Human Development & Family Science News
Contemplative Collaborative hosts February 15 Panel Discussion
How Do We Know it Works? Reflections on Empirical Studies of Contemplative Practices
Those who engage in contemplative practice know its positive effects, but documenting its value to others is not always easy. The Contemplative Collaborative will host a book talk on Friday, February 15, 2019 from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. in Sims Hall Room 123 with Syracuse University authors who have contributed to a new volume, Empirical Studies of Contemplative Practices. The panelists will discuss how they research contemplative practice to better illustrate its value. The event celebrates the book’s editors and authors from five Syracuse colleges, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Falk College, the iSchool, School of Education, and College of Visual and Performing Arts.
There is a reception following the presentation. To request accommodations, contact Diane Grimes at dsgrimes@syr.edu or (315) 443-5136 by February 5. This event is supported by the Syracuse University Humanities Center and the Contemplative Collaborative. Co-sponsors include Communication and Rhetorical Studies and Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition.
Read more about the book and the discussion on the SU News website.
New Falk Office of Career Services opens with events for Falk students Feb. 1 and 8
The new Falk College Office of Career Services will provide Falk students with personalized guidance and resources to help them achieve their post-graduation goals, start new careers, or pursue graduate study. Services include one-on-one resume and cover letter consultation, interview coaching, job search strategy and negotiation preparation, digital presence and branding assistance, as well as skill-building guidance in professional communication and networking. Falk Career Services will also provide support to Falk alumni throughout their careers, and act as a liaison between Falk College and employers seeking to recruit Falk students, recent graduates, or experienced alumni.
To celebrate the grand opening, first year and sophomore Falk students are invited to an opportunity fair on Friday, February 1 from 1 to 3 p.m. The event will feature several on-campus clubs, professional organizations, and community volunteer groups with employment, service, and social opportunities to share.
The following Friday, February 8 from 1 to 3 p.m., Falk juniors, seniors, and graduate students are invited to a networking mixer to meet with alumni, area employers, and professional organizations, expand their professional networks, and prepare for the career and internship hiring process.
Both events are free of charge and take place in Grant Rotunda in the Falk Complex. Refreshments will be served.
The Falk College Office of Career Services is integrated with Handshake, Syracuse University’s new career management tool. Using Handshake, students can schedule career counseling appointments, find event details for career fairs and employer visits on campus, and discover job and internship opportunities with over 300,000 employers. Students who wish to receive information from Falk College Career Services should join Handshake.
Falk Career Services is housed within the College’s Student Services unit, which includes 10 staff members dedicated to providing a caring, comfortable and confidential environment where students can discuss academic, social and emotional concerns. Falk Student Services also provides advising for undeclared students and tracks all requirements for degree completion.
Contact Falk College Career Services at falkcareers@syr.edu or (315) 443-3144, or visit 330 Barclay Hall. Read the full announcement on the SU News website.
The role of play on child development across cultures
A recent feature on the Child and Family Blog written by Pearl S. Falk Endowed Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Jaipaul L. Roopnarine, identified the significance of play on child development across cultures. In some cultures, Roopnarine notes that play is a pivotal building block. In others, it is considered an incidental activity. Roopnarine’s research article is available on the Child and Family Blog.
His research specialties include fathering and father-child relationships in diverse cultural and ethnic groups around the world; immigrant families-mental health, schooling, and identity; children’s play in diverse cultural settings; early childhood education in international perspectives; parenting styles and child outcomes in Caribbean and Caribbean immigrant families in the United States.
The Child and Family Blog is focused on transforming research on cognitive, social and emotional development and family dynamics into policy and practice. It reports on important research on how family influences social/emotional and cognitive child development.
Syracuse researchers study mindfulness in elementary schools
Falk College Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Rachel Razza, and Joshua Felver, Assistant Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, are working collaboratively on new mindfulness interventions research. Through a partnership with Meachem Elementary school in Syracuse, New York, Razza and Felver are studying the impact of daily mindfulness activities, like yoga and meditation, in elementary classrooms.
Explore Falk Graduate Programs at November 2 Info Session
Syracuse University’s Falk College will host a Graduate Information Session on Friday, November 2 in Falk Complex, White Hall, Room 335 across from the Falk College Admissions Suite. Faculty, staff, and current students will welcome potential graduate students interested in helping professions in counseling, therapy, public policy, and advocacy; health professions such as public health, epidemiology, nutrition, and wellness; as well as careers in sport and sporting events management. The two-hour event will start at 4 p.m. and will include a brief overview presentation, a question and answer session, and time to meet with faculty and students. Light refreshments will be served.
Detailed information will be provided on graduate programs in human development and family science (M.A., M.S., Ph.D.), food studies (M.S.), global health (M.S.), public health (M.S.), marriage and family therapy (M.A., Ph.D.), social work (M.S.W.) as well as the dual degree program (M.A./M.S.W.) in marriage and family therapy and social work, nutrition science (M.A., M.S.), and sport venue and event management (M.S.).
Details on Falk College Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs in addiction studies, child therapy, dietetic internship, global health, food studies, and trauma-informed practice will also be provided.
Admissions staff will be available at the information session to meet with students and provide information on academic programs, housing, and scholarships, including the new Falk College Scholarship Merit Award program for high achieving Syracuse University undergraduate students applying to a Falk College master’s degree program in 2019.
For more information about this event, and to register for it, contact Falk College Admissions at 315.443.5555, email falk@syr.edu.
Falk College welcomes new faculty and staff
Syracuse University’s Falk College is pleased to announce the appointment of new staff members who have joined Falk College in the past academic year, including Nikki Beckwith, director of dietetic internship program, Trinity Benton, kitchen technician, and Deana Hansen-Danis, procurement coordinator in the Department of Public Health, Food Studies, and Nutrition; Bradford Ducre, computer consultant in information technology, and; Lisa Liparulo, internship placement coordinator in the Department of Sport Management.
It also welcomes ten new faculty members, Chaya Charles, Jennifer Genovese, Ryan Heath, Bryce Hruska, Kenneth Marfilius, David Meluni, Jessica L. Garay, Sara Vasilenko, Bhavneet Walia, and Najah Zaaeed.
Chaya Lee Charles, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.G., C.D.N.
Nutrition & Food Studies
Chaya Charles joins the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies as an assistant teaching professor in the nutrition program.
Prior to her appointment as assistant teaching professor, Charles has worked as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies at Falk College since 2014. In addition, she is currently a consultant dietitian for Sodexo at Menorah Park and senior nutrition consultant for Oswego County Opportunities. She has previously held titles such as outpatient dietitian, clinical dietitian, and nutrition services manager at various health care facilities.
Charles completed both her B.S. degree in nutrition, and her M.S. degree in nutrition science at Syracuse University. Her master’s thesis is titled “Comparing Vegan and Vegetarian Attitudes, Beliefs and Perceptions with Risk for Disordered Eating Behavior.” She is also published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Charles is a board-certified specialist in gerontological nutrition, a registered instructor for the National Restaurant Association’s ManageFirst Program courses, ServSafe certified, and certified in food and beverage cost control. She is the recipient of the 2014 Sodexo Clinical Innovation Award, 2011 Sodexo Northeast Regional Dietitian of the Year, and winner of the 2010 National Sodexo Nutrition Outcomes Study.
Areas of specialization: Vegetarianism and disordered eating behaviors, malnutrition prevention in the elderly, cardiovascular and diabetic nutrition counseling, nutritional intervention for wound healing, weight loss counseling, meal planning guidance and the provision of nutritious menus in institutional and home settings.
Jennifer Cornish Genovese, A.C.S.W., Ph.D.
School of Social Work
Jennifer Cornish Genovese joins Syracuse University’s Falk College as an assistant teaching professor in the School of Social Work. She has previously taught in the College’s Department of Human Development and Family Science and in the School of Social Work, including courses such as Power, Conflict, & Violence in the Family; Interpersonal Competence; Family Systems Theory; Advanced Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups; and Practice with Children, Adolescents, and Families.
Genovese is a NYS Licensed Certified Social Worker and has worked in private practice as a psychotherapist for 30 years. She specializes in the treatment of abused children and adolescents. She is a clinical consultant for the NYS Department of Social Services and facilitates monthly support groups on secondary traumatic stress of child welfare workers in multiple Central New York counties. She is also a program and ministry consultant for the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Upstate NY Synod.
Genovese has presented for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Professional Symposium in Chicago, IL and for NASW’s Annual Meeting. She was previously employed by St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center as the outpatient clinic manager of the Mental Health Services Department. Genovese formerly served on the board of directors for Girls Inc. and the Mohawk Valley Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. She was the co-host of two long-running radio programs in Syracuse, NY: Teen Talk on 93Q FM and Parenting Matters on 570 AM and 88 WAER FM.
Genovese completed a Ph.D. in child and family studies and M.S.W. at Syracuse University’s Falk College, as well as a B.A. in sociology from the State University of New York College at Cortland.
Areas of specialization: Assessment and treatment of physically and sexually abused children and adolescents, treatment of bereavement, loss and trauma in children, adolescents, and identification and intervention of secondary traumatic stress of child welfare workers.
Ryan D. Heath, M.A, L.C.S.W., Ph.D.
School of Social Work
Ryan Heath joins the School of Social Work as an assistant professor. Heath’s research seeks to understand how out-of-school programs (e.g., extracurricular, afterschool and summer programs) promote the social-emotional development of low-income youth, students of color, and other historically marginalized youth. To improve the reach, quality, and impact of these programs, his work aims to elucidate how extracurricular programs interface with other social-ecological contexts that affect youth, such as schools, peers and families, and to identify the potential mechanisms through which extracurricular programs influence youth’s social-emotional development and educational attainment. He has been involved in several research projects, most recently as a collaborator on the “Becoming Effective Learners—Out-of-School Time Study” with The Consortium for School Research at the University of Chicago. Heath has published in Youth & Society, Urban Review, Urban Education, LGBT Health, and Pediatric Research. He is also co-author of the research report, Foundations of Young Adult Success: A Developmental Framework.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Heath taught classes on research methods and cognitive-behavioral therapy at the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. As a clinical social worker, Heath has implemented cognitive-behavioral interventions with adolescents and youth groups in both school-based and community settings. He previously worked as a clinical director for Chicago Adventure Therapy, as a school-based therapist at UCAN, as a therapeutic learning coach for Project EDGE of OMNI Youth Services, and as a teen outreach program coordinator at Health Quarters.
Heath earned a master’s degree in clinical social work and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. As a doctoral student, Heath received a pre-doctoral fellowship from the Institute of Education Sciences and the University of Chicago Committee on Education, and completed a graduate certificate in interdisciplinary education sciences. He completed a bachelor’s degree in science with honors from Brown University.
Areas of specialization: Adolescent development, extracurricular and out-of-school programs, social-emotional learning, educational attainment, youth social services, school and community partnerships.
Bryce Hruska, Ph.D.
Public Health
Bryce Hruska is an assistant professor in the Falk College public health program where he has served as a research assistant professor, postdoctoral researcher, and project manager for the public health program. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow at the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health.
Hruska’s research focuses on better understanding how psychological stress “gets under the skin” to impact physical health. Since coming to Falk College, his work has primarily consisted of overseeing the operations of two research projects: “Environmental Toxicants, Race, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children” and “The Psychosocial and Physiological Consequences of Taking and Not Taking Time Off from Work.”
He has most recently published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, as well as Environmental Research, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, and Social Science and Medicine, among others. He has published book chapters in the Handbook of Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine and in Trauma and Substance Abuse: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment of Comorbid Disorders, Second Edition.
Hruska has presented his research at conferences including the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the American Psychosomatic Society, and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. He has made multiple media appearances promoting the research that he and his collaborators are performing, and he serves as an invited reviewer for a number of peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Traumatic Stress, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Stress and Health, Addictive Behaviors, and Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
Hruska earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in experimental psychology, with concentrations in health psychology and quantitative methods, both from Kent State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Akron.
Areas of specialization: Traumatic events, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress and health, occupational stress, recovery experiences, quantitative methods.
Kenneth James Marfilius III, L.C.S.W., D.S.W.
School of Social Work
Kenneth Marfilius joins Falk College as a visiting teaching professor in the School of Social Work.
While active duty, Marfilius served in the U.S. Air Force Biomedical Science Corps in multiple roles: active duty clinical social worker, mental health therapist, family advocacy officer in charge, and as manager of the alcohol and drug prevention and treatment program. He was commissioned in 2013 and was discharged in 2016 having obtained the rank of captain. At the Barksdale Air Force Base, Marfilius served in a variety of mental health roles related to sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention, and traumatic stress. Marfilius has also worked for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program, and as a disruptive behavior committee member.
Marfilius previously taught courses such as Social Work Practice in Mental Health and Introduction to Military Culture and Social Work Practice, as well as guest and continuing education lectures at Falk College, and has presented for the Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF) and at the Association for Humanistic Counseling National Conference. He recently guest lectured at the University of Pennsylvania on “Trauma— Informed Care, Housing First, and Critical Time Intervention for Veteran Homelessness.”
Marfilius is honored with a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal. He is a recipient of the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship and the U.S. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and has twice been awarded the Barksdale Air Force Base Medical Operations Squadron Company Grade Officer of the Quarter.
Marfilius earned a doctorate in clinical social work (D.S.W.) and master of social work (M.S.W.) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in public health from Syracuse University.
Areas of specialization: Military mental health, military families, veteran social work, homelessness, domestic violence, suicide prevention, substance use prevention and treatment, and military culture and social work practice.
David Meluni, M.S.
Sport Management
David Meluni is a teaching professor in the Department of Sport Management, where he served as an adjunct over the past four years.
Meluni has over 18 years of experience in the sport industry, including two years as vice president of sales and business development for both 805 Stats and Infinity Sports and Entertainment. He also spent five years as the vice president of sales at SIDEARM Sports. In his tenure at SIDEARM, he negotiated and signed agreements with the University of Texas, University of Kansas, the Heisman Trophy, and the Maui Invitational as well as with several Division I, II and III institutions.
He has also worked with the New York Collegiate Baseball League as a member of its executive team. Prior to working in the digital space, the Syracuse native spent 10 years with IMG College, the multi-media rights holder at Syracuse University, where he maintained a client base of over $1.1 million per year.
Meluni serves on the board for the Camillus Softball and Baseball Association, coaches multiple travel teams for the Camillus Wildcats, and is a volunteer assistant coach for the West Genesee varsity baseball team.
Meluni earned a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in sport management, where he also acted as captain and NCAA All-Region Infielder for the Bombers’ baseball team. In 1999, he was selected to attend the prestigious NCAA Leadership Conference. He then attended Florida State University as a graduate assistant in the Seminoles’ ticket office and earned a master’s degree in sport administration. He worked as a marketing assistant at FSU, assisting with football, women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, baseball, and softball.
Areas of specialization: Sport sponsorship sales, ticket sales, technology in sport and sports marketing and promotion.
Jessica L. Garay, M.S., R.D.N., F.A.N.D.
Nutrition & Food Studies
Jessica Garay joins the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies as an instructor in the nutrition program.
Previously, Garay worked at Utica College as an assistant professor of biology: physiology & nutrition since 2016. From 2010-2016, she was an adjunct instructor at Syracuse University and has held positions at Onondaga Community College and George Washington University, as well as the Washington Cancer Institute and Food Bank of Central New York.
Garay is published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, the American Journal of Human Biology, and Current Biomarker Findings, among others. She has presented at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference and the NYS Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NYSAND) Annual Meeting.
Garay is the recipient of a 2016 Emerging Dietetic Leader Award from the NYSAND and currently serves as its public policy coordinator. Garay has held several roles with the Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine Dietetic Practice Group and is currently the research chair. Her other volunteer work includes serving as an evidence analyst for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics’ Evidence Analysis Library, and as a member of the American Dairy Association North East’s Sports Nutrition Advisory Panel.
Garay is completing a Ph.D. in science education, specializing in exercise science, from Syracuse University. She earned an M.S. in exercise science, specializing in nutrition and eating behaviors, from George Washington University. She completed her dietetic internship at the Yavapai County Health Department in Prescott, AZ. She completed a B.S. in nutritional sciences and a B.S. in human development at Cornell University.
Areas of Specialization: Fetal programming, nutrition and athletic performance, dietary supplements.
Sara A. Vasilenko, M.S., Ph.D.
Human Development and Family Science
Sara Vasilenko joins the Department of Human Development and Family Science as an assistant professor.
Prior to joining Falk College, Vasilenko served as a research assistant professor in Health and Human Development and as a research associate in the Methodology Center at Pennsylvania State University. There, Vasilenko was a postdoctoral fellow in the Prevention Research Center and Methodology Center after working as a graduate assistant in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Prior to her time at Penn State, Vasilenko held a research apprentice fellowship in the Department of Epidemiology and worked as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University.
Vasilenko’s research spans topics related to adolescence and young adult health, sexual behavior, and drug use. She is currently a subcontract PI on a grant from the Office of Adolescent Health, which focuses on how multidimensional risk factors moderate effects of teen pregnancy prevention programs, and co-investigator on a National Institute on Drug Abuse grant focusing on how substance use and its predictors vary by age. Vasilenko is published in journals such as the Journal of Adolescence, Journal of Adolescent Health, Journal of Early Adolescence, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Journal of Sex Research, and Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Vasilenko is the recipient of a 2006 Graham Endowed Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University College of Health and Human Development. She currently is a consulting editor of the Journal of Research on Adolescence and a member of the Society for Research in Child Development, among others.
Vasilenko earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University and a B.A. in English from Kalamazoo College.
Areas of specialization: Adolescent and young adult development, sexual behavior, developmental methodology, substance use.
Bhavneet Walia, Ph.D.
Public Health
Bhavneet Walia is an assistant professor in Falk College’s public health program. Walia joined Syracuse University in 2015 from Western Illinois University where she was an associate professor of decision sciences and founding director of the business analytics post-baccalaureate certificate program.
Her fields of specialization include health economics and health econometrics. Her research and scholarship include 14 peer-reviewed journal articles that have appeared in leading journals of applied economics, health policy, and environmental policy: the American Journal of Economics & Sociology, the Journal of Economic Education, and the Southern Economic Journal, and two in Renewable Agriculture & Food Systems, Economics Letters.
The recipient of numerous awards and distinctions that include the Provost’s Award for Excellence at Western Illinois University and the WIU College of Business and Technology Award, both for excellence in campus internationalization, Walia is presently associate editor of the Academy of Economics and Finance Journal. Her professional affiliations include the Academy of Economics and Finance and the American Economic Association.
Walia’s present research efforts are focused in three areas: early child health interventions and cognitive development; mortality and behavioral effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and related neurodegenerative diseases; and markets for health care in the United States.
Walia holds a Ph.D. in economics with an econometrics specialization from Kansas State University, where her dissertation was entitled, “Three Essays in Health and Labor Economics.” Her master’s and bachelor’s degrees, both in economics, are from Punjab University in India.
Areas of specialization: Health care markets and policy, early childhood development, environmental health, labor market policy, statistical expertise in applied statistical programming and methodology, health statistics, biostatistics, health information systems, labor statistics, analysis of National Longitudinal Surveys, and other social and behavioral statistical analyses.
Najah Zaaeed, E.M.P.A., M.S.W., Dr.PH.
Public Health
Najah Zaaeed joins the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies as an assistant teaching professor in the public health program.
Since 2016, Zaaeed has taught as an adjunct professor in public health at Syracuse University and at SUNY Oswego. Zaaeed previously served as a mental health specialist for Interfaith Works of Central New York and as a social worker for the Islamic Society of Central New York.
Zaaeed’s research interests are in aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities, maternal and child health, effectiveness of ecological models for health awareness at global levels, and refugee health. Zaaeed authored a chapter in the book Refugee Education: International Perspectives from Higher Education and NGOs. She is also published in the International Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Journal of Refugee and Global Health and has presented at the North American Refugees Health Conference.
Zaaeed is the recipient of the 2017 Selma Andrews Award from Loma Linda University, 2013 Global Health Institute, Loma Linda Research Funding, the 2013 Fadel Education Foundation Scholarship, and the 2008-2010 Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Fellowship from the Islamic Society of North America. She is also a board member of the Society of North American Refugee Healthcare Providers.
Zaaeed earned a Dr.PH. in public health, specializing in health promotion and education, and global health, from Loma Linda University. She earned a M.S.W. and executive master of public administration from the School of Social Work and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, respectively, at Syracuse University. She also earned two graduate certificates in gerontology and international leadership and non-governmental organizations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse. She earned a B.S. in paralegal education from Chancellor University.
Areas of specialization: Global health and mental health, health education and promotion, social media and health outcomes, addiction and wellness, gerontology, disability studies, maternal and child health, refugee health and social service needs
Falk College Welcomes the Class of 2022
Falk College is thrilled to welcome back returning Syracuse students and to extend a special welcome to the Class of 2022, new transfer and graduate students! We are so happy to have you in the Orange family, as well as our family here at Falk College. As you meet your professors, classmates, and roommates, you’ll soon be feeling right at home. We are here to help you along the way. If you have any questions or concerns, please connect with Falk College’s Office of Student Services at (315) 443-3144 or falkss@syr.edu or visit 330 Barclay Hall in the Falk Complex.
Here are a few tips to help you get settled during these first few weeks:
Download the Syracuse Welcome Guide. Available through the Office of First-Year and Transfer Programs, the 2018 Syracuse Welcome Guide contains the complete schedule for Syracuse Welcome 2018 and other important information about your arrival at Syracuse University.
In addition, new graduate students should visit the graduate school website and check out the calendar of events specifically for graduate students. Similarly, new international students can find helpful information by visiting the Slutzker Center for International Services.
Attend New Student Convocation for new students and families on Thursday, August 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.
Attend Falk College welcome events. Please join us for the Dean’s Reception for new students and families on Friday, August 24 from 10 to 11 a.m. in Grant Auditorium in the Falk Complex, followed by light refreshments served outside in the Falk Courtyard. Afterwards, the Dean’s Welcome Meeting for new students will take place at 1:30 p.m. in Grant Auditorium immediately followed by Department Meetings from 1:45 to 3 p.m.
Explore the Student Involvement Fair Wednesday, September 5 on the Quad from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In the case of rain, it will be held in Goldstein Auditorium in the Schine Student Center. With more than 300 student organizations on campus, we are confident you’ll find something that fits your interests.
Check your SU email account. As a Syracuse University student, you now have a SU email account. The University’s primary method of communication is email sent to your SU account (not your personal email account). It is very important that you check your SU email account on a regular basis so you do not miss important communications from the University. If you have any questions, please contact Information Technology Services (ITS).
Connect with Falk College on social media. You can follow us @SUFalkCollege. Many other Syracuse University offices, schools, colleges, academic programs, clubs and more are also on social media. Visit the Social Media Directory. It’s a great way to discover all that’s happening on campus.
Finally, remember the Falk College Office of Student Services is here to help you with any questions or concerns. Once again, welcome and best of luck! Let’s make this semester a great one!
Falk 2018 Convocation Speech
by Fanta Drame, 18′
Good Afternoon Everyone,
It is such an honor to be here today.
During my first encounter with public health, sitting in Dr. Byrne’s class, I learned about the social determinants of health, the different aspects of one’s life and surroundings that determine his or her health status. Or more generally speaking, the factors that determine one’s outcomes.
Social determinants tell us that first generation students will struggle. Low income families will be set for failure and lack access to opportunities. Minorities will be placed at the bottom of the social ladder and be at a constant disadvantage. Tall people will play basketball and all SU students’ favorite color will be orange.
However, if I have allowed my background to determine my outcomes, I wouldn’t have travelled to India, South Africa and Brazil all in one semester to conduct preliminary global research on the healthcare systems, I wouldn’t have done a risk communication project with the CDC on Ebola messaging, I wouldn’t have been able to maintain one of the highest GPA’s in the Public Health Department and be a University Scholar and I wouldn’t be able to say that my favorite color is actually lavender.
Syracuse University, but more specifically the Falk department and faculty, my roommate and great friend Aryonna, Dr. Lane and Professor Thompson and my close colleagues Shamayan and Bre taught me how to turn my disadvantages into my biggest assets. Falk allowed me to use my background in my public health career to relate to the communities I hope to serve, and use that to my advantage to create and implement innovative solutions to decrease the health disparities.
I would like to say thank you for pushing me beyond my limits and giving me the necessary tools to think critically and actively engage, and thank you for answering my countless emails and most importantly thank you for allowing me to recognize that our social determinants don’t determine our futures, they make us more determined.
Determined to be great;
Determined to be agents of change;
and Determined to be limitless.
Thank you and congratulations to us all!
~ Fanta Drame, Falk College Department of Public Health, Food Studies & Nutrition 2018 graduate
Mindfulness interventions for children, May 4 presentation
Falk College and its Department of Human Development and Family Science, the Syracuse University Humanities Center, Hendricks Chapel, Contemplative Collaborative and the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies hosted “Mindfulness Interventions to Reduce Stress and Foster Resilience in Children Across Diverse Communities” with Andres Gonzalez, co-founder and marketing director for the Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. in Baltimore, MD.
The May 4 event, free and open to the public, highlighted the organization’s work in utilizing school-based mindfulness interventions with children and described the effectiveness of school-based mindfulness interventions with inner-city populations, highlighting the cultivation of spaces for wellness and healing with urban youth served by the Baltimore City Public Schools.
Gonzalez has taught yoga to diverse populations throughout the world at public and private schools and colleges, drug treatment centers, mental crisis facilities, homeless shelters, wellness centers and other global venues. He has partnered with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health and Penn State’s Prevention Research Center on a stress and relaxation study and is a published author in the Journal of Children’s Services.Mindfulness and contemplative practices are experiential modes of learning and self-inquiry, and include various forms of meditation, focused thought, writing, creative/performing arts and yoga. Such practices can foster greater empathy and communication skills, improve focus and attention, reduce stress and enhance creativity and general well-being. Given these advantages, these skills are of growing interest to researchers and practitioners from diverse fields, including those working with children and youth as these practices contribute to an individual’s growth across multiple developmental domains.
According to Falk College Department of Human Development and Family Science Professor Matthew Mulvaney, one of the event’s organizers, Contemplative Collaborative researchers conducting school-based research in Syracuse will integrate site visits with Gonzalez to local schools, providing further linkages between Syracuse University and the Syracuse City School District. Syracuse University’s Contemplative Collaborative bridges student life and academic life through a community of faculty, staff, administrators and students with shared interests in mindfulness and contemplative practices that embody engaged learning, a mindful academy, and compassionate society. This community is comprised of more than 140 members representing diverse disciplines and offices across the University.
Professors Jung, Weissman honored for excellence in graduate teaching
In recognition of dedication to graduate students and commitment to excellence in graduate teaching and mentoring, Falk College faculty members Eunjoo Jung, associate professor of human development and family science, and Evan Weissman, assistant professor, food studies, received 2018 Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Awards. The honors were presented by the Graduate School at Syracuse University at a ceremony on April 26.
“We are grateful for their commitment to graduate students and proud of the excellence in mentorship and teaching Eunjoo and Evan bring to their academic programs as well as Falk College,” says Diane Lyden Murphy, Falk College Dean.
Page 15 of 25