CEHHS faculty and students help improve life for children in Southwest Detroit

DETROIT, MI. - On Saturday May 13th, 2017 UM-Dearborn's Associate Professor Dr. Christopher Burke and students from his EXPS 220 and EDD 485 classes participated in the Building a Brighter Neinas community park project sponsored by ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services), as part of the Arab American Day of Service and hosted by Neinas Dual Language Learning Academy in Detroit. 

The event brought together over 450 volunteers who helped to clean up the school grounds, sort donations for the schools clothing closet, plant flowers, spread mulch and begin the installation of the Alayna Elabed Brighter Neinas Community Park designed by the students at Neinas Elementary School in collaboration with pre-service teachers from the UM-Dearborn's College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS).

Students working at the Neinas Dual Language Learning Academy's
acquired lot for the park.

The installation of the Alayna Elabed Brighter Neinas Park is one success in a five year collaboration between students and teachers at this Detroit Public School and pre-service teachers at UM-Dearborn. For the past 18 months, Dr. Burke's students have been collaborating with students from Mrs. Amy Lazarowicz’s 4th and 5th grade science classes to study, design and plan the park based on data collected from a community survey to identify goals for the park. When the classes came to a consensus about their final design they built full scale tables and recycling containers which were installed in the park during this event.

Neinas' students and UM-Dearborn's teachers designed and tested scale models
of the picnic tables and recycling bins for the park out of craft sticks and glue

On May 16, Dr. Burke shared this experience with the Michigan Department of Education "Top 10 in 10 Innovation Roadshow" as an example of an innovative promising practice, and on May 18th CEHHS' students Jenine Conners and Rachel Marple joined Dr. Burke, Mrs. Lazarowicz and three students from Neinas to talk about the place based collaboration at the South East Michigan Stewardship Coalition's Community Forum at Eastern Michigan University.

Students built 3D models and received feedback from Ryan Marshall, an architect
from FX Architecture, to develop a formal plan based on their models

U-M Graham Institute awards CEHHS Assistant Professor grant for Health environmental justice project

Natalie Sampson, PhD

ANN ARBOR, MI - With a team of national partners, UM-Dearborn CEHHS Assistant Professor, Dr. Natalie Sampson, and CASL Assistant Professor, Dr. Carmel Price, were awarded with an eight-month Catalyst Grant from the U-M Graham Institute to fund their sustainability-related project "Climate changes health: ensuring environmental justice underlies public health's climate change work"

Dr. Sampson is the principal investigator of this interdisciplinary project that also includes experts from other universities and colleges, tribal agencies and non-governmental organizations.

This project will convene a summit preceding the 2017 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and draft a subsequent white paper. The event will bring together environmental justice leaders and professionals from multiple disciplines, academic institutions, and professional organizations. The approach is designed so that public health leaders can learn from leaders in frontline communities to better address climate-related health disparities in collaboration. The project also aims to increase the participation of historically underrepresented students.

“I have confidence that this will be a productive process. The team doing this work includes many new and longtime nationally renowned environmental justice activists and scholars. We hope to synthesize takeaways and resources, as well as compel new community and academic partnerships.”, said Dr. Sampson

For the Catalyst Grants, six proposals were submitted, involving 18 faculty members/researchers from eight units.

"We're very pleased to have received so many high-quality proposals from talented faculty across campus. Important sustainability work is taking place throughout the university, and we're happy to support it," said Drew Horning, the Graham Institute's interim director.

More about this project at http://graham.umich.edu/activity/40659

Dr. Sampson is an Assistant Professor at UM-Dearborn's College of
Education Health and Human Services

 

CEHHS Faculty Present Research at International Conference

AUSTIN, TX. - Dr. Stein Brunvand and Dr. David Hill, Associate Professors from the UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS), presented research on the gamification of learning at the 28th Society for Informational Technology in Teacher Education (SITE) annual conference held this year in Austin, Texas from March 5-9, 2017.

Dr. Stein Brunvand

Dr. Brunvand and Dr. Hill have been using GradeCraft in their undergraduate courses since the 2015 winter semester to create gameful learning experiences for their students.  GradeCraft is a gamified learning management system (LMS) that was created on the Ann Arbor campus. 

In a gamified course, students have the freedom to choose what assignments they will complete in order to earn the points they need to “level up” to the overall grade they want.  This is much like a video game environment where players earn points in order to move through the different levels of the game.  In addition, in a gamified course there are locks/unlocks with different assignments and tasks that students need to complete in order to access more difficult assignments.  This is also similar to a video game that requires the player to find hidden treasure, secret keys and other items in order to unlock other challenges and levels. 

The use of gamified learning has increased within the educational community over the last decade in an attempt to enhance student learning in multiple ways. 

Dr. David Hill

In particular, researchers have started to examine gamified learning and the potential impact on student motivation and engagement within educational settings. However, few studies have examined the relationship between specific tools embedded within a LMS and student outcomes at the postsecondary level.

The purpose of this study conducted by Dr. Brunvand and Dr. Hill was to investigate the impact of a grade predictor tool embedded within GradeCraft on 75 college students’ ability to accurately predict their final grades. You can view their presentation slides online if you are interested in learning more about their work.

CEHHS Welcomes New Chair of Health and Human Services Department

DEARBORN, MI. - On March 13, 2017, the College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) welcomed Dr. Patricia Wren as the new Chair of Health and Human Services Department.

Dr. Wren earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in the management of public services from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.  Later, she completed her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Health Behavior/Health Education and her Ph.D. in Education both at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Dr. Patricia Wren, Chair of Health and Human Services Department

Her experience in the Health field started in the School of Public Health, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor as Assistant Research Scientist. In 2006, she joined the faculty at Oakland University as an Assistant Professor in the Wellness, Health Promotion, and Injury Prevention Program.  In 2010, she was promoted to Associate Professor and named Program Director of the Applied Health Sciences Program and also became the first director of Oakland University’s Master of Public Health Program (MPH) program in 2013.  In 2016, Dr. Wren was promoted to the rank of professor.

Dr. Wren is delighted to continue her career in CEHHS, "This College understands that the health of individuals, families, and communities is fundamentally related to the strength of our educational systems, ease of access to health care, and the provision of robust human and social services", she said. 

She also encourages students to consider enrolling in one of the CEHHS' Health and Human Services programs: "Look for me in the schedule of classes, in the hallway, and at events. I look forward to working closely with everyone to help make a difference in our region."

2016 Young Author's Festival Breaks Record Numbers

2016 Young Authors’ Festival Writing Contest Winners, including Grand Prize winner Jet Miller (Defer Elementary, Grosse Pointe Park), 3rd grade winners Hadley Walker, Owen Strieff, Lena Sophia Goethe, and Hussein Mansour; 4th grade winners Joshua Lemanski, Maria Fontes and Nameh Sharif; and 5th grade winners Hanley DeSmyter, Cassidy Woolums and Ali Beidoun

DEARBORN, MI - This year marked the 4th Annual Young Authors’ Festival, a partnership between the UM-Dearborn Mardigian Library and College of Education, Health & Human Services (CEHHS), which was held on November 12th, 2016.

The festival provides an opportunity to help children develop literacy skills, teaches their parents tips and techniques to support their children’s literacy development, and also provides the pre-service teachers in CEHHS with valuable hands-on literacy instruction experience. Around 120 young writers from grades 3 to 5 learned tips on what it takes to be an author from this year’s guest speaker, Newbery Medal-winning author Christopher Paul Curtis.

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
encouraged students to read and write

The festival also honored the winners of the 2016 Young Authors’ Writing Contest. About 260 contest entries, a record number, were judged by UM-Dearborn pre-service teachers in Professor Danielle DeFauw’s EXPS 298 course, “Writing to Communicate, Learn and Teach.”

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell stopped by to congratulate award winners and encourage students to read and write. Winning students received Barnes & Noble gift cards and were invited to read their entries aloud at the festival.

 

Newbery Medal-winning author
Christopher Curtis

Curtis, who came with his wife and three young children, spoke from the heart about his life and how he became a writer. Born in Flint, Michigan, and a graduate of UM-Flint, Curtis is the author of the highly acclaimed books, “Bud Not Buddy,” “Elijah of Buxton,” and “The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963.” Curtis also took time to autograph books and have pictures taken with the children attending the event. 

Tiffany Anderson, a 5th grade teacher at Neinas Dual Language Academy in Detroit, brought her entire class to the event. “My students were so happy! They are still talking about meeting Mr. Curtis,” she said. “They have created a board in the hallways of our school promoting literacy and meeting Mr. Curtis.”

Children also participated in 11 fun, educational writing workshops conducted by UM-Dearborn pre-service teachers in LIBR 465: “Literature for Children,” also taught by Professor DeFauw. "I look forward to the Young Authors' Festival every year, said Professor DeFauw. "It provides an authentic learning opportunity for the children, pre-service teachers, and families. We celebrate literacy together."

While the children were in workshops, their parents were getting tips on how to inspire their children to continue writing and reading. Workshop topics included: collaborative group writing, how to create a picture book, creating a story to accompany a piece of music, a bookmaking workshop, and more.

Children’s breakout session being led by pre-service teachers from CEHHS
in Professor Danielle DeFauw’s LIBR 465: Literature for Children course

Jet Miller, Grand Prize Winner, with
Professor Danielle DeFauw

   
Raya Samet, the embedded librarian within CEHHS, worked closely with Professor Danielle DeFauw, her students, and the library committee that planned and hosted the event. “This event is a prime example of what UM-Dearborn does best,” she said. “It is a true collaboration which has a wide metropolitan impact on the young people in our community as well as on the future teachers in our program who will soon be teaching literacy skills in the field. It’s an invaluable experience for everyone involved, and what better place to celebrate literacy than in the library?”

This event is sponsored by the College of Education, Health and Human Services; the Mardigian Library; the Salloum Family in honor of Abdallah & Leila Salloum; Mrs. Judith Smith; the Metro Detroit Book and Author Society; the Hub for Teaching & Learning Resources; the Office of Metropolitan Impact; and the UM-Dearborn Barnes & Noble College Bookstore

CEHHS Student Internship Opportunities with Quicken Loans

DETROIT, MI - Dr. Susan Everett, Chair of the Department of Education, and Dr. Stein Brunvand, Director of Master’s Degree Programs for the College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS), met with representatives from Quicken Loans on October 14, 2016 to learn more about their student internship programs.

 

(from Left): Cecil Johnson, University Relations Manager,
Emily Bliss, Training Consultant; Stein Brunvand, CEHHS Director
Master's Degree Programs and Christopher Carline, Training Consultant

Cecil Johnson, University Relations Manager at Quicken Loans, shared information about the wide range of paid internship opportunities including those in training and curriculum development, instructional technology, assessment and evaluation and marketing.

Training consultants Emily Bliss and Christopher Carline encouraged students from a variety of majors to apply including instructional technology majors and teacher certification students.  Internships are available during the fall, winter and summer.

Dr. Everett and Dr. Brunvand were able to tour some of the Quicken Loans owned properties in downtown Detroit to learn about the culture and climate of the work environment where interns are placed. Interns gain real world experience by working on authentic tasks with a designated team at Quicken Loans.

The internships also include opportunities to learn about city, participate in volunteer activities in the community and enjoy many of the wonderful events that downtown Detroit offers.

For more information on student internships, please see current postings on the Quicken Loans site.

CEHHS Faculty on International Endeavors

 Dearborn, MI - Two faculty members of the UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services traveled internationally this summer to conduct research or teach. Dr. Kim Killu traveled to East Africa as visiting lecturer and Dr. Dara Hill went to Germany for research. 

Dr. Kim Killu traveled this summer to Tanzania
as visiting lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam.

  “Karibu sana!” were the warm words of welcome Dr. Kim Killu, professor of special education, heard frequently this summer during her five week tour of East Africa.  In addition to having opportunities to meet and speak with governmental leaders and advocates for individuals with disabilities in Kenya and Tanzania, she also had the opportunity to work closely with faculty, staff, and students as a visiting lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Dr. Killu taught classes on concepts and strategies in special education and applied behavior analysis, worked with masters and doctoral students on the development of their theses and dissertations, and met with university faculty and administrators on ways to develop a collaborative relationship between the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the University of Dar es Salaam.  The School of Education at the University of Dar es Salaam is especially interested in establishing a relationship with CEHHS on research collaboration, program and course development, and a student exchange program.

Dr. Killu with students, faculty, and administrators at the University of Dar es Salaam

 “I was struck by not only how welcoming, interested, gracious, and engaged everyone in the university community was during my visit, but also by the lack of current research, knowledge, and information within a university setting.   There is a sincere interest to develop a relationship with us, because the opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of so many people is there” said Dr. Killu.

 

Dr. Dara Hill

Another faculty member who also traveled abroad on a research endeavor is Dr. Dara Hill, associate professor of reading and language arts, who spent three weeks this summer in the Baden-Wuerttemberg region in Germany. Dr. Hill wanted to investigate the phenomenon of high performing immigrant youth in a German college preparatory school (locally known as Gymnasium). More specifically, she wanted to investigate teachers' perspectives and expectations for the students, in a region where the current body of research informs that few immigrant youth make it to the Gymnasium, and instead struggle in low performing schools, and thus experience limited opportunities in school and society. Out of 1300 students in this school, there are 140 immigrant students representing 23 nations including Turkey, Vietnam, Pakistan, the US, and India. Hill mentioned that "Although this might seem small, it's significant--30 years ago when I attended school with my cousin in Gymnasium, there were no immigrant students, with the exception of me, and I was just visiting!". 

Preparatory School in Germany

 For her research, she interviewed seven teachers and the headmaster seeking to identify the perspectives and identities of participants who represented caring and culturally responsive teachers of immigrant youth. Preliminary findings include teachers whose experiences and identities led them to overwhelmingly maintain high expectations for immigrant youth who were well assimilated into school and society.  During the time of the study, Syrian refugees emerged in the community, but not in the school context.  Participants indicated an uncertain future in the wake of the Syrian refugee crisis and encouraged Hill to return in a few years to examine the school landscape as the school demography changes.

"I would say the biggest take away for me was the welcoming atmosphere where the students were proud of their heritage and were embraced by their teachers, against the grain of the literature that suggested otherwise.  So it was an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to have access to the school site.", said Dr. Hill.

CEHHS Faculty, Alumni and Students at the 2016 NCPEA Annual Summer Conference

Detroit, MI - The College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) was well represented at the 70th Annual Summer Conference of the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) held from July 30 to August 2, 2016 at the Marriott Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI.  The theme of the conference was Opportunities and Challenges of Urban Education.

Janine Janosky and Bonnie Beyer with
Barbara Klocko,MAPEA President and
Conference Coordinator

Dr. Bonnie Beyer, Professor of Educational Administration in CEHHS, was instrumental in conference development as part of the combined NCPEA/MAPEA Conference Planning Committee which was co-sponsored by the Michigan Association of Professors of Educational Administration (MAPEA). In addition to conference planning, Beyer made a presentation entitled, Every Student Succeeds Act: Implications for Urban Education.

Dean Janosky received an award from
James Berry, NCPEA Executive Director

Featured speaker was Dr. Janine Janosky, Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS), who presented the 2016 Walter Cocking Lecture entitled Convergence of Education and Health for Urban Education. Dean Janosky shared her vision for building a fair and just society that focuses on helping all children tap into their full potential. Her lecture inspired others into identifying interdisciplinary approaches in pedagogy, practice and resource development, to achieve a collective mission.

 

Truman Hudson, Jr. and Janine Janosky

Two graduates of CEHHS, Dr. Truman Hudson, Jr. (Ed. D, 2013), LEO Lecturer of Multiculturalism in CEHHS, and Dr. Ricardo Martin (MAEL, 2009), Principal of Durfee Elementary Middle School in Detroit, participated as panelists in a plenary session entitled Challenges and Opportunities in Urban Education along with Romulus Durant, Superintendent of Toledo Public Schools.  They shared lessons from the field and highlighted the need for teacher training and professional development programs to provide educators with the tools and training necessary for ensuring student achievement. Hudson highlighted the importance to embed student-centered pedagogy that embraces diversity.

Another CEHHS LEO Lecturer, Lina Jawad, was also a participant in the conference presenting her paper titled Examining early college programs through the lens of college readiness, in which she talked about how students at one dual credit program perceive their college readiness.
 
Also, two currrent Doctor of Education students were involved in this event. Ismael Eltayuddin and Crystal Kassab Jabiro participated in the development of a series of videos available on You Tube which are part of a research project sponsored by NCPEA and UCEA to be addressed by the University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA) at their annual conference to be held in Detroit in Summer 2017.

Appointments of CEHHS Directors

Dean Janine Janosky and the College of Education, Health, and Human Services is pleased to announce the following administrative reappointments, effective as of 1 July 2016.

Martha Adler, Ph.D.
 

Dr. Adler has been reappointed for a second term of two years as the Director of Field Placement for the College of Education, Health, and Human Services.  This office handles all field placements for the college.

Bonnie Beyer, Ed.D. 

Dr. Beyer has been re-appointed for another year as Co-Director of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)  program. The program offers concentration areas in educational leadership, curriculum and practice, and metropolitan education. Dr. Beyer's specialties are in educational leadership and educational leadership certification.

Stein Brunvand, Ph.D.
 

Dr. Brunvand, has been reappointed for a second term of two years as the Director of Master’s Degree Programs for the College of Education, Health, and Human Services.  This position oversees admissions, advising, marketing and program development of all Master’s degrees for the college.

Christopher Burke, Ph.D.

Dr. Burke has been re-appointed for another year as Co-Director of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)  program. The program offers concentration areas in educational leadership, curriculum and practice, and metropolitan education. In the next year the program is looking forward to developing a new concentration in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Susan Everett, Ph.D.
 

Dr. Everett, has been reappointed for a three year term as Chair of the Department of Education. In the next term, two areas of focus for the department will include strategic planning and national accreditation.




Through the leadership of Drs. Adler, Beyer, Brunvand, Burke, and Everett there has been much growth in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services, success for our students, and metropolitan impact for our region. We congratulate and show appreciation to these dedicated faculty members for their contributions to the college.

Four external grants awarded to CEHHS Faculty

The College of Education, Health, and Human Services is pleased to report that faculty received four external grants. These competitive funding opportunities enhance the College’s mission of strong academics, innovative research, and engaged learning through a metropolitan vision for providing new knowledge and developing leaders in Southeastern Michigan.

The following four projects received funding from external grants:

Leadership Development Program

to Janine Janosky

by Molina Healthcare of Michigan

Description: She received a contract from Molina Healthcare to develop a customized high-quality leadership development training program for Molina employees to aid with ensuring a competitive edge for the healthcare provider.

Improving Teacher Quality

to Karen Thomas-Brown and LaShorage Shaffer

by Michigan Department of Education

Description: They designed the Wayne County Global Geography Project to promote history and geography education in local schools. Districts represented include Detroit, Dearborn, Taylor, Garden City, Livonia, Allen Park, Riverview and more. Teacher participants were recruited through Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA)

Sustaining Momentum that Supports Professional Learning Communities Focused on the Content and Pedagogy of the Common Core and School Improvement Goals

to Kim Killu, Angela Krebs and Roger Verhey

by the Michigan Department of Education and US Department of Education

Description: The project provides professional development to middle and high school mathematics teachers through work on curriculum content development, student evaluation, and collaborative grouping.

Title IIA(3) ImprovingTeacher Quality Grant

to Martha Adler

by Michigan Department of Education

Description: She received the grant to provide professional learning opportunities in language, literacy, and English as a Second language to thirty Dearborn Public School’s teachers

The College of Education, Health, and Human Services congratulates its faculty members for these important achievements.

CEHHS Faculty receive grants for research and projects

During the winter 2016 semester, several College of Education, Health, and Human Services faculty were awarded with 10 campus grants.

The grants awarded by the Faculty Senate Research Support Committee were:

• Faculty Research Initiation and Seed Grant
  to Dara Hill

• Faculty Research Support and Maintenance Grant
  to Julie Taylor

• Faculty Professional Development Grant
  to Paul Fossum

The grants awarded by the Advancement of Teaching and Learning fund were:

• Development of PRE Modules
  to Martha Adler, Danielle DeFauw and Dara Hill

• Sensory Deficit Simulators
  to David Hill

• 3D Printer
  to Gail Luera

The grants awarded by MCubed were:

• Food Insecurity and the role of Food Pantries on College campuses
  to Natalie Sampson, Karen Thomas-Brown, Harmony Reppond, and Carmel Price

• Coding Instruction for Students with Disabilities
  to David Hill, Stein Brunvand and Mahesh Agarwal

A  grant awarded by the Office of Metropolitan Impact was:

• Community-Based Research: iGenVoices Project
  to Christopher Burke

A  grant awarded by the Office of Metropolitan Impact, the HUB, and the Commission for Women was:

• Inside-Out Training
  to Gail Luera

The College of Education, Health, and Human Services congratulates its faculty members for these important achievements.

Health and Human Services Professor leads Environmental Tour visit to Detroit city sites

DETROIT, MI - On April 9th, 2016 UM-Dearborn Health and Human Services Assistant Professor Natalie Sampson lead a group of nearly 20 people —students, faculty and community members— who took part in an Environmental Justice Tour of the Motor City. The tour bus, funded through a grant from the Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources, visited eight sites in the city, including the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Marathon Oil Refinery and the Detroit Municipal Waste Incinerator.

The Environmental Tour Bus made a stop at the Detroit Wastewater
TreatmentPlant

 “You can share stories about this in class all day long. But when you go out and see it and talk to residents, there is much more of a lasting impact,” said Sampson, who offered the tour as part this semester’s Introduction to Environmental Health course. 

“We’ve been discussing the science and the policy in class, but getting on the ground and seeing how it all plays out in the real world is important."

Sampson, who frequently collaborates on city environmental efforts, invited two of her Detroit activist colleagues— Kimberly Hill Knott from Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice and Vincent Martin from Human Synergy Works— to narrate the tour and answer questions.

Kimberly Hill Knott, Director of Policy at Detroiters
Working for Environmental Justice, narrates the tour
and answer questions from students.

Hill Knott said the nonprofit organization gives tours frequently. And the effect of the tour is sobering.

“We take lawmakers, company heads, hip-hop artists on tours like this to see what is going on around our city,” she said. “By the end of the tour, there is usually silence because people are thinking about what they just saw. We want to bring awareness, so that change can come next.”

The Delray Neighborhood was one of the most impactful sites for the visitors. Professor Sampson mentioned that "The juxtaposition of the kids' playscape with the wastewater treatment plant is powerful". Scott Brines and Vincent Martin offered important context about what it means to live with industry and commercial traffic in your neighborhood, as well as the work it takes to advocate for your community in this context.

Despite the many environmental problems in Detroit, Sampson, Hill Knott and Martin also wanted participants to understand that many are working hard to address threats to environmental health and justice.

 

Students at Earthworks Urban Farms

The tour stopped at Earthworks Urban Farms,  a 2.5-acre certified organic farm in the middle of the city,  and the Mack Avenue Green T Project, a land reuse concept where blighted structures are removed, art is installed and gardens are grown.

 Arriving back to campus, senior Margaret Kelley said the tour was a reality check—one she was glad to have.

“Even with Detroit’s revitalization, people in the neighborhoods have been left out of the conversation,” said Kelley, a health policy studies major. “Making people, like myself—who was a suburbanite my whole life—aware of these environmental and quality of life issues is really important. And I think it will change the conversation going forward.“

Read the full story at The Reporter

Dr. Lisa Martin receives the Susan B. Anthony Campus Award

DEARBORN, MI - University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Commission for Women honored Lisa Martin and Beth Morrison during the organization’s annual Susan B. Anthony Awards Dinner on April 7, 2016 at Park Place in Dearborn. The awards recognize a member of the campus family and a member of the local community whose work exemplify the dedication of Susan B. Anthony on behalf of women. During the event that included Congresswoman Debbie Dingell as the keynote speaker, Dr. Martin received the Campus Award and Beth Morrison, president and CEO of HAVEN, recieved the community award. 

Lisa Martin, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Beth Morrison

"It's such an honor to receive this year's Susan B. Anthony Campus Award" - Dr. Martin said. "I am grateful to the Commission for Women for their recognition and I look forward to a long future career where I plan to continue working on issues of gender equity on campus.  It was a wonderful night, with inspiring speeches by Rep. Debbie Dingell and Provost Davy, and Geri Barrons."

 
Lisa Martin, holds a joint appointment in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) as professor of Health and Policy Studies; and the College of Arts, Science and Letters (CASL) as professor of Womens' and Gender Studies. She has revitalized the curriculum of both Health Policy Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies.
 

 

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell participated as keynote
speaker at the 2016 Susan B. Anthony Awards dinner

Dr. Martin is a member of the SOAR Advisory Board and also serves on the Center for the Education of Women Scholarship Committee, both of which provide financial support to socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Through her directorship of the Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) program, she has been able to connect students to numerous campus and community opportunities that are transforming students’ career paths and lives and developing their skill as leaders for social change.

As a result of these efforts, WILL students now lead the campus effort to end gender-based violence in organizing the successful “Take Back the Night” events, as well as their work on the current campus climate survey and “Abuse Hurts” campaign. Under Lisa’s leadership, WILL has put together a mentoring program for at-risk girls at Vista Maria as a way to encourage these girls to see college as an option.

Lisa has demonstrated leadership in the development of a series of site visits that connect students with local leaders such as the CEO of the Coalition on Temporary Shelter, the CEO of Walbridge Industries, and the President and CEO of HAVEN. These site visits give students the opportunity to learn from successful women leaders and strengthen our connections with community organizations. These connections have led to internships, mentorships, and employment for students.

As a result of these and other initiatives, Dr. Lisa Martin is positively impacting life at UM-Dearborn, improving our community, and changing lives of our students.

About Susan B. Anthony Campus and Community Awards
The Commission for Women (CFW) present Susan B. Anthony Campus and Community Awards annually to recognize a member of our campus family and a member of the local community, whose lives and deeds exemplify the dedication, fortitude, political agitation and involvement of Susan B. Anthony on behalf of women.  Anthony forced a nation to recognize human rights, challenged gross inequities endured by women in our society.

The first Susan B. Anthony Campus Award was presented at a Luncheon in 1979.  The Susan B. Anthony Community Award was established in 2004.  Today, both awards are presented at an awards dinner program which includes a silent auction fundraiser.

‘Ride the Tiger:’ CEHHS faculty develop resources for PBS documentary about bipolar disease

DEARBORN, MI - College of Education, Health, and Human Services Associate Dean Laura Reynolds and Professor Kim Killu have developed educational resources to complement Ride the Tiger: A Guide through the Bipolar Brain, a new documentary from Detroit Public Television (DPTV) that will air on PBS stations nationwide.

Professor Kim Killu and Associate Dean Laura Reynolds

“There are so many health concerns surrounding bipolar disease and health—individual health, community health and relational health,” Reynolds said. “Because of these concerns, there’s an educational need as well—a need to approach the broader population in terms of how we talk about and address mental health in this country.”

Ed Moore, executive producer of DPTV’s national documentary unit, said about this cooperation, "We are thankful for all the experts and individuals who shared their stories to make this film so valuable. We are also thankful to all our partners, especially University of Michigan-Dearborn for writing the curriculum for this film to provide students and educators with the tools necessary to talk about the film and the issue of bipolar disorder.”

The developed resources by Killu and Reynolds will be mailed to community, educational and religious organizations throughout the country along with a copy of the documentary. They also will be available to the general public on the Ride the Tiger website.

Reynolds and Killu also helped create short, online video clips, combing through hours of interview transcripts and organizing the materials by theme. They said the creative process—which began for them last year with a viewing of an early cut of the documentary—provided an opportunity to both learn from experts in a variety of fields and strengthen their enthusiasm for their own work.

All members of the UM-Dearborn community are invited to a special Ride the Tiger screening and discussion panel on campus on April 22. The College of Education, Health, and Human Services will host the event, which will focus on community resources and the collaborative relationships among community organizations.

Ride the Tiger premiered on PBS on Wednesday, April 13, 2016. The special UM-Dearborn screening and discussion panel will take place Thursday, April 22, at 9 a.m., in Fairlane Center South’s Michigan Room. To register for the event, visit CEHHS website.

Read full story in The Reporter.