EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Multicultural education in music therapy. Bats of the West Indies. The main drivers of homelessness in America.

That’s just a sample of the topics 27 Eastern Michigan University faculty members will pursue in special study, research, writing or other projects under 2020-21 academic year sabbatical leaves approved Thursday, June 18 by the Board of Regents.

The awards are designed to enrich the activities of individual faculty members, enhance their careers or provide significant service to local, state, national, or international organizations.

Two-semester sabbatical leaves also include up to $12,000 in research support, if requested and approved.

The University Research and Sabbatical Leave Committee reviews the sabbatical leave proposals and makes recommendations to the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.

Seven two-semester and 20 one-semester leaves will be awarded. Listed below are the awardees, their academic departments and their projects include:

One Semester

Leslie Atzmon, Art and Design. “Place/Performance/Identity: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Spatial Experience.”

Kimberly Barrett, Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology. “Environmental Enforcement and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the United States.”

Wallace Bridges, Communication, Media and Theater Arts. “Complete Fulbright Documentary.”

Geffrey Colon-Rivera, Health Promotion and Human Performance. “Qualitative Analysis and Categorization of Fundamental Motor Skills Stages from Archive Video Data-Michigan State University Motor Performance Longitudinal Study.”

Jennifer Desiderio, Special Education. “The Benefits of Team-Based Learning for Content Mastery and Collaboration Skills of Future Special Education Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists.”

John Dunn, English Language and Literature. “What Citizens Can Learn from Public Discourse: A Rhetorical Analysis of Selected Newspaper Opinion Columns on the 2018 U.S. Immigration Controversy.”

Debra Gombert, Music and Dance. “Multicultural Education in Music Therapy: Writing a New Song.”

Heather Hutchins-Wiese, Health Sciences. “Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle Research with Local and Global Implications.”

David Kass, Biology. “Generation of Manuscripts of Scientific Investigations That Will Incorporate Fifteen EMU Student Co-Authors.”

Ebrahim Khalifeh-Soltani, Political Science. “Sociopolitical Factors Contributing to Mental Health Disorders among Syrian and Iraqi Refugees Resettling in the United States.”

Matthew Kirkpatrick, English Language and Literature. “The Alchemists (a novel).”

Myung Koh, Special Education. “Empowering Korean Teachers with Proactive Classroom Behavior Management Skills.”

Allen Kurta, Biology. “Bats of the West Indies: Winged Mammals in an Island Environment.”

Paul Leighton, Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology. “Developing a New Specialty in Marijuana Control that will Produce an EMU Class and Start a line of Research Addressing the harms of Marijuana Prohibition.”

Janet Okagbue-Reaves, Social Work. “Collegiate Recovery Model for Inclusion.”

Barbara Patrick, Political Science. “Variations in Discrimination Case Outcomes: A Look at State Civil Rights Commissions’ Policies and Administrative Practices.”

James Saunoris, Economics. “What are the Main Drivers of Homelessness in the U.S.? New Evidence from a Dynamic Analysis.”

Joel Schoenhals, Music and Dance. “Schubert and the Dance at Home.”

Sarah Walsh, Health Sciences. “Using the National Health and Aging Trends Study to Reduce Health Care Utilization Costs for Older Adults with Chronic Disease.”

Yu Zhang, Accounting and Finance. “Are Overconfident CEOs More Capable? --- Hints from CEOs' Letters to Shareholders.”

Two Semester

Leslie Atzmon, Art and Design. “Place/Performance/Identity: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Spatial Experience.”

Alexis Braun Marks, University Library. “Preserving the History of the University: A Comprehensive Survey and Proposed Policy for Records Transfer to University Archives.”

Debra Gombert, Music and Dance. “Multicultural Education in Music Therapy: Writing a New Song.”

Myung Koh, Special Education. “Empowering Korean Teachers with Proactive Classroom Behavior Management Skills.”

Paul Leighton, Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology. “Developing a New Specialty and EMU Class on Marijuana Decriminalization, and Producing a Second Edition of a Book on Private Prisons.”

Robert Peavler, Music and Dance. “The 21st-Century American Art Song Anthology for Young Singers.”

Ildiko Porter-Szucs, World Languages. “Textbook: How do you know that your Students are Learning: A Practical Guide to Language Assessment.”

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves nearly 18,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and, its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.