Wright State becomes host institution for Dayton Council on World Affairs
 Wright State University is now the host institution for the Dayton Council on World Affairs (DCOWA), a nonprofit organization that has served the Dayton region for more than 60 years. Its mission is to “promote informed opinion and decision making concerning international issues. We engage people on diverse world issues, points of view, and cultures to link individuals and organizations with common interests.”
“We’ll be overseeing Dayton Council on World Affairs programming—that will include adult programming and Junior Council on World Affairs programming,” explained Michelle Streeter-Ferrari, director of Wright State’s University Center for International Education. Streeter-Ferrari will also serve as program administrator for DCOWA, primarily focusing on adult programming. Read More...
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WSU’s Colleen Finegan travels to Portugal for Fulbright Specialists project
 | | Colleen Finegan spent two weeks in Porto, Portugal as part of a Fulbright Specialists project. Photo courtesy of Colleen Finegan. |
Colleen Finegan, professor and chair of teacher education, spent two weeks in Portugal this past June as part of the Fulbright Specialists Program. Finegan taught graduate students in special education, social education, and psychology at the School of Education at Paula Frassinetti, a Catholic university in Porto, Portugal.
“It was all about special education in general, working with students and preparing teachers to teach students with disabilities,” said Finegan. “The interest and the support for working with children with disabilities and their families was so ingrained that it was a driving force for the whole college.”
Finegan shared current research in special education, including information that was presented during an international special education conference held at Wright State. She also talked about the Office of Disability Services and how accessible Wright State is to disabled students.
“They want to form a partnership with Wright State’s College of Education and Human Services so that some of their students might be able to come here and learn more about working with students with disabilities,” she explained. “They’re interested in opening up their own colleges to students with disabilities and making them more accessible and accommodating to those students right on campus.” Read More...
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Study abroad now available to students with disabilities
 | | Sisters Sarah and Samantha Laux enjoyed Wright State's first ambassador program for both able-bodied and physically challenged students. |
Twelve Wright State students traveled to Switzerland this summer as part of the University Center for International Education’s (UCIE) first ambassador program specifically designed for both able-bodied and physically challenged students.
Led by sociology and anthropology instructor Gaetano Guzzo, Ph.D., and social work assistant professor Sarah Twill, Ph.D., the group included seven students whose physical disabilities created unique challenges in trip planning. Issues such as train rides, cobblestone streets, and older buildings without elevators had to be addressed for students who use wheelchairs. On top of this, students had to be able to transport their luggage.
“Logistical planning of this program for this group was a big effort, one that definitely paid off in the end,” said Tracy Kingsley, UCIE director of education abroad programs.
“A major concern for me was my ability to continue my passion for travel and visiting friends and relatives overseas,” said Guzzo, who has been a paraplegic since 1992 and uses a wheelchair. “With some planning, flexibility, and open-mindedness, I discovered how doable travel could be even in a ‘chair.’ My idea for this trip was to open the world of travel to others who might have thought it was out of bounds or simply too much hassle.” Read More...
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Sustainability: An Introduction
By Hunt Brown, Director of Sustainability
The Wright State Strategic Plan (adopted 6-13-2008) includes the following affirmation of the importance of sustainability:
Sustainability—the necessity of preserving our planet compels us to weigh the impact of our decisions, both short term and long term. Read More...
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Honorary degree nominations sought
Each year Wright State University considers the possibility of awarding honorary degrees to individuals whose contributions to society have been truly distinguished. Any faculty or staff member, alumnus, or member of the Board of Trustees may submit nominations to the University Commencement Committee. Previous recipients include former Sinclair Community College President David Ponitz, Dayton philanthropist Virginia Kettering, former Ohio governors Richard Celeste and James Rhodes, and novelist John Jakes.
Anyone wishing to make a nomination for either the June or November commencement ceremonies in 2010 must submit a pre-nomination letter to Jacob Dorn, professor of history and chair of the committee, by Monday, January 11, 2010. For questions or to submit pre-nomination letters, please email jacob.dorn@wright.edu or stop by his office, 363 Millett Hall. Read More...
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New Dialogue Coming Soon
Based on your suggestions and input from a Dialogue survey conducted this past spring, we are working on a brand new format for Dialogue, scheduled to debut in January. The web team will be creating the new Dialogue site using the WordPress platform. If you have visited the new Regional Summit website, www.wright.edu/regionalsummit, you have already experienced the user-friendly features of WordPress.
Much like the Regional Summit site, the new Dialogue will offer photo galleries and videos. You will also be able to leave comments at the end of stories or ask questions. You will be able to submit your own faculty and staff notes online and give us your ideas for future stories. You’ll also be able to sign up for RSS feeds so you can be the first to know when Dialogue is updated. Read More...
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WSU hosts Semester Summit
Nearly 400 individuals from 19 schools that are transitioning from quarters to semesters attended the 2009 Ohio Semesters Summit at Wright State on October 14.
The public and private, two-year and four-year institutions moving to a semester-based calendar sent teams of representatives to share ideas, plans and processes, triumphs and challenges as they move forward. Attendees also heard presentations from other colleges and universities who have successfully transitioned from quarters to semesters.
All aspects of the semester conversion were discussed at the summit, from new Ohio Board of Regents initiatives inspired by the statewide move to semesters to the details of creating a transition budget and timeline. There were two themes that permeated all the sessions: the unique opportunity to transform the curriculum and the need to make the transition as straightforward as possible for students.
Read More...
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In Memory of Robin Herman
Robin Herman, an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology for nearly 10 years, passed away on September 23 from cancer.
“Dr. Herman was an excellent professor. He believed very strongly in experiential, discovery learning. His ultimate goal was to prepare students for meaningful careers in human services professions,” said John Flach, chair of the Department of Psychology. “Dr. Herman will be missed deeply by all his colleagues in the Department of Psychology and all the students that he has touched over the last 10 years.” Read More...
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