; and
  • Working with faculty to explore the possibilities for fully integrating Health Science and Recreation.

She has a master’s of Public Health from SJSU and an EdD from University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Demers is an Associate Professor of Public Health at SJSU. She is past chair of the university’s Veterans Advisory Committee and is a current member of the Santa Clara County Collaborative for Veterans and Military Families. She has many years of experience in the study of organizations, social systems, education and community change. Her research interests include anthropological methods; the related areas of disenfranchisement from community, identity, and mental health; and evaluation of the policy and service interventions designed to support re-integration into communities. Dr. Demers is a content area expert in the mental health issues of veterans’ and their loved ones. Her work includes an ethnographic study documenting the experiences of veterans and their loved ones in San Francisco Bay Area and the San Diego area. This project was funded by California Endowment and the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund. She is currently a Co-Principal Investigator on Exploring Intimate Partner Relationship Issues among Veterans and Their Partners on College Campuses in California, funded by Blue Shield of California Foundation. She has co-developed curriculum to assist veterans (in their transition from military to civilian life) and their loved ones (in supporting their veterans). She co-designed a course to assist veterans with transition and reintegration – Warriors at Home: Succeeding in College, Life and Relationships and designed a course, specifically for veterans, to meet the California State University writing requirement –Writing for Professionals: Skills for Veterans. Dr. Demers’ work has been published in the mental health literature, and she has been an invited keynote speaker and presented her work at numerous professional conferences, including the American Public Health Association and the Society for Public Health Education. In addition, she has been an invited speaker at various local, state, and national summits, including the Department Of Defense Task Force on Veterans’ Mental Health; the Northern California Grantmakers Briefing on veterans’ issues; Combat to Community: A Community Summit on the Mental Health and Wellness of Veterans and Their Families; and The Aspen Institute’s Veterans Initiative.

Liz Cara, Acting Chair, Occupational Therapy

Dr. Liz Cara is the acting chair of Occupational Therapy.

Dr. Liz Cara is the acting chair of Occupational Therapy.

Dr. Liz Cara took over the role of acting chair for the Occupational Therapy department in July 2014. Dr. Cara  is responsible for all administrative and personnel issues concerning the faculty and students of the department. These include: hiring and supervision of faculty, budget, department resource allocation, scheduling and supervision of staff. She is the representative of the department on various College and University committees. She serves as the liaison to the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education in matters of accreditation, certification of students, and compliance with Standards. Dr. Cara, PhD, OTR/L, MFCC, received her Certificate of Proficiency in occupational therapy from the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Santa Clara University, a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from John F. Kennedy University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Fielding Graduate University. Dr. Cara’s clinical experience is in the rehabilitation of people with mental disabilities. She is the co-editor and co-author of a popular text with both students and professors, Psychosocial Occupational Therapy: A Clinical Practice, currently in its 3rd. edition. She has published papers on clinical fieldwork, infant mental health, and Dian Fossey, the occupational therapist and primatologist, one of program’s most famous graduates. Dr. Cara was selected for San Jose State University’s Teacher-Scholar program for 2006-2007 and served as President of the SJSU California Faculty Association for more than 700 faculty members. Her scholarly interests include psychobiography, clinical supervision, infant and family mental health, group dynamics, interpersonal communication, and psychosocial disorders, and causes and prevention of genocide. Dr. Cara is a native of San Francisco and fervent follower of the San Francisco Giants and 49ers.

Applied Sciences and Arts International program pilots launch

During the summer, three departments and schools in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts launched international programs for what Interim Dean Alice Hines hopes will eventually encompass all the departments and schools within the college.

Students in Occupational Therapy, the Valley Foundation School of Nursing and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication participated in various Faculty-Led Study Abroad programs that took them to places such as Europe, Grenada, Vietnam and Taiwan.

 Vietnam

While the ultimate goal is that all students who graduate with a degree from the College of Applied Sciences and Arts will participate in some sort of international experience, nine OT students participated in the summer pilot.  For a course in Vietnam, students were expected to examine the relationship between the cultures and environment in Vietnam by looking at the ways humans adapt and impact their natural environments.  During the trip, students visited temples, pagodas and cultural sites where they conducted a type of ethnographic research called “thick descriptions.”

Liz Cara, the acting chair for OT, said the students “have an awareness of other people and cultures and of themselves as global citizens and advocates for the well-being in international health.” While OT faculty visited universities to talk about Occupational Therapy, the students had a chance to present to faculty at Da Lat University. They also participated in “Tea Talks” at Sozo Café, in Saigon, which is a café that employees people with disabilities and sponsors students who do volunteer work with disadvantaged groups.  The SJSU students met with groups to answer questions about the US and discuss experiences with cultural aspects and health systems in Vietnam. They also presented a slide show presentation on occupational therapy at the café.

Grenada

Debbie Nelson oversees screenings and health education at Health Fair in Guave during the Grenada study abroad program.

Debbie Nelson oversees screenings and health education at the Health Fair in Guave during the Grenada study abroad program.

A group of 23 students from Nursing and Occupational Therapy traveled to Grenada, West Indies for a global service-learning course. Nursing Faculty Tamara McKinnon, Deborah Nelson and then Occupational Therapy Chair Pamela Richardson traveled with students to the Caribbean island where students were able to achieve clinical course objectives through on-site activities as well as through the use of simulation prior to and following the global experience.

During their visit, students met with the Ministry of Health, Hospitals and clinics and also had an opportunity to visit clinical sites throughout the island. The students participated in a health fair in a rural part of the island, conducting home visits to train family members and local students, and conducted television and radio interviews. The students all kept a reflective journal during their trip with photos and narrative.

The core principles of the program included compassion, curiosity, courage, collaboration, creativity, capacity building and competence, according to McKinnon.

France, Spain and Belgium

Twenty-two SJSU students joined Dr. Matt Cabot, associate professor in SJSU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications, on a four-week global leadership program in Europe. The students spent three weeks in Paris, and one week in Madrid, visiting some of Europe’s top strategic communication firms and experiencing a wide variety of cultural activities. Students also spent a day in Brussels, Belgium, where they attended two lectures at the European Commission. All the

SJSU students enrolled in the faculty-led program "Paris: City of Culture," took a book tour around Paris.

SJSU students enrolled in the faculty-led program “Paris: City of Culture,” took a bike tour around Paris.

activities were designed to help students develop the kind of “global mindset” necessary to think, act, and lead globally.

Linda Levine, a professor in the department of Health Science and Recreation, along with David Buseck, of International and Exte

nd Studies, created an FLP called “Paris: City of Culture.” This summer 14 students were able to attend the program to learn about the history and diversity of France, with an emphasis on Paris. During their trip, which provided credit in two GE areas, students learned about various cultures that included different religious backgrounds, occupational backgrounds and other aspects of identity. During the trip students had the opportunity to visit the Chateau de Marseilles, Musee D’Orsay and to take a Thai/French cooking class, among other places.

Taiwan

After a successful pilot program last summer, Chia-Ling Mao, from the Valley Foundation School of Nursing, ran another Faculty Led Program to Taiwan this summer, with Megan Chang, of Occupational Therapy. This year’s group consisted of nursing and occupational therapy students. Having students from different departments participate in this year’s program gave the students an opportunity to foster interdisciplinary relationships and learn from each other. The main goal of this program was to increase students’ cultural competency, promote and facilitate cultural exchange, and expand students’ worldview. The adventure in Taiwan exposed student to the three levels of healthcare. Seeing Taiwan’s National Health Insurance program in action was an eye-opening experience for the students. During the trip, the students were tasked to design a health promotion activity for the elderly. The students were able to incorporate occupational therapy and nursing activities together to design a range of motion exercise suitable for the geriatric population.  By the end of the program, the students all expressed aspects of their experiences in which they could implement into their future practices as health-care providers.

Students showed their SJSU spirit with a banner as they traveled through Taiwan.

Students showed their SJSU spirit with a banner as they traveled through Taiwan.

Advice for students and faculty

“We learn to be curious and educate ourselves, rather than to be judgmental and walk away,” said Levine, in an email. “Students actively engaged in learning about the histories and governments and currencies, business, educational and health care systems” that share similarities and differences with American systems.

Levine said, though she grew up with many travel experiences with parents who were international tour directors, it wasn’t until she traveled on her own as a college student “that the light bulb of personal transformation was illuminated.”

“The students of today are so much more connected to the resources of the world than even we were a generation ago, but there is nothing like leaving the comforts of home to experience a new culture first hand,” she said.

For the OT students, the goals of the course included demonstrating knowledge of global social issues and prevailing health and welfare needs of populations with or at risk for disabilities and chronic health conditions; analysis of the current policy issues and the social, economic, political, cultural, geographic and demographic factors that influence the practice of occupational therapy outside of the United States; to evaluate and address the various contexts of health care, education, community, political and social systems as they relate to the practice of occupational therapy outside of the United States; Articulate how occupational therapists collaborate with Interprofessional teams, clients, families, and communities in the design and implementation of sustainable and culturally relevant services; and reflect on the impact of the international experience on their professional development and identity as an occupational therapist and as a global citizen.

Cara said she recommended departments interested in developing new FLPs start early.

“The first experience is primarily exploratory and will hopefully lead to fuller experiences with more hands-on practical experiences,” she said via email. “The orientations prior to traveling are tremendously valuable so make sure they are well-planned.”

Levine said the time and work put in for the first one to two years “pays off in spades after that,” though she added that it does take patience to complete the Faculty-Led Program paperwork required to create a new international program.

“My advice would be to stay on top of all the SJSU requirements and demands,” she said.

Cara also recommended preparing students for traveling by letting them know it can be unpredictable.

“It is unpredictable and accommodations are not always what you envision so be flexible,” she said. “If you are flexible, you will be rewarded with memories and self-awareness that will last for a life time.”

Cara said for her students the opportunity to spend time overseas has allowed to think with more of a “worldcentric” lens and to think about how they will be global citizens.