Our innovative and passionate faculty, staff and students make our Cedar Crest family special. Featured below are just a few of our community’s achievements from the past semester.
Faculty and Staff Spotlights
JoAnn Wilcheck Basist, M.Ed., ’77, was named board president for the Civic Theatre of Allentown. An arts educator of 43 years, Basist is an adjunct instructor at Cedar Crest College where she teaches acting and public speaking. She served on the Civic Theatre’s Executive Board as first vice president for several years and developed a Cat in the Hat Literacy Program. Basist has developed special events and programming for Mayfair and Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Experience. She has also taught for many years at The City Arts Cultural Camp (in collaboration with Civic) and had the opportunity to collaborate with fellow Allentown Arts Programs. She frequently directs student productions at Cedar Crest College.
Tammy Bean, M.Ed., director of community service programs presented the leadership workshop “A Journey into Leadership Begins in a Toy Box” at Northampton Community College for RISE: The Student Leadership Conference on November 12, 2020. The workshop had students explore how toys they played with helped to set them up for leadership success. This workshop was an opportunity for students at Northampton Community College’s campuses to challenge themselves to think differently, grow as a person, and elevate themselves as a leader. RISE is traditionally a one-day conference that takes place annually in the fall semester. However, this year it was a series of 10 virtual workshops that took place throughout the month of November.
Bean, alongside Tatiana Diaz, assistant vice president for diversity equity & inclusion at Gwynedd Mercy University, also presented the workshop “Creating a Common Language: Cedar Crest College’s Diversity Modules for Staff and Faculty” at the American College Personnel Association’s (ACPA) Mid-Atlantic Summit on November 13, 2020. The workshop focused on the development, implementation and future of the diversity training team. It also included modules that have been a part of the college’s diversity initiatives for the past two years. The Mid-Atlantic Summit provided the opportunity for conference attendees to reflect on their experiences that guide work in student affairs, to connect and network with other attendees through intentional idea sharing, and to pursue professional and personal development opportunities through various engagement avenues. This event was a virtual joint conference of the District of Columbia College Personnel Association, the Maryland College Personnel Association, and the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association.
Sarah Carlson, MFA, assistant professor of dance, and her company DanceLink premiered “Moving Spirit,” a dance video collaboration with Moravian Seminary on November 10, 2020. The video screening was followed by a discussion panel on the topic of embodied spirituality. The project was presented by the IceHouse Tonight series and sponsored in part by the Lehigh Valley Engaged Humanities Consortium, with support provided by a grant to Lafayette College from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. View the performance here: https://youtu.be/eT1xDgAfDXc.
Carlson’s work, “The Cloud of Unknowing” was selected for inclusion in the fall 2020 Dance EXposure virtual showcase presented by ArtsQuest and the Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange on Oct 17-18, 2020. “The Cloud of Unknowing” is a 12-minute sextet set to selections from Robert Kyr’s score of the same name. The full showcase can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoCbUWPUtSs
Dr. Audrey J. Ettinger, Dr. Jennifer D. Hayden, and Dr. K. Joy Karnas published an article, “Research Experiences Kick-Starting Careers: The Next Generation of Scientists Starts Here” in a special edition of Collectif, an online anthology published by the Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. This special edition of the journal, Collectif: Examining the Value and Utility of a Women’s College Education in North America, invited researchers from the Women’s College Coalition to investigate the relevance of women’s universities in modern times, showcasing initiatives that have been demonstrated to advance gender equity. The contribution to the journal from Cedar Crest College explores innovations within the Department of Biological Sciences, reviewing the historic development of niche majors and the incorporation of original research projects into the curriculum for the undergraduate programs. In order to connect these initiatives to student success, the article includes feedback from alumnae as well as interviews with emeritus faculty Marion Kayhart, Dolores Yaschur Sproule, and Brian Misanko. The full article can be found in Collectif 2020 at this link: https://www.womenscolleges.org/discover/reports/collectif-examining-value-and-utility-womens-college-education-north-america
Dr. Todd Hastings, assistant professor of nursing, presented at two different virtual conferences. Dr. Hastings provided a podium presentation at the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN) annual conference on June 24. This presentation examined ways to support mental health awareness in higher education. He also provided podium and poster presentations at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) 34th annual conference on October 3 and 4. Both presentations addressed novel teaching strategies supporting affective learning. The purpose is to enhance college student attitudes about people with mental illness. During the conference Dr. Hastings also facilitated the APNA Education Council meeting in his role as chair for this council within the APNA organizational structure.
Dr. Scott Hoke, associate professor of criminal justice and director of the Master in Crime Science program, and Dr. Kerrie Baker, professor of psychology were recently awarded a grant by the Lehigh County government to continue the assessment of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for local police officers. They are working with the Director of the S.P.O.R.E. unit (Special Program for Offenders in Rehabilitation and Education) in Lehigh County to develop assessment tools (knowledge tests, situational judgment inventories, and role-play scenarios) to measure officer learning and behavior. The new tools were pilot tested in a 40-hour training cycle. Lehigh County recently awarded a second grant to continue the evaluation and pilot test a shorter, modified version of the training program. A comparison of the shorter and longer versions of CIT training will then be made using assessment tool data and officer behaviors (call behavior and cost benefit data).
Future early childhood educators in Dr. Melissa Kamyab‘s Emergent Literacy class created literacy book bags to serve as authentic, extended learning experiences for lucky readers at Muhlenberg Elementary School in the Allentown School District. Each Cedar Crest College drawstring bag contained a book with accompanying reading strategies and activities to support early readers. It also included a note of encouragement regarding the joy of reading. This community outreach initiative served to support emergent readers beyond their virtual learning day and brought the planning process to life for our Cedar Crest College preservice educators.
Dr. Richard Kliman, professor of biological sciences and department chair was a co-organizer and participant at the 6th Life Discovery – Doing Science Education Conference. At the conference, he represented the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE). The virtual conference, held October 22-24, was a partnership of the Ecological Society of America, SSE, and the Botanical Society of America. Dr. Kliman introduced the speaker and moderated Q&A for the keynote address on inclusive first-year biology education, moderated a panel discussion on the use of models in science education, and facilitated a networking session on the use of models.
Jill Odegaard, MFA, professor and chair of the art department, had her work selected for the juried exhibition Materiality: Hand Papermaking in the Age of Isolation, coordinated by the North American Hand Papermakers.
On December 11, 2020, Dr. Jill Purdy participated in a panel of experts discussing the future job market for recent and upcoming college graduates. Purdy discussed the enduring social and academic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on graduates and their skill set entering the workforce. Other university faculty from around the country also weighed in on this timely discussion. The panel can be found here: https://www.zippia.com/media-specialist-jobs/trends/
Dr. Lindsey A. Welch, associate professor in the Department of Chemical & Physical Sciences, was elected to serve as a divisional representative on the American Chemical Society’s Committee on Science (ACS ComSci) for the 2021-2023 term. This will be Dr. Welch’s first service on a national committee for ACS after being nominated by the Catalysis Science & Technology Technical Division chair. Divisional representatives for ComSci are voted on by the chairs and councilors of the 32 technical divisions of ACS. ACS ComSci aims to engage the global chemistry enterprise to build a better tomorrow by identifying new frontiers of chemistry, examining the scientific basis of, and formulating public policies related to, the chemical sciences, and recognizing outstanding chemical scientists.
Dr. Michael C. Zalot, assistant professor in the Department of Business, Management, and Economics, and program director of the Master of Business Administration and Modular Master of Science programs, published an online article entitled “What Hiring Managers Need to Know About Evaluating Candidates with Graduate Certificates.” It can be seen in the Recruiter Today section of recruiter.com, a leading human resources industry website. The article describes assessment strategies for hiring managers while evaluating candidates holding a graduate certificate, or a graduate degree comprising multiple certificates. The article can be viewed at: https://www.recruiter.com/i/what-hiring-managers-need-to-know-about-evaluating-candidates-with-graduate-certificates/
Dr. Catherine Zurawski, associate professor of nursing and director of graduate nursing programs, has passed the national certification exam for the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE). CNE is a voluntary professional certification that indicates the holder has demonstrated proficiency in the field of nursing education and signifies a commitment to educating the next generation of nurses. Dr. Zurawski has taught nursing students from LPN through DNP programs while continuing to maintain active clinical practice. She teaches in the MSN and DNP programs in the CCCSON.
Student Spotlights
Senior biology major Leslie Abreu ’21 and recent graduate Miranda Fetchen ’20 co-authored a research article published in the October 31, 2020 issue of Environmental Entomology. The article, “Distribution, Survival, and Development of Spotted Lanternfly on Host Plants Found in North America” features a series of experiments that test the preference and suitability of potential host plants for the invasive spotted lanternfly. The findings will be used to make more informed pest management decisions for the spotted lanternfly.
Cedar Crest College Master of Forensic Science graduate student, Jane Berger ’21 was the lead author on a manuscript entitled “Ultraviolet Absorption Properties of Synthetic Cathinones.” The manuscript was published in Forensic Chemistry, a leading peer-reviewed journal in forensic science.
Students in the MSN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program recently presented posters at the St. Luke’s 9th Annual Pulmonary and Critical Care Symposium held virtually in October. Senior NP students in Dr. Donna Martonik’s class chose to present on the following current issues in healthcare: Emylio Cutiva BSN, RN, CCRN- Tele-ICU: Potential Benefits & Pragmatic Strategies; Shannon Dilger BSN, RN- The Psychological Impact of Pandemics on Health Care Workers; Sherry Evans BSN, RN, CCRN, PHRN- Development of the COACH (Clinical Observation and Critical Help) Nurse Program at Tower Health; Rianna Fornwalt BSN, RN, PCCN-ICU Delirium: Cause, Effect and Treatment; Sarah Kline BSN, RN-Benefits of Massage Therapy for Adult Patients in the Intensive Care Unit; Jennifer Lapp BSN, RN-Milrinone Treatment for Refractory Vasospasm Related to Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage; Janki Patel BSN, RN, CCRN-Intensive Glucose Control in Critically-Ill Patients; and Brittany Zebro BSN, RN, CCRN- The Use of Multimodal Analgesia to Reduce Opioid Consumption in Surgical Patients.
At the 46th annual meeting of the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists held virtually from October 14-17, Cedar Crest College won 5 of 8 student awards. The award and recipients are as follows: Kimberly Hane – Recipient of the George Neighbor Memorial Scholarship; Amber Rose – Recipient of the George Chin Memorial Scholarship; Kirsten Siegfried – Recipient of the Carol De Forest Research Grant (mentor-Lindsey Welch); Alexandra Arabio – Recipient of the Peter De Forest Research Award (undergraduate division) (mentors – James Hammer, Larry Quarino); Amber Rose – Recipient of the Peter De Forest Research Award (graduate division) (mentor – Thomas Brettell).
Congratulations to all. To share your accomplishments with our community, email