James Madison University - Anthony Tongen

Anthony Tongen

Anthony Tongen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Anthony spent the 2012-2013 academic year as a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholar at the University of Colima in the beautiful state of Colima in western Mexico. Anthony is making international research collaborations (see picture) with faculty in both Mexico and Argentina. His research involves modeling Chagas disease, which was called the 'New HIV/AIDS of the Americas' in a recent article in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (October 2012). Anthony is also teaching a Mathematical Modeling in Biology course to upper level mathematics majors, which is a course he has taught numerous times at James Madison University. Anthony is blessed to be accompanied by his wife Megan and three soon-to-be-fluent sons Micah, Paul, and Samuel (ages 8, 6, and 3, respectively).

Source: Jmu

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September

September 5 - Peer Assessment Techniques

Location: Taylor Hall 306

Activity Type: Workshop

When students engage in group work, faculty often ask them to evaluate one another. All too often, students do not know how to give or receive feedback, resulting in unreliable or inaccurate data. This workshop will guide participants through ways to encourage students to submit honest, constructive evaluations rather than cursory, feel good evaluations of one another's work. Participants will also consider ways to make sure students learn from feedback. Together, workshop facilitators and participants will explore, share and develop strategies for establishing a healthy environment for feedback with clear criteria for peer assessment.

This workshop is designed for faculty to make progress toward the following outcomes:

• Discover best practices in peer assessment;


• Learn how to establish clear criteria for peer assessment; and


• Explore strategies that would work best for the participant's course and learners.

Facilitator: Mark Mattson, Ph.D, Department of Physics and Astronomy Facilitator: Kyle Seifert, Ph.D, Department of Biology

September 6 - Peer Assessment Techniques

Location: Rose Library 5211; lunch will be provided at noon

Activity Type: Workshop

When students engage in group work, faculty often ask them to evaluate one another. All too often, students do not know how to give or receive feedback, resulting in unreliable or inaccurate data. This workshop will guide participants through ways to encourage students to submit honest, constructive evaluations rather than cursory, feel good evaluations of one another's work. Participants will also consider ways to make sure students learn from feedback. Together, workshop facilitators and participants will explore, share and develop strategies for establishing a healthy environment for feedback with clear criteria for peer assessment.

This workshop is designed for faculty to make progress toward the following outcomes:

• Discover best practices in peer assessment;


• Learn how to establish clear criteria for peer assessment; and


• Explore strategies that would work best for the participant's course and learners.

Facilitator: Mark Mattson, Ph.D, Department of Physics and Astronomy Facilitator: Kyle Seifert, Ph.D, Department of Biology

September 6 - Friday Writers' Lockdown

Location: Rose Library 3311

Friday Writers' Lockdowns encourage faculty writers to dive into projects with concentrated time and effort. Held on Fridays, these mini-lockdowns will help you create a regular writing pattern during the academic year. Peace of mind provided -- faculty writers provide the words. Coffee is available for purchase at Starbucks.

Note: Consultations must be requested in advance.

September 13 - Here to Help

Location: Festival Highlands Room; lunch will be provided at noon

Activity type: Workshop

Here to Help (H2H) is an initiative developed by the Madison Teaching Fellows-Alcohol and Academic Culture in conjunction with the Office of Substance Abuse Prevention and the Counseling and Student Development Center. H2H will orient faculty to the spectrum of campus resources available to students in distress or crisis, including those students experiencing problems related to alcohol use and abuse. Faculty completing the two-hour session will identify themselves to students with the new H2H sticker, to be placed on their office doors, and will serve as points of access for students in need of referral.

This workshop is designed for faculty to make progress toward the following outcomes:

• Faculty will learn to identify signs of distress in students and steps they can take to assist students;


• Faculty will learn to identify disruptive classroom behavior and develop an intervention plan to reduce its occurrence; and


• Faculty will learn to identify signs of a dangerous student and actions they can take to help to mitigate risk.

September 13 - Friday Writers' Lockdown

Location: Rose Library 3311

Friday Writers' Lockdowns encourage faculty writers to dive into projects with concentrated time and effort. Held on Fridays, these mini-lockdowns will help you create a regular writing pattern during the academic year. Peace of mind provided -- faculty writers provide the words. Coffee is available for purchase at Starbucks.

Note: Consultations must be requested in advance.

September 16 - Translating Classroom Innovation to Scholarship & Grant Funded Efforts

Location: Rose Library 3311; lunch will be provided at noon

Activity type: Scholarly Talk

Ever wonder if classroom innovations can be published or translated to a grant-funded proposal? The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) movement continuous to grow in higher education and across all disciplines. Grounded in the scholarly inquiry and research of student learning to advance the practice of teaching, SoTL efforts across many disciplines are considered emerging territory in which to develop that knowledge base and expertise. SoTL projects come in many shapes and forms. Tips on getting started with SoTL efforts will be presented as well as lessons learned. Further, strategies and specific library tools for seeking external funding for SoTL work will also be discussed.

Facilitator: Olga Pierrakos, Ph.D, Department of Engineering

Friday Writers' Lockdowns encourage faculty writers to dive into projects with concentrated time and effort. Held on Fridays, these mini-lockdowns will help you create a regular writing pattern during the academic year. Peace of mind provided -- faculty writers provide the words. Coffee is available for purchase at Starbucks.

Note: Consultations must be requested in advance.

September 24 - A Fulbright (to Mexico for Instance) Can Change Your Life

Location: Rose Library 5211; lunch will be provided at noon

Activity type: Scholarly Talk

Anthony Tongen had the privilege of spending the 2012-2013 academic year as a Fulbright scholar to Mexico. During his concurrent educational leave, he taught and performed research at the University of Colima in Colima, Colima, Mexico. Anthony will talk about the three-legged stool for a Fulbright scholar of teaching, research, and being an ambassador. He will then discuss how the Fulbright has positively impacted his teaching, research, and personal life!

This Scholarly Talk is designed for faculty to make progress towards the following outcomes:

• Learn how the Fulbright program can positively impact your teaching, research, and personal life; and


• Discuss the benefits of international experiences for faculty members.

Facilitator: Anthony Tongen, Ph.D, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

This event is cosponsored by JMU Office of International Programs & JMU Office of Diversity.

Friday Writers' Lockdowns encourage faculty writers to dive into projects with concentrated time and effort. Held on Fridays, these mini-lockdowns will help you create a regular writing pattern during the academic year. Peace of mind provided -- faculty writers provide the words. Coffee is available for purchase at Starbucks.

Note: Consultations must be requested in advance.

Source: Jmu

Read More