JMU leads commonwealth in wireless computer access

JMU ranked 39th in the nation in Intel Corp.'s first Top 100 ranking of the "Most Unwired College Campuses." Intel Corp. is the world's largest computer chip maker and a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. The highest-ranked Virginia institution on Intel's list, JMU leads the commonwealth among colleges and universities in providing wireless computer access.

JMU currently has 48 "hotspots" in 24 locations on campus, according to Dale Hulvey, assistant vice president for information technology. The university has focused most of its wireless network in campus locations where students tend to congregate and use laptop computers, such as the library and academic buildings. JMU's Technology Alumni Group was instrumental in assisting the university in becoming "unwired."

Intel's survey reveals a growing number of schools across the country where students have the freedom to wirelessly access the Internet on notebook PCs -- without a traditional wired connection. Survey findings are based on the numbers of hotspots or access points for public wireless network services, the numbers of undergraduates and computers, the computer-to-student ratio and the percentage of each campus covered by wireless technology.

www.intel.com

U.S. News ranks graduate programs

Two graduate programs in the College of Integrated Science and Technology earned national rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The master's-level audiology program ranked 27th in the list of 51 top audiology programs in the nation, and the master's speech-language pathology program ranked 32nd out of 124 top schools. U.S. News' rankings are based on expert opinion about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students. Data come from surveys of more than 1,000 programs and nearly 9,100 academics and other professionals conducted in fall 2003, and scores for each school were averaged across all respondents who rated that school. "Maintaining the high quality of these two programs and being recognized for that quality is thrilling," says Vicki Reed, head of the communications sciences and disorders department. "The ranking affirms the hard work of a highly qualified faculty in presenting a truly nationally recognized curriculum."

Teacher education accredited for 50th

Last spring, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education accredited JMU's Professional Education Unit, comprising the College of Education, the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Science and Mathematics. The Professional Education Unit includes all initial programs that prepare candidates for pre-kindergarten- through 12th-grade classrooms, advanced programs for classroom teachers and programs for the preparation of related personnel.

Martha Ross, JMU's undergraduate program coordinator and professor of education, says that NCATE has "rigorous accreditation standards" and that "NCATE-accredited colleges are constituted of teacher candidates who know their subject and how to teach it effectively. ... JMU met all NCATE standards for initial programs and received commendation on the collaboration between the university and its PreK-12 partners. Teacher education has been a primary focus of Madison since its inception, and we're proud the tradition continues."

JMU's Professional Education Unit has been continuously accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education since 1954.

Apple authorized

The School of Media Arts and Design has been certified as an Apple Authorized Training Center to offer courses in digital media technologies using Apple software. With this affiliation, JMU joins a network of 80 academic institutions and businesses in 17 countries to help train people to use software they will encounter in their professions.

Media arts and design professor John Woody and John Hodges, technology manager for the school, were certified to teach Final Cut Pro, software for video and film editing. Woody was selected to join Apple Computer Inc.'s Distinguished Educator Program in 2001 in recognition of his excellent use of technology and digital media. Woody and Hodges will focus their initial efforts on higher education and assisting K-12 teachers.

Professors Steven Anderson, Dietrich Maune and Thomas J. McHardy will teach classes on Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver and Flash software in SMAD's G5 Final Cut Pro lab, which is equipped with 10 dual-edit systems with state-of-the-art sound and projection. http://smad.jmu.edu

High-tech goes green

About 220 million tons of formerly high-tech hardware, including obsolete computers, are trashed every year in the United States, estimates the Environmental Protection Agency.  Only
about 10 percent is recycled. JMU and the City of Harrisonburg are working together to ensure that their discarded computers and other electronic equipment are reused, recycled or disposed of in an environmentally responsible way. Integrated science and technology students and city officials will disassemble these components, reuse those that can be used to refurbish other computers, properly dispose of those that can't and inventory the chemicals and toxic substances.

Illuminating Islam

JMU's Office of International Programs and the Madison Art Collection, joined by the Muslim Student Association and other student and academic programs, celebrated Islam Week in March with presentations by guest speakers, students and professors. "Illuminating Islam: A Guide to Better Understanding" kicked off with an art exhibition opening in the Leeolou Alumni Center. The exhibition featured artwork and everyday items (see examples at right). Funded by a U.S. Department of State grant, Islam Week offered opportunities for the community to learn more about Islamic religion and culture. Students participated in panel discussions on "The Muslim Experience" and "Women in Islam." Calligrapher Elinor Aishah Holland discussed and demonstrated Islamic calligraphy in the traditional method of the Ottoman Hattat calligraphers. David Charles Dakake, an Islamic studies research assistant at George Washington University, presented "Jihad: Ideals and Realities."

 

Montpelier Quintet's forecast: light winds and lots of honors

The Montpelier Wind Quintet, named for James Madison's estate and comprising faculty members, was selected to appear at the 57th Annual Midwest Clinic: An International Band and Orchestra Conference. The invitation to participate and perform a clinic at the conference in Chicago is a prestigious honor for the small group, the first performers and presenters in the university's history.

The highly competitive selection process that resulted in the invitation included submission of a detailed proposal, publicity materials and audio recording. The quintet performed a clinic titled "the Quintessential Quintet: Using the Woodwind Quintet to Improve Your Instrumental Music Program."

Janice Minor, a professor of clarinet in the School of Music and member of the quintet, says, "[the clinic] focused on educating middle, high school and collegiate band and orchestra directors about incorporating chamber music, like the woodwind quintet, into their music program. ... We had wonderful feedback on our presentation and musical performance."

Performing together since 2001, the group includes Beth Chandler, flute; Michele Kirkdorffer; oboe, Janice L. Minor, clarinet; Susan N. Barber, bas-soon; and Abigail Pack, horn. 

"I really enjoy the process of working through pieces with the members of the group," says Barber. "Personally I really enjoy the interaction that can occur when a piece is well-rehearsed. There is a real sense of freedom, and its great when we each feed off of one another's playing."

In spring 2004, the quintet performed a recital in Wilson Hall, a concert tour in Roanoke, as featured guest artist ensemble at the Thursday Morning Music Club in Roanoke, and as featured ensemble in the School of Music Gala Concert. Minor says, "This is a big new event that will be starting this year for the School of Music." 

Kelly Rose ('04)

Singing for scholarships

Music professors Dorothy Maddison and In Dal Choi, accompanied by Jason Haney, perform at the School of Music Faculty Gala Concert in April. Music faculty members showcased their talents in more than a dozen performances at the gala, and proceeds from the show will benefit a new music scholarship. Performances featured the Montpelier Wind Quintet, faculty soloists and duets and a performance of an original work by alumna Linda Betts Frazier. "We will use the ticket sales from this show over the next few years to create an endowed annual scholarship for an outstanding music student," says Choi, who organized the event. "We want to showcase the faculty of the School of Music as talented performers and not just as teachers."

Richard Whitman, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, adds, "This scholarship makes a real difference in our collective efforts to build the university endowment."

 

Professors, design students win national Broadcast Education Association awards

Professors and students in the School of Media Arts and Design won awards in the spring 2004 Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts.

Professors Steven Anderson and M. Joseph Hinshaw won the Best of the Festival/King Foundation Award in the faculty interactive multimedia competition for their Video Exposure Control Tutorial. They earned a $1,000 prize at the 49th BEA convention and exhibition in Las Vegas. In May, Anderson was also named president of the Broadcast Education Association, which serves professors, industry professionals and graduate students interested in electronic media/multimedia teaching and research.

Professor John Woody won Best of Competition in the commercial category in the faculty video competition and an Award of Excellence for his video, One Day/One Community. Professor JoAnne Holman won first place in the law and policy division paper competition for The Internet as Commons: The Issue of Access. Professor Rustin Greene won third place in the faculty scriptwriting competition for Christmas in the Trenches.

Professor Marilou Johnson and alumnus Luke Aeschliman ('03) won an Award of Excellence in the educational/instructional faculty video category, and three students also took top honors. Daniel Drinkard ('04) won the Best of Festival/King Foundation Award and first place in the fixed media instruct/train category. Joel Speasmaker ('04) took first in the online persuade/sell category and third in the online inform/educate category. Haflidi Sigfusson of Iceland won first place in the fixed media persuade/sell category.

 

An E-Z solution for students to gain real-world manufacturing experience

The creative minds of Mark Boudreau and Mike Gzybowski are offering a solution to the romantic fizzle that occurs when pieces of a cork end up in your bottle of bubbly. The airline pilot and patent attorney came up with an idea for an easy-to-open, portable and synthetic cork for wine bottles. Their E-Z Cork idea has been dubbed "the best invention to hit the wine industry since the corkscrew."

To perfect their cork design, the duo sought the help of JMU's integrated science and technology department. Accepting the challenge was ISAT professor Geoffrey Egekwu, who has 11 years experience in the manufacturing industry for companies like General Motors and Brunswick Defense. In fall 2002, Egekwu's Manufacturing Systems students were assigned the task of creating prototype fabrication equipment for the product.

Co-inventor Mike Gzybowski says, "Within a short time, JMU students were able to operate the machine and produce some very nice strippable corks, showing promise that the university would be able to eventually use the machine to fabricate production grade strippable wine corks."

The relationship between ISAT professors and students convinced the inventors to enter into a more formal relationship through the ISAT Affiliate Program. This program was developed in 2003 to link government and industry with ISAT's latest resources and to give students the chance to help companies move forward through student-conducted research.

In summer 2003, Egekwu worked with a graduate student and evaluated the ideas that his previous class submitted. The team then conducted a materials analysis on existing synthetic corks in order to figure out important guidelines that would be required for successfully slicing and sealing the corks. ISAT's rapid prototyping facility was used to develop a plastic model of a production tool for the E-Z Cork.

JMU will continue to work with the E-Z Cork affiliate partner to satisfy aesthetics and FDA requirements to ensure the success of the product. "My involvement will likely end with fabrication of some final test corks that will be delivered to some wineries for testing," says Egekwu, whose involvement has provided real-life experience for his students. The affiliate program has funded senior projects, class projects and numerous internship opportunities with companies like AXS Technologies, R.R. Donnelley, Space Imaging Inc. and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. 

-- Lisa Freedman ('05)
http://www.jmu.edu/isat/affiliate

Former staffer writes JMU history

History enthusiast and former JMU staffer Nancy Bondurant Jones has written Rooted on Blue Stone Hill: A History of James Madison University. The nearly 300-page history will be available in August through the University of Virginia Press, distributed for the Center for American Places in association with The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

Illustrated with 40 color images, the history traces JMU's growth from a normal dedicated to preparing young women for lives as public school teachers to its current university status.

The book's narrative chronicles the achievements of each of the school's first four presidents while providing intimate portraits of student life during each era, including the reminiscences and recollections of numerous alumni throughout the 20th century. An epilogue summarizes the agenda that JMU's current president, Linwood H. Rose, has set for the institution as it approaches its centennial anniversary in 2008.

"Much has been written about our university, but now under one cover we have what may be confidently described as a highly readable history of JMU," says Rose in one of the forewards. The other is written by former JMU president Ronald E. Carrier.

Jones is a former public school teacher (29 years) and freelance writer. Her weekly newspaper column on Harrisonburg-area history ran for 11 years in Harrisonburg's Daily News-Record. She also served for many years as social events coordinator and writer in the office of president emeritus Ronald E. Carrier. Jones' seventh book, a history of the nursing program at Rockingham Memorial Hospital, was published in April.

ISBN: 1-930066171