Summer 2005

NEWS

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Five Faculty and Staff Earn Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence

By Mary E. McCrank

Five Geneseo faculty and staff members have been named recipients of the 2005 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence.

Joseph A. Cope, assistant professor of history, Anne Frances Eisenberg, assistant professor of sociology, and Rosemary McEwen, associate professor of foreign languages, received Excellence in Teaching Awards; Dennis E. Showers, associate professor of education, received an Excellence in Faculty Service Award; and Roxanne Johnston, associate vice president for college advancement, received an Excellence in Professional Service Award.

Photo: Ron Pretzer

Joseph A. Cope of Scottsville, N.Y., just completed his fourth year as assistant professor of history at Geneseo. In his brief time at the College, he has gained a reputation as an exceptional teacher who has lofty standards for both his own performance as a teacher and the performance of his students. Cope’s teaching is much admired by his students and colleagues, who praise Cope for his creativity and dedication to active learning and for helping to develop his students into critical thinkers. He has developed seven courses since he joined Geneseo, and all draw on his expertise in the history of the British Isles. Cope is an active and respected scholar with a record of publications in prestigious journals and presentations at professional conferences. He has had two articles published in Historical Journal, the foremost journal in the world for British history, including his first article, titled "Fashioning Victims: Henry Jones and the Plight of Irish Protestants, 1642," in 2001, and "The Experience of Survival During the 1641 Irish Rebellion," in 2003. His monograph, "Rebels, Victims, and Survivors: The Social Experience of the 1641 Irish Rebellion," is nearing completion. Cope is a Visiting Fellow at the Cornell Institute for European Studies and is revising for publication his Ph.D. dissertation, "Ireland Must be Looked After: Problems of Survival and Relief During the 1641 Irish Rebellion." Cope also is an active member of the College community and participates in history department committees and several campuswide committees.

Photo: Ron Pretzer

Anne Frances Eisenberg, assistant professor of sociology at Geneseo, joined the faculty in 1999. Eisenberg, of Orchard Park, N.Y., has earned a reputation as a gifted teacher who holds students to rigorous standards while maintaining positive rapport with them. She advises students on senior theses, oversees independent studies and encourages attendance at academic conferences. In addition to her teaching and mentoring, Eisenberg supports her department through work on curriculum development. Most recently, she made important revisions to the department’s senior seminar to include innovative, student-centered options which will result in a stronger capstone experience for sociology majors and better student research projects. Utilizing her background and education in health and hospital administration, she has worked to develop a program that will be available throughout the College and will be a useful supplement to several majors. Eisenberg is one of the College’s founding members of the Center for Cognitive and Social Research. She is an active scholar who has published numerous refereed journal articles, has a book currently under review titled "Encouraging the Dialogue: Sociological Theory" and has presented at national professional conferences. In addition, Eisenberg has lent her time to the College as a member of College Senate and the College Research Council, and has been an advisor to the Sociology Club and the College’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Photo: Ron Pretzer

Rosemary McEwen, associate professor of foreign languages, joined the Geneseo faculty in 1998. McEwen, of Castile, N.Y., is a superb teacher who is admired by her students and colleagues for the academic rigor of her courses, the dedication and enthusiasm she brings to the classroom and the mentoring and support she provides to encourage student success. She creates an environment of active learning by engaging her students in discussions, activities and performances. McEwen teaches a wide array of courses in her department, including Spanish, Business Spanish, Contemporary Latin American Culture, Culture and Civilization, and the Latin American Contemporary Short Story. Of the 12 different courses she has taught since arriving at Geneseo, she has developed the curriculum for nine courses. In addition to her classroom activities, McEwen is an active scholar who has published several articles and has edited a college-level text used in Advanced Spanish Composition and Conversation courses. She has several works in progress: a book-length study, "The Paradox of the ‘Primitive,’" a Spanish composition textbook, and a collection of short stories in Spanish. She also has presented papers at numerous conferences. McEwen is an engaged member of the College community. She serves on collegewide and department committees, was the principal organizer of the College’s flourishing international film series, and has assisted the College’s Office of Multicultural Affairs in its planning of events on campus. She also started the "Tertulias" series, where each Friday Spanish students gather at a local snack shop so they can practice their conversational skills in an informal setting.

Photo: Ron Pretzer

Dennis E. Showers, associate professor of education, joined the College’s Ella Cline Shear School of Education faculty at Geneseo in 1986 after working for 11 years as a high school science teacher. Showers, of Piffard, N.Y., has served the local community, college, university and the State of New York through his dedication to the field of teacher education. In a state where teacher preparation often is under scrutiny, and where certified teachers are often in short supply, Showers has worked to assure the excellence of teacher preparation programs. Locally, he has been successful in creating partnerships with urban schools, which provide opportunities for Geneseo students to gain experience and appreciation for the city school mission. Mentoring and tutoring programs that have grown from these relationships have benefited the K-12 students in those schools, as well. At Geneseo, Showers has served on numerous committees and has been a valued participant in several initiatives including Knight Collaboration Engagement on Strategic-Community Partnerships, the College Strategic Planning Group and the College Research Development Team. Showers has been a consistent and highly respected resource and member of numerous system-wide committees, among them: Provost’s Advisory Council on Teacher Education, the Working Group in Teacher Education Transfer and the FIPSE Teacher Education Data Advisory Board. Shower’s most widely known service has been to the State of New York, through his long-term commitment to a strong accreditation process for teacher education programs and his work for the State Education Department and National Council for the Accreditation of Teaching Education.

Photo: Ron Pretzer

Roxanne Johnston, associate vice president for college advancement, joined Geneseo in 1987. Johnston, of Geneseo, N.Y., is a valued and resourceful member of the advancement team whose commitment to development programs has resulted in numerous successful fund-raising initiatives. Most recently, she assisted the director of libraries in creating a targeted "Friends of the Library" program, which has secured financial support for critical resources. She has worked closely with potential donors to enlist not only their pledge of financial support, but also their personal assistance as members of the Geneseo Foundation or other advancement committees. She also has been instrumental in guiding academic departments in their fund-raising efforts and development of scholarship programs. Johnston has served the Geneseo Research Council, which promotes faculty and student research and scholarly activities on campus. As the ex-officio representative of the Geneseo Foundation, Johnston has enhanced student and faculty access to research funding opportunities on campus, has worked to increase the size of faculty and student summer research stipends, and served as a problem-solver and mediator for council members. Johnston is admired for her leadership style, which is described as warm, sincere and effective. She is consistently recognized as a spokeswoman for Geneseo who is able to re-engage alumni, raise funds, and create and maintain relationships with numerous constituent groups to benefit the College. In addition, Johnston has served as president of the SUNY Council for University Affairs and Development and has helped to raise funds for Focus on the Children, a local not-for-profit organization.