News From the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences

As we welcome the rejuvenating spirit of spring, I am delighted to extend warm greetings to each member of our community. In this edition of our newsletter, I am thrilled to share our achievements and forecast significant events that will follow. As always, our College will continue to explore innovative initiatives to enhance the student experience, foster research and scholarship, and strengthen our connections with the broader community. The possibilities on the horizon fill us with excitement, and I look forward to the continued growth and success of our College.

Pre-Commencement Celebration
On Friday, May 10, we will celebrate the achievements of all of our 2024 Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences graduates. The Pre-Commencement Celebration will feature guest speakers, awards, refreshments and a special gift for those who register and attend.

AI Conference
We are excited to announce that we are dedicating a conference on The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Pre-K to 12 Education and the Future Workforce to donor Carol Ammon, MBA ’79, ’10 (Hon.), in honor of her support of our College. The conference will take place August 15–16.

Assistant Professor Won Seok Chey, PhD, School of Health Sciences, co-authored an article titled, “Developing Adaptive Planning Skills by Preservice Physical Education Teachers,” published in the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.

Professor Kevin Mercier, EdD, School of Health Sciences, co-authored the article “A longitudinal look at student attitude, perceived competence, and fitness test performance of elementary students,” published in the International Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

The paper “Democratization, Civic Society, and the New Ukrainian School During the Acute Phase of War,” by Associate Professor Carl Mirra, PhD, chair, School of Education, was accepted for presentation at the British Association for Slavonic and European Studies, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England.

Clinical Associate Professor Stephen Shore, EdD, School of Education, presented on Hidden Curriculum for the Alia Autism Centers in Bahrain this February. Dr. Shore was featured in an interview on Bahrain Now TV discussing his presentations.

Professor Meredith A. Whitley, PhD, School of Health Sciences, recently co-authored a publication entitled Benefits of Meeting the Healthy People 2030 Youth Sports Participation Target in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The publication was featured in a segment on WABC.

Associate Professor Emilia P. Zarco, MD, Associate Professor Anne Gibbone, EdD, and Hanna Matatyaho, PhD, adjunct faculty, of the Department of Health and Sport Sciences, collaborated to write the peer-reviewed book chapter Movement and Aging that was published in December 2023 as part of the IntechOpen e-book: Advances in Geriatrics and Gerontology - Challenges of the New Millennium.

National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing
The Adelphi University chapter of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing is presenting a poster titled “Experiencing Belonging Through Art: ABIDE, NBASLH and Artivism”' at the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing National Convention in April.

Kenya Service Learning Trip
This March, students immersed themselves in service, culture and global learning in Wangige, Kenya, during spring break. Under the guidance of Anne Mungai, PhD, associate provost for strategic initiatives and graduate studies, and Esther Kogan, EdD, associate professor and director of STEP, participants worked to develop a project to engage Kenyan students grades one through eight at the Caroline School and examine education in a nontraditional setting.