Below are a variety of items about upcoming events and other news notes on the campus of Youngstown State University:

• Decorated Vietnam vet speaks at YSU commencement
• Freshman convocation set for Sunday, Aug. 24
• YSU faculty, staff honors, presentations, publications

Calendar
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 4 p.m. YSU Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee meets in the President’s Conference Room on the second floor of Tod Hall on the YSU campus.

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 11 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. YSU Faculty and Staff Retirees meet on the YSU campus as part of the university's ongoing Centennial Celebration. About 50 retirees will meet at 11 a.m. at the University Archives on the fifth floor of Maag Library. The group will tour the Clarence R. Smith Mineral Museum in Moser Hall at 1 p.m., followed by a visit to the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center at 1:45 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 17, 2 p.m. YSU summer commencement in Beeghly Center. See News Brief below.

Decorated Vietnam vet speaks at YSU commencement

Carl Nunziato, an attorney, retired Army major and former vice president for National City Bank Trust, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at Youngstown State University’s summer commencement 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17 in Beeghly Center on the YSU campus.

Christine Snipes, who graduates with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, will be the student speaker at the ceremony.

Nunziato is a 1961 graduate of Youngstown University, earning a bachelor’s degree in English with a teaching certificate. He earned a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army through YSU’s ROTC program. He served eight years in the Army, including two tours of duty in Vietnam, where he lost both of his legs in combat. He retired in 1968 at the rank of major.

He earned several military honors, including the Bronze Star for Meritorious Achievement in Ground Operations Against Hostile Forces, the Purple Heart for Wounds Received in Action, the Air Medal for Meritorious Achievement, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Services Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with three Battle Stars, and Aircraft Crew Gunner Wings.

When he returned to Youngstown, Nunziato enrolled at the Case Western Reserve Law School, earning a law degree in 1971. He worked for Dollar Trust and then National City Bank Trust for more than 25 years, rising to the position of vice president of trust marketing.

Nunziato has had a lifetime relationship with YSU, establishing the Carl Nunziato Scholarship at the YSU Foundation, serving on the YSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, membership in the YSU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, and volunteering on numerous YSU ROTC committees.

He also has a long list of civic involvement, including the Easter Seal Society of Mahoning and Columbiana Counties, Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber, Wolves Club of Youngstown, Youngstown Private Industry Council, Italian Heritage Foundation, Ohio Bankers Association, Stambaugh Pillars Society, Choffin Career Center, Northeast Ohio Legal Services, Amputee Opportunities Foundation, Ohio Society to Prevent Blindness, Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission, Ohio Governor’s Council on Disabled Persons and the Boy Scouts of America.

Snipes graduated from East High School in 1980 and enrolled at YSU in 1997 as a non–traditional student. With the responsibility of six children and part–time employment, she pursued her studies part–time. In 2005, she graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in applied science, majoring in exercise science with a minor in biology. As a result of caring for her special–needs son and seeing the challenges that families and individuals with disabilities face, she developed a desire to work with special populations. Upon completion of a 200–hour internship at an area physical therapy clinic, she decided to pursue a graduate degree in physical therapy. ﾠ

In 2003, Snipes received the Health O–Rama scholarship awarded by the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services. In 2006, she was awarded the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship. In June 2008, she was honored at the American Physical Therapy Association’s national conference with the Minority Scholarship Award for Academic Excellence for a Physical Therapy Student. In February 2008, Snipes won an essay contest sponsored by the Ohio Physical Therapy Association that enabled her to attend the Federal Advocacy Forum in Washington D.C.ﾠ She participated in lobbying senators and representatives from Ohio on health care policies.ﾠ

Her professional affiliations include membership in the American Physical Therapy Association and the Ohio Physical Therapy Association since 2005; the Neurology Section of APTA since 2007; the National Honor Society in 2007 and Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society in 2006. Snipes has served as an ambassador for the prevention of stroke with the American Heart Association, and was nominated and selected to serve as a Presidential Mentor to YSU President David C. Sweet in 2006.

Freshman Convocation set for Sunday, Aug. 24
Youngstown State University welcomes the Class of 2012 at the first annual Freshman Convocation at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, in Beeghly Center on the YSU campus.

Fall semester classes begin the next day on Monday, Aug. 25.

Freshman Convocation, which includes a picnic and music by the YSU Marching Pride, is designed to introduce incoming freshmen to the university and to allow them to begin their college careers the same way that they will end it — with a formal ceremony to celebrate their academic achievements.

“This event celebrates the beginning of students’ journey into the academic world and introduces them to YSU faculty and staff who will lead them on their path to success,” said Ikram Khawaja, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Students will have the opportunity to meet other incoming freshmen, as well as YSU faculty and staff, and to learn more about YSU and its offerings.

The event will include a ceremonial procession and recession of faculty, staff and administrators, a welcome from YSU President David C. Sweet, and words of encouragement from academic leaders and a guest speaker. Following the ceremony, students and their guests will attend a picnic on campus hosted by Sweet, Khawaja, deans, faculty and the YSU Foundation.

For more information, e–mail jmleviseur@ysu.edu.

YSU faculty, staff honors, presentations, publications
Shearle Furnish, dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, has published an article titled “Thematic Structure and Symbolic Motif in the Middle English Breton Lays” in the journal Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval history, Thought and Religion, Volume 62.

Sherry Linkon and John Russo, co–directors of the Center for Working–Class Studies, were the plenary speakers at the Rethinking Labour: Labour Affect and Material Culture Conference, held in Dublin, Ireland. Their presentation at the William Jefferson Clinton Institute for American Studies at University College was titled “Learning About Labour: A New Working–Class Studies Perspective.” 

James J. Carroll, professor, Physics and Astronomy, presented an invited talk at the spring meeting of the Ohio Section of the American Physical Society. YSU undergraduate students Trevor Balint, Geoffrey Trees and Isaac Mills also presented talks on work at the YSU Isomer Physics Project. The meeting was hosted by YSU and the theme was “Touring the Electromagnetic Spectrum.”

Gabriel Palmer–Fernandez, professor, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and director, Dr. James Dale Ethics Center, delivered a lecture titled “Patriotism & Morality” at the Hale Ethics Lecture Series. The event was held at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Annette Burden, associate professor, Mathematics and Statistics, and Interim Distance Learning Director, has been elected to a two–year term as president of the International Society of Technology in Education’s Special Interest Group for Technology Coordinators. SIGTC is a professional organization that helps technology coordinators meet the challenges of their rapidly changing field by addressing current legislation and advancements in technology leadership.

Paul R. Carr, assistant professor, Educational Foundations, Research, Technology and Leadership, presented a paper at the American Educational Research Association in New York titled “Can Education Be Meaningful? Answering a Fundamental Question Posed by Education Students.” Carr and co–author Maryse Potvin also had a paper published in the French–language journal Education et Francophonie titled “The Conceptualization and Implementation of Anti–Racist Education: Ontario and Quebec.” Additionally, Carr and co–author Gina Thesee had a book chapter published, titled “The Quest for Political (Il)literacy: Responding To, And Attempting to Counter, the Neoliberal Agenda.” The chapter was published in An International Examination of Urban Education: The Destructive Path of Neoliberalism, published by Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Zbigniew Piotrowski, professor, Mathematics and Statistics, addressed the Mathematics Department of the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His lecture was titled “Algebra–Free Topological Algebra.”

Will Greenway, professor, English, had two poems published in the Spring/Summer edition of Atlanta Review. The poems are titled “Karmageddon” and “Outlet Mall.” A thirdﾠ poem, titled “Applesauce,” has been published in RHINO Magazine, a poetry journal.

Ricky S. George, associate director, Center for Human Services Development, attended the Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium in April. The training focused on violence prevention and a new crime reduction tactic called Operation Ceasefire.