| January 14, 2009 | Vol 10. No. 6 |
The NetGazette features profiles of new and current faculty, staff and administrators. If you have an idea for a Canisius profile, please send an E-mail to Kristin Etu '91, NetGazette editor, at etuk@canisius.edu.
Dena K. Bowman, administrative associate for the Department of History
When you enter the Department of History’s office on the sixth floor of Churchill Tower, you can’t help but notice the beautiful photographs that adorn the walls. They are the creative work of Dena K. Bowman, the department’s administrative associate for the last 20 years.
“I have always enjoyed photography but several years ago I decided to take photography classes from Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts Tom Wolf ’86, to hone my skills,” says Bowman.
 | |
| Dena Bowman, administrative associate for the Department of History, on a 2007 Arizona vacation |
“Both of my children are adopted, and my daughter is from Korea, so we like to support the international events,” adds Bowman. She and her family have hosted several exchange students as well, including one from the Cayman Islands, for five years.
For more than 10 years, Bowman has been an active member of the STEPS Committee, which advocates for the college’s administrative associates, and hosts wellness events and speakers. When she retires, she hopes to become more involved in Sun-Ray ministries, an adoption-related charity. In her spare time, Bowman loves home decorating and is a self-described “HGTV-addict!” She and her husband also enjoy a weekly Friday movie at the Amherst Theatre on Main Street.
Bowman holds an associate’s degree in business from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA.
To view Dena Bowman’s photos in the 2008 issue of the Quadrangle, click here (Adobe Acrobat PDF).
Matthew H. Mulville ’88, MS ’94, associate dean of students and director of residence life
When Matthew H. Mulville ’88, MS ’94, associate dean of students and director of residence life, first joined the residence life staff as an assistant director in fall 1988, he only intended to stay a few years until he found a job in his field. The finance and economics graduate and former resident assistant (RA) sought a job in the banking industry.
“That was 21 years ago!” says Mulville with a laugh. “It never occurred to me that working with students would be my niche but once I started, I really enjoyed it.”
Mulville is well-known on campus for his great sense of humor and ability to laugh at himself. This was certainly eveident on Halloween 2007 when one of his graduate students, TJ Bowie MS ’09 dressed up as Mulville. Bowie even shaved his head (see photo below). Mulville took it all in stride. In fact, he allowed Bowie to run the staff meeting that morning.
(l-r) Matt Mulville ’88, MS ’94, TJ Bowie MS ’09 (as Matt), Al Pilato ’99, associate director of residence life, and John Goepfrich MS ’09 (as Al) . Bowie and Goepfrich are both graduate students in the College Student Personnel (CSPA) program and residence hall directors.
Mulville enjoys being a mentor to his graduate students who aspire to be residence life professionals. His students also enjoy working with him. After they graduate and begin their careers, they tell him how much they appreciate what they learned from him.
Mulville has seen a great deal of change at the college since 1988. Back then, Canisius only had 500 students living on campus.
Now, the college has 1,500 residents and eight residence halls.
“Canisius has been very fortunate with the building and expansion led by Father Cooke,” says Mulville. “We are in the top 20 percent in the country for residence halls according to our national survey of 800 students.”
Mulville volunteers his time for Residence Hall Association (RHA) events, including the annual Thanksgiving Sit-Down Dinner. He also takes in the occasional Canisius athletic event. In his leisure time, the Fredonia native likes to read, golf and spend time at his cottage on Van Buren Bay near Dunkirk.
Welcome New Faculty
The NetGazette continues to welcome new faculty members who joined the Canisius community this fall.
| Assistant Professor of Modern Languages Kennedy M. Schultz, PhD, previously served as an adjunct professor at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo and Niagara University. She holds a PhD and a master's degree in French Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in French and cultural area studies from The College of Wooster. |  | |
| Kara M. Schwabel is the new director of the Differentiated Instruction Program in the Department of Graduate Education and Leadership. Previously, she was coordinator of the gifted and talented program for the Batavia City School District. In addition, Schwabel served as president and founder of Creativision, a consulting company that specialized in the design and delivery of training workshops in creativity and creative problem-solving for educational institutions, non-profit agencies, corporations and industry. She holds a master's degree in creativity and change leadership from Buffalo State College and bachelors degrees in elementary education and psychology from the State University of New York at Fredonia. |  | |
| Assistant Professor of Physics Robert Selkowitz, PhD, holds a PhD and a masters degrees in physics and astronomy from the University of Rochester. He also earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Prior to Canisius, Selkowitz was a physics lecturer for Buffalo State College and also served as assistant professor of physics at the Eureka, CA campus of the College of the Redwoods. |  | |
| Lindsey Walters, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Biology, previously served as an instructor and teaching assistant in the Department of Zoology at Michigan State University (MSU). She earned a PhD in zoology and ecology in the Evolutionary Biology Program from MSU and a bachelor’s degree in biology (with honors) from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. |  | |
| Tonja M. Williams is a new faculty fellow in the Department of Adolescence Education. She holds a master’s degree in educational counseling from Canisius College and a bachelor’s degree in human services from Medaille College. Previously, Williams was director of guidance, counseling and alternative education for the Buffalo City School District. | ||
| Michael H. Wood, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics. He holds a PhD and a master’s degree in physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Catholic University of America. Prior to Canisius, Wood was a post-doctoral fellow at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News, VA. |  | |
| Thomas Vogel, PhD, CPA, an associate professor of accounting, previously was an associate professor of accounting at Western New England College. He also served as visiting professor of accounting at Syracuse University and an audit supervisor Gould & Swanson, P.C. in Buffalo, NY. Vogel holds a PhD in finance from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Canisius College. In addition, he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in New York State. |  | |