College seeks to begin AS degree in Environmental Science Technology by fall

A new associate of science degree offering in Environmental Science Technology will be available to Daytona State College students beginning this fall semester, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The 64-credit hour, two-year program is among only five such programs being offered at colleges statewide, according to Daytona State's Institute of Marine and Environmental Studies advisor and professor Dr. Debra Woodall.

SACS is expected to formally authorize the college to offer the program in April.

Environmental science technicians perform laboratory and field tests to monitor natural resources and measure contaminants and sources of pollution. A large part of their work entails collecting samples for testing, managing hazardous materials inventories, or performing general activities related to regulatory compliance.

Seven new courses have been developed to implement the degree program, including Environmental Policy and Law, Introduction to Ecology, Geographic Information Systems, Energy and Its Environmental Effects, Aquatic Environmental Science and a required internship that will give students working experience in the field.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for environmental science technicians are expected to grow by 12 percent annually through 2018, with the average entry level wage nationwide being nearly $20 an hour.

The program is designed to prepare students for immediate employment upon graduation. The college currently also offers an Assocaite of Arts/University Transfer degree track in Environmental Science for students who wish to pursue more advanced degrees in the field.

For more information, please contact Dr. Woodall at (386) 506-3765, woodald@daytonastate.edu.

College’s Center for Interdisciplinary Writing and Research recognizes faculty

Daytona State’s Center for Interdisciplinary Writing and Research (CIWR) is proud to announce the recent scholarly/creative accomplishments and activities of its member faculty. 

Dr. Michael Avery

Dr. Michael Avery (Business) was a major presenter (with Dr. Albert Elam, of the International Business Academy in Kolding, Denmark) in a Global Forum at the 35th Community Colleges for International Development Conference, held in March 2011 in Orlando, FL.  His presentation, "TABS--A Conversion Model for US/EU Student Learning Outcomes," described a model for facilitating the transfer of student credits between US credit hours and EU program units.

Dr. Rebecca Block 

Dr. Rebecca Block (English, College Writing Center) presented a paper titled "Exploring New and Old Reading Aloud Practices: A Comparative Analysis of Three Tutoring Methods" at the International Writing Centers Association-National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing Joined Conference, held in November 2010 in Baltimore, MD.

John Connor

John Connor (Education) presented his Revelation Theory of Learning at the "Drop-Out Prevention Conference" in October 2010 and will also present this theory at the "Narrowing the Gulf for Disadvantaged College Students Annual National Conference" in March 2011.  He was part of a team that evaluated St. Lucie County Public School District's Professional Development and Principal Effectiveness in November 2010, and will join a team evaluating Orange County Public School District's Professional Development and Principal Effectiveness in May 2011.  He is currently part of a (state-level) Department of Education team evaluating new Teacher Education Programs and revisions of recent folio submissions.  In addition, Professor Connor is involved in a grant project dedicated to educating faculty from the Bahamas Technical Vocational Institute.  He looks forward to his second site visit to BTVI in April 2011, and also to completing revisions to the 3rd edition of an educational psychology text he has co-authored.

Dr. Michael Flota

Dr. Michael Flota (Sociology) presented "An Economic Theory of Collaborative Learning" at the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference, held in November 2010 in Orlando, FL.  He will present "Exit Versus Voice: The Financial Services Modernization Act and the Collapse of the Global Economy" at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting, to be held in April 2011 in Jacksonville, FL.  Also, Sociology, a textbook Professor Flota co-authored (with Dr. John E. Farley of Southern Illinois University) will be published in July 2011 by Paradigm Publishers.

Dr. Richard Grego

Dr. Richard Grego (Philosophy, Religion, Cultural History) presented "An Evolving Dialectic: Contesting Conceptions of Nature in American Philosophy" at the Agricultural History Society Annual Conference, held in August 2010 in Orlando, FL.  The panel on which Professor Grego presented will submit its work for a special issue of the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era titled "A New Eden: American Conservation Thought, 1890-1990" to appear in 2012.

Dr. Carol Grigas (History) authored a chapter, "Total Force Policy and the Post-Vietnam Era, 1976-1990," in Splendid Service: The Montana National Guard, 1867-2006, edited by Orlan J. Svingen and published by Washington State University Press in 2010.

Jessica Kester

Jessica Kester (English) has published a drabble (a story in exactly one hundred words) titled "Untitled #5" in the e-journal Luna Station Quarterly.  Also, Professor Kester's prose poem, "Riding the EL in the Early Morning" will be included in Classifieds: An Anthology of Prose Poems, a forthcoming book from Equinox Publishing and The Prose Poem Project.

Dr. Kathleen Lazarus (English) co-presented (with Dr. Betty Green) "HOSTS: Reading Mentoring Program" at the Florida Association of Teacher Educators Annual Conference, held in October 2010 in St. Petersburg, FL.  Professor Lazarus also co-presented (with Dr. Evan Rivers) "Faculty Mentoring Programs" at the Florida College English Association Annual Conference, held in October 2010 in Winter Park, FL.

Dr. Michelle Lee

Dr. Michelle Lee (English) has published two poems in e-journals: "Grim" in Fickle Muses, and "Jugs" in Luna Station Quarterly.  She has co-edited an issue of The Michaelian, a peer-reviewed journal about the life and literary coterie of 19th-century writer Michael Field, and has co-presented (with Liz Barnes, Maggie Karda, and Dr. Ben Graydon) a roundtable titled "From the Ground Up: Program Assessment at Daytona State College" at the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention, held in November 2010 in Orlando, FL.  Professor Lee was awarded a NISOD Medallion of Teaching Excellence for 2011.  Her article, tentatively titled "The Sex, Scandal, and Spectacle of Lady Gaga and Baudelaire," will be published by The Poetry Foundation in April 2011, and her roundtable presentation, "Slamming Poetry and YouTubing: The Seduction of Using Multi-media in the Classroom," will be featured at the Third Annual Academic Excellence Symposium, to be held in April 2011 at Daytona State College.



Dr. Leonard Lempel



Dr. Leonard Lempel (History) has published "Port Orange's (Almost) Forgotten Hamlet of Freemanville" in the winter 2011 issue of the Halifax Herald, the journal of the Halifax Historical Society, where he serves as Editor.  He also served as editor for the recently completed booklet, "City of Daytona Beach Black Heritage Trail."  Professor Lempel was elected Vice President of the Florida Historical Society in May 2010, and he continues to serve locally on the Daytona Beach Historic Preservation Board and the Board of Directors of the Halifax Historical Society.

Reed Markham (Speech Communication) has published several articles.  A peer-reviewed piece, "Debating Current Issues," appeared on edarticles.com in 2010.  "Fathers and Communication: I may not be a rocket scientist, but I am your father" appeared locally in the New Smyrna Beach News in 2010.  "Are you listening to your children?" also appeared in the New Smyrna Beach News in 2010 and was reprinted in the Volusia News.  Professor Markham has also served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Communication Association, the Marketing Committee and Site Review Committee for the 80th Annual Florida Communication Association Conference, and as a Contributing Editor for the International Debate Education Association.

Dr. Elaine Perea (Psychology) has co-authored (with M. N. Shiota, S. L. Neufeld, W. H. Yeung, and S. Moser) an article, "Feeling Good: Autonomic Nervous System Responding in Five Positive Emotions," which is forthcoming in the journal Emotion.  Also, she will present "Creating Discussions in an Online Discussion Board" at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, to be held in May 2011 in Washington, DC.

Congratulations to these CIWR members on their outstanding achievements!

Find out more about the Center and its mission at http://www.daytonastate.edu/ciwr.  

University Center to host transfer fair

The University Center at Daytona State College invites students and the community to learn more about bachelor’s and master’s degree opportunities offered through its partner institutions during a University Transfer Fair scheduled Wednesday, March 30, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m..

The fair will take place in ECHO Plaza (near the clock tower) on the college's Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.

“In addition to the bachelor’s degrees offered by Daytona State, the college has partnered with other institutions such as Bethune-Cookman University, Capella University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, St. Petersburg College, Troy University, the University of Central Florida, University of Florida and Webster University to increase access to bachelor’s and master’s degree opportunities,” said Taylor Childress, director of the University Center.

The University Transfer Fair will feature representatives from each institution providing information about degree programs and transfer requirements.

For more information call (386) 506-3143, or visit the University Center on the Web at http://www.daytonastate.edu/uctr/.

Minority teacher scholarships available

Minority students interested in enrolling in one of Daytona State’s Bachelor of Science in Education degree programs can defray their costs through scholarships offered by the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers.

The program provides students in their junior and senior years with up to $4,000 annually. Scholars are selected based on qualities that indicate their potential to become good teachers, including writing ability, communication skills, overall academic performance, volunteer service and evidence of their commitment to young people.

More information and applications can be found on the Web at www.ffmt.org.