Faculty Notes
Marisa Cohen (Psychology) was recognized
by Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), International Honor
Society in Education for her work as Counselor
to the St. Francis Xi Rho Chapter. Xi Rho just
won the national Community Service Chapter
Program Award at KDP’s 2017 Convocation.
Uwe P. Gielen (Psychology), Executive Director
of the Institute for International and Cross-
Cultural Psychology, received the Machiko
Fukuhara Advanced International Research
and Service Award at the 75th Anniversary
Convention of the International Council of
Psychologists. In addition to receiving the
award he gave three presentations on
international topics at the convention.
Emily Horowitz (Chair,
Sociology and Criminal Justice),
with co-editor, law professor
Larry Dubin, J.D., are fighting
to make the legal system more
fair for people on the autism
spectrum and with developmen-
tal disabilities through the release of their
new book, Caught in the Web of the Criminal
Justice System: Autism, Developmental
Disabilities, and Sex Offenses (Jessica
Kingsley Publishers). The book argues that
the legal system needs to radically change the
way it handles cases involving defendants with
developmental disabilities charged with sex
offenses; that they are overly harsh and don’t
take into account the defendants lack of
awareness or inability to comprehend the
societal values that these laws police.
They served their country
in the armed forces and
now veterans and active
service members have
the opportunity to serve their communities as
teachers. Peter Leibman ’71 (Education) and
Michele Hirsch (Psychology) are both grant
recipients of a $400,000 Troops to Teachers
grant from the Department of Defense to help
turn soldiers into classroom leaders. More
information on Troops to Teachers can be
found at proudtoserveagain.com.
With more than
1,000 submissions,
Communication Arts
Professors Augusta
Palmer and Magaly
Colimon-Christopher
New Graduate Program in General Psychology
Following up on the success of the five year Combined Bachelor’s and
Master’s Degree in Applied Behavioral Psychology, St. Francis College is
now accepting students into a stand-alone two year graduate program for
a Master’s Degree in General Psychology.
“We see this program as a valuable tool for behavior management
specialists who want to work at human service agencies, government
programs, or health programs,” said Psychology Professor Karen Wilson,
the director of the program. “It will greatly benefit people looking for
career advancement in fields like human resources and marketing and
provides a valuable foundation for those working at mental health and
social service agencies including child protective services.”
“This masters degree also serves as a bridge for students who want to
sharpen their research skills or gain valuable experience before moving on
to a doctoral program,” said Chair of Psychology Department Kristy Biolsi.
“Our Master’s level curriculum is a valuable asset and gives our graduates
an advantage if they choose to continue their education at a higher level.”
Professor Biolsi adds that every graduate of the five year program
who applied for an advanced degree was accepted to a Ph.D., Psy.D.
or pre-med program.
The degree does not quali fy someone to sit for a state license in
psychology or allow them to practice as a therapist or psychologist but
the rigorous masters level coursework will benefit students in providing
a solid foundation of knowledge and experience that can be applied to
fields as diverse as business, law, and, education.
“The graduate program in Psychology is really strong and these new
students will enrich our current courses with their perspectives. They’ll
also benefit from the curriculum and experience of professors at St.
Francs,” added Dr. Biolsi. “We started the program, in part, as a response
to demand from non-St. Francis students who wanted to continue their
psychology education but were not eligible for the five-year program.”
Candidates must have a BA or BS in Psychology or a related field to
apply. Applications are being accepted now at sfc.edu/psychma. ●
14
had their hands full in culling the batch to
6 0 films from 27 countries. They screened
them March 29 and 30 at the 2nd Annual
St. Francis College Women’s Film Festival.
The festival also featured panels on topics
including: Why Women’s Media Making
Matters, Crowdfunding Workshop—Financing
Your Film, Building Bridges—The Art of
Networking, and Filmmaking as Entrepreneurship.
In August, Communication Arts Professor
Michelle Steven and her husband Jorge met
with Nigerian royalty, His Royal Majesty, Oba
David Olusola Olatunde, The Onikun of Ikun
Ekiti and his Queen, Olori Omotayo Olatunde.
Professor Steven helps produces the Nigerian
Film Festival which has screened films at
St. Francis College the last two years. ●
All in the Family—
Assistant Academic Dean Kathleen Gray
When Assistant Academic Dean
Kathleen Gray talks about her one,
big, happy family, she’s talking about
a clan that is much bigger than
the average. Growing up, Dr. Gray
estimates between 50 and 60 foster
children moved in and out of her
home. Some stayed for multiple
years, others for much less, as many as five at a time,
but Dr. Gray considers all of them her siblings.
The second oldest of five children, one an adopted
foster child, Dr. Gray admits it wasn’t always easy to
part with brothers and sisters.
“What we always believed was that if we didn’t say
goodbye to one child, the next one would not have a
place to go.”
This was particularly important because her family
took in mostly special needs children, many with severe
disabilities and who do not have a lot of options in the
foster system. Her parents have now fostered more
than 100 children in all.
“I was raised to believe that you give what you have
to give and that when you need you can take what you
need and that keeps it going full circle,” added Gray.
Being responsible, academically, for 2,700 students
bears some similarities to foster parenting, and that
should help prepare Dr. Gray for the future. Her great-
grandmother and grandmother were also foster parents
and she says after her own children get a little older, she
plans to continue their legacy. ●
ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER | FALL 2017 | VOLUME 81, NUMBER 1