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Spotlight on Faculty Scholarship

FS-cat-crew-spotlightApproximately 3.4 million cats are surrendered to animal shelters every year in the United States.  For the cats, this can be an incredibly stressful time in their lives. Malini Suchak, PhD, assistant professor of animal behavior, ecology, and conservation, formed a group of students affectionately referred to as the “Cat Crew,” to study the lives of shelter cats with the goal of improving their welfare. The group partners with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Serving Erie County for their data collection. FS-cat crew extra IMG_1238

Some members of the Cat Crew visit the SPCA a few times per week and collect observational data on the cats living in colony housing. The crew also has a system of GoPro Cameras set up at the shelter that collect time lapse footage of the cats’ movements around their enclosure. With more than 15,000 pictures collected so far, many members of the group spend their time in the lab carefully analyzing each picture. Suchak and her students regularly share the group’s findings with the SPCA and at national conferences.

More information on Dr. Suchak and the Cat Crew can be found here.

Submitted by: Sara Morris, PhD, associate vice president, academic affairs

Get to Know…

SheetsDavid Sheets is a prime example of a problem solver. In his scholarship, he applies his skills at quantitative analysis to a wide range of fields from bird migration to dental forensics to paleontology and entomology. His work is more than just number crunching in that he draws simple conclusions from big data. With the students, he again applies his talent for solving problems, whether it is advising, teaching, or playing jazz. However, to David, the students are not treated as numbers but as individuals that get his undivided attention in order to get the best education.

Did you know… Dave’s current research work is focused on statistical approaches to understanding the changes in ocean life during the climate change that occurred during the end of the Ordovician mass extinction.

Submitted by: Public Relations

Spring Archives Speaker Series

Bridgette K. Slavin, PhD, adjunct professor, department of history, will present “Let Her Be Hanged: Women, Crime and Punishment in Anglo-Norman Ireland” during the Spring Archives Speaker Series lecture in the Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library, today, Tuesday, March 15 at 4:00 p.m.

Slavin will focus on the history of women, crime and justice in Anglo-Norman Ireland based on her research of early 14th century justiciary rolls. Her work analyzes records of women who were executed in terms of ethnicity and status as well as gender.

Since 2007, the Archives Speaker Series since has featured scholars whose work relies on archival research and have produced an expression of scholarship based on that research. Sponsored by the Rev. J. Clayton Murray, SJ, Archives and Special Collections, and the Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library, the event is free and open to the public.

Slavin holds a PhD in Celtic studies from the University of Sydney where she investigated “the culturally and temporally specific rationale – being medieval, Irish and Christian – regarding supernatural practices and beliefs in early medieval Ireland.” She received her master’s degree in medieval studies from the Medieval Institute Western Michigan University, and a bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology, SUNY College at Oswego.

Among Slavin’s scholarly interests are: medieval cultural heritage and history; hagiography and the Cult of Saints; the supernatural; and religious interaction, such as conversion, popular religion, heresy; and Christian-Muslim, Christian-Judaic, and Muslim-Judiac relations.

For more information, contact Kathleen M. DeLaney, archivist and special collections librarian, at Ext. 8421 or delaneyk@canisius.edu.

Submitted by: Kathleen M. DeLaney, archivist and special collections librarian

 

Men’s Lacrosse Hosts Hobart

Tomkinson_Quinnipiac8625Your men’s Golden Griffin lacrosse team (1-1) hosts regional rival Hobart tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex. The game will be televised live by Time Warner Cable.

Canisius is coming off a big win over Vermont in the first-ever Division I lacrosse game played in Canada. Hobart sits at 3-3 following a weekend triumph over Georgetown University.

For tickets, call 888-2885, or purchase at the door. Additional game information may be accessed at www.GoGriffs.com.

Submitted by: John Maddock, associate athletic director, external affairs

Collect Data Through Qualtrics

Qualtrics-lowQualtrics, an advanced online survey application, is available to students, faculty and staff. Qualtrics is ideal for research surveys conducted by academic researchers, but it’s also useful for staff and administrators who wish to collect information for use in campus business. Easily create and deploy an interactive web-based form, instead of wasting time and effort printing, distributing, collecting, and processing data from paper forms or email attachments.

Qualtrics is available within MyCanisius, in the left hand Launchpad menu, under “My Applications.” Mark Gallimore conducts workshops (beginning and advanced) to help users get the most from Qualtrics. His next workshop is on Friday, April 8 at 3:00 p.m. in Old Main 119. For details, including our workshop signup sheet, go to canisius.edu/surveys.

Submitted by: Mark Gallimore, academic technology specialist