Dr. Lillie M. Fears, professor of multimedia journalism, conducted journalism workshops in Novi Sad and Novi Pazar, Serbia, in response to an invitation from the Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade. Journalists from various ethnic groups participated in the workshops, in which Fears shared positive American experiences and practices in minority journalism. The embassy sponsors in-country media training programs in cooperation with local non-governmental organizations.

Dr. Gerald Gill Strait (left), assistant professor of counseling, and Dr. John D. Hall, professor of psychology and counseling, along with former student Jarod Roberts, are co-authors of a recently published peer-reviewed article. "The Reliability of Randomly Generated Math Curriculum-Based Measurements" appears in the journal Assessment for Effective Intervention. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a direct method of academic assessment. The article is available online.

Dr. Jennifer L. Bouldin, associate professor of environmental biology and director of the Ecotoxicology Research Facility, was one of four individuals among a field of eight who were elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America. SETAC consists of academia, government and industry leaders; the board is made up of equal representation from each sector.

Dr. Marcus C. Tribbett, assistant professor of English, presented a paper at the American Literary Association Symposium on The City and American Literature in New Orleans. Titled "A Cabdriver Sings the Blues: Mem Shannon's Articulation of Urban Life and Working Class Resistance in Late Twentieth-Century New Orleans," the presentation was part of a panel on The City and Minority Resistance. Shannon drove a cab before turning to song writing and performance full-time.

Dr. Elizabeth Hood, distinguished professor of agriculture, presented an invited seminar, "Using the Corn Seed Biofactory to Produce Enzymes for Industrial Applications," at the University of North Texas.  Hood, who also met with faculty, post docs and graduate students, described her research on using genetics and molecular tools to make large amounts of specific proteins in corn seeds for use in bioremediation, paper and pulp bleaching, and converting plant materials into biofuels.