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Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and News Briefs 10/21/20

In this issue, we share accomplishments of faculty and staff in child development, communication, criminal justice, fashion, music, and world languages and literatures, along with news briefs about tuition exchange/remission and about a recent event sponsored by the graduate program in criminal justice.

Assistant Professor of Communication Alan Buck was hired to help produce U.S. election coverage for international audiences, through a program of the Foreign Press Center. During a normal election year, the U.S. State Department credentials almost 300 foreign writers, producers, videographers, photographers, and journalists to travel into the US to cover the election. They gather footage and interviews on the election trail of both parties, then return to their country to air the footage as part of their news coverage. Well this year, due to COVID, they are not allowing anyone in to cover the election or credentialing anyone. However, those countries still obviously care about what happens in the US and still need footage from within our country.

The Foreign Press Center, under the U.S. Department of State, highlighted four states that are battleground states and have hired a producer in each of those four states to gather footage for the countries. North Carolina was designated as one of those states, and through the Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C. (a nonpartisan global diplomacy organization) they hired me to produce lots of footage for those countries. Buck spent last week interviewing candidates from both sides, election officials and experts, and local citizens about the election. The footage will be shown in well over 100 countries and every U.S. Embassy in the world.

Criminal Justice Program Director Bianca Harris guest lectured at Howard University on October 5. Harris spoke to faculty members of the Political Science department and students who are involved with the program about female offenders and the evolving importance of understanding Substance Use Disorder in the field of Corrections.

This month, Professor of Communication Teresa Holder served as a judge for the Connecticut Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Mercury Awards.

Assistant Professor in Fashion Merchandising and Design Ali Howell co-authored a publication in Fashion and Textiles, “Unifying yet dividing: voices of pussyhat maker–wearers who participated in the 2017 Women’s Marches.” Howell also authored a Call to Action for her professional organization, the International Textiles and Apparel Association (ITAA), “Sharing power in the classroom guided by the essay ‘Engaged Pedagogy’ in Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom by bell hooks.”

Professor of Music Kent Lyman was featured in a recent segment on South Korean television station called YTN. Lyman attracted the interest of the station during visits to South Korea and the piece, which was filmed before pandemic restrictions, covered some of the connections between North Carolina and Korea. The feature was broadcast nationwide in Korea in August.  The segment is about 5 minutes long. The profile on Lyman begins at the 2:24 mark on the video, which is available on YouTube.

Assistant Professor in Child Development Pamela Linton Norcross, has a manuscript accepted and being published in the Journal of Infant Behavior and Development, titled Effects of Maternal Depressive Symptoms on Sensitivity to Infant Distress and Non-Distress: Role of SES and Race.

Professor of World Languages & Cultures Brent Pitts’ critical edition, The Anglo-Norman Bible’s Book of Joshua, will be published in November by Brepols (Turnhout, Belgium).

From the publisher’s description: The Anglo-Norman Bible’s Joshua includes tales of spies, giants, the prostitute Rahab, the punishment of Achan, oracles, and Joshua’s brilliant military victories. Joshua stops the sun. The first half of the book relates Joshua’s stunning conquests in Canaan. The second half, the apportionment of the land among the tribes, detailed geographical surveys of territorial boundaries, and the death of Joshua.

News Briefs

Tuition Exchange and Tuition Remission
Do you have a high school student who may be looking to attend college? If so, have you investigated the possibility of applying for tuition exchange? Or for tuition remission at Meredith for your female dependent? The College participates in two exchange programs, Tuition Exchange, Inc and the Council of Independent Colleges. Exchange opportunities are available to male and female dependents.

Tuition Remission at Meredith can be a consideration for your female dependents’ undergraduate degree. And keep in mind, female and male students are accepted at the graduate level.

To learn more, check out information in the Employment Handbook for Faculty and Staff. For Tuition Exchange questions contact the campus liaison, Donna Knott at (919) 760-8009 or knottdon@meredith.edu.  For Tuition Remission questions contact the Office of Human Resources (919) 760-8898 or hr@meredith.edu.

Criminal Justice Program Hosts Panel on “Raise the Age”
The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Program at Meredith College hosted a virtual event on September 16 about North Carolina’s compliance to the “Raise the Age” law.  The featured panelists included Bianca Harris, Director of the Criminal Justice M.A. Program at Meredith, William Lassiter—Deputy Secretary NCDPS Division of Adult Correction & Juvenile Justice, Dr. Scott Holmes—Clinical Director of Behavioral Health, Alabama Department of Youth Services, and Kristie Purvis—Social Work Supervisor at Cabarrus YDC, NCDPS Division of Adult Correction & Juvenile Justice.

Melyssa Allen

News Director
316 Johnson Hall
(919) 760-8087
Fax: (919) 760-8330

allenme@meredith.edu