Student/Faculty/Staff Updates
School of Education
Raine Dawn Valentine Graduates from the National Art Education Association’s 2024 School for Art Leaders Program
Raine Dawn Valentine, Associate Professor in the School of Education and a celebrated Baltimore County Public Schools middle school art educator, has graduated from the 2024 School for Art Leaders, a prestigious program of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). The graduation took place on March 22, 2025, during the NAEA National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.
Valentine was one of only 25 art educators selected from across the United States to participate in this highly competitive leadership program. Over the course of ten months, she engaged in intensive professional development focused on cultivating visionary leadership in arts education through collaborative learning, mentorship, and strategic planning.
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized at the national level,” said Valentine. “My students inspire me every day to continue evolving as both an educator and artist. This award is a celebration of them and the power of art to transform lives.”
To learn more about Raine Dawn Valentine’s work, visit www.linktr.ee/rainedawn
"Bringing Mindfulness Into the Classroom: East Ideas You Can Try Tomorrow" book release
Tara Segree, associate faculty, master's program completer, and former site coordinator in one of the School of Education's Professional Development Schools, recently published her first book, "Bringing Mindfulness Into the Classroom: Easy Ideas You Can Try Tomorrow." This life-changing book has strategies and tools to use to foster a culture of peace in the classroom, throughout schools, and in communities. It includes a 30-Day Classroom Challenge to bring 10-minute mindfulness sessions into classrooms and a 7-Day Teacher Challenge to help educators find their own inner peace.
School of Education attends National Association for School University Partnerships (NASUP) Conference
Four School of Education members, one former School of Education member, and one school-university partner traveled to New Orleans, LA for the National Association for School University Partnerships (NASUP) Conference from March 6-8, 2025. They participated in four presentations combined:
- Fostering College Access Literacy for Students and Educators in School-University Partnerships: Dr. Stephanie Savick and Dr. Kristine Larson
- Promoting Faculty Collaboration to Support School-University Partnerships and Increase Coaching Self-Efficacy: Dr. Stephanie Savick, Dr. Patty Silver, Dr. Kristine Larson, Mr. Henry Green
- 'Make It Safe': The Impact of an SUP Professional Development Cohort on Trauma-Responsive Instruction in K-5 Elementary School: Dr. Joanna Newton
- From Para-Educator to Successful Certified Teacher: The Reflections of the Majority Latina Para-Educators' Journey in an Apprenticeship Model: Dr. Patty Silver, Ms. Molly King, Ms. Lauren Watson
School of Art, Sciences & Business
English Department hosted its annual Sigma Tau Delta Induction Ceremony and Damozel launch
The induction ceremony was hosted by the Chapter President Hailey Guerrier. Three students were inducted into Sigma Tau, the International English Honor Society: Rebecca Becraft, Taylor Lockley, and Chelsea Martin.
The Damozel Launch was hosted by editor Holly Hand, representing co-editors Amanda Grant, Hailey Guerrier, Holly Hand, Chelsea Martin, and Kameron Woodrum, as well as to alumna Editor and Advisor, Katie Cardinal, ’20. Three students read from their publications in Damozel, the campus literary magazine: Alisson Suarez, Spirit Jones, and Julia Taylor, as well as four English alumnae: Katie Cardinal, Amirah Arafat, Katherine Martinez, Jessica Profilio, and Katherine Martinez, all Class of 2020.
Congratulations to our honor society inductees and to our student writers!
The Damozel 24-25 can be read online.
LitCon Young Adult Writing Workshops
Dr. Jeana DelRosso, Director of the University Writing Center, and Writing Center tutors Hailey Guerrier and Nwanneka Udolisa, participated in the LitCon Young Adult Writing Workshops hosted at Loyola University in March. Our Writing Center representatives hosted a writing room, guiding high school authors through drafting and revision workshops. This was the NDMU Writing Center’s first (but not last!) collaboration with the Loyola Writing Center.
"Temporary Gods and Arbitrary Arrangements: A Novel
Associate Professor of Education, Angelo Letizia, has written his first novel titled: Temporary Gods and Arbitrary Arrangements: A Novel, published by Silver Bow Press. A fictional novel that grapples with philosophical themes such as historical progress, and the human condition, utopian visions of society and more. The book is available in Kindle and print. the book, along with Angelo's entire book catalog can be found here
Great Turnout at the 2025-26 Eichner Women Writers Series
Dr. Jeana DelRosso, Sister Maura Eichner Endowed Chair of English, hosted writer Lauren Groff in the 7th annual Eichner Women Writers lecture. Groff generously met with students, gave a reading and talk, and shared in conversation and community. Groff is a three-time National Book Award finalist and The New York Times–bestselling author of the novels The Monsters of Templeton, Arcadia, Fates and Furies, Matrix, and The Vaster Wilds, and the celebrated short story collections Delicate Edible Birds and Florida. She has won The Story Prize, the ABA Indies’ Choice Award, France’s Grand Prix de l’Héroïne, and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her work regularly appears in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. Her work has been translated into thirty-six languages, and she was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2024.
View Photos
NDMU Biology Faculty Present at 10th Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference
On April 12, 2025, Dr. Meenu Vikram, Assistant Professor of Biology at NDMU, attended the 10th Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference. The event provided a platform for students and faculty to publicly showcase STEM-focused research and educational innovations.
Dr. Vikram, along with co-authors Debra F. McLaughlin and Gro Torsethaugen, presented research supported by their SoTL Fellowship awarded last year. Their contributions included:
- A poster presentation titled "Assessing Student Perceptions of Virtual Laboratory Experiences Using End-of-Course Evaluation Surveys."
- A faculty presentation titled "A Natural Language Processing Approach to Leverage End-of-Course Evaluations to Improve Student Learning Experiences in STEM Laboratory Courses."
Chemistry Professor Co-authors Research Article
Dr. Jason W. Labonte, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, published an article titled, "a-N-Methyltransferase regiospecificity is mediated by proximal, redundant enzyme substrate interactions," in Protein Science.
Library Updates
Peace Meadow Nature Walk
5/2, 1:30-2 pm, Meet in Learning Lobby near NDMU side entrance
Take a walk through the Peace Meadow on campus and learn about native plant species and wildlife with Michelle Williams, LNDL’s Access Services Operations Supervisor. Michelle is a committed environmental steward and a certified Weed Warrior with Baltimore City.
Reading is Innovative: Sublimation Notebooks
5/2, 4 pm – 5:30 pm, LNDL IDEA Space
Learn about the science behind sublimation with a dry ice demonstration, then customize a notebook cover with a photo or drawing with the help of the sublimation printer and heat press in the Innovation Station. All materials provided! This class is capped at 10 students.
VR Meditation Drop-In Session 2
5/6, 2pm – 3 pm, VR Classroom
Explore LNDL’s virtual reality meditation experiences.
Reading Is Creative: Graduation Cap Decorating Session 2
5/7, 4 pm – 5 pm, IDEA Space
Graduating this semester? Drop in between 4 and 6 to decorate your graduation cap with supplies from the Messy Cart! Feel free to bring your own supplies, too.
Conference and Auxiliary Services
