Dr. Benjamin Graydon, an assistant professor of English at Daytona State, and Cheryl Kohen, emerging technologies librarian, have co-authored an article related to the college’s e-text initiative which was recently published in Educause Quarterly. The article documented the findings of a grant awarded to the college in July 2009 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to study student preferences regarding textbooks and how to mitigate rising costs. The grant supported a comparative study of four textbook distribution models, including print purchase, print rental, e-text rental and e-text rental with an e-reader device. Also co-authoring the article was Blake Urbach-Buholz, of Preferred Program Evaluations, Orlando, a consulting firm specializing in the evaluation of state and federally funded grants. Read about the study and its findings in the latest issue of Educause Quarterly.
Associate of Arts student Evan Sieg and Occupational Therapy Assistant student Fehmida Kermalli have been awarded Harris Wofford Global Service Fellowships to participate in short-term study abroad programs. Sieg will participate in a service learning project in Xi’in, China, while Kermalli is considering projects in either India or Thailand. The fellowships are awarded by Cross-Cultural Solutions through a partnership with Community Colleges for International Development. The organization partners with communities throughout the world to recruit college students for cultural exchanges, healthcare and basic childhood education volunteer services, and to promote international volunteer service and civic engagement. Fellowship recipients spend up to 12 weeks overseas with a volunteer organization. Fellowship recipients are awarded based on their commitment to service and a demonstrated passion and commitment to international issues.
Cristina Rose Sigal and Nikki Donovan were recent recipients of $500 scholarships awarded by the Daytona Beach Kiwanis Club through the Daytona State College Foundation. Sigal, a biology major, plans to continue her education at the university level upon earning her associate of arts degree from Daytona State. Donovan will earn her associate of arts degree this summer and plans to transfer to the University of Central Florida to pursue a degree in in journalism.
The Foundation also announced that Percy Ray Lassiter is the recipient of a $2,400 Hammock Dunes Club Scholarship. An employee of the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast who is enrolled in Daytona State’s Hospitality Management program, Lassiter is married and has five children. “This scholarship will allow me to provide for my family while focusing on my career goals without financial burden,” he said.
Brian Wemple, a 2009 Associate of Arts degree graduate of Daytona State who transferred to the University of Florida, was recently awarded the university’s Graduate School Scholarship for the 4/1 Program. He earned his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from UF this past fall and plans to pursue a master’s degree in civil engineering with a concentration in structure.
Wemple also received the UF Community College Transfer Scholarship. He maintained a 4.0 GPA as an undergraduate. In April last year, he passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, a national test administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.
During his coursework, the Edgewater native has created and tested models for analyzing the capacities of roof sheathing in extreme weather. He also has interned with the Florida Department of Transportation State Materials Office since August 2010, where he has performed laboratory and field geotechnical tests.
