Dr. James Doane, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. James Doane, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, will continue his collaboration with faculty at Mercer University for their Mercer on Mission project to Vietnam. This project is an initiative to provide amputees with low-cost prosthetics that can be individually fitted without having to be fully customized. Amputees in developing countries cannot afford expensive customized prosthetics. To keep these individuals from going without prosthetics, the Mercer on Mission team designs and builds low cost prosthetics. The team spends three weeks during the summer in Vietnam fitting and distributing Mercer designed prosthetic legs. This project is addressing a worldwide problem, which is particularly acute in Vietnam. Dr. Doane will participate in this project with an eye toward the future development of a UE summer course allowing Engineering and other students to learn about designing and fitting prosthetic limbs.

Dr. Cris Hochwender, Associate Professor of Biology

Dr. Cris Hochwender, Associate Professor of Biology, will initiate research projects at Reserva Ecológica Bijagual (REBS). REBS is a 286-hectare private reserve located in the Sarapiquí River watershed of the Atlantic plain in Costa Rica. His central project will center on management practices for tree plantations. In addition, he will collaborate with the director of REBS on another research project such as the influence of leaf-cutting ants on forest restoration efforts; physiological diversity among tree species to light environment and tolerance to damage; or land use impacts on stream quality and invertebrate diversity. These projects will allow Dr. Hochwender to greatly expand the global perspective that he brings to his ecology and environmental courses at UE.

Dr. Alan Kaiser, Associate Professor of Archaeology

Dr. Alan Kaiser, Associate Professor of Archaeology, will travel to Israel and Jordan during the coming summer to accomplish three curricular and research goals that will help him spread a greater understanding of global issues related to the Romans in the Middle East to students on the UE campus and beyond. First, he will collaborate with the Jezreel expedition by lending his expertise in GIS techniques and Roman material culture to help interpret the artifacts and features the students will uncover, as well as to lead weekend tours of some of the local Roman sites. Second, he will travel around Israel and Jordan to conduct further research for his developing textbook on Roman archaeology. Third, he will use his findings to make the ARCH 106 (Introduction to Roman Archaeology) course more appealing to Middle Eastern students.

Dr. Matthew Knoester, Assistant Professor of Education

Dr. Matthew Knoester, Assistant Professor of Education, will travel to Finland and England to enhance his understanding of the highly-rated Finnish educational system for classroom and scholarly use as well as build relationships in Finland to discuss international education issues, possibly leading to the development of a study abroad program at UE. The world for which teachers and students in K-12 schools are preparing is increasingly interconnected and competitive. Today, a single corporation could manufacture different parts of one product in dozens of countries, market and sell to customers located around the world, and interact with customers electronically from a location distant from the corporation’s headquarters. We live in, what Thomas Friedman famously called a “Flat World.” Likewise, families and individuals from many parts of the world may relocate to find a better opportunity for their families. Educators must recognize the global landscape in which their students live and operate and prepare them to be competitive and skillful in negotiating the challenges presented, while developing the tools necessary to build relationships with people who have different cultural understandings and ways of communicating.

Valerie Stein, Associate Professor of Religion

Valerie Stein, Associate Professor of Religion, will continue development of global focus in both her teaching and scholarship by examining biblical interpretation from diverse perspectives as well as by analyzing the impact of western biblical interpretation in a pluralist world. Traditionally, biblical scholarship has privileged the perspective of the Euro-American academy. However, that perspective alone is insufficient in addressing religion's role in vital issues our global community is facing. To begin addressing this concern, she has redesigned REL 140 ( Reading the Old Testament ), a general education course, to introduce a global component rather than only incorporating western Christian readings. She will now also critically engage biblical interpretation from African, Asian, and Latin American perspectives as well as Jewish and Islamic ones.