Wichita State News: Social Work

LGBT rights activist to speak at WSU during Pride Week

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:21:00 CST

Wichita State University will host Lt. Dan Choi as the Pride Week featured speaker at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, in 208 Hubbard Hall.

Choi is an Iraq War veteran and LGBT activist who openly challenged the controversial Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

The event is free and open to the public. It's sponsored by WSU's human resources department, Office of Multicultural Affairs, social work department, sociology department, Student Activities Council and That Gay Group.

Faculty/staff news update: November 2012

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:37:00 CST

Academe welcomes news from WSU faculty and staff about research, teaching and service activities. This column recognizes grants, honors, awards, presentations and publications, new appointments, new faculty, sabbaticals, retirements and deaths of our current and former colleagues.

Alla Aranovskaya, Leonid Shukaev, Boris Vaynor and Evgeny Zvonniko, members of the St. Petersburg String Quartet in residence at WSU; the student Suprima Chamber Orchestra; Andrea Banke, Erika Binsley, Sarunas Jankauskas, Scott Oakes and Frances Shelly, members of the Lieurance Woodwind Quintet, and Julie Bees, Lynne Davis and Mark Foley performed by invitation in November at the 100th anniversary celebration of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia.

Amy DeVault, assistant professor, Elliott School of Communication, led a daylong workshop on Team Storytelling for 56 high school students from around the country at the National High School Journalism Convention in San Antonio in November. The convention, put on by the National Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association, was attended by more than 5,000 high school journalism students and teachers.

Eric Freeman, assistant professor, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, presented "Falsification, Annual Targets, and Errant Leadership: What Really Happened in Atlanta" at the American Educational Studies Association conference held Nov. 1-4 in Seattle.

Dan Krutka, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, presented "Student Civil Liberties: Is Your School Violating Student Constitutional Rights?" and co-presented "Bayard Rustin and the Social Studies Curriculum: Thoughts about Citizenship in a Complex World" at the Kansas Council for the Social Studies in Topeka.

Gayla Lohfink, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, was co-author of "Developing cultural competence through problem posing and multicultural literature" in Advocate.

Joseph Mau, professor, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, and M.E. Yeager, postdoctoral fellow, were awarded the Kansas Educational Research Scholars Program award from the Kansas Board of Regents. The study is titled, "Factors influencing Kansas college students' choice of a STEM major and factors influencing their success in completing a STEM degree."

Jacquelyn McClendon, senior clinical educator, nursing, and Kelly Anderson, assistant professor and senior clinic coordinator, dental hygiene, received an Interprofessional National Oral Health Agenda Curricular Innovation Award, Oral Health Nursing Education Program and Practice Grant in August for $2,000.

Nancy McKeller, associate professor, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, presented "Legal Issues that Impact School Psychological Practice" at the Kansas Association of School Psychologists annual conference in Lawrence this fall.

Rick Pappas, physical education educator, human performance studies, received the highest award made by the Kansas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (KAHPERD). The Wayne Osness award, which recognizes leadership and significant contributions, was presented to Pappas in November at the annual KAHPERD conference held in Lawrence.

Susan Parsons, assistant professor, nursing, published Collaborative Oral Health Care for Caregivers in an Assisted-Living Facility in the Journal of Nursing Education & Practice, Vol. 3, No. 3.

Susan Parsons, C. Lee and M. Trumpp, nursing, presented "Evidence-Based Practice: Ventilator Bundle to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia" to the Kansas State Nurses Association, Exhibit Session.

Jean Patterson, professor and chair, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, presented "High School 21st Century Learning Initiatives as a Manifestation of Neoliberalism" at the American Educational Studies Association conference.

Jennifer Rodgers, clinical educator, nursing, gave a one-hour presentation, "Pulmonary Care Continuum: Hospital to Community," to the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative 4th Annual Summit on Quality, with Bobbie Starks, Darla Wilson and Amanda Hullet.

Donna Sayman, assistant professor, and Dan Krutka, both curriculum and instruction, co-presented "A Freirean Analysis of Identity for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome," also at the Kansas Council for the Social Studies conference in Topeka.

Elaine Steinke, professor, nursing, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her significant contributions to the profession of nursing and health care in general. Steinke, who attended the induction ceremony in October in Washington, D.C., is internationally renowned for bringing the science of sexuality and sexual counseling of cardiac patients to the forefront of cardiac practice.

Elaine Steinke presented "Psychology and sexual function: What do we know?" to the European Society of Cardiology 2012 Congress, Munich, Germany, in August.

Elaine Steinke, Victoria Mosack, associate professor, nursing, and Twyla J. Hill, professor, sociology, gave a poster presentation, "Sexual concerns of cardiac patients: A psychometric analysis," to the European Society of Cardiology, in Munich, Germany, in August.

John Tomblin

John Tomblin, executive director of WSU's National Institute for Aviation Research, has been named a Newsmaker for 2012 by the Wichita Business Journal. He and other 2012 Newsmakers will be recognized at a Jan. 29 event at Newman University.

Susan Unruh, assistant professor, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, was the WSU representative on a panel, "School Psychology Practice: Here I Come," at the Kansas Association of School Psychologists annual conference in Lawrence.

IN MEMORIAM

D. Ray Cook, 69, former team physician for Wichita State and longtime community doctor, died Nov. 7. Services have been held. He is preceded in death by his parents, Leon and Marie Cook. He is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughter, Candi (Mark) Brown of Spring Hill, Kan.; son, Chad (Jill) Cook of Overland Park, Kan.; brother, Gene (Linda) Cook of Phoenix City, Ala.; grandchildren, Ben, Will, Graham and Betsy Brown, and Johnny Ray, Spencer, Freddie and Lucy Cook. The following memorial has been established: D. Ray Cook, M.D. Memorial Fund, c/o Christian Network Foundation, 17001 Prairie Star Pkwy, Suite 200, Lenexa, KS 66220.

Richard Allen Moellenberndt, 71, former professor of accounting, died Nov. 24 in Topeka. Services have been held. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; daughter, Sarah Moellenberndt; and sister, Eleanor Shaffer.

Linda Tedder, 60, senior research grants administrator in the Office of Research Administration, died Nov. 24 in Wichita. Services have been held. She is preceded in death by her parents, Francis D. and Evelyn J. (Voran) Bornowsky. She is survived her son, Mike Tedder; grandchild, Lexi Tedder; great-grandchild, Jenna St. Martin; sisters, Paula Sullivan, Gail Roland, Mary Daugherty, Jean Kemp and Rita Winfrey; brothers, Ralph and Larry Bornowsky; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Kaylyn Turner, 70, former reference librarian, died Nov. 8. Services have been held. She is preceded in death by her parents, Robert Briggs and Ara Cron. Survivors are husband, Stanley; son, Joshua David (Tracy) Turner, Shawnee Mission; and grandchildren, Emily, Molly and Jack Turner. Memorials to Midland Baptist Church, 4200 N. Church Circle, Wichita, KS 67205.

WSU's Ron Matson wins 2011 Kansas Professor of the Year

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:09:00 CST

Wichita State University sociology professor Ron Matson has been named the 2011 Kansas Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

The announcement was made today (Thursday, Nov. 17) at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Matson was chosen from nearly 300 top professors in the United States. He is one of only 27 state winners selected for the award.

Bill Bischoff

Bill Bischoff, dean of WSU's Fairmount College for Liberal Arts and Sciences, said this is one of the most prestigious awards honoring U.S. professors.

"This award recognizes the most outstanding undergraduate faculty in the country: those who excel as teachers and influence the lives and careers of their students," Bischoff said. "Dr. Matson has consistently provided a quality educational experience for students that not only prepares them intellectually, but also promotes their personal growth."

'The best teacher I have ever known'

WSU alumnus Andy Blakemore called Matson's classes "laboratories of social life" and said he is fortunate to have had him as a teacher.

"It takes a masterful teacher to draw students out and help them teach each other, and Dr. Matson is such a teacher," Blakemore said. "He is simply the best teacher I have ever known and is well-deserving of praise and recognition for his abilities."

Previous Wichita State winners of the award are Mel Kahn, political science, 1989; Erach Talaty, chemistry, 1999; Peer Moore-Jansen, anthropology, 2002; Ellie Shore, psychology, 2005; and Jacquelyn Dillon-Krass, music education and string pedagogy, 2008.

Matson began his teaching career as a teaching associate in the sociology department at the University of Colorado in 1966. In 1970 he became an assistant professor at Wichita State and has been associate professor since 1997. He is the chairman and undergraduate coordinator for the Department of Sociology.

CASE and the Carnegie Foundation have been partners in offering the U.S. Professors of the Year awards program since 1981.

The U.S. Professors of the Year program is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.

For more information on the award, go to http://www.usprofessorsoftheyear.org/.

Wichita State student finds motivation after accident

Fri, 13 May 2011 08:05:00 CST

Just before 3 p.m. today (May 13), Thanh Vo will drive to Koch Arena at Wichita State University to pick up her diploma. Most people call it the walk, as in the graduation walk, the short hike across the stage to take the diploma earned with hard study and a good grade point average.

But Thanh will not walk. Instead she will roll, in her wheelchair, a chair in which she has learned many things.

Read full story.

Social work student's mission: Help homeless and single dads

Fri, 15 May 2009 11:41:33 CST

With interests in education, helping youth and human services, Taunya Rutenbeck chose to major in social work at Wichita State University.

"Social work seemed like a good way to include all of them," she said.

In 1974, Rutenbeck was preparing for a career in nursing, but after taking an Introduction to Social Work course, she changed her focus years later.

She said the mission of social work is to be involved in a person's life to make a positive change.

The School of Social Work at WSU prepared her to assist people within many different areas of need, she said. Having skills to work with a diverse group of people is useful in urban areas like Wichita.

"(The program) really helps you go out and practically apply what you've learned to individuals in the community," she said.

Brien Bolin, associate professor and MSW program coordinator for the school of social work, said Rutenbeck is a standout student.

"If there is a challenging issue, she will tackle that issue head on," he said. "She is diplomatic in her approach to solving problems."

"When Taunya identifies a social injustice, she just doesn't talk about how it is unjust, she works toward change," said Sabrina Perez Glatt, director of field practicum in the school of social work at WSU.

Rutenbeck focused on single fathers for her graduate internship at Youthville, a nonprofit child welfare agency in Kansas, where she volunteered 700 hours during her master's studies.

"I was doing some research on the growing trend of single fathers in America (at the time)," she said.

She wanted to know what Youthville offered single dads, and she found out it wasn't much.

As a result of her research, Youthville adopted a program called "Dads Dare to Care," an initiative to help fathers gain custody of their children.

Five fathers who had successfully reintegrated with their children participated in her focus group. These fathers were from all walks of life, she said.

"They wanted to be a part of a fatherhood program at Youthville to help other fathers navigate the child welfare system," she said.

The paperwork people must work through in the system is daunting and difficult. In the current policy, she said, paternal rights are not investigated thoroughly.

"Fathers may be unaware that their child is going into foster care (because of the mother)," Rutenbeck said.

Society is geared toward the mother as the primary caregiver, she said. The nurturing is mom's responsibility while dad is "out there working."

But the rates of single fathers are growing, and she said, "There isn't much support for single fathers in society."

She thinks there needs to be more to help dads.

Youthville is working with dads in the system who are trying to gain custody of their children, and Rutenbeck would like to see that initiative go across the nation.

"Taunya is working toward an unfortunate bias against fathers as being capable in their abilities to be the single parent, while children languish in foster care," Glatt said.

Rutenbeck and Brandon Jacobs, her partner and employee at Youthville, presented their work at the Kansas Fatherhood Summit.

Therapists and other child welfare agencies have contacted them to learn how to do what they started at Youthville. Even prison representatives wanted more information.

"(Prison fathers) can add to their children's lives," Rutenbeck said. And having contact contributes to the father's desire to stay out of the prison system in the future.

Another at-risk group she plans to work with after graduation is the homeless youth in Wichita.

When kids age out of the system, or they are emancipated, they have nothing, she said.

"Imagine yourself at 18, and totally on your own, coming from a dysfunctional home with abuse, and you don't have anywhere to go," she said.

Many teens have lost their trust in adults and in the system, she said.

"These kids tend to stay on the streets because, if they've come from an abusive home environment, they don't want to go back to it," she said.

Rutenbeck has learned that many people don't realize how bad the problem is in Wichita because the community is much smaller than Chicago or New York.

Some people see these kids as victims, but others want them to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps," she said.

"We've all had a helping hand. It takes a village to raise a child," she said.

Rutenbeck has worked with Habitat for Humanity and with disaster relief with the American Red Cross during Hurricane Wilma in Florida and the flooding in southern Kansas.

Rutenbeck was also the president of the Social Work Club on campus, as an undergrad and graduate student.

She said she continuously advocates for social work. She even arranged for Mayor Carl Brewer to speak at a WSU social work event.

Rutenbeck graduated with a bachelor's of social work in 2008. She graduates in May 2009 with her master's of social work.

Glatt said, "I am proud as a social worker, to call her my colleague."

POWER Conference set for March

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:51:28 CST

The annual POWER Conference of the WSU School of Social Work will be held at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, March 28.

The event is open to social workers and others in related fields.

Keynote speaker Nancy S.B. Ging, who is considered a pioneer in holistic psychotherapy, will explore empowerment practice techniques.

Featured breakout speakers will help develop strategies and practice techniques to assist client populations.

Registration is $75. For student fees, contact Courtney Boettcher at courtney.boettcher@wichita.edu.

Pre-registration is required prior to Friday, March 28. Contact Marie Harville at (316) 978-6493 or marie.harville@wichita.edu.