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Professor Awarded Fulbright Scholarship
Political Science assistant professor David Goldberg has received a Fulbright Scholarship to teach and conduct research in the Caribbean.
New Coordinator of Student Records
Katherine Thompson is the new coordinator of Student Records at College of DuPage.
Service Learning Experience
Respiratory therapy student Tony Kostopoulos credits his Service Learning experiences with augmenting the academic skills he acquires at College of DuPage.
Cashmere and Window Screens
A former College of DuPage Fashion Merchandising and Design student and owner of a clothing boutique in Geneva, recruited two current program students to design garments out of non-traditional materials for a window display.
Physics Lesson
David Fazzini, associate professor of Physics, has found an unusual way of making his students understand their subject matter.
News Bureau
College of DuPage
Office of Public Information
OCC 143-45
425 Fawell Boulevard
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6599
Phone:
(630) 942-2480
Fax:
(630) 942-3737
David Goldberg of the Political Science department has earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the Caribbean this spring.
C.O.D. Professor Awarded Fulbright Scholarship
By David Hamilton
As a College of DuPage political science assistant professor, David Goldberg is expanding his knowledge for a new course in one of his areas of interest - Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Fortunately for Goldberg's future students, they will gain much firsthand knowledge about that region as he will travel to Trinidad and Tobago on a Fulbright Scholarship this spring to study the politics of this Caribbean nation.
At a time when world attention is focused on oil in the Middle East, many Americans would be surprised to learn that this island nation, located off the coast of Venezuela, is home to another precious commodity.
"Trinidad and Tobago is unique in the Caribbean in that it is a relatively affluent state but is undergoing significant socioeconomic change," said Goldberg, a Naperville resident. "It is also growing in importance because of its energy holdings. The United States receives approximately 70 percent of its liquefied natural gas from there, and that country will host the Summit of the Americas this spring, an exciting time to be there."
While in Trinidad and Tobago, Goldberg will teach at the University of the West Indies - St. Augustine and conduct research on international organizations and democracy promotion at the university's Institute of International Relations.
One international organization he will research is CARICOM, or the Caribbean Community, an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies whose purpose is to promote economic integration and cooperation, as well as coordinate foreign policy.
"The Institute for International Relations is a highly regarded research institution, and in addition, there are a number of faculty members at the university who have served in leadership capacities in CARICOM, which will be useful in my research," Goldberg said. "I will be interviewing current and former CARICOM officials, as well as scholars, on how the organization has changed with respect to democratic norms.
"Primarily, I will examine how the Organization of American States and CARICOM respond to ruptures in democratic norms, be they elections or other events."
When he is not conducting research, Goldberg will teach international relations, United States foreign policy and international organizations in the western hemisphere.
Along with Trinidad and Tobago's geographic and economic impact on the United States and the western hemisphere, Goldberg believes that the nation has much to teach in terms of diasporas.
"Trinidad has a significant percentage of citizens of South Asian descent," he said. "Most are Hindu and Muslim and my impression is that they have been integrated into the national cultural landscape in a positive way. Religious festivals and celebrations for all major faiths receive significant attention. But, on the other hand, my sense is that there is a divide between those of African and South Asian descent."
Since arriving at College of DuPage in 2004, Goldberg has taken on many endeavors, including participating in a statewide program to internationalize community college curricula and to increase a better understanding of complex global issues through the International Negotiation Modules Project, which uses computer-assisted simulation to enhance teaching strategies.
He has been nominated three times as faculty member of the year, as well as has been nominated to represent College of DuPage at the prestigious Aspen Institute's Wye River Faculty Seminar on Citizenship and the American Polity.
When he returns from Trinidad and Tobago, Goldberg hopes to present a paper on his research and experiences at a conference in order to solicit feedback from colleagues before eventually publishing his findings. He also has plans to convey his experiences to his College of DuPage students.
"I think that any time faculty, students and staff have the opportunity to study and spend time abroad, it benefits the college when those experiences are shared," Goldberg said. "I will be developing a new class on the Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean, and as a part of that, I will be investigating the possibility of a study abroad opportunity for students.
"I will participate in a Brown Bag forum at the college for faculty, staff and students to share my experiences, and finally, I hope to organize a conference at College of DuPage with a public and private sector focus on the growing role of Latin American and Caribbean immigrants in DuPage County."
Katherine Thompson of West Chicago is the new coordinator of College of DuPage's Student Records office, which handles all records in terms of final grades, mid-term enrollment verifications, transcripts, degree audits, petitions for graduation and enrollment verification for insurance.
Thompson Is New Coordinator of Student Records
By Brian Kleemann
Katherine Thompson was detail-oriented even as a youngster. So it's no surprise that she's now overseeing a College of DuPage department that depends on precise information.
"I was the little girl whose mom would leave her in the typewriter department at Sears," she explained. "So Records is an ideal place for someone who loves offices, paperwork, numbers and details."
On May 1, the West Chicago resident began her new duties as coordinator of College of DuPage's Student Records office after nearly six years of working for the dean of Admissions, Records, Registration and Information. Yet Thompson's association with College of DuPage stretches back even further.
For example, while attending Lyons Township High School during her junior year, Thompson took English in a classroom that once housed the old Lyons Township Junior College library. The link? In 1967, the voters in the Lyons Township Junior College District opted to annex to the new College of DuPage district.
Thompson then became a C.O.D. student, earning her Associate in Arts degree in 1994 before transferring to the University of Illinois-Chicago, where she earned her bachelor's degree in anthropology. While at C.O.D., she was a student worker at WDCB, the public radio station located at the college.
"I've always wanted to work here," she explained. "Working at the radio station was a wonderful environment because of the supportive atmosphere. You got the feeling everyone wanted to help everyone else out."
While at the radio station, Thompson met her future husband, Paul, who currently is an award-winning writer, producer and director in the college's Multimedia Services department.
The Records office handles all student records in terms of final grades, mid-term enrollment verifications, transcripts, degree audits, petitions for graduation and enrollment verification for insurance. As for details, consider this: more than 900,000 student records are in the current system. And, adding to Thompson's duties, the college is in the midst of implementing a new student system, with the Records module going live in 2009.
Other future plans are on Thompson's radar.
"I'd like to see a lot more imaging of records so we don't have to house so much paper," she explained. "This also makes it easier to access. We're seeing more and more pre-1983 students coming back, and we have to find their records in hard copy. Plus, the older the records get, the harder it is to read them.
"I'd also like to see us grow in terms of electronic transcripts, both receiving and sending. Right now we only receive electronically."
For now, Thompson feels right at home in her new position.
"Records is detail-oriented work, which is something I love," she said. "It's IT for the non-tech people."
(C.O.D. Photo by Rich Malec)Tony Kostopoulos last semester participated in a Service Learning program at College of DuPage that enabled him to work with children such as Olivia and Ryder Erdmann at the DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville.
A Service Learning Experience
By David Hamilton
The skills that Tony Kostopoulos acquires in his respiratory therapy courses at College of DuPage he will one day use in a new career.
But the skills he learned in the college's Service Learning program he will use anywhere else life takes him.
"I think that there is a benefit to it," said the Plainfield resident, who in addition to his formal studies last semester devoted one day a week to helping children develop their interpersonal skills at the DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville.
"There is clearly a connection between learning to work one-on-one with people and working in an allied health field. I learned how to work with children. What you learn in the Service Learning experience you won't learn out of a college handbook," Kostopoulos said.
The College of DuPage Service Learning program combines community service with academic instruction. Service Learning students become involved in projects that address the needs of community organizations.
This method of instruction develops their sense of civic responsibility and commitment to the community, which further enhances their academic skills.
Kostopoulos, who is self-employed in the real estate business, first heard about the Service Learning program through his Diagnostic Medical Imaging Radiography (DMIR 1100) course. The Service Learning feature was a course requirement.
"It is a wonderful program. The way it is set up is very nice," he said. "I think that when you are in public service - dealing with people of different faiths and races - you need to learn how to give of your time in a positive way."
The Service Learning program consists of three components: Preparation, Action and Reflection.
Preparation includes setting objectives for the skills to be learned, including planning the projects and preparing to enter the community. Action consists of completing the required service work to accomplish the student's stated goal. Reflection means taking time after the service work is completed to reflect on one's personal insights about the experience, including the relationship between the work and academic objectives achieved.
"One of the main things about service learning is that you learn how to provide good service and people remember that," Kostopoulos said. "When you go into the hospital for a check-up or some other procedure, you remember the good service you received from the hospital personnel. You remember how they treated you or how they treated your parents.
"You probably remember that more than the reason you went into the hospital in the first place. It's all about learning to treat other people with dignity and respect."
Even though he has young children of his own, Kostopoulos discovered that working with youngsters requires that adults modify their own manners of teaching.
"You get on your knees and talk to them at their level. I'm rather tall and imposing to them, so when they first see me, I probably look a little intimidating to them," he said. "I've learned to show them how to take care of problems such as learning hand-and-eye coordination by playing a musical instrument or what to do when they spill a glass of milk or something. We clean it up together and have fun doing it."
With his Service Learning experience on his resume, Kostopoulos looks forward to completing his other studies and broadening his experiences in an allied health career.
"I have always wanted to do medical work and earn a college degree," he said. "It is always something I wanted to do. I now have time to devote myself to a full-time job and going to college. I can't emphasize it enough how important it is to earn a college degree. It has been very rewarding."
For more information about the College of DuPage Service Learning program, call Steve Gustis, Service Learning coordinator, at (630) 942-2655, e-mail: gustis@cod.edu or link to: www.cod.edu/servicelearning.
Erica Hartt, owner of Cashmere, a clothing boutique in Geneva, adjusts non-traditional garments created by two College of DuPage Fashion Merchandising and Design students, Efrain Ayala and Alaina Murano.
Cashmere and Window Screens
By Ken Reed
For a chic clothing boutique located in Geneva, a recently unveiled window display was more than a little edgy.
The stylish boutique is Cashmere, 207 S. 3rd Street, and is owned by Erica Hartt, who refined her love of fashion in College of DuPage's Fashion Merchandising and Design program.
Hartt recently reached out again to the Fashion program and recruited two of its stars to design unique garments that appeared in the store's front window display.
The C.O.D. students Hartt hand-picked were Efrain Ayala (Riverside) and Alaina Murano (Wheaton). Ayala was selected "Designer of the Year" for the Fashion program's recent "Fierce" fashion show, and Murano received the "Contemporary Design Award" for the same show.
Their assignment at Cashmere was to create garments using non-traditional materials.
They did just that.
The students combined assorted window screens, safety pins, washers, chains and cork to create two garments that Hartt said "looked like something you would actually want to wear."
The two garments were on display during Geneva's popular Swedish Days celebration June 17 to 22. The theme of this year's celebration was "Going Green." Hartt explained that the two garments in her window were "our way of going green, using non-traditional and recycled materials."
Ayala's garment was a halter-top, gathered to a horizontal bow at the nape, empire waist silhouette with a gathered skirt to mid-calf. The waist cincture was made of basket-woven, one-inch wide cork strips, back closing using raffia ties, and braided cable cord as a top and bottom outline. The main garment was comprised of plastic screen material in a charcoal grey finish.
"I wanted to produce a feminine silhouette that would distract from the fact that the materials are not feminine at all," Ayala said.
He added that most of the materials in his design were purchased at a home repair/improvement store.
During the design process, Ayala said he realized that he needed to "think outside of my normal parameters, not only from a design perspective, but from a materials perspective as well. I have been sewing for over four years but never have I been so challenged to step outside of my comfort zone - and I like it."
Ayala said he was "thrown off a bit" at first by the assignment, but once he started to step outside the boundaries, he said the possibilities seemed endless.
And he is pleased with the finished product. "I particularly like that many people look at (the design) and tell me how much they wish it was made of other materials because they would like to wear it."
Murano's garment featured a pleated screen skirt with ruffles, as well as darts to give it shape.
"Both garments were very creative," Hartt said. Signs were placed near the display that described the materials used in the designs.
In addition, this July, the creations of another student in C.O.D.’s Fashion Merchandising and Design program will be on display in Geneva. Hats designed by Melissa Heischberg will be showcased July 24 to 27 at Savannah Rose Boutique, 207 ½ S. 3rd Street. The boutique is owned by Ann Ellanson and features pre-1930s style clothing, jewelry and handbags.
Not only does Cashmere Boutique proprietor Hartt praise the college's Fashion and Merchandising program, but she is also more than pleased with the services of the college's Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC), located at 2525 Cabot Drive, Suite 201, in Lisle.
The SBDC offers training, counseling and consulting services to Illinois businesses at no or low cost. Clients range from start-up through existing businesses that seek ways to improve, develop or finance their organizations.
The center reviews business plans and discusses financing options, bank loans, SBA and state-backed loan programs, management, and other topics of concern to business clients.
"The SBDC works with clients on many fronts," said Luanne Mayorga, coordinator of SBDC's Business Counseling area. "We can help with strategies concerning marketing, growth, inventory, pricing, financial and industry analysis, and more. It's great to have an outside set of eyes confidentially review your information and provide feedback.
"Most business owners know their industry, craft or product well and that is the reason they went into business," she said. "However, many do not know or necessarily understand the administrative side of running a business. That's where the SBDC can really help out."
The SBDC also conducts nearly 50 seminars and workshops throughout the year that address topics important to all business owners.
For more information on the SBDC, call David Gay, (630) 942-2771, e-mail: gaydav@cod.edu, or Mayorga, (630) 942-3041, or visit: www.cod.edu/bpi/sbdc.htm. For information on the Fashion Design program at C.O.D., visit: www.cod.edu/fashion.
Physics professor Tom Carter, left, uses a sledge hammer to smash a cinder block atop his colleague associate professor of Physics David Fazzini, who lies sandwiched between two beds of nails. Fazzini presents this demonstration to his Physics 1100 students each semester.
Physics Prof Makes a 'Point' in His Classes
By David Hamilton
When it comes to arousing his students' interest in physics, associate professor David Fazzini has literally nailed down an ideal lesson plan.
In fact, he becomes part of the lesson as he lies bareback on a bed of nails with a second bed of nails positioned on his upper body. A student crowns this spiky layer cake with a cinder block, which another physics professor then smashes with a sledge hammer.
For students in Physics 1100, Physics for Non-Majors, the lesson is not one they will likely forget. But in terms of what exactly they have learned, it is best to let Fazzini explain in his own words.
"First, in the words of our textbook author, 'momentum packs the wallop, but it is the energy that does the damage,'" he said. "In the collision, every bit of the momentum imparted by the hammer is transferred through the block, nail beds, me and to the earth, except for a small amount of momentum that goes into the flying block fragments.
"However, most of the energy in the dropping hammer goes in breaking the cinder block. Therefore, very little energy that does get through is distributed over the many nails that make contact with my body."
That's easy to understand, but then there's more. And Physics 1100 students who have kept up with their homework undoubtedly get the point.
"Second, Pressure equals Force divided by Area," Fazzini continued. "Even though the tip of each nail has a very small area, there are many, many nails so that the overall area of contact is large enough so that the force of each nail on me is too small to break the skin."
To maintain his students' undivided attention, Fazzini first adopted this lesson plan after he was "chosen" by a colleague to "volunteer" to be part of a similar physics demonstration the colleague was leading. Fazzini had also seen photographs of the demonstration. "People seemed really 'wowed' by it," he said.
Fazzini presents this demonstration in each of his Physics 1100 classes and would also like eventually to present it in other levels of physics courses when discussing momentum and energy. Though he feels no pain during the demonstration, he does acknowledge there is a possible risk.
"The first time I did it, it didn't bother me at all. But using these large heavy beds with the widely spaced nails was a bit disconcerting," he said. "I am most nervous when the upper bed - which is quite heavy and requires two people to lift - is moved over me to be put in position. If one of the helpers were to drop the bed while holding high above me, then my wife might be cashing in the life insurance policy."
He said he also needs to make sure that the person swinging the hammer has good enough aim to be sure to hit the block. That hammer-swinging individual is often Fazzini's colleague Tom Carter, professor of Physics.
For such an important lesson, the expense of the materials is not really that much. Obtaining them was a group effort.
"An adjunct physics professor working for us had students build the beds of nails as an extra credit project," Fazzini said. "The cinder blocks I purchase from Menards or Home Depot. I go through one cinder block per class demonstration. Since I have only shown this demo in my Physics 1100 classes to date, I go through one block per semester."
Not many physics students have a professor who will put himself in harm's way to make a point about how physics works in our everyday lives. But the more times he makes this demonstration the more his fame begins to spread at College of DuPage, and perhaps, beyond.
"Most of the questions from students are, 'Does it hurt?' To which I reply, 'Of course it hurts, but I'm willing to sacrifice my body and endure that pain if it will help you better understand the underlying principles…or something to that effect,'" Fazzini said. "Others take pictures with their cell phones, while others ask if the video is available. I suppose that I'll probably see myself on YouTube someday."
Physics 1100, a four-credit-hour course, will be offered during days and evenings during fall semester, which begins Wednesday, Aug. 20. For more information about the course, call Fazzini at (630) 942-3349 or e-mail him at: fazzinid@cod.edu.
