Canisius College

April 16, 2008

Vol 9. No. 12

NSF Grant Awarded to Mathematics & Statistics
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the Department of Mathematics & Statistics a significant grant in the category of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU).  The department will use the $233,361 grant to continue its successful undergraduate summer research program entitled “Geometry and Physics on Graphs.” 

Established four years ago with a similar NSF grant, the program provides funding to eight undergraduate students so that they may work closely with faculty mentors on projects that develop tools from geometry and algebra to study graphs and related groupoids.  The goal is to produce original research results that students may submit for publication to mathematics journals or present at mathematics conferences.  A secondary goal is to create tutorial reports that will provide a foundation for future research. 

The REU program at Canisius is directed by Terrence P. Bisson, PhD, professor of mathematics & statistics, Byung-Jay Kahng, PhD, assistant professor of mathematics & statistics, and Efstratios Prassidis, PhD, professor of mathematics and statistics, all of whom wrote the NSF grant application. 

Farrugia to Receive Distinguished Faculty Award
The Canisius College Alumni Association will present David L. Farrugia, EdD, professor of counseling and human services, with its 2008 Kenneth L. Koessler Distinguished Faculty Award, during spring honors convocation on Friday, April 25 at 3 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center.  The prestigious award, presented annually, recognizes one faculty member for teaching excellence and outstanding contributions to the academic world.

A member of the Canisius faculty since 1981, Farrugia served as chair of the Department of Counseling and Human Services from 1997 – 2007.

Farrugia is a licensed mental health counselor, certified rehabilitation counselor and nationally-certified counselor.  He has worked in both school and agency settings, and has maintained a private practice throughout his tenure at Canisius.  Devoted to the success of his students, he shares his vast knowledge and practical experience with them both in and out of the classroom. For more information, click here.

CSPA Repeats as National Case Study Champion
The Canisius Team of Edward Wright and Amy Feder, both students in the Canisius master’s program in college student personnel administration (CSPA), placed first in the New Professionals category in the national case study competition. Congratulations to the students and to Sandra Estanek, PhD, assistant professor of college student personnel administration and director of the master’s program in college student personnel administration. 

The event took place at the annual conference of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) held this year in Atlanta, GA. The conference attracts more than 4,000 participants. This is the fourth consecutive first-place finish for a CSPA team from Canisius. Last year CSPA students Amanda Kalal and Patrick Marino placed first in the competition.

Moll Serves as Keynote Speaker 
E. Christine Moll, PhD, associate professor of counseling and human services, served as the keynote speaker for the American Counseling Association of the U.S. Virgin Island’s annual conference on February 29. Moll’s lecture topic was entitled “Professional Identity in the New Normal.” She also spoke on “Women, Leadership and Spirituality” for the Utah State University Women’s Studies Program on March 5.

Canisius Hosts WNY Peace Office Training

(From l-r) David Koteras, adjunct professor of criminal justice/sociology and program facilitator; Gary Everett, director of public safety; Patrick Lewis, marshal, Buffalo Fire Department; Seth Biedron, officer, NFTA; Nicholas Langenfeld, officer, NFTA; Michael Walsh, officer, NFTA; Dominic Barone, assistant director, public safety; George Sweetland, officer, NFTA; Corey Baskerville, officer, public safety; Joel Eberth, officer, NFTA; William Major, officer, NFTA; Lawrence Sarafinas, officer, Niagara University public safety; Anthony Turner, officer, public safety; Nicholas Overturf, officer, Medaille College public safety; James D’Angelo, officer, Niagara University public safety; Michael Timblin, officer, public safety and Aaron Turner, officer, public safety.

In March, the Canisius College Public Safety Department hosted the New York State Basic Peace Officer Program.  The participants included three Canisius College public safety officers, six NFTA officers, one Buffalo Fire Department marshal, two public safety officers from Niagara University and one public safety officer from Medaille College. 

“In the spirit of collaboration, we are pleased to offer the NYS Peace Officer Course to other local departments free of charge,” says Gary Everett, director of public safety.

Everett adds that this is the ninth time that Canisius has hosted the Peace Officer Training Program, which covers NYS Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Miranda rights, Investigations, and Ethics, among other topics.