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> A Colonial Goes to England

A semester in Japan through an RMU exchange program was the first time outside the country for Michael Wahl ’06, M’08. His second trip abroad is even more auspicious: Wahl has been accepted to the University of Oxford, where he plans to earn a doctorate in social anthropology.

Beginning this fall at the legendary British institution, Wahl will focus his research on how employees from different countries and different traditions work together in multinational firms. The topic first captured his imagination during his time in Osaka, in classes discussing the differences between Japanese and American business culture.

Wahl eventually wants to become a professor. “I’m always shooting for something higher,” he says. “I think Oxford can help me push my limits to see how far I can go.”

> Make That Two Colonials...

Valerie Powell, Ph.D., university professor of computer and information systems, gave a presentation at Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, England, in July. Her talk concerned methods of integrating clinical data in computer medical and dental records, and drew upon a three-year British study that discovered some significant patient risks when records are not properly coordinated.

> Ready, SET, Go!

“Engaged learning” is the hallmark of an RMU education, and this year the university is taking a big step towards making this true for every student. The freshman class is the first to participate universally in the Student Engagement Transcript, which was launched last year. The SET documents each student’s participation in activities outside the classroom, such as community service, professional experience, and study abroad. Potential employers who request a graduate’s transcript will also receive copies of the SET.

Shari Payne, Ed.D., recently named RMU’s first dean of engaged learning, oversees the program. She says she has heard from officials at other universities who want to create similar programs. “We are definitely at the forefront of a big trend in engaged learning,” Payne says.

> Encouraging New Leadership

The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh held its third Black Male Leadership Development Institute on the RMU campus in June. The event, codirected by faculty member Rex Crawley, Ph.D., brought together 50 high school students for a week-long residential program with the theme of “Aspire to Greatness.” Led by successful mentors from various fields, participants attended workshops and other activities designed to instill good communication, leadership, and personal management skills.

> Experts

Assistant professor of education Shellie Hipsky, Ed.D., has authored Differentiated Literacy and Language Arts Strategies for the Elementary Classroom. The book is Hipsky’s third, and it looks at classrooms where educators are using various research-based methods for teaching children how to read and write.

At the 10th Conference on Communication and Environment in Maine this summer, Ann Jabro, Ph.D., university professor of communication, presented her paper, “Application of Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Model and Integrated Model of Organizational Learning for Crisis Management to Scaled-Up Emergency Response Drills.”

Derya Jacobs, Ph.D., dean of the School of Business, is an invited speaker at the AACSB International Continuous Improvement Conference in Baltimore later this month. AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for collegiate schools of business, and RMU recently received AACSB accreditation for its business school.

> Business Woman of the Year

Assistant professor of management Daria Crawley, Ph.D., was named Business Woman of the Year by the Onyx Woman Network, a Pittsburgh communications company for African-American professionals. Crawley, who joined the RMU faculty in 2005, was honored for her business education career and for her volunteerism. She is chairwoman of the WQED community advisory board.

Onyx founder and RMU trustee Ola Jackson ’87 said Crawley is “greatly admired for being a crucial influence to the students at RMU, as well as a role model for up-and-coming professionals.”

Crawley is an expert on diversity and has researched public policy legislation for a member of the British Parliament. She is former director of research for the Center for Organizational and Leadership Effectiveness, and previously worked at Transamerica Corp.

> Strength and Smarts

Track and field standout Tara Maxwell ’09 can wing a discus and heave a shot put with the best of them, but she doesn’t leave it all on the field. The manufacturing engineering major graduated with a 3.99 cumulative QPA, earning her the title of Northeast Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

> Faculty Facts

Eighteen faculty members received promotions this year, including two new university professors: Dean Manna, Ph.D., professor of marketing and head of the department of marketing, and Murat Tiryakioğlu, Ph.D., professor of engineering.

The School of Communications and Information Systems has filled three leadership positions: Peter Draus, Ed.D., is now head of the department of organizational studies, Rex Crawley, Ph.D., is assistant dean, and David Wood, Ph.D., is associate dean.

Angela Macci Bires, Ed.D., is now head of the new department of health sciences in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Bires has been at RMU since 2006 as director of the nuclear medicine technology program.

> Nursing in Nicaragua

Carl Ross, Ph.D., university professor of nursing, led another group of students to Nicaragua this summer to care for needy families at a barrio clinic in Managua. Lee Folk, a senior nursing student, has written a moving account of the trip. Here is an excerpt:

At that moment, the door opens. It is the wife, and she has brought along their daughter. She is nineteen years old, and nine months pregnant. Eddie’s grandchild is due to arrive in less than two weeks. She is here to convince her dad to go to the hospital. “Please, Dad. Come to the hospital. They can help you,” she tells him. The door opens again. The cab is waiting out front. Someone needs to decide. It is Eddie who finally relents. He will go to the hospital.

Dr. Ross begins dispensing orders to the crew. The room empties quickly. As Eddie is wheeled out, he takes my hand and says something to me softly in Spanish. I look to the translator. “He said, ‘God bless you.’” Then he is gone.

> To read the full story click here

> Giving UP for the Greater Good

The union representing RMU faculty members voluntarily gave up half their promised annual raise for this academic year to allow the university to shift another $180,000 to scholarships. The contract called for a 2.75% raise for the union’s 145 members in 2009-10, but with the difficult economic climate leading President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D., to freeze staff salaries in March, professors offered to help.

“We wanted to make a contribution to the campus community. It is gratifying for us to do something to help students,” said Faculty Federation President Seth Finn, Ph.D., a professor of communications.

RMU staff generated another $570,000 for student scholarships by foregoing their pay increases this year. The university’s total pool of financial aid in 2009-10 is about $16 million, with 90% of students receiving some sort of assistance.

> Sticky Feet by the Foot

An article about “gecko tape” by Arif Sirinterlikci, Ph.D., associate professor of engineering and director of engineering laboratories, was published this summer in the journal of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The tape, developed at U.C. Berkeley, sticks by use of tiny hairs, similar to the way a gecko’s feet adhere to glass.

> How Cities are Mapped Out

The Society for American City and Regional Planning History named John McCarthy, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, as its executive secretary. The professional organization, which will hold its biennial conference in Oakland, Calif., next month, focuses on both scholarly research and the actual practice of urban planning. McCarthy is also a member of the organization's board of directors, which includes faculty from Harvard, Penn and MIT.

> Alumna Speaks

Class of '81 alumna Susan M. Kapusta, Ph.D., delivered the commencement address for the RMU graduate ceremony in May. Kapusta is general manager-community affairs for United States Steel Corporation and president of the United States Steel Foundation Inc.

Maria Kalevitch, Ph.D., has been named interim dean of the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science. A professor of science, Kalevitch came to RMU in 2001; most recently, she created the university’s pre-medicine concentration. She has a Ph.D. in biology/microbiology from the highly regarded Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Kalevitch replaces Winston Erevelles, who left RMU for St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.

> Simulation Center Gets Grant

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry awarded a $500,000 grant to RMU to create a simulation laboratory that can serve as a regional health care training center.

“Robert Morris University has an outstanding reputation for health care education,” said state Sen. John Pippy. “Using innovative technology, through simulation, to further develop and advance RMU’s health care education will ensure that the future of our region’s health care will be a positive one. We are pleased to provide this grant for the university and its students.”

Recipients of the $4,500 NextGen stipends were Jennifer Phillips, a hospitality and tourism management major who interned at Mercer County United Way; Adrea Beats, an accounting major who interned at YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh; and Joseph Kramer, a marketing major who interned at YMCA of Sewickley.