Faculty and Staff Activities

Seth N. Asumah

Seth N. Asumah, Africana Studies and Political Science departments, was a recipient of the Alumni of Distinction honor at a ceremony at the State University of New York College at Oneonta in September. The Alumni of Distinction honorees are selected in recognition of their “demonstrated leadership, superior career achievement and distinguished service.” Asumah is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, chair of the Africana Studies Department and a political science professor. He is the author, co-author and co-editor of 11 books and over 100 articles, book chapters, reviews and essays and a recipient of more than 20 international, national and local awards and honors. At SUNY Cortland, Asumah’s recognitions include the Excellence in Teaching Award, Rozanne Brooks Dedicated Teacher Award and Outstanding Achievement in Service Award. As a member of many soccer referees’ associations, Asumah has officiated soccer matches for 35 years at the international, national, state and local levels.

Jacob Hall and Kate McCormick

Jacob Hall and Kate McCormick, Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department, co-authored an article published in TechTrends titled ‘My Cars don’t Drive Themselves’: Preschoolers’ Guided Play Experiences with Button‑Operated Robots. The article describes what preschool children’s computational thinking experiences are like when button-operated robots are introduced into their guided play.

Robert Spitzer

Robert Spitzer, Political Science Department, has been informed that his article, “Growing Executive Power: The Strange Case of the ‘Protective Return’ Pocket Veto,” has been accepted for publication in the Fall 2012 issue of Presidential Studies Quarterly.

Tiantian Zheng

Tiantian Zheng, Sociology/Anthropology Department, was invited by University of Rochester to deliver a book talk on Nov. 10 on her book Tongzhi Living: Men Attracted to Men in Postsocialist China.

Christina Knopf

Christina Knopf, Communication and Media Studies Department, had her book chapter, “Superman, a Super Freak: Returning the Man of Steel to the Circus in DC Bombshells,” published in Adapting Superman: Essays on the Transmedia Man of Steel, McFarland & Co., 2021.

Ryan Vooris

Ryan Vooris, Sport Management Department, presented his research on ESPN at the 11th Summit on Communication and Sport, held April 26 to 29 at Indiana University. Also, he served on a panel focused on the intersection of marketing and communication theory. 

Seth N. Asumah

Seth N. Asumah, Africana Studies and Political Science departments, was a National Boren Fellowship panelist in February 2019 in Washington D.C. Asumah was invited for the fourth year by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Institute of International Education (IIE) to review 47 fellowship applications for 2019 for the Africa Region. Also, he was invited to serve on the Fulbright National Review Commission in New York City for graduate and undergraduate fellowships for United States students who would like to research in the Africa Region earlier in this year.  

Herb Haines

Herb Haines, Sociology-Anthropology Department, gave an invited talk at a Stanford University conference on nonviolence and tactical diversity in social movements on May 6.

Sung Woo Yoo

Sung Woo Yoo, Communication Studies Department, received the top faculty paper award in the Political Communication Division at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) held in August in San Francisco. The paper, “The Dual Process of Influence: Examining the Hydraulic Pattern Hypothesis of Media Priming Effects,” looks into the influence of the media on perceived issue importance in presidential election cycles. 

Jill Toftegaard and Mary Emm

Jill Toftegaard and Mary Emm, Communication Disorders and Sciences Department, received a grant for the 2019-20 academic year from the Parkinson Voice Project. The grant provides materials and trains clinical educators and graduate students to conduct therapy in the Center for Speech, Language and Hearing Disorders using the SPEAK OUT!® and The LOUD Crowd® program for persons with Parkinson’s.