Human Development & Family Science News
CFS Convocation Graduate Student Awards 2014-2015
The annual graduate student awards were presented on May 4, 2015.
Yue Zhang
CFS Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award
This award is given to a graduate student demonstrating a strong commitment to teaching and learning.
Woosang Hwang
Alice Sterling Honig Award
This award is presented to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship in child development and family studies.
Rachel Linsner
CFS Master’s Award for Research Excellence
This award is given to a Master’s student in Child and Family Studies who has excelled in academic achievement, research practice and leadership qualities.
Bora Jin
CFS Doctorate Award for Research Excellence
This award is presented to a doctoral student who has excelled in academic achievement, research practice and leadership activities.
Margaret Lane
Graduate School All University Doctoral Prize
This is awarded to a doctoral student in each of Syracuse University’s 11 schools and colleges who have demonstrated originality, contribution to the field, creativity, methodology, soundness, and quality of writing in their dissertation.
The importance of being a leader and fighter for social justice
“I do not believe in luck. But I believe in ‘tesfa,’ which “means hope in the Ethiopian Tigrinya language. It has given me comfort throughout my chaotic, unwritten journey in my pursuit for education,” says Aziza Mustefa, one of two Falk College marshals who will lead the Class of 2015 during Convocation and Commencement ceremonies in May.
Mustefa is a dean’s list student majoring in public health who will begin graduate studies this fall at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. As she navigated through her undergraduate career in Falk College, she realized there is a deep connection between tesfa and her chosen career field.
“As a public health major, I appreciate the importance of being a servant leader, fighter for social justice, and an advocate for the improvement of the quality of life for all. While pursuing my undergraduate research, I found that I wasn’t only looking at malaria data. The data represented real people, and all I wanted to do was to connect with them.” During the Fall, Mustefa, a McNair Scholar, worked side-by-side with public health professor, David Larsen, on evaluating diagnostics and treatment for children stricken with malaria. As part of her McNair Scholar research, she is working on the Syracuse Lead Study with Falk Family Professor of Public Health, Brooks Gump.
Mustefa’s uncle emigrated to the United States from Ethiopia in the 1980s, with her parents arriving in 1991. “Refugees come from diverse backgrounds and have endured different struggles, but they all share the same fear and this is the fear that I want to address. My aspiration to serve the refugee community might seem lofty, but they are tesfa to me,” says Mustefa.
Reflecting on her public health coursework, Mustefa mentions Community Health as one of several that reinforced her career path. “In this course, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in a community, I observed the importance of social and cultural factors, and its effects on a population’s health.”
“I want to make a tangible difference among the underserved refugee population. While hopeful, the refugee population lacks the ability to navigate through the American system and culture. I want to be that person to walk by their side, similarly to what someone did for my family. Public health can prepare me to be the best I can be for others.”
Four Falk College faculty promoted, tenured
Falk College is pleased to announce four faculty members from its Departments of Child and Family Studies and Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition were recently promoted and tenured, including: Dr. Dessa Bergen Cico, Associate Professor, Public Health; Dr. Eunjoo Jung, Associate Professor, Child and Family Studies; Dr. Kamala Ramadoss, Associate Professor, Child and Family Studies, and; Dr. Rachel Razza, Associate Professor, Child and Family Studies.
Congratulations Class of 2015!
Falk College will celebrate the Class of 2015 and its accomplishments on Saturday, May 9 at 4:00 p.m., Manley Field House. Falk College’s Class of 2015 includes 312 undergraduates, 142 master’s candidates and 27 students earning Certificates of Advanced Study. Four Ph.D. students will receive their hoods symbolizing the highest level of degree achievement. A baccalaureate degree in public health will be awarded posthumously to Sabrina Cammock.
Falk College Marshals
Sam Rodgers, Nutrition
Aziza Mustefa, Public Health
Undergraduate Department Marshals
Francheska Bravo, Child & Family Studies
Mary Briggman, Nutrition
Will Fancher, Nutrition Science
Lisa Cianciotta, Public Health
Leah Elsbeck, Social Work
Scott Kevy, Sport Management
Graduate Department Marshals
Rachel Linsner, Child & Family Studies
Codina Haselmayer, Marriage & Family Therapy
Anna Riverso, Nutrition Science
Nicole Schwartz, Public Health
Ethan Lewis, Social Work
Justin Brown, Sport Management
Falk College Settles into New Home
Within hours of the opening of a student lounge—one of several community spaces—in the new Falk Complex earlier this semester, students were making it their own.
“The students went in there and they started moving around the furniture, making areas for collaboration,” recalls Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy. “Every time you go down there the furniture is placed in different ways as they need them.”
They’ve been making it their home.
Students, along with faculty and staff, are settling in to the new site of the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics in the Falk Complex at MacNaughton and White halls, which formerly housed the College of Law.
Public health and nutrition major Aziza Mustefa ’15 appreciates how the new complex is bringing together students from the various disciplines.
“I love the Falk Complex! It brings unity among all the majors in the college, and creates a community,” she says. “The student lounges allow students to congregate and build meaningful relationships throughout our college career. It’s convenient and easily accessible to our classes, professors and Falk Student Services.”
All together for the first time
This is the first time all the college’s disciplines will be in one location—“so it is the big coming home,” Dean Murphy says. The central administration offices had previously been housed at 119 Euclid Ave., so that had been the centralized location for many gatherings, while the various departments had sites across campus.
The transition to move the various departments and administrative offices began over Winter Break and continues into the fall as the renovations wrap up.
The new centralized location allows faculty members to have more impromptu “watercooler conversations,” visits in the hallways and additional opportunities for inspired collaboration.
“Faculty members have come together over the years to do interdisciplinary work, especially through the work of the College Research Center, but this does make it more convenient and maybe more spontaneous,” Dean Murphy says. “I’ve heard the faculty saying—and I feel the same way—it’s just nice to run into colleagues in the halls, and not have to go outside or drive.”
The new community spaces in the Falk Complex have expanded those opportunities for faculty in the various disciplines to be engaged with each other.
Three years of planning
It’s those types of ideas that went into more than three years of planning for the convergence of Falk College’s five academic departments and its administrative offices.
Surveys were done with students, faculty and staff to help understand what the needs were and what could be included within the budget. Plans were developed through the Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction, project architect Ashley McGraw and design partner Gilbert Displays.
“We studied the building and then we figured out the spaces with the various department chairs,” Dean Murphy says.
Each academic unit has an office with the department chair, graduate and undergraduate studies directors, and administrative assistants. Faculty members are assigned nearby offices.
In January, the move included the Office of the Dean, admissions, advancement, the college’s information technology office, the Department of Child and Family Studies, Public Health and the School of Social Work. In March, the Office of Student Services was set up.
The first move in January involved transferring the spaces for 94 people, with 5,169 boxes transferred in a day and a half by the movers, according to Dianne Seeley, Falk College’s senior administrator of operations, space and facilities, who has been part of the renovation process and has overseen the moving. Four hundred computers were also set up by informational technology staff members in five days.
Making the move
This month, the Department of Sport Management and the College Research Center will be moved into their new spaces. Throughout the summer and into the fall, the food studies and nutrition programs, will make the move, which includes reconstruction of the fifth floor for the commercial and experiential kitchens.
The Nutrition Science and Dietetics Program will also have a new nutrition assessment lab, where they will examine the nutrients in food. The lab will be finished this summer.
Additionally, the commercial kitchens and teaching kitchens, along with a multipurpose teaching café/classroom, will be moving in and built up through late August and finished in early fall. The kitchens will offer a state-of-the-art learning facility with technology and kitchen equipment. The kitchen and café/classroom will support the academic programs of nutrition and food studies.
For the Department of Sport Management, a new lab will teach the technology of sports and events operations. There will also be a ticketing classroom with associated technology to learn about ticketing for large sports facilities. This will also include a business arrangement with the Carrier Dome to allow students to be hired and assist in ticketing.
Along with the various departments, the Falk Complex has three computer labs and a Mac lab, which is new for the college. Other renovations have included technology upgrades to many classrooms, along with new carpeting, paint and signage.
“We now have a showpiece, an extraordinary learning environment serving all our academic degrees. Everybody feels lifted coming in the front door,” Murphy says.
A grand opening of the new Falk Complex is planned for September.
“I am excited for future students to come and enjoy the Falk Complex. Dr. Murphy has exciting plans for the college, like the cafe on the second floor. She wants the best for Falk students,” Mustefa says. “Although I am graduating, I am excited that Falk continues to grow every year.”
Aziza Mustefa College Marshal Reflection
Good afternoon and congratulations to the Falk College Class of 2015. I want you all to know how honored I am to be standing here. Thank you to my family, my classmates, my friends, and the esteemed faculty and administration for joining us on this joyous day.
I can’t begin my speech without remembering our classmate Sabrina Cammock. Sabrina was one of my dearest friends, a stellar track runner, a brilliant student, and a woman who used her gifts for the greater good. Even though she is not with us today, she is in our hearts and I hope we can keep Sabrina’s memory alive.
Today we celebrate the triumph of completing our college education. Graduating from the David B Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics means that we will be using our education to give back to our communities. In a couple of days, we all are returning to our communities or joining new ones. As Falk graduates, I encourage you all to act on the vision of David and Rhonda Falk. To quote Mr. Falk,
“Global concerns for critical societal issues like childhood obesity, substance abuse, elder care, and malnutrition are at an all-time high. We need dedicated professionals who are committed and willing to give of their time and of themselves. The Falk College’s unique combination that pairs social responsibility and service with experiential learning means students will be well trained to address society’s most pressing issues, finding themselves both where the jobs are—and where they are most needed.”
Now we are the dedicated professionals moving into society to make a difference because, throughout our college careers, social responsibility and community service have been instilled in us. And, we have the tools and knowledge to make a difference. We all embody Scholarship in Action because we know that one person can change lives, neighborhoods and the world.
As we close this chapter in our lives, a new one begins. Before you leave here today, I want you all to recall your fondest memories and experiences at SU. Remember those who were there for you, remember the support from Falk College, and remember how special you are. We all have this bond that unites us.
I encourage you all to dare to dream big, and most importantly don’t shy away from using your gifts. You and I have the power to create positive change in the world and we will.
Best for Babies named NAPPA Silver Award winner
Best for Babies, written by professor emerita of child and family studies, Alice Sterling Honig, was recently named a Silver Award Winner by the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA). Her areas of research and scholarship include child development, parenting, cross-cultural study of children and families, language and cognitive development, quality care-giving with infants and toddlers, observation and measurement techniques with children, pro-social and moral development, models and exemplary intervention programs for enriching children’s lives; teaching kids to conserve environments and ‘go green’; the importance of play for young children; assessments for enhancing teacher effectiveness; promoting emergent literacy and bilingualism in children; therapeutic techniques for decreasing stress as well as bullying in the lives of children and adults. She was recently highlighted in Women of Distinction Magazine.
Falk College honors faculty for excellence in teaching, research, service
Faculty members from Falk College’s Department of Child and Family Studies and School of Social Work will be honored for excellence in teaching, research and service with 2015 Falk College Faculty of the Year Awards. The honorees, who are nominated by their peers for outstanding performance and contributions to students, the Falk College, Syracuse University and beyond, will be recognized during the Falk College’s Convocation for the Class of 2015 on May 9, with awards presented in April. The name of each recipient, the award received, and excerpts from the letters of nomination are noted below.
Dr. Keith A. Alford, Associate Professor, School of Social Work
Excellence in Service
Professor Alford has a consistently strong record of service to Syracuse University, its School of Social Work and Falk College, as well as the social work profession and community. He has served on numerous departmental and university committees, including the Bachelor of Professional Studies Curriculum Committee, the Faculty Oversight Committee of Athletics, the Senior Vice President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion, and the Operational Excellence Steering and Executive Committees. He is a community advocate with leadership service to organizations that include board membership with the Onondaga County Public Library and AccessCNY (formerly Enable/TLS), which provides support for children and adults with disabilities. He facilitates the Community-Wide Dialogues on Race sponsored by InterFaith Works of Central New York and sits on the board of directors. He is also involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters School-based mentoring. In recognition of his on-going community service and advocacy, he received the 2015 Harriet Tubman Spirit Award from the Bethany Baptist Church. In Social Work Degree Guide’s listing of its “30 Most Influential Social Workers Alive Today” Professor Alford was listed in the top ten of this compilation that includes educators, activists, authors, and public servants.
Dr. Eric R. Kingson, Professor, School of Social Work
Excellence in Research
Along with co-author Nancy Altman earlier this year, Professor Kingson released the book, “Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn’t Going Broke and How Expanding It Will Help Us All.” Altman and Kingson founded Social Security Works in 2010, a Washington, DC-based organization focused on safeguarding the economic security of families and individuals by maintaining and improving Social Security’s insurance against wages lost in retirement, disability or death. A co-chair of the Strengthen Social Security Coalition made up of more than 300 national and state organizations representing over 50 million Americans, Kingson was a staff advisor to the 1982 National Commission on Social Security Reform and was a founding board member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. His award nominators noted, “Professor Kingson’s accomplishment is worthy of recognition not only because of the scholarship represented by the book, but because of its impact on our national policy. Through the book and active public speaking about it, Professor Kingson seeks to educate the public, making a substantive contribution to the important policy decisions that lie ahead.”
Dr. Rachel Razza, Assistant Professor, Department of Child & Family Studies
Excellence in Teaching
Professor Razza’s courses emphasize activity and engagement as a way to convey important concepts. She has been increasingly interested in the use of contemplative pedagogy in higher education as a mechanism to enhance student learning and wellbeing by stimulating first-person inquiry. She received the Innovative Summer Program Development Fund to support the creation of a new course, Mindfulness in Children and Youth. The course exposes students to the emerging field of contemplative practices and serves as the cornerstone for CFS’s latest undergraduate minor, Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies. Thanks to Rachel’s leadership, the minor is a key component of the ongoing initiative to develop a campus-wide Center for Contemplative Studies.
Professor Razza’s teaching extends beyond the classroom to support the scholarly activities of her students, and she has been successful in mentoring a substantial number of student conference presentations and journal publications. She has been elected to serve as a member of the prestigious Society for Research in Child Development’s Teaching Committee. Professor Razza was also a recipient of the 2014 Teaching Recognition Award from the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship Program.
View photos of the awards ceremony (courtesy of Professor Alejandro Garcia)
CFS majors inducted into Kappa Omicron Nu honor society
The Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) recently announced eight high-achieving students were inducted into Kappa Omicron Nu, Omicron Alpha Iota chapter honor society for CFS majors at Syracuse University, including:
Emily Chase
Elizabeth Fahey
Kasey Leeds
Anita Robinson
Fatima Saunders
Allison Schwartz
Brady Tannehill
Allie Weiss
The mission of Kappa Omicron Nu is to develop empowered leaders who use an integrative approach to enhance quality of living through excellence in scholarship, leadership, and research. Students were selected on the basis of academic excellence in the major. The honor society’s purpose is to recognize and support academic excellence while promoting the ideals of service and leadership. Matthew Mulvaney, associate professor of child and family studies, is the Kappa Omicron Nu advisor.
CFS students share theory to practice experiences
On April 16 the Department of Child and Family Studies hosted its internship poster session for students taking CFS 494 where they share their experiences of putting theory into practice via their trifold presentations. Many participating students have had two separate experiences while others stayed at the same placement for both courses, each producing a rich and informative practicum experience.
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