College of
Arts & Sciences
Newsletter
Spring 2014 EDITION
College of
Arts & Sciences
The College of Arts and
Sciences is at the center of
academic life at the University
of South Alabama. The College
offers outstanding degree
programs in the arts, humanities,
social sciences and natural
sciences at the undergraduate
and graduate level, and provides
general education instruction for
all undergraduate students at
the University.
Dean
Dr. Andrzej Wierzbicki
Associate Dean
Dr. S. L. Varghese
Dr. Victoria L. Rivizzigno
Assistant Dean
Dr. Robert L. Coleman
Assistant to the Dean
Dr. Donald DeVore
Faculty Advisors
Ms. Nadia Bush
Dr. Robert L. Coleman
Editor
Katlyn Conklin
Designer
Daniel Moran
Contributors
Jimena Bellido
Destinee Bliss
Kendall Goldman
Jessica Head
Noah Logan
Catherine K. Pitman
Kristi Williams
Members of
USA’s Public
Relations Student
Society of America, Public
Relations Council of Alabama
and Southern Public Relations
Federation chapter wrote and
designed the contents of this
publication.
University of South Alabama
2
College of
Arts & Sciences
Dean’s Letter
As Dean of the College of Arts
& Sciences, I invite you to explore
the Spring 2014 Newsletter for the
College. As you will see, a lot of
important things are happening
with faculty, staff, students and
alumni. For example, this edition
of the Newsletter features Mr.
Jason Guynes, Chairperson of the
Department of Visual Arts. Mr.
Guynes won “Best in Show” for his
self-portrait at the biennial Art of
the State exhibition at the Tennessee
Valley Museum of Art. You will
also want to read the two articles
that highlight the important work
being done through two College
of Arts & Sciences’ Centers, Dr.
Steve Picou’s Coastal Resource and
Resiliency Center, and Dr. Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling’s Gulf Coast Behavioral Health and
Resiliency Center. The creation of both Centers is directly related to funds from the settlement
of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Both Centers have significant impact
on the Gulf Coast community. Other articles feature Dr. Vicky Rivizzigno, Associate Dean of the
College, who will be retiring soon, Dr. Sarah Koon-Magnin of the Department of Political Science/
Criminal Justice, and Dr. Lesley Gregoricka, of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and
Social Work.
The Department of Music is always performing at the highest levels, and this is very evident in
the Newsletter’s article on the USA Trumpet Ensemble’s trip to perform at the Valley Forge. The
Alumni Spotlight page features Megan Heatherly (a Spanish and International Studies double
major) and Ashley Hoye (Communication major). You will also find news about recent graduates
Sandra Huynh, Kaila Matson, Jake Howell, and Micah Crenshaw.
This edition of the Newsletter also highlights four members of the Dean’s Leadership Council
(DLC): Ms. Gigi Armbrecth, Chairperson of the DLC, Mr. Jerry Friedlander, Dr. Sally Caldwell,
and Mr. Bill Oppenheimer. The other members of the DLC—Dr. M. Allam Baaheth, Mrs. Patricia
McCrory, Dr. Woody Hannum, Dr. Paul Helminger, Ms. Rickie Voit, and Mr. John McCall—will
be spotlighted in subsequent Newsletters. The DLC members are people in the community
committed to the mission of the College of Arts & Sciences, and particularly, the DLC members
help finding funding support from the community for A & S priorities.
The Newsletter concludes with some faculty and staff news about grants, publications,
conferences and other accolades. In addition, there is an article about high percentage of A & S
majors in Mortar Board, the senior honors society, and about the A & S faculty members selected
as Top Profs by the students in Mortar Board.
As you will see, this Newsletter’s purpose is to inform you about the outstanding
accomplishments of our faculty, students, alumni and supporters. I am happy to share their
accomplishments with you, and I welcome your feedback on this
issue and on the College of Arts & Sciences as a whole.
Dr. Andrzej Wierzbicki
Dean College of Arts and Sciences
On the Cover
Created by Jason Guynes, the 50th Anniversary mural at Moulton Plaza is a representation of the
many facets of the university: teaching, research, student life, health care and outreach.
Jason Guynes wins “Best in Show”
Muralist Jason Guynes, Professor of
Art and Chairperson for the Department
of Visual Arts at the University of South
Alabama was awarded “Best in Show”
for his oil painting, “Canebreak: A SelfPortrait,” in the Art of the State exhibit at
the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art in
Tuscumbia, Alabama, on Jan. 21, 2014. His
painting remained on display until March 7,
2014.
The Tennessee Valley Museum of
Art hosted its third biennial Art of State
exhibition from January 19 to March 7. The
exhibit invited studio art faculty members
from Alabama universities and colleges to
participate in the exhibit. This year 26 art
faculty from 14 universities in the state of
Alabama were invited to participate.
“The 38 works presented diverse
Trumpet
Ensemble
Performs
for Guild
commentary through a range of media,
including painting, printmaking,
photography and sculpture, and represent
the wide ranging engagement in
contemporary art by professors in the state,”
said Stephanie Qualls, curator of exhibitions.
Internationally recognized artists Jere
Allen and Ron Dale, emeritus professors
from the University of Mississippi, were
jurors for the exhibition.
“It’s always nice to be recognized,
particularly when the jurors are as well
known and highly respected, and when
there was so much exceptional work in the
show,” Guynes said.
Guynes graduated with a master of fine
arts in gainting from Tulane University in
1991. Since his graduation, he has dedicated
nearly 22 years toward educating others. He
The USA Trumpet Ensemble, a group of six
students, was invited to perform at the annual 2014
International Trumpet Guild Conference.
The conference hosts dozens of professional
and amateur musicians as wells as speakers.
Performances and instrument demonstrations are a
big part of the five day event, from May 20-24, 2014,
at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania.
Housed in the USA Department of Music, the
USA Trumpet Ensemble is comprised of students
Paige Nelson, Dennis Parker, Drew Pritchard,
Jimmy Rogers, Nathan Shadix and Shawn Wright,
and Dr. Peter Wood, Associate Professor of Music,
directs the Ensemble.
has worked at Oklahoma Panhandle State
University (OPSU), the University of West
Alabama (UWA) and finally the University
of South Alabama. As many readers know,
he painted the 50th Anniversary mural at
the Bell Tower at Moulton Plaza on the USA
campus.
As for mural paining, Guynes says he
was interested from an early age. “I suppose
that I got into it in the fifth grade when Mrs.
Pitts, my homeroom teacher, asked me
to paint a mural on the back of the cubby
holes,” he said. “Growing up, it was strictly
forbidden to color on walls in our house-something I dearly wanted to do. And, after
all these years, it still feels like I’m getting
away with something when I paint a mural.”
This is the ensemble’s third performance for
trumpet players and teachers from all over the
world. They have previously performed in Sydney,
Australia, in 2010, and in Columbus, Georgia, in
2012.
The International Trumpet Guild is a nonprofit organization established in 1975 to promote
communication among trumpet players and to
improve the artistic level of performance, teaching
and literature associated with the trumpet. ITG
boasts more than 5,000 members from 56 countries.
The Guild invites membership from anyone
interested in the trumpet profession. Its members
include amateur performers, students, teachers,
manufacturers and publishers.
College of
Arts & Sciences
3
Student
News
Catherine Zivanov, is a sophomore in the Honors
Program at USA and has recently received the
Goldwater Scholarship Award.
Student Corner:
Catherine Zivanov: NSF-REU AWARD WINNER
One USA student was given the privilege of receiving
a travel grant to attend the 247th American Chemical
Society (ACS) National Meeting this past March.
Catherine Zivanov, a sophomore Chemistry major,
received this special grant by the National Science
Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates
(NSF-REU). The program supports undergraduate
students with their active research in any areas funded
by the NSF.
Zivanov heard about the grant from Dr. Anne
Boeettcher, the NSF-REU program coordinator for USA,
and from Dr. David Forbes, Chair of the Department of
Chemistry as well as Zivanov’s research mentor.
“Catherine Zivanov was one of 10 students selected
out of over 100 applicants to participate in the 2013 NSFREU Site on Structure and Function of Proteins hosted
by the University of South Alabama,” said Boettcher.
“I was excited when I found out I was one of the
recipients,” Zivanov stated when asked about the award.
Previous to attending the conference, Zivanov said she
was looking forward to presenting at the ACS National
Meeting and gathering with chemists from all over
the country. The theme was “Chemistry and Materials
for Energy” and featured thousands of expositions on
breakthrough science discoveries. Topics ranged from
health and nutrition to medicine and the environment.
Zivanov presented her project, which focused on the
synthesis and analysis of norcantharidin analogs as
protein phosphatase inhibitors. When asked about why
attending this meeting would make a difference in her
career, Zivanov said it’s all about networking. “Being
able to explore career options, especially those outside of
the realm of academia, is so important. It was great being
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College of
Arts & Sciences
able to meet other chemistry majors and learn about
their research apart from my own,” she said.
Recently, Zivanov was recognized for outstanding
academics when she was awarded the prestigious Barry
Goldwater Scholarship Award and title of Goldwater
Scholar.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in
Education Program was established by Congress in
1986 to honor Arizona Senator Barry M. Goldwater,
who served 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate. The
purpose of the Foundation is to ensure a continuing
source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and
engineers by awarding scholarships to college students
who intend to pursue careers in these fields.
Boettecher and Dr. Michael Doran, Director of the
USA Honors Program, wrote reccommendations for
Zivanov for the scholarship.
Zivanov joins a small group of USA students whom
have received a grant from the NSF-REU. In 2012, USA
received $297,740 to provide research training for 10
students, for 10 weeks, during the summers of 20122014.
The continuing program focuses on integrative
sciences at the interchange of engineering, biology
and chemistry, with links to understanding protein
structure and function. Undergraduates participating in
the program conduct independent research under their
respective faculty mentors and explore the results of
their research with peers and mentors.
When not experimenting in the chemistry lab, Zivanov
works as a student assistant in the Office of the President
and is a member of the USA Honor’s Program and
Vietnamese Student Association.
Katie
Strickland,a
junior Chemistry
major and minor
in Mathematics,
is spending the
2014 summer
in Australia
at Deakin
University, doing
researching
with Dr. Maria
Forsyth, Professor
of Materials
Engineering.
Nick Grondin,
a sophomore
Meteorology
major, has been
awarded the
Undergraduate
Hollings
Scholarship, a
prestigious award
of up to $8,000
for two academic
years of full-time
study. Recipients
also get a 10week, full-time
internship ($650/
week), during
the summer at a
National Oceanic
and Atmospheric
Administration
(NOAA) facility.
Rachel Austin,
a Criminal Justice
major, has been
selected to receive
one of the nine
awards given
nationally through
the J. Edgar
Hoover Memorial
Scholarship
Program.
This award is
administered by
the Society of
Former Special
Agents of the
Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Inc.
Alumni
News
Sandra Huynh
(BA ‘12), a Biology
major, is working
at the Gulf Coast
Research Lab and
begins Oregon
State University’s
graduate program
next fall.
Kaila Matson
(BA ‘11), a
Chemistry major
and previous
recipient of
the Goldwater
Scholar, is
finishing her Ph.D.
in Chemistry at
the University of
California Santa
Barbara.
Jake Howell
(BA ‘12), a Biology
major, is currently
working on his
graduate thesis at
the University of
Mississippi. He
plans to spend
this summer
in Mexico,
completing field
work on a new
project.
Micah
Crenshaw
McKibben
(BA ‘12), an Art
History major,
currently works
at the Mitchell
Cancer Center
and begins
the University
of Alabama’s
Master’s Program
in Art History this
fall.
Alumni Spotlight: Megan Heatherly
Every year Columbia University
in the City of New York reviews
applicants for their master of arts in
film studies and only a select few are
accepted.
This year, Megan Heatherly joins
this elite group of top students from
around the world. To say she is
excited is an understatement.
She moved to NYC shortly after
graduating with her bachelor of arts
in foreign languages (Spanish) in
2012 and began working at Columbia
Law School. Working with faculty
and students, she realized how much
she missed the world of academics.
“I explored ways to become
more involved on campus and
discovered the newly launched
Women Film Pioneer Project,
hosted by the Columbia University
Film Department,” Heatherly
said. “I attended a screening and
after-party for the project and had
the opportunity to talk to likeminded individuals for hours about
feminism, film theory, and how
the X-Files influenced basically all
shows that preceded it.”
This experience prompted her
to apply to for the program, and
Heatherly is one of 16 students
admitted to the Program for fall
2014.
As an undergraduate, she had
the opportunity to explore her
interests in television, film and
media while completing her senior
thesis for USA Honor’s Program
and University Committee on
Undergraduate Research program.
Heatherly says that her Honors
thesis advisor and UCUR research
mentor, Dr. Zoya Khan, Associate
Professor of Spanish, was a “very
influential figure during my studies
at USA, particularly in her Spanish
literature classes, where we would
discuss complex theories and ideas.”
With her sights set on beginning
the program and being matched up
with a current first year Columbia
graduate student for mentorship,
Heatherly is inspired to encourage
others to find ways to join the film
industry
“I would like to write, teach,
become an advocate for women’s
participation in the film and
television industries, and continue
having long discussions about
fictional characters and why I love
them,” Heatherly remarked.
Alumni Spotlight: Ashley Hoye
Former Communication major,
Ashley Hoye, recommends keeping
an open mind when preparing for
an internship.
“Get ready to not get paid and to
be thrown into the real word,” she
remarked. “Once you understand
this, a good internship experience
will open many doors in life.”
Her major concentration
was Public Relations, and she
graduated in the fall of 2013 while
simultaneously working as an intern
in Washington, D.C.
She began as an intern for
Kathleen Sebelius (pictured left),
Secretary of the Department of
Health and Human Services, and
this experience led her to another
internship in D.C.
The internship was an, “incredible
and rewarding experience,” Hoye
says. She beat out applicants
from very prestigious schools,
including Harvard University and
Yale University, and the reward,
she notes, was a life changing
experience.
She worked in the National
Mall, surrounded by many of the
most powerful and influential
leaders in the Capital. Through her
internship, Hoye was repeatedly
surrounded by U.S. Senators and
U.S. Representatives as well as other
noted government officials.
Her experience as an intern in
the office of the Assistant Secretary
to Public Affairs helped her land
the job of program officer for the
Bureau of International Information
Programs at the Department of
State. Hoye helps run and maintain
different social media outlets that
the department uses.
For students thinking about an
internship, Hoye recommends
developing relationships with
people to help with the transition
from classroom to the real word.
“Don’t be afraid to go out and meet
people at happy hour or some other
event. Find a mentor. I was blessed
that I had the best people in my field
to mentor me,” she said.
“Also, find alumni or close
friend if possible. When you leave
the University for the first time,
a familiar face, or somebody like
an alum[us], who has the same
background as you. [That] can help
ease out the process tremendously,”
Hoye adds.
College of
Arts & Sciences
5
Picou leads Coastal
Resource and
Resiliency Center
Many can recall April 20, 2010,
when the Deepwater Horizon
oil rig exploded in the Gulf of
Mexico, killing eleven workers
and creating the largest marine
oil spill in United States history.
The devastating event not only
affected the flora and fauna
within the Gulf ecosystem,
but also negatively impacted
communities throughout the
region.
Dr. J. Steven Picou, a Professor
in the Department of Sociology,
Anthropology, and Social
Work at the University of
South Alabama, has extensively
researched disasters, including
the social and psychological
effects of the 1989 Exxon
Valdez oil spill in Alaska. Not
surprisingly, his expertise has
now been directed toward the
Gulf oil spill and its effects
on coastal communities by
implementing training for
building community resiliency.
The Coastal Resource and
Resiliency Center (CRRC) is one
of several projects associated
with the Gulf Region Health
Outreach Program, focusing
on improving public and
behavioral health care access in
the areas affected by the Gulf
spill.
The primary reason for the
creation of the Center was
because the oil spill, “caused
significant ecological and
community damage,” said
Picou, director of the CRRC.
“As acute forms of social
pathology, including suicides,
became increasingly visible
in the summer of 2010, we
implemented a peer listenertraining program across
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College of
Arts & Sciences
Louisiana,
Mississippi,
Alabama and
Florida,” he
added.
In the postdisaster period,
Dr. Picou trained
more than 600
peer listeners,
providing them
the skills to help
rebuild social
capital and to
contribute to the recovery of
their communities
This is one of many steps
Picou and Dr. Keith Nicholls,
Associate Director of CRRC,
have taken in order to help
stabilize the communities
affected by the oil spill. The role
of community health workers
and volunteer peer health
advocates includes building
trust and social networks across
the region, while also providing
referrals and information to
residents in need of help.
“The peer listener concept
is one strategy for building
therapeutic social relationships
and, in effect, rebuilding trust,
reducing self-isolation and
providing distressed survivors
with important resources for
overcoming adversity,” Picou
stated.
As one of the major programs
housed within the CRRC, the
Community Health Workers
Training Project (CHWTP) is
tasked with training CHWs as
part of the overall Gulf Region
Health Outreach Program. The
primary objective of this effort
is to enhance primary and
behavioral healthcare capacity
and health literacy, especially
among disadvantaged and
underserved populations. Some
of the duties CHWs perform
include assisting people in
receiving the health care they
need, providing information
on available resources, and
providing social support and
informal counseling.
As of this time, CRRC has
trained 49 community health
workers and 26 volunteer peer
health advocates. According
to the CRRC website, these
individuals demonstrate,
“superior people skills, a
practical understanding of
healthcare obstacles and
issues, and the commitment
to contribute positively to the
health and well-being of their
respective communities.”
Nicholls says the community
health workers are trained
in communication skills and
are educated in community
attributes and dynamics, the
personal impacts of disasters
and the health resources
available throughout the
affected areas.
Trained community health
workers serve in federally
qualified health centers, faith-
based organizations, and free
clinics. Volunteer peer health
advocates work with individuals
who exhibit symptoms
warranting possible referral to
health professionals for physical,
behavioral and environmental
health services.
In addition to the four
million dollar grant received
through the Gulf Region Health
Outreach Program, CRRC was
just awarded a 2.3 million dollar
grant from the Baton Rouge
Area Foundation to expand
its training activities across
the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Nicholls further stated, “The
expanded program will include
a chronic disease training
module that helps lay health
workers identify and manage
the diseases and conditions
associated with or aggravated by
technological disasters such as
oil spills.”
Langhinrichesen-Rohling Leads
Community Health Awareness
Dr. Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling,
Professor of Psychology at USA, is the
Director of the newly established Gulf Coast
Behavioral Health and Resiliency Center
(GCBHRC). This Center was established
through the Gulf Region Health Outreach
Program (GRHOP) which is series of four
integrated five-year projects to strengthen
healthcare in Gulf Coast communities in
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the
Florida Panhandle. GRHOP was developed
jointly by BP and the Plaintiffs’ Steering
Committee as part of the Deepwater
Horizon Medical Benefits Class Action
Settlement. The ultimate goal of the outreach
program is to ensure that residents of the
Gulf Region are informed about their own
health and have access to sustainable, high
quality, integrated healthcare. The program
particularly targets residents who are
medically underserved or uninsured and are
receiving care in Federally Qualified Health
Centers in 17 coastal counties and parishes
located in the coastal areas of the four
impacted states.
Dr. Langhinrichsen-Rohling’s component
of GRHOP is called the Mental and
Behavioral Health Capacity ProjectAlabama. This component is a five-year
grant to advance integrated mental and
behavioral health care, to provide training
in and access to evidence-based mental
and behavioral health treatment, and to
increase the overall well-being of at-risk
individuals and families in Mobile and
Baldwin counties. To help accomplish these
lofty goals, Dr. Langhinrichsen-Rohling and
her team have created a significant health
entity, the Gulf Coast Behavioral Health and
Resiliency Center that did not previously
exist in Lower Alabama.
Langhinrichsen-Rohling describes
her job as one of creating and enhancing
partnerships to enhance integrated mental
and behavioral health. Project partners
include Franklin Primary Health, the Mobile
County Health Center, and the Mobile and
Baldwin Public School systems among
others. The GCBHRC is also partnering with
the USA/Alapointe Psychiatry Residency
program to increase the number of child
psychiatry fellows practicing in the local
area. Each component of the Mental and
Behavioral Health Capacity-Alabama
project is evaluated in terms of its efficacy
and sustainability; thus, ongoing research is
another cornerstone of the center’s activities.
According to Langhinrichsen-Rohling,
the Center also offers different training
opportunities to the
local community.
For example, last
October, the Gulf
Coast Behavioral
Health and Resiliency
Center organized
and hosted the First
Annual Generational
Resiliency
Conference. This
conference occurred
in partnership with
the USA Center
for Generational
Studies (Dr. Roma
Hanks, Director)
and the University
of West Florida.
The 2nd Annual
Generational Resiliency Conference will
be held in October of 2014. This year’s
theme is Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies.
Overall, the GCBHRC strives to make the
community more aware of the behavioral
health needs of children, adults, and families
residing in Gulf Coast region by providing
training, conducting collaborative research,
and providing services within sustainable
systems in order “to facilitate wellness,
integrated health care, and improved quality
of life for coastal inhabitants.”
Langhinrichsen-Rohling asserts that if
a community has strong commitment to
mental and behavioral healthcare for all
of its citizens, communities can decrease
negative health outcomes that are extremely
costly to the community in terms of finances
but also in terms of communal wellbeing. Pre-existing mental and behavioral
health services, high-quality healthcare,
and community-wide resilience can all
serve to mitigate the impact of natural or
technological disasters; therefore, promotion
of these entities is essential!
College of
Arts & Sciences
7
USA Spotlight: Dean’s Council
The Dean’s Leadership Council is comprised of civic and community leaders, alumni, current and retired faculty members, donors, and
supporters of the USA College of Arts and Sciences. Formed in 2005, the council’s mission is to gather together a diverse group of people
who enthusiastically support the mission of the College and who help it identify ways to foster the success of Arts & Sciences students. In
this and the next couple of issues of the A & S Newsletter, different members of the Dean’s Leadership Council will be highlighted. In this
issue, Ms. Gigi Armbrecht, Mr. Jerry Friedlander, Dr. Sally Caldwell and Mr. Bill Oppenheimer are featured.
Gigi Armbrecht
Ms. Gigi Armbrecht,
Chairperson of the Dean’s
Leadership Council, graduated
from the University of Alabama
with a Bachelor of Science in
Elementary Education. Later,
she earned two Master’s
degrees from the University of
South Alabama: one in Special
Education, and the other in
Sociology.
She served two full terms
on the USA National Alumni
Association Board of Directors
and received the Distinguished
Alumni Award for Public
Service in 2009.
As a lifetime member of the
Alumni Association, Armbrecht
is grateful for the education she
received at the University of
South Alabama. She emphasizes
the importance of being
involved at the University and
sees it as a way to help others get
the level of education they need
to build the lives and careers
they want.
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College of
Arts & Sciences
Gerald “Jerry”
Friedlander
Mr. Gerald “Jerry”
Friedlander received a Bachelor
of Science degree in Economics
from the Wharton School at
the University of Pennsylvania
in 1961. In 1964, he received a
Bachelor of Law degree from
Harvard Law School, and in
2008 he obtained a graduate
certification in gerontology
from the University of South
Alabama, where he received
the Outstanding Gerontology
Graduate Student Award for
2007-2008.
Friedlander utilized his
training at USA to jump-start
a short but meaningful career
in gerontology at the South
Alabama Regional Planning
Commission, Area Agency on
Aging. He retired in 2012.
He says he enjoys meeting
exceedingly talented
undergraduate students who
have regaled their years at
school and he likes to “talk it
up” to anyone who will listen.
Sarah Caldwell
Dr. Sarah “Sally” Caldwell
holds a Doctorate in School
Administration from the
University of Missouri-St. Louis
and a Master’s degree from the
University of Hawaii.
As an educational consultant,
specializing in character
education and professional
development, Caldwell has
served on program evaluations
of several large-scale character
education initiatives, working
with over 200 schools in a fourstate area and with national
professional organizations.
Caldwell’s ties to USA include
her father-in-law James F.
Caldwell, who served as Vice
President for Development from
1964 to 1975, and the James
and Ivel Caldwell Scholarship
in International Studies,
which she and her husband,
Jim, started with other family
members in 1993 to honor her
husband’s parents. Jim Caldwell
is a past member of the Dean’s
Leadership Council.
William W.
Oppenheimer
Mr. William W. Oppenheimer,
a native of Mobile, earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree from
Yale University in 1975.
In 2006, his company, Enveloc,
Inc., a privately held, full service
offsite data backup and storage
provider, moved its corporate
headquarters to the USA
Technology and Research Park
on campus.
Oppenheimer’s career
objective is to continue to grow
his company by providing a
superior product and service.
He is drawn towards outdoor
activities, especially turkey
hunting, a passion he’s pursued
for over 50 years.
Rivizzigno serves 35 years at USA
Over the past 35 years, Dr.
Victoria Rivizzigno has witnessed
many changes at the University of
South Alabama; however, during
this time, what has not changed is
her dedication to the university.
Rivizzigno, Associate Dean of
the College of Arts & Science, will
be retiring in August 2014. She said
that she became interested as an
undergraduate in geography while taking an introductory course.
Many geography majors are drawn to the discipline, according to
Rivizzigno, by their introductory classes as well.
She completed her Bachelor of Science in Education (State
University College at Buffalo) and then went on to earn her
Master’s (State University of New York at Buffalo) and Doctorate
(The Ohio State University) degrees in Geography. In September
1978, Rivizzigno began at USA as an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Geology and Geography, now the Department of
Earth Sciences.
In her USA classes, Rivizzigno incorporated current events
into her lessons and felt this helped students to understand how
the subject of geography could be applied outside the classroom.
“I wanted students to be able to relate geography to other
interests they had,” Rivizzigno said. Working with students and
helpingthem to discover their passion, whether in Geography or
elsewhere, was her favorite part about teaching. Although she
misses working with students in a classroom setting, she is still able
to assist students in identifying goals.
Over the years, Rivizzigno has served on the Faculty Senate
and on a variety of committees, including the Fringe Benefits
Committee, the Academic Programs and Planning Committee, and
the Faculty Awards Committee. While on Faculty Senate, she was
one of several who lobbied for the university to convert from the
quarter system to semesters.
Many of these committee appointments involved curriculum and
policy changes, preparing her for her current position as Associate
Dean. She says there has been a natural progression between her
various positions at South Alabama, which includes the experience
of serving as Interim Chairperson for the Department of Visual Arts
in 2004-2005 while also being an Assistant Dean in the college. In
March 2011, she was named Associate Dean.
One of her special contributions to the university has been the
establishment of a scholarship given annually in her name. Each
year, either one or two students majoring in geography benefit
from the Dr. Victoria Rivizzigno Endowed Scholarship. “I wanted
to have something that reflected that I was here, even 20 years from
now,” Rivizzigno said.
Many students have been impacted by Rivizzigno during her
years at USA, and because of the scholarship, students will continue
to benefit from her generosity.
Koon-Magnin receives Excellence Award
The teaching style of Dr. Sarah Koon-Magnin, Assistant Professor
in the Department of Political Science/Criminal Justice, is best
described in one word: impassioned.
Combining passion, enthusiasm and availability, she creates a
classroom environment that students welcome. She says students
recognize a professor’s academic interest and respond with
excitement to learn.
Students appreciate that she is always available for them and that
she acts as “a resource” and that she cares about their academic
success.
For Koon-Magnin an essential part of pedagogy is providing
students with verbal and written feedback on their work. Students
can build on this feedback because Koon-Magnin allows students
to revise their work, which helps them improve their writing and
thinking skills.
In recognition of her successful teaching methods, Koon-Magnin
received the College of Arts & Sciences’ Excellence in Teaching
Award in fall 2013. Nominations to the Faculty Awards Committee
are based by faculty, staff and students input in the college, and
the ultimate recipient is given her or his award by Dr. Andrzej
Wierzbicki, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.
According to Dr. Nader Entessar, Chairperson of the Department
of Political Science/Criminal Justice, “Dr. Koon-Magnin has
distinguished herself in her brief tenure at the University of South
Alabama as an energetic, innovative and stimulating teacher. She
truly cares for the welfare of her students. Dr. Koon-Magnin is also a
promising young scholar with a robust research agenda.”
Koon-Magnin teaches
introductory classes in criminal
justice and upper-level classes
in theory as well as a special
topics course in Sexual Violence.
Students who take her classes
have a clear understanding of
Criminal Justice after taking her
class.
Since her arrival at the USA
in 2011, Koon-Magnin has been
involved with the Violence
Prevention Alliance and the
Gender Studies program, and
her research has focused on the impact of laws for preventing sexual
violence. The majority of her publications concentrate on perceptions
of the appropriateness of early sexual activity as it relates to statutory
rape legislation. She has also assisted with programming on campus
to bring attention to the issues of gender-based violence and sexual
assault. Along with South being recognized as a high research
activity university by the Carnegie Foundation, Koon-Magnin notes
that USA continues to develop and improve.
Indeed, Koon-Magnin says she particularly enjoys the people
at USA and the university’s growth. According to Koon-Magnin,
“There are so many great teachers, researchers and students all
working to help USA continue to grow and thrive as a community.”
College of
Arts & Sciences
9
Gregoricka and USA
Students Travel to Oman
Dr. Lesley Greoricka, Assistant Professor
of Anthropology, could be considered an
Indiana Jones. Instead of searching for
cursed treasure and escaping large boulders,
Greoricka excavates the tombs of past
civilizations in Oman.
A bioarchaeologist in the Department of
Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work,
Gregoricka specializes in human mobility
and the evolution of social complexity in the
Middle East. She has worked on multiple
bioarchaeological projects; her current one
is the Social, Spatial, and Bioarchaeological
Histories of Ancient Oman otherwise called
the SoBO project.
In 2011, Gregoricka joined the SoBO
project as co-director with colleague, Dr.
Kimberly Williams of Temple University.
The National Science Foundation (NSF)
awarded the project a grant of over $181,000
for use from 2013 through 2016 to aid the
team’s research and assist undergraduate
and graduate students in participating in the
field work. The SoBO project incorporates
mortuary archaeology and stable isotope
analysis to research past civilizations of
Oman through tombs.
When asked why she was looking at grave
sites for her research, Gregoricka explained,
“we’re looking at the tombs scattered
throughout the landscapes to determine
what the tombs can tell us about how these
people were living. Not many people realize
but tombs and burials can be a reflection of
how people used to live and their culture.”
Gregoricka and her team are hopeful
to understand and learn more about
the changing sociopolitical civilizations
during the Bronze Age and how they were
constructing their identities.
For four weeks during the 2013 winter
break, Gregoricka took three USA students
10
College of
Arts & Sciences
to Oman, allowing them to
gain hands-on experience
with tomb and skeletal
excavation as well as lab
processing.
Lauren Bennett, an
undergraduate senior
majoring in anthropology
and minoring in history, was
awed by the SoBO project
experiences. According to
Bennett, “It was a lot of work, but getting to
learn about the Bronze Age in the area and
getting firsthand experience with artifacts
and remains from the period was amazing!”
Bennett adds, “I was also able to experience
a local culture I never thought I would have
the chance to.”
Bennett’s positive impressions were
echoed by Kat Scott, a junior undergraduate
student, majoring in Anthropology and
minoring in Music. The opportunity to be
immersed in a different culture expanded
her future outlook as she prepares for
graduate school. “Oman was unbelievable. I
learned so much in three weeks that I could
never have learned in a classroom for 16
weeks,” said Scott. “I can now put this trip
and my experience on my CV and resume,
which definitely helps me feel better about
being prepared for grad school.”
Such praise for the trip to Oman is also
echoed by junior Biology major Justine
Harris: “Although the trip was a little out of
my comfort zone, it was an amazing, once
in a lifetime experience.” Harris is emphatic
about the benefits of the experience with
Gregoricka: “I encourage more students
to get out of their own comfort zones to
experience new things.”
Like her students, Gregoricka is
enthusiastic about SoBO. Any such project,
however, does not come without some
difficulties. According to Gregoricka, she
faces some difficulties as an anthropologist
in another country and some difficulties as
a woman. “I think that there are inherent
stereotypes as far as the capabilities of
women, and I hope that we are changing
that. You have to negotiate things on so
many different levels,” she said.
“It can be frustrating, but it is so worth it
to be doing what you’re passionate about
and exciting to be changing perceptions of
women in Oman.”
Faculty News
Dr. Glen Borchert,
Assistant Professor in the
Department of Biology,
received the National
Science Foundation’s
most prestigious award,
the NSF Career Award
for Genetic Mechanisms
in 2014.
Dr. Philip Carr,
Professor of Sociology,
Anthropology, and
Social Work, and Dr.
Diedra Dees, Poarch
Band of Creek Indians’
Activist, received a
$500,000 gift from the
Poarch Creek Indians
of Escambia County,
Alabama, to establish a
Native American Studies
program in the College of
Arts & Sciences.
Ms. Rene Culler,
Assistant professor in
the Department of Visual
Arts, coordinated “Jag
Glass 2014,” a student
and faculty art show
from the USA Glass Art
program.
Ms. Patricia Davis and
Ms. Diane Roe, Senior
Instructor and Instructor
and Laboratory
Manager respectively
in the Department of
Chemistry, published a
laboratory textbook in
2014.
Ms. Carolyn Haines,
Associate Professor in the
Department of English,
recently published The
Seeker: A Novel in March
2014.
Dr. Richard Hillyer,
Associate Professor
in the Department of
English, published his
third scholarly book since
coming to USA. Palgrave
Macmillan published
Hillyer’s Divided
Between Carelessness &
Care, A Cultural History
in November 2013.
Dr. Mark Moberg,
Professor of Sociology,
Anthropology, and Social
Work, was interviewed
by the Huffington
Post in an article titled
“Next Chapter in
The Global Banana
Trade’s Bloody History:
‘Walmartization.’”
Dr. Mollie Nouwen,
Associate Professor in the
Department of History,
received a Fulbright
Award for teaching and
research in Argentina.
Dr. Dan Silver,
Professor of
Mathematics &
Statistics, will serve
as an Advisory Board
member for the Public
Television Program
NOVA’s upcoming
broadcast that delves
into the Nobel laureate
Eugene Wigner’s
famous phrase,
“the unreasonable
effectiveness of
mathematics.”
Dr. Michele Strong,
Associate Professor
in the Department of
History, published her
book Education, Travel
and the “Civilisation” of
the Victorian Working
Classes (Palgrave
Macmillan) in March
2014.
Dr. Greg Waselkov,
Professor of Sociology,
Anthropology, and Social
Work, published his
recent book Archéologie
de l’Amérique coloniale
française, which provides
the first major synthesis
of archaeological research
in French Colonial
America.
Ms. Lynne Winterton,
academic advisor of the
Arts & Sciences’ Advising
Center, won a 2013
Outstanding Employee
Award.
Mortar Board Unites Faculty
and Students
College of Arts &
Sciences majors remain
well represented in
the Azalea Chapter
of Mortar Board, a
senior honor society
on campus that
recognizes college
seniors for outstanding
achievement in
scholarship, leadership
and service. An organization
priding itself on
academic excellence
and professional
development, Mortar
Board is a unique
honors society in that
it unites professors
and advisers from
different colleges and
departments at the
university.
The representation of
students in the College
of Arts & Sciences has
risen in recent years.
According to the Azalea
chapter’s membership
rosters, in 2009 the
organization inducted
47 total members into
the chapter, which
included 16 College
of Arts and Sciences
majors. Since then, the
number has increased
to 67%, with 34 out
of 51 members of the
2014-2015 chapter
pursuing majors in Arts
& Sciences.
One of the highlights
of Mortar Board is
its annual Top Prof
celebration with a
formal dinner each
fall semester. Each
member of Mortar
Board identifies a
professor whose
impact on the student
has been particularly
significant and invites
her or his professor
to Top Prof to honor
the faculty member’s
dedication and
academic service.
At the dinner,
each Mortar Board
member delivers
a short testimony
about the impact the
professor has had
on the student. The
faculty members are
particularly honored
by such recognition by
their students.Mortar
Board is the premier
national honor society
recognizing college
seniors for outstanding
achievement in
scholarship, leadership
and service.
On average, 50
professors are honored
each year. In 2009 and
2010, the College of
Arts and Sciences was
represented by 15 and
11 faculty members.
In 2011, though,
the College was
represented by 21 Top
Profs, and the number
increased to 31 in 2012.
The number of A & S Top
Profs dipped in fall 2013
with 18 faculty members
from the College being
honored at the event.
Advisers
Dr. Robert Coleman, Assistant
Dean, College of Arts &
Sciences
Dr. Dennis Fell, Chair of Physical
Therapy, College of Allied
Health
Dr. Mohan Menon, Chair of
Marketing, Director of
Graduate Studies in the
Mitchell College of Business
Dr. Sally Steadman,Chemical
Engineering, Honors Program
Scholarships Co-Coordinator
2013 College of Arts and
Sciences Top Profs
Dr. Susan McCready, French and
International Studies
Dr. Sarah Koon-Magnin, Criminal
Justice
Dr. Jennifer Johnson, Criminal
Justice
Dr. Richard Rogers, Chemistry
Dr. Joseph Glover,
Communication
Dr. Chad Shafer, Earth Sciences Meteorology
Ms. Karen Peterson, English
Ms. Genevieve Dardeau,
Communication
Dr. Alexandra Stenson, Chemistry
Dr. Brian Azsmith, Biology
Mr. John Sellers, Communication Print Journalism
Ms. Nadia K. Bush,
Communication - Public
Relations
Dr. Glen Borchert, Biology
Dr. Richard Sykora, Chemistry
Mrs. Diane Roe, Biology
Dr. Harrison Miller, History
Dr. Murry Mutchnick, Psychology
Mrs. Sonna Farmer, Mathematics
and Statistics
College of
Arts & Sciences
11
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