Steering Committee
Karen Manners SmithDirector
Karen Manners Smith is a social historian who received her doctorate in American history from the University of Massachusetts. She has a degree in English and American literature from Brandeis University. She specializes in American women's history, but also teaches courses in immigration history, the gilded age and progressive era, and modern England. Professor Smith has taught a biography course and three film classes at Emporia State, and plans several others in the future. She prefers to teach history classes that focus on discussion and explore multiple approaches to historical subject matter through art, literature, and material culture. All her American history courses emphasize issues of race, class, gender, and ethnicity. Dr. Smith took the students from her Immigration class to New York in the Fall 1999 semester. She plans future history field trips to Chicago and England, UK, in conjunction with upcoming history courses.
Ellen Hansen
I'm Ellen Hansen. I came to Emporia State University in 1999, and I teach World Regional Geography as well as a variety of upper division courses, including Geography of Latin America, Geography of the Great Plains and of Kansas. I also plan to teach a course on Gender and Geography in the future.
My research interests include life at the U.S.-Mexico border, where I lived for a year while doing fieldwork for my doctorate. Having grown up in San Diego County, California, and lived in Tucson for many years, I thought I knew what it was like to live in a border city, until I actually lived there. I hope to teach a class on borders here at ESU in the future. I am also interested in gender issues in international development, especially in Latin America. I lived in Ecuador for over two years and worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Andes.
The Kansas Board of Regents recently approved the Latin American Studies Minor at Emporia State University. Each fall semester, beginning in 2001, I will coordinate the required core course for the program, CW210, Introduction to Latin American Studies.
Susan Kendrick
Oklahoman by birth, but Texan by nature and affinity, Dr. Kendrick completed her PhD at the University of Oklahoma. She is an Assistant Professor of English, specializing in English Renaissance Literature and British Women Writers before 1800. Her dissertation," 'Daughter of Zion': Elizabeth I and the Relationship of Virginity to Monarchical Power," analyzed the influence of Greco-Roman and early Christian ideologies of virginity on the political identity and iconography of Elizabeth I. Since her arrival at ESU in the fall of 2001, Dr. Kendrick has taught a variety of courses in her areas of interest: Shakespeare, The Cult of Elizabeth I, Milton, Tudor/Stuart Drama, Women's Literature, and The Female Hero: Text and Criticism.
Rachelle Smith
Dr. Rachelle M. Smith is the Director of Composition and an Associate Professor in the Dept of English, Modern Languages, and Journalism. She is currently serving as the Chair of the General Education Council for the 2010-2011 academic year. Dr. Smith received her PhD at Texas Christian University; her undergraduate and Master's degrees in Englihs are from the University of Oklahoma. Her teaching interests include composition, rhetoric, African American women's literature, and science fiction.
Sophie Thayer
Sophie Thayer received her B.A. in Spanish Literature from New York University, her M.A. in Spanish Literature and Linguistics from the University of Minnesota, and her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Her doctoral program was in maternal and child health, child psychology, and early childhood special education. Her doctoral study was on the effects of in-utero exposure to a labor inhibiting drug on the postnatal behaviors of infants birth - 4 weeks. Her primary interest is in the area of infant mental health, and since coming to ESU in 1995, she has organized four infant mental health symposia featuring nationally known researchers and writers in that field. She teaches on-line graduate courses in early childhood special education, early intervention and infant mental health, working with families, and assessment. She is also interested in multisystem developmental disorder and has developed a course to help practitioners integrate current knowledge in this area. In 2002, she received the Teachers College Award for Excellence in Instruction. Sophie also serves on various Teachers College and University-wide committees. She taught Spanish at the University of Minnesota; was a teacher in a research and development program in Minneapolis for children birth to five with Down syndrome and their families; was lead teacher in a federally funded program for children with developmental delays and their families in the inner city of St. Paul, MN; and was co-owner of a microfilm service bureau in Minneapolis before pursuing her doctorate.
After living in Chicago, New York, Buenos Aires, and Minneapolis, life seems slower in Emporia. But, there's nothing anywhere like the Flint Hills and hte blue of the Kansas sky! Dogs have always been a part of Sophie's life. Her most recent is Emma, a rescued French Bulldog. Emma has had many problems, including seizures, skin problems, liver problems, neurological problems, and deafness. Because of her neurological problems, Emma has difficulty walking, so she has a baby stroller so she can enjoy walks in the neighborhood. The neighbors have gotten used to seeing a dog in a stroller! Shopie's Pug, Eddie, spent his last few months getting around with the help of a specially built mobility cart, so the household is used to dogs with special needs!
Nathaniel Terrell
Obtained his Ph.D. in Sociology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, August 1993. He obtained his BA and MA in Criminal Justice at the University of Central Oklahoma. He is currently the Chair of the Division of Sociology and Anthropology. His area of teaching includes criminology, social deviance, juvenile delinquency, social psychology, homelessness, research methods, introduction to sociology, and social stratification. His research interest includes homelessness, community correction, and criminology.
Roberta Eichenberg
ONE PERSON EXHIBITION
2003 Capillary Attraction Mellenic Gallery Kansas City MO
RECENT AWARDS
2002 Mini-Grant Kansas Art Commission Topeka KS
LECTURES / WORKSHOPS
2003 Evolution Pittsburgh Glass Center / TA Pittsburgh PA
Transformation Redeer College / TA Redeer Alberta CAN
2002 Glass Sculpting Pilchuck Glass School / TA Stanwood WA
EDUCATION
1986 Master of Fine Art Ohio State University Columbus OH
1984 Master of Art California State University Chico CA
1981 Pilchuck Glass School Flora Mace + Joey Kirkpatrick Stanwood WA
1979 Bachelor of Arts California State University Chico CA
Malonne Davies
joined the ESU faculty in the Fall 2003 as assistant professor of chemsitry and science education. She received her Ph. D. in Chemistry from the University of Kansas. A native Kansan, Davies was a secondary science teacher prior to her doctoral work. She also has experience as an industrial research chemist. She has participated as a career discussion and workshop leader in the Expanding Your Horizons program (math and science conference for middle school girls) for several years. She helped organize the Beakers "n" Sneakers chemistry badge event for Girls Scouts in November 2003.
Malonne I. Davies, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Chemistry / Science Education Emporia State University Campus Box 4030 Emporia, KS 66801
Heidi Hamilton
Dr. Heidi Hamilton joined the department in 2004. With a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. her scholarship focuses on foreign policy rhetoric. Most recently, that interest has taken two different paths. First, she has been looking at media coverage of foreign policy events, particularly for how the media frames public debate and deliberation. The second area is women in politics, and projects there have been on women in combat and on Madeleine Albright as the first female secretary of state. Dr. Hamilton is past chair of the Feminist and Women's Studies Division of the National Communication Association.
Dr. Hamilton teaches courses in rhetorical and communication theory and public speaking.
Kevin Rabas
Kevin Rabas is an assistant professor and Co-Director of the Creative Writing program and also co-directs the Flint Hills Review at ESU . He teaches creative writing courses in poetry and playwriting. Dr. Rabas also writes for Jazz Ambassador Magazine. He was the 2005 winner of the Langston Hughes Award for Poetry. Dr. Rabas is especially into jazz poetry and is sometimes accompanied by drums while reading. In the summer of 2007 Dr. Rabas' first book of poetry was released, Birds Horn and Other Poems, published by Coal City Review Press (Lawerence).
Elizabeth (Betsy) Yanik
Elizabeth (Betsy) Yanik received her Ph D in Mathematics at the University of Kentucky and is now a Professor in the Division of Mathematics and Computer Science at Emporia State University. Dr. Yanik is the Assistant Director of the Women and Mathematics Network, a national organization for directors of outreach programs for young women. Dr. Yanik has recently been asked to serve on the Board of Directors of Women & Mathematics Education. She is a co-organizer of SMASH -Summer Mathematics and Sciences Holiday- a nonresidential summer program for 9th grade girls which is funded by Tensor grant. Dr. Yanik is also co-organizer of MASTER IT -Mathematics and Science To Explore caReers Investigating Together- which is a residential summer program for 24 rising 8th grade and 24 rising 9th grade young women. This is funded by a National Science Foundation grant. Her major contributions in the area of ethnic and gender studies include:
Sonia Kovalesky Day A day of recognition for women in mathematics;
Expanding Your Horizons A day-long conference for middle school girls which includes workshops and discussions aimed at helping young girls say interested in math.
Catching Your Dreams: An event for Girls Scout Brownies that centers around science and math activities.