LAKELAND, Fla. (September 12, 2006) — Florida Southern College faculty members pursue extracurricular academic activities year-round, giving presentations, publishing articles, and attending conferences. The following summarizes their recent activities and recognitions.

Alexander M. Bruce, associate professor of English, published his paper, “Princesses without a Prince: A Consideration of Girls’ Reactions to Disney’s ‘Princess’ Movies,” in Children’s Folklore Review 28 (2005-2006). He developed the paper from research conducted in an honors course he taught in the fall of 2004. Eleven students conducted the interviews; Bruce did the analysis and writing. All 11 students from the course are noted for their contributions to the paper.

Catherine R. Eskin, associate professor of English, was invited to give the presentation, “‘Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers’: The Conspirators of Julius Caesar” to an honors English class at McKeel Academy in Lakeland, Fla., Aug. 15.

Carmen Valdez Gauthier, associate professor of chemistry, was the organizer and presider of the symposium, “Chemistry Across Borders” at the 19th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education at Purdure University, July 30 to Aug. 3. The symposium explored international practices of chemistry. Speakers gave examples of successful collaborations and discussed current projects and future directions of chemical education. Gauthier presented her paper, “Great Ideas in Chemistry: A day of sharing” at the conference. While there, Gauthier also attended "The Science Writing Heuristic: An Advanced POGIL Workshop," a workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Cindy A. Hardin, professor of business administration, was appointed for a second term as chairwoman of the College Board's Business Law CLEP Committee. This committee is responsible for writing and reviewing the Business Law CLEP test. She also was elected president of the Board of Education of Santa Fe High School in Lakeland, Fla.

Mavra E. Kear, associate professor of nursing and nursing department chair, was appointed the director-at-large of the Florida Nurses Association (FNA). She will attend FNA board meetings and serve as liaison to several districts. Kear also attended the nurse educator conference, Boot Camp and Beyond: Evidence-Based Teaching for Student Success, in Albuquerque, N.M., July 24 - 28. Also in attendance at the conference were Rose Brault, assistant professor of nursing, Annette M. Kelly, associate professor of nursing, and Marcia M. Posey, associate professor of nursing.

Sharon K. Masters, professor of sociology and director of women’s studies, will represent FSC’s Department of Women’s Studies as a nominator at the Florida Commission on the Status of Women Achievement Awards reception Sept. 14.

David A. Rose, associate professor of mathematics, was invited to serve on the Panel of Examiners to evaluate the thesis of Ph.D. student V. Renluka Devi, a student of Dr. D. Sivaraj of Aditanar College in Tiruchendur, India, whose dissertation is titled, “A study on ideals in topological spaces and star topological spaces." The article he wrote with Kari Sizemore and Ben Thurston, "Strongly Irresolvable Spaces," was published in the International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences (2006). Likewise, the article he wrote with Brandi Cain and John Clark, "Vertically Rigid Functions," was published in Real Analysis Exchange, 31 (2005/2006). Rose will present on “Faculty Scholarship at Teaching Institutions” at the 30th Annual Suncoast Regional meeting of the Florida Section of the Mathematical Association of America at New College in Sarasota, Fla., Dec. 3.

Claudia S. Slate, professor of English, has been invited to chair a session for the Harriet Jacobs Conference at Pace University in New York, N.Y., October 6-7. The conference will be attended by leading scholars from around the country.

Bernice R. Sutton, assistant professor of accounting, attended the Accounting Information Systems Educator Conference in Denver, Co., June 23 – 24. The AIS Educator Conference is designed to enhance accounting instruction by facilitating the sharing of tips, tricks, resources and experiences among accounting educators. 

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.