Previously Awarded Sabbaticals 2002-2003

Abdul Awad
GateWay Community College / Math & Science
Multicultural Exchange with Saudi Arabia Technical College
The year long process has been a profound journey which has not only led me to become more knowledgeable and confident in the international education curriculum, but has also given me first hand knowledge on the merits and challenges of the international education system in general and the Saudi system more specifically.

In addition, I conducted study and research on Saudi's Nutrition and Diet habits, and the possibility of establishing an international on-line nutrition course. I visited several Saudi's Colleges, Universities and Regional Hospitals. I attended a Blackboard workshop and I also learned some technical aspects of teaching on-line.

Overall, it was a year filled with rich experiences and personal growth. I'm returning to my campus with a new perspective toward both nutrition and international education and a better appreciation of different learning styles.

Peter S. Brown
Mesa Community College / Life Science
Native Plants of the Southwest
I updated my knowledge on plants and people of the Southwest by spending Spring 2003 learning at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. I took some short courses on the Sonoran desert and on ethnobotany (plant use by Native people). I also worked with the volunteers propagating native plants. I developed assignments that students could use either at the Desert Botanical Garden or at other outdoor sites like the MCC gardens. These are posted on the Maricopa Learning Exchange, enter keyword: Desert Botanical Garden, or:
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mlx/slip.php?item=909

Gary Calderone
Glendale Community College / Physical Science Department
A Web-based Tutorial on Geologic Time, Structures, and the Interpretation of Geologic Maps
A new web based tutorial on the principles of geologic time, geologic structures and the interpretation of geologic maps is available at the following URL:
http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/appliedscience/gjc-nsf/index.html

The tutorial is designed to help introductory geology (and geography) students master the basic competencies of geologic map interpretation. The tutorial begins with the basic concepts of rock bodies, relative and absolute dating, and rock deformation. It continues with the basic components of geologic maps and includes a very brief introduction to topographic maps. The program then takes the student through the interpretation of layered rocks exhibiting both brittle and ductile strain with varying degrees of erosion in landscapes ranging from flat to high relief.

Ruth Callahan
Glendale Community College / English
Work on a Ph.D. in Literature and Religion
I spent my sabbatical laying the formal foundation for a Ph.D. at the Union Institute and University, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The doctorate will be in Literature and Religion, examining selected aspects of Jewish mystical tradition on the works of Franz Kafka. During the spring term of 2003, I assembled my doctoral committee, and wrote a description of the new learnings I would need to undertake to master this material, including a preliminary bibliography for each unit. I spent a great deal of time on a basic preparatory course on Kafka and Prague itself, which had historical, artistic and literary components, as well as including a mini-history of Jewry in "Greater Germany." Following this, I began examining some philosophically and mystically based texts on the limits of language. Further academic credits were earned through participation in a Union seminar on Dante and the Modern Mind and various "Peer Days," which are a part of the Union program. I also completed, at the Sylvia Plotkin Judaica Museum in Scottsdale, the first 150 hours of a 400 hour internship, a further requirement of Union. My first responsibility was to rewrite two of their visitors' brochures, and though there are several other projects which I have been given, ultimately, I will be rewriting the museum's entire docent manual.

Charles Cooper
Scottsdale Community College / Interior Design
Completion of a Masters of Arts in Education, Specialization in E-Education
The main objectives set for my sabbatical were to complete a 32 credit hour, 18 month course of study for my Master of Arts in Education from the University of Phoenix, and to develop three workshops: Color Rendering Techniques, Digital Photography, and Presentation Techniques for Interior Design Students and Professionals.

The course of study in education provided me new insights into the adult learner, educational theory, assessment and research. In addition to general educational philosophies, my specialization in distance education afforded me a unique opportunity to develop studio based courses via a hybrid format. As part of my program, I developed several teaching units on drawing and rendering techniques that are being tested this semester.

The first of three workshops, Color Rendering Techniques, will be offered in November of this year. Presentation Techniques for Designers will be offered in the spring to the professional design community and Digital Photography Techniques is currently encompassed in our existing course offerings to help student develop the professional portfolios.

Darrell Copp
Scottsdale Community College / Communication & Fine Arts
Ethnographic / Oral History Project
The purpose of my sabbatical was to conduct an ethnographic/oral history project designed to enhance my understanding of the controversial subject of same-sex marriage. To accomplish this I traveled to the Netherlands and Australia to conduct interviews with same-sex couples, both married and unmarried. I also interviewed recognized scholars on the subject. Additionally, I collected information from print and media sources to provide cultural context. My major outcome is the creation of a script based upon my accumulated knowledge, which I will perform at SCC in late September. The secondary outcomes include a scholarly article which I am about to submit for publication, the accumulation of materials to be disseminated as part of my department's courses in Intercultural Communication and Sexual Communication, and materials for presentation to Intercultural Education and Diversity Infusion programs and the Gay-Straight Alliance.

Marla DeSoto
Glendale Community College / English
Online Teaching and Learning
My objectives were to become familiar with the strategies, special curriculum development, appropriate assessment tools and techniques, and technological issues that are unique to the online learning/teaching environment.

I fulfilled the objectives by completing four courses at UCLA Extension in an online format and earning a Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning. My experiences helped me become a better instructor for both traditional face-to-face classes as well as online instruction. Course materials developed during my sabbatical may be accessed from links on the Courses page at
http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~mdinchak/onlineteachingprogram/courses.htm

Deanette Devereaux
Glendale Community College / Nursing
Completion of Residency Requirements and Doctoral Coursework
Leading to Completion of a Ph.D. Degree in Nursing My project was a standard academically based sabbatical leave whereby I was able to complete the remaining major and minor coursework required for doctoral preparation leading to a Ph.D. in Nursing. Beginning in 1998, I had attended summer school sessions and had taken other courses via teleconferencing and had done some commuting to Tucson in order to take courses at the only doctoral program in nursing in the state at the University of Arizona. While doing this coursework, I taught full-time in the District's Nursing Program at GCC and taught at least part-time during most summer sessions. I could have gone on in this manner, to which I was quite accustomed, but I also was required to attend courses full-time for two concurrent semesters for one year to meet graduate school requirements at U of A and that required time away from teaching full-time if I wanted to complete the Ph.D.

David Dudley
Phoenix College / Math
Chaos, Fractals, and Dynamical Systems
The first goal of my sabbatical was to study Chaos, Fractals, and Dynamical Systems at Arizona State University. I successfully completed the following courses:

MAT 452 Introduction to Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics
MAT 455 Introduction to Fractals and Applications
MAT 475 Differential Equations
MAT 574 Theory of Ordinary Differential Equations I
MAT 575 Theory of Ordinary Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems II

The second goal of my sabbatical was to learn how to use Maple as a problem-solving tool. In fulfilling this part of my sabbatical, I assisted Dr. Marilyn Carlson in the instruction of MTE 598 Using Maple¨ to Teach Calculus.

I am currently incorporating what I learned in the courses I am teaching this semester: MAT 261 Differential Equations and MAT 220 Calculus I.

Carolyn Fay
Mesa Community College / Speech Communication
Corporate Perspectives on Teaming
Broadwing, Inc., a provider of telecommunications services to local, regional, national and international telecommunications companies, provided me with corporate access to observe and analyze their small group processes and presentational formats.

I observed heavy emphasis on teaming for the purposes of information sharing, problem solving and decision-making. Face to face meetings were preferred, but engineers and management also accomplished some group functions via email and audio conferencing. While they had video conferencing capability, they expressed frustration with that means of communication.

Using this experience, I developed new teaching materials that utilize audio conferencing and web-based media in addition to face-to-face group interactions. Students will model a corporate teaming environment by participating in information sharing meetings, problem-solving discussions and presentational group formats. Students will also move into the workplace to observe and assess small groups in corporate and/or organizational environments.

Nancy Hellner
Mesa Community College / English
Women's Studies Coursework and Program Development
My biggest sabbatical goals were 1) to earn twelve hours of postdoctoral work at the University of Arizona and at Arizona State University and 2) to implement and submit appropriate paperwork to establish a Women's Studies Program, including an Academic Certificate of Concentration in Women's Studies.

In addition to achieving these goals, I developed and submitted appropriate paperwork for a new course relevant to Women's Studies. On April 1, 2003, the Curriculum Committee approved the fifteen (15) hour Certificate of Concentration in Women's Studies and WST 282, Volunteerism for Women's Studies: A Service Learning Experience. Both the course and the Certificate represent important steps toward continuing and expanding reciprocal relationships with the Women's Studies Departments at Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University.

Patricia Hennings-Manarin
Mesa Community College / Liberal Arts
An Art and Technology Update
My main goal was to update my knowledge in photography, ceramics, and three-dimensional design. I worked with several Ceramic Professors at Arizona State University and Peter King, author of Architectural Ceramics, to expand my repertoire of techniques to construct high-relief sculpture. I also studied Digital Photographic Imaging to be used as a creative design tool in this ceramic mural-making process. My second goal was to visually document the artistic process from conception to completion using these newly learned techniques in the formation of a three-dimensional mural, "Embracing Paradox".

Having the time to really research and complete an artistic idea of a complex nature was very satisfying and enriching. One short-coming I encountered was that I found the Photoshop software was not ideally adaptive to the transformation of three-dimensional forms. I did research two other softwares that could be used for this purpose. Both would demand extensive training in the future.

Products of my sabbatical work are two ceramic "mini-murals", a visual document of the construction process, and a number of digitally composited art works. I have subsequently brought this knowledge to my ceramics curriculum, and next fall I will be teaching an advanced ceramics course which will be exclusively high-relief ceramic mural-making.

Kathleen Iudicello
Mesa Community College / Liberal Arts
Work on a Ph.D. in English
The purpose of my sabbatical was to write my dissertation for a Ph.D. in English from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. The title of my dissertation is Women Take Stage: Punk Rock, Performance Art, and Pussycat Fever. It looks at how women in various genres have spoken out against violence against women and the infusion of activism into art to make a difference in North American society. The subjects that I examine consist of all-female or female-dominated rock'n roll bands, female performance artists, and the writings of novelist Kathy Acker and illustrator Diane Dimassa. The issues that the work covers include sexuality, gender, able-bodiedness, race, and class. I will receive my degree in May 2004.

Mangala Joshua
Mesa Community College / Physics
Learner-Centered Physics Instruction
The past two decades have seen many attempts directed at reforming physics education at the college level. These reforms are based on valuable insights gained in the field of physics education research. Over the past few years I have introduced some of these reforms into the physics courses at MCC. However, I recognized the need for new instructional material, especially for inquiryÐoriented experiments. During my sabbatical leave, I developed a complete set of new instructional materials. A secondary goal during my sabbatical was to gain a better understanding of the research and theories of learning, and their implications on educational practice and curriculum development. To address these areas, I completed three graduate courses in the School of Education at ASU. Finally, I conducted a five-day workshop for residential and adjunct physics faculty at MCC to share what I have learned and to introduce the new instructional materials.

Linda Knoblock
Paradise Valley Community College / English
Antarctica: The Last Continent
Antarctica is one of the most fascinating and least known places on earth. It is the land of extremes, the highest, driest, windiest, coldest, and most remote continent. Locked within its ice is seventy-five percent of the world's fresh water, and its rocks and ice hold clues to the very beginnings of the earth. This unique land is a barometer of the health of the entire planet, affecting our lives far more than we realize. The sabbatical materials for our college libraries will help people learn about this unusual place and be aware of its need for protection and advocacy

Marjorie Kyle
Mesa Community College / English
A Sabbatical Proposal: Research, Evaluation and Composition
The five main objectives of my sabbatical semester were to increase my knowledge of religion, music, and literature as they relate to the African Diaspora; increase my computer skills and infuse the new technology into my classes; redesign my HUM 107 class to allow students to receive "global awareness" as well as humanities credit; present a paper at the 2003 National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) Conference that reflects my study of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas in the areas of religions, music and literature; and prepare the presentation for publication in Multicultural Perspectives, the national journal of NAME or in the published proceedings of the 2003 conference.

Shereen Lerner
Mesa Community College / Cultural Science
Archaeology Curriculum Revisited
My proposal was to revise the archaeology curriculum at the community college to include key archaeological principles and guidelines, develop new course materials, and focus on curricular reform. I revised the curriculum for four of our core archaeology classes. My revision included the development of course modules for each class, including learning objectives, lecture outlines, class activities, assessment strategies, and PowerPoint presentations. In January I met with the anthropology faculty in the District and provided them with the curricular material.

Chas. T. Moore, Jr.
Mesa Community College / Library
Residency Requirements and Academic Internship in Information Resources and Library Science
In this one semester sabbatical, I was able to complete the residency and course requirements for an M.A. degree from the School of Information Resources and Library Science (SIRLS) at the University of Arizona (U of A), Tucson. Besides completing the requirements, the most valued aspect of the project was being in residence in Tucson for a semester and spending significant time with the faculty of SIRLS, the faculty at the U of A Library through an academic library internship, and to be involved with the Library Student Organization (LSO). These networking contacts with the U of A Library School and Library faculty will prove invaluable in my position as Program Coordinator of our Library Information Technician Program at MCC.

Dominic O'Neill
Scottsdale Community College / Culinary Arts
Update Knowledge in the Field of Culinary Arts Education
The purpose of my sabbatical was to further educate myself in the field of Hotel Restaurant Management. I earned 36 credits over two semesters, making the Dean's List at NAU. In addition to my NAU studies, I had the opportunity to travel throughout the United States as a guest speaker on the subject of Culinary Arts education at the secondary level. Most notable was an invitation to speak at the 2003 National Restaurant Show in Chicago. This invitation was a direct result of the computer software program I have developed that offers culinary training for middle school, high school, and college students, as well as industry professionals. The classes that I took during the past year have increased my awareness and understanding of different areas within the hotel and restaurant industry that I will now be able to teach in the classroom at Scottsdale Community College.

Bonnie Petterson
Phoenix College / Health Information Technology
Completion of Courses and Dissertation Required for a Doctorate from ASU
The MCCCD 2002-2003 academic year sabbatical permitted me to meet all remaining Arizona State University Graduate School Program of Study requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Beginning summer of 2002, I was able to successfully take the doctoral comprehensive examination, complete four research courses, fulfill doctor of philosophy residency requirements, complete all components of a dissertation entitled "The Decision by Women to Become Community College Presidents: Implications for Career Development and Organizational Policy," and successfully defend the dissertation. All work culminated in awarding of the degree and graduation on August 8, 2003.

Martha Rassi
Glendale Community College / Business and Technology
Office Automation Systems Department Curriculum Review
The focus of my sabbatical was to update the OAS curriculum for the training/retraining of office workers to include the newest technology and skills needed to match the ever-changing role of office workers. The OAS curriculum needs to implement new courses and new materials into existing courses as well as implementing technology into the curriculum. Many of the past, present, and future students in the office curriculum have left the work force to raise children, others need technology training, and the remaining ones wish to return to the office field after raising families. These students need an entry into the field that the office curriculum will provide.

Carole Rodgers
Mesa Community College / Liberal Arts
Pathway to Performance
The purpose of my sabbatical project was to plan and implement a two-year Theatre Arts comprehensive program for SMCC that would culminate in an Associate of Arts Degree. This track degree would then be transferable to any of the state universities where the student would have the necessary foundation to obtain a BA or BS in Theatre Arts major. Additionally, my project could serve as a model for other Fine Art programs planned for the new SMCC Performing Arts Center opening in August of 2003.

Lois Roma-Deeley
Paradise Valley Community College / English
Contemporary Poetry Research
For my project, I researched more than 50 books by or about contemporary poets and/or on the subject of contemporary poetry and completed an original manuscript of poems. I will present these manuscript poems as a formal reading. I enhanced my own creative process by deepening my foundational knowledge of contemporary poetry. In addition, I enhanced my teaching skills by examining the relationship between my research into contemporary poetry and how that research relates to the creative, writing, and revision processes. I also included in my project exploring various writer's retreats located across the country. I researched several and was offered a month-long fellowship by Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, Illinois. My experiences at Ragdale connected me as a poet and director of the creative writing program at PVCC to other poets, visual artists and community members outside of Arizona. I am currently involved in a collaborative project which is a direct result of my Ragdale Fellowship.

Trino Sandoval
Phoenix College / Foreign Language
Completion of a Ph.D. in Spanish
The objectives of my sabbatical included: 1) fulfilling the requirements for the doctorate in Spanish at Arizona State University, and 2) writing the dissertation for the Ph.D. The activities within these two objectives are as follows: I furthered my study of Italian and I completed and passed the Italian Language Exam. I completed a project on Film Theory for the minor in Chicana/o Studies. I took and passed the three required doctoral examinations. I conducted research in Mexico, Colombia, Chicago and New York to write the dissertation. On July 30, 2003, I defended my dissertation titled Where Borders Begin and Disappear: Mexican and Chicano Borderlands Films.

Karen Schwalm
Glendale Community College / English
Parent Beliefs about Dual Enrollment
The purpose of this sabbatical was to complete my dissertation, the final step required for a Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University. I made substantial progress on this project. My dissertation will be a qualitative analysis of parent beliefs about the practice of dual enrollment. I have a working draft of three chapters and a methodology for finding parents and conducting structured interviews with them. Although I haven't finished my dissertation, the sabbatical made it possible for me to progress, and I enjoyed both the intellectual work and the opportunity to refocus my professional life.

Dean Stover
GateWay Community College / Liberal Arts
Curriculum Development in Hybrid Format and Religious Studies Certification
During my sabbatical, I developed three hybrid courses and worked toward my goal of gaining certification in Religious Studies by taking four graduate level courses. The three courses I developed in hybrid format include: REL 202 Religion and Popular Culture, a new course for the district; ENH 251 Mythology, which I am currently teaching this fall; and HUM 201 Universal Themes, which I will teach next spring. This sabbatical allowed me to develop new curriculum and gain more general knowledge about world religion. For my division and college, I developed the first hybrid courses in Liberal Arts and developed new courses not currently taught at Gateway. And for the district, I have supported the diversity mission by developing courses that focus on cultural diversity and world cultures.