Medaille College News

Dr. Macur has been elected as chair of the Committee on Policy Analysis & Public Relations for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and will represent private, nonprofit higher education on public policy issues nationally.

Director of Medaille’s Office of Online Learning Mary Beth Scumaci and Instructional Technology Specialist Raymond Drechsel were invited to present at the 2021 Blackboard BbWorld Global Conference this July. They discussed the four-year journey of Medaille’s transition to Blackboard Learn Ultra, serving as an example of organizational change to attendees from other institutions across the world.

The Department of Education Reading Center has partnered with the SPCA Serving Erie County and its Tale for Two Summer Reading Program. Led by Assistant Professor Dr. Christine Woodcock, students in the M.S.Ed. literacy education program have been tutoring children (ages 6-14) at the Reading Center this summer, and each morning, the children have gotten to read books to animals at the SPCA via Zoom.

Medaille College Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Kenya K. Hobbs reflects on how many inequities have become increasingly apparent in recent times, especially as they relate to learning environments and opportunities. He shares how educators can make a paradigm shift to help bridge these opportunity gaps and mentor these students rather than seeing them through a deficit lens.

Dr. Alice Villaseñor appeared as a virtual speaker at the 2021 Jane Austen Festival, “Race, Power & the Arts in Jane Austen’s World.” She presented on From Prada to Nada (2011), a film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1811) set in Los Angeles, and discussed how the film uses Austen’s story of the displacement of the Dashwood women to highlight the displacement of Latinx communities.

In addition to Medaille’s participation in the White House COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge, Medaille has announced an accompanying incentive challenge for all undergraduate, graduate and online students, in an effort to keep the College campus community safe and healthy. Medaille students can now unlock up to $30,000 in awards and scholarships by submitting COVID-19 vaccination records by August 9.

Medaille has received over $1.2 million in renewed grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which will allow the College’s clinical mental health counseling students to continue to provide critical mental health services to medically underserved and at-risk populations within Buffalo, Rochester and the surrounding communities.

The New York Health Information Management Association has recognized 2021 Medaille College health information management program graduate Lisa Stana ’21 with its Outstanding Senior Student Award, which is presented annually based on superior scholarship, integrity, initiative, enthusiasm and demonstrated professional potential.

Medaille has named nearly 350 students to the Dean’s List for the spring 2021 semester. Undergraduate students who meet the requirements of a minimum of 12 credit hours and who earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for all credit hours carried during that semester are placed on the Dean’s List.

Department of Interdisciplinary Studies Professor of History Dr. Daniel Kotzin presented his research this May at the 2021 Teaching History Conference, “Challenges in Teaching & Learning History: Issues of Pedagogy & Content.” His presentation focused on teaching students to critically evaluate how slavery is taught.