Here are the latest accomplishments in scholarship, research, and craft by MBU faculty and staff.
Donovan Branche, assistant professor of healthcare administration
Co-authored a manuscript: “Developing a Social Marketing Plan to Address Wicked Problems: A Tool for Transforming Learning” which was accepted to the Journal of Health Administration Education.
Her presentation was accepted to the Western Social Science Association’s annual conference: Surviving and Thriving: How African-American Women Overcome the Impact of Microaggressions in the Workplace, An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
Maria Craig, associate professor of chemistry
Visited Stella Maris College in Chennai, India, in December 2019. This is the home institution of Dr. Shinyjohn Vairamon, who was in residence at Mary Baldwin as the Fellow of the United Board of Christian Higher Education in Asia for the Fall 2015 semester. At Stella Maris, she chaired a panel on “The Role of Women in Higher Education” at the International Conference on Recent Advances in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and was Chief Guest for the Dr. Sister Annamma Philip Endowment Lecture, speaking on “Experiential Learning through Undergraduate Research: Collaborate, Investigate, Communicate”.
Kent Diduch, associate professor of master of science in physician assistant program
Had two recent presentations: “Concussion Sidelines Assessment and Initial Management”, presented at the Virginia Athletic Trainers Association Winter Student Meeting, January 2020; and “An Update on the Sports Physical – Why do we do these things?”, presented at the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians Winter Meeting, January 2020.
Mary Jane Epps, assistant professor of biology
Invited to be the graduate student speaker for the TX A&M Department of Entomology. The title of her talk was “When butterflies beat the birds and the bees: Cryptic specialization in a pollination mutualism” and featured work done in collaboration with seven MBU students.
Discovered a new species of moss for the state of Virginia, Fissidens closteri. It is currently listed as a globally imperiled (G2) species under the NatureServe Conservation Status Report.
Darren Jones, associate vice president of student engagement
Successfully defended his dissertation, earning his Doctorate of Education in Student Affairs Leadership from the University of Georgia.
Co-authored a case study titled “What is Normal? Understanding Disability Identity Development” in the book “Case Studies for Student Development Theory Advancing Social Justice and Inclusion in Higher Education, 1st Edition”.
Colleen Pendry, adjunct faculty member of art and art history
Her new work “Indifference” will be featured alongside other Mary Baldwin art faculty colleagues in a group show — From the Hill II — at Blue Ridge Community College, February 21 – April 3, 2020.
Melissa Scheiber, assistant professor of biology
Attended the inaugural Virginia Conference on Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity in January at Hampden-Sydney College, and co-authored three posters with student presenters: Zemariah Sanders, co-author of “The effect of levonorgestrel on breast cancer progression”; Victoria Moore, co-author of “Immunochemical Staining Techniques to Visualize Xenotransplantation of Human Cancer Cells in Zebrafish with Light Microscopy”; Lindsey Evans, Alyssa Linterman, and FYRA recipient Abby Schmitt, co-authors of “The Effects of Bisphenol-S and Bisphenol-F on Breast Cancer Progression”
Laura van Assendelft, professor of political science
Presented a paper, co-authored with Barbara Palmer at Baldwin Wallace University, “Another Year of the Woman? Women Running for Public Office in Virginia and Ohio,” at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association on January 9, 2020.
Anne Wick, applied voice instructor
Performed as a soloist in performances of John Rutter’s Magnificat with the Shenandoah Valley Choral Society and Orchestra in Bridgewater (December 2019) and Camille Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio with Rockbridge Choral Society in Lexington, VA (January 2020).