Faculty/Staff News of Note
February 2007
Charles A. Brown, assistant professor of accounting, has had the article “Using Fundamental Analysis of Financial Information to Explain Unexpected Market Behavior” accepted for publication in the June issue of Global Business and Economics Review. Another of his articles, “Disaggregated Earnings and the Prediction of ROE and Stock Prices: A Case of the Banking Industry,” was published late last year in Review of Accounting and Finance.
Robert Speel, associate professor of political science, has been invited by the Centre Daily Times to write a monthly column on state politics. An op-ed piece he wrote in December on the precarious Democrat majority in the Senate appeared in that paper, along with papers in Erie, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Hartford, Connecticut. Rob also was interviewed by the Associated Press about congressional redistricting that will follow the 2010 census.
John K. Gamble, distinguished professor of political science and international law, spoke at Temple Anshe Hesed last week on the topic “What Are the 1949 Geneva Conventions?” John also had the following articles accepted for publication: “Mass Media Coverage of International Law: (Benign) Neglect? Distortion?” in the Florida Journal of International Law, “Definition, Perspective, Caution: The View Through a Wide-Angle Treaty Lens” in International Institutional Reform, The Hague (Asser Press); and “The Emergence of a Pacific Region in Multilateral Treaty-Making: A 500-Year Perspective” in the Australian International Law Journal.
Ralph M. Ford, director of the School of Engineering, presented a program on “The Business and Engineering Partnership at Penn State Behrend” to the Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineers earlier this month.
David L. Hetrick, lecturer in music and instrumental music director at McDowell High School, recently conducted McDowell’s eighty-piece orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He will co-direct the JazzErie All Stars, a select group of student musicians, at several venues in Europe this summer, including the prestigious International Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. In April, David will be the guest conductor at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Junior District Jazz Band Festival.
Bruce Wittmershaus, associate professor of physics, and nine student co-authors published “Optimized Excitation Energy Transfer in a Three-Dye Luminescent Solar Concentrator” in the journal Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.
Todd Nesbit, assistant professor of economics, spoke at a Lions Club meeting last month. His topic was “Are Safer Cars Really Safer? Evidence from NASCAR.”
John Champagne, who’s currently lecturing in American Studies at the University of La Manouba in Tunisia, presented the paper “Understanding the University” at the early-February conference “Mutual (Mis)Understanding” held by the English Department of the University of Tunis, El-Manar, High Institute of Human Sciences of Tunis. The conference addressed the growing problem of misunderstanding between the West and the Islamic world.
Mary Beth Pinto, associate professor of marketing, and Phylis Mansfield, assistant professor of marketing, developed and presented the customer service training program “Managing the Patient/Parent Experience” for Erie Pediatrics, an affiliate of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Jay C. Amicangelo, assistant professor of chemistry, has had the article “Matrix Isolation Infrared Observation of N3 Using a Nitrogen Microwave Discharge Plasma Source” accepted for publication by the journal Molecular Physics.
Professor of biology emeritus Ed Masteller, who’s enjoying a busman’s retirement as curator of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center’s natural history collection, invites the college community to a collection open house to be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, February 16, and 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 17. Many unique examples of Presque Isle flora and fauna will be on display.
Head baseball coach Paul Benim and three of his players gave a presentation on team spirit and good sportsmanship for 100-plus first graders at Belle Valley Elementary last week.
Gary Viebranz, director of musical ensembles, presented the session “May I Please Be Ex‘cues’ed?: Substitution Strategies for Ensembles with Insufficient Instrumentation,” at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 2 High School Honors Festival last Friday at Seneca High School. The next day he traveled to West Liberty State College to be an adjudicator for the West Virginia Music Educators Association Region VI Solo and Ensemble Festival.
Eric Otto, lecturer in English, published “Jazz in the English Classroom: Langston Hughes’ ‘Theme for English B’ and Bebop Identity [Form]ation” in the inaugural issue of Teaching American Literature: A Journal of Theory and Practice.
Bill Lasher, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Jim Sonnenmeier, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, have had the paper “An Analysis of Practical RANS, Simulations for Spinnaker Aerodynamics” accepted for publication later this year by the Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics.
Gary Viebranz, director of instrumental ensembles, was the guest conductor at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 2 high school jazz festival held last weekend at Fort LeBoeuf High School.
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