The School of Natural and Social Sciences Newsletter

Transcription

1 The School of Natural and Social Sciences Newsletter I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Student Organizations SWACJ Conference Faculty Research Career Fair 5 New Terrorism Course Graduate School Information LEAA Update 8-9 UIL Math/Science Meet ETBU s Master Of Arts in Counseling F E B R U A R Y Spring Awards Ceremony and Research Forum The School of Natural and Social Sciences will hold their Spring Awards Ceremony and Research Forum on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m. in the Woods Great Room in the Ornelas Student Center. Awards will be given to outstanding students in each of the 4 departments of the SNSS: Mathematics, Criminal Justice, Biology/Chemistry, and Psychology/Sociology. Also, new Psi Chi members will be recognized and graduating Psi Chi members will receive their honor society cords to be worn at graduation. Two Biology students will be presenting their honors research projects at the Research Forum. Adam Hawbaker will present his research titled The Modeling of the Respiratory Physiology of the Pre-Cretaceous Odonata and Brittney Garner will present her research titled A Herbaceous Plant Community Analysis on the Environmental Studies Area at ETBU. Because they have completed an honors project, Adam and Brittney will also graduate with distinction and have special recognition during their graduation ceremony. The following classes will be completing poster presentations during the Spring semester.: Mathematics: MATH 2316 (Data Analysis) and MATH 4303 (Probability and Statistics) Biology/Chemistry: CHEM 3306 (Instrumental Analysis) Psychology/Sociology: PSYC/SOCI 4332 (Social/Experimental Research) Faculty will choose the top posters in each class. Winning students will be presented with a gift certificate to the ETBU bookstore and will display their posters at the Research Forum. Posters will be on display starting at 9:30. Refreshments will be served as well. Door Prizes!!! Several door prizes will be given out at the Research Forum. Students who attend the awards ceremony beginning at 10:00 will have their names entered in a drawing to win a door prize. Those who come early at 9:30 to view the poster presentations will have their name entered in the drawing an additional time. You could win one of the following door prizes: Vera Bradley Hipster Bag Free Lunch and Drink at Central Perks Dinner for 2 at Bodacious Bar-B-Q $25 Gift Certificate to Downtown Girls and Brother And More.

2 Student Organizations P A G E 2 Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology Membership Requirements: Undergraduates must be at least a second-semester sophomore. Graduate students must have completed one semester of the graduate program. Must be enrolled as a major or minor in a psychology program or a program psychological in nature that is equivalent to a psychology major. Must have completed at least 9 semester hours in Psychology. Must have a psychology GPA that is at least 3.00 on a 4-point scale. Psi Chi is currently actively recruiting new eligible members. The executive team plans to begin holding meetings online. A spring fellowship will be held later in the Spring semester. Contact Dr. David Deel if you are interested in becoming a member of Psi Chi. Stay informed through Facebook. The group s name is Psi Chi - East Texas Baptist University. This group is open for anyone interested in Psi Chi as well as members. Proof Seekers Math Club Meetings are held once a month on Monday evenings. Last semester the Proof Seekers collected over 200 cans in their food drive. Also this year, they have enjoyed a pumpkin carving contest, a Thanksgiving feast, a game night, Valentine card making and cookie decorating. Contact Dr. Marty Warren if you are interested in joining the club. Membership is open to math majors and minors who maintain a 3.0 GPA in their major and 2.75 GPA overall. Upcoming Events: March 2, 6:00 p.m., Meadows 209 Watch an episode of Numbers and Discuss Math in Pixar Movies Saturday, April 11 Caddo Lake canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, horseshoes and washers, and hamburger cookout

3 P A G E 3 Sigma Pi Sigma Pre-Health Professions Society This group includes students with goals of going into Medical School, Dental School, Pharmacy School, Physician's Assistant School, Occupational Therapy School, Physical Therapy School, Public Health fields, Health care Administration, and many other fields. No cost to Join! Sigma Pi Sigma students will be serving dinner at Hearts for the Hungry at Central Baptist Church on March 1. In April, they will be participating in an Easter party with the Chemistry Club. Contact Dr. Cone for further information. Texas Academy of Science Annual Meeting March 6-8, 2015 San Antonio, TX Dr. Troy Ladine will be taking several students to the 2015 annual meeting of the Texas Academy of Science at The University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio March 6-8. Brittney Garner and Adam Hawbaker will be presenting their honors research at the meeting. Brittney s research involves plant community succession on the Environmental Studies Area. Adam s research involves the respiratory physiology of the precretaceous odonates. EtBu Chemistry Club The EtBu Chemistry club hosted a Halloween Mad Scientist Lab in October, conducting chemical demonstrations for ETBU students and children from the area. It was a great success, so they hope to have this event again next year. Also, a number of students attended the monthly American Chemical Society regional talks in the fall semester. Dr. Butterworth will be taking students to the talks this semester as well. The Chemistry Club and Sigma Pi Sigma served dinner at Hearts for the Hungry at Central Baptist Church in October. The two clubs also had a very successful Christmas Party at Dr. Cone s house in December, complete with a bonfire and white elephant gift exchange. Contact Dr. Butterworth if you re interested in joining the Chemistry Club. Upcoming Events: ACS Regional Talk February 19, 7PM Murphy 102 Speaker: TBD Chemical Demonstration Event April 26 (tentative) University Apartments Easter Party in April Egg Decorating and Easter Egg Hunt T H E S C H O O L O F N A T U R A L A N D S O C I A L S C I E N C E S N E W S L E T T E R

4 P A G E 4 Criminal Justice Students Attend SWACJ Conference Dr. George Day took seven ETBU Criminal Justice students to the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice Conference held at South Padre Island in October. Four of the students competed in the quiz bowl and won first place. The team consisted of Miranda Pippin, Jordan Anderson, Halie Melot, and Stormie Rains. Also attending the conference were Tyler Farrow, Jeff Dodd, and Marcus Wooley who participated in the CSI competition. Faculty Research Dr. Troy Ladine, Professor of Biology Dr. Ladine will be presenting research at the Texas Academy of Science meeting March 6-8 in San Antonio, TX. His research involves factors affecting community structure of small mammals. To do this research, he has placed trail cameras on the Environmental Studies Area in association with a trapping grid for small mammals. Data from the trail cameras show a considerable number of animals that have the potential to affect a small mammal community. Animals on the Environmental Studies Area from the trail camera data include gray and red foxes, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, Virginia opossums, rabbits, river otter, beaver, nutria, muskrat, and white-tailied deer. Small mammals that have been trapped and released on the site include marsh rat, black rat, bushy-tailed woodrat, cotton rat, white-footed mice, cotton mice, and southern short-tailed shrews. Dr. Troy Ladine and Dr. David Brooks, Professors of Biology Dr. Ladine and Dr. Brooks are starting research on bats on the Environmental Studies Area and campus proper. Bat boxes were placed on the Environmental Studies Area this past fall. Two boxes will be placed on campus this spring. The research will be to assess what bats are present in the area and if there are differences between the two areas in the species present. Tyler Tolpka (a current biology major) will be assisting with this research. Dr. Brooks will be presenting preliminary research on the potential for bats in the area. Dr. William Griffith, Professor of Criminal Justice and LEAA Program Coordinator During the Christmas break Dr. Griffith served as a consultant on a new detector for the Fermi particle physics lab (Univ. of Chicago). The discussions related to high energy neutrino research. His new design concept will be tested soon. T H E S C H O O L O F N A T U R A L A N D S O C I A L S C I E N C E S N E W S L E T T E R

5 P A G E 5 Psychology Student Receives Two Honors Tafadzwa Charuma, a psychology major who graduated from ETBU in December 2014, was honored in two ways during the fall semester. In October, Tafadzwa received the Riley Servant Leadership Award. This award recognizes students who are outstanding examples of servant leadership during their time at ETBU. Students are nominated by faculty, staff, and fellow students for this honor and then submit an application for consideration. Also in October, Tafadzwa was crowned Homecoming King of ETBU. Tafadzwa is now pursuing a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology at UT Tyler. PHOTO: Daily Photography-Marshall, Texas ETBU Career Fair April 9, 2:30 4:30 Ornelas Gym Businesses, School Districts, and Medical Reps will be available to talk with students New Course on Terrorism Offered This May The Criminal Justice department is offering CJUS 4377 Terrorism in May Term this year. This course takes an in-depth look at terrorism and terrorist groups. The course focuses on understanding the profile of terrorists and the motivations behind terrorist groups. Additionally, the course explores the structure and training for terrorist groups and government and media responses to terrorist acts. The course will be taught by Dr. George Day and is open to any major. If you are interested in registering for this course, talk to your advisor.

6 P A G E 6 Graduate School Information: Criminal Justice: ETBU students interested in extending their criminal justice education into graduate school should consider Sam Houston State University s graduate program which offers multiple tracks and degree plans. SHSU is nationally recognized as one of the top criminal justice programs with world class research faculty to guide students. Students interested in going to SHSU for graduate school should take the GRE during the fall of their senior year and start the application process early in the spring semester. Dr. Day also says that it is a vital to develop a strong working relationship with undergraduate faculty so that students can be confident of receiving good recommendation letters from their professors. Mathematics: There are many graduate programs in mathematics from which to choose. ETBU mathematics majors have earned master s or doctorate degrees from a variety of universities including Baylor, Texas A&M Commerce, Sam Houston State, Southern Methodist University and Texas Tech University. If you are interested in graduate school, talk to your advisor or one of your math professors. They will be glad to assist you in any way they can. Chemistry: There are many chemistry graduate programs available, both in-state and out-of-state. Universities often will offer paid teaching or research assistantships, tuition waivers, reimbursements, and sometimes even free medical insurance. As important as the financial assistance package is, however, be sure to look for a graduate program where the research interests of the faculty match your own interests. When you get to graduate school, you will be spending a lot of time in the lab, so it is very important to be working in an area of chemistry that you really enjoy. Two of our recent chemistry graduates have gone on to attend graduate school, one at University of Texas at Arlington, and the other at Baylor University. Both have been very satisfied with their graduate school choices.

7 P A G E 7 Biology: There are many excellent graduate programs in Texas and Louisiana that biology majors can attend to work on a graduate degree. It is important to find a graduate program and a professor that meets your research interests. Apply early so that you can qualify for scholarships. Please remember that space in most programs is limited. Human Biology: Medical School University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston Louisiana State University Medical School in Shreveport University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Ecology or Environmental Science: University of North Texas Sam Houston State University Stephen F. Austin State University Psychology and Sociology: One of the most popular graduate degrees for students graduating with majors in psychology and sociology has been social work. Two good Master s programs can be found at Stephen F. Austin State University, which has a more rural focus, and the University of Texas at Arlington. Baylor University also offers a Master of Social Work, as well as a combination MSW and Master of Divinity Degree through Truett Theological Seminary. Psychology students might be interested in pursuing an advanced degree in either counseling or clinical psychology. To become a licensed counselor, you must have an advanced degree, pass national and state licensing tests, and complete a supervised internship. ETBU offers a Master in Counseling, but other programs to consider are at the University of Texas at Tyler, University of North Texas, and Stephen F. Austin State University. Some good clinical psychology programs can be found at the University of Texas at Tyler, University of Houston at Clear Lake, and the University of North Texas. Whatever advanced degree you choose to pursue, it s important to review the school or schools you are interested in for their standards of admission. Some require the GRE, some don t. Some require that you have taken certain undergraduate courses. Visiting the campus and meeting departmental faculty would be another valuable step in making a choice. It can also help people to be able to put a name with a face when deciding who is admitted to their graduate program and who isn t. You will also be asked to supply references, so be sure to give your professors plenty of notice to get these done before the application deadline. Provide your professors with all the information they will need to submit the references, like forms and addresses. If a form must be mailed, it s a good idea to provide a stamped envelope. T H E S C H O O L O F N A T U R A L A N D S O C I A L S C I E N C E S N E W S L E T T E R

8 P A G E 8 Law Enforcement Academic Alternative The East Texas Baptist University law enforcement training program, known as the LEAA, is expanding and moving into new opportunities. Growing from six students within the licensing program in the fall of 2014, it now looks like over 14 will be in the program by the fall of Two new opportunities are being added to support the efforts within the LEAA program and also the overall goals of ETBU including recruitment, retention, performance and post-graduation employment. A new four year Corps program, referred to as the Peace Officer Training Corps, will allow Current members of the Peace Officer Training Corps students from freshman level to senior level to participate in the exciting and challenging activities of the program. Developing on a similar track as seen with a traditional ROTC campus program, students will become part of the Corps as they arrive. The Corps will provide each member with recognition, support, encouragement and guidance as the member progresses through their ETBU experience. Training Exercise on the Obstacle Course Additionally, the LEAA program is currently working with the School of Business and the Master of BA program to set up a 4+1 track in which LEAA students could also get a Master s degree in Public Sector Business Administration. Those interested in being part of this dynamic program should contact Dr. W. Griffith as soon as possible. Upcoming events include personal survival training, first aid, water safety, game day team support, flag honors, community service project, firearm training and a late summer camping trip to Colorado. Visit us at facebook.com/etbuleaa

9 P A G E 9 LEAA Students Attend the IACP Conference in Orlando The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) yearly conference was held in Orlando, Florida. October 25-27, Dyllon Morin, Zach Jones and Jordan Anderson were able to attend the conference this year with Dr. Griffith. They learned a lot about the law enforcement culture and what new trends they may be facing as they work through this career. Dyllon Morin says he enjoyed representing ETBU and the LEAA program at this conference. Dyllon said It was a privilege to be able to be at this conference with police chiefs from around the world. We were able to see new technology that ranged from drone cameras to campus security apps. This experience allowed us to meet new people in the career that we are pursuing and continue our learning. New Uniforms for the Peace Officer Training Corps Students participating in the Peace Officer Training Corps will be in uniform Monday through Friday while on campus. First and second year students will have a uniform made up of a light blue shirt and dark navy blue pants. Third and fourth year students, those in the LEAA licensing program, will wear a dark navy shirt with dark navy pants. LEAA Students, Zach Jones and Dyllon Morin, in their new uniforms. T H E S C H O O L O F N A T U R A L A N D S O C I A L S C I E N C E S N E W S L E T T E R

10 P A G E 10 Master of Arts in Counseling Dr. Gerald Nissley Do you want to make a difference? Do you want to serve others? A career in counseling is a way. ETBU makes it possible. The Department of Behavioral Sciences at East Texas Baptist University offers a Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling. With academic rigor and holistic attention to the entire person of the counselor-in-training and professional practice, the program is designed to prepare you for practice in professional counseling in a variety of settings. Upon graduation from our program, you will be wellprepared to provide counseling services to others competently in addition to capabilities for other aspects of practice management and emerging professional trends. For more information, e- mail: MAC@etbu.edu Master of Arts in Counseling Program Director UIL Math/Science Meet The Department of Mathematics will be hosting a UIL Math/ Science invitational on February 7. Area high school students will be on campus competing in the Number Sense, Calculator, Mathematics, and Science events. The student scoring the highest combined score on the three math tests will win an ipad mini and a $16,000 scholarship to attend ETBU as a mathematics major. ETBU students are invited to help administer the exams. Please contact Dr. Marty Warren at if you are interested in helping. The Vision of the School of Natural and Social Sciences is to utilize the philosophy and methods of science to promote understanding of how the physical world is composed and related to the properties and behaviors of plant, animal, and human life. Students are challenged to integrate the logic of rational certainty with the logic of faith and conviction. School of Natural and Social Sciences One Tiger Drive Marshall, TX Phone: Fax: sciences@etbu.edu T H E S C H O O L O F N A T U R A L A N D S O C I A L S C I E N C E S N E W S L E T T E R