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Campus Candids … sort of

Using a mix of resources he borrowed from the Canisius College Media Center and supplies from his own research lab and recording gear, Jonathan O’Brien, PhD, has set up a make-shift television studio from which to broadcast his lectures.

“I knew from prior experience that audiences connect much better when they can see your face,” says the associate professor of biology. “So I record all my lectures as a mix of PowerPoint slides, animations and cuts of myself presenting the material.”

The green screen, O’Brien explains, is a backdrop for the recordings and enables him to change the backgrounds during the editing process in Adobe Premier Pro. O’Brien uploads the completed videos to a YouTube account and then links them to D2L.

“My goal is to keep the learning experience as engaging and informative as possible for the students,” O’Brien continues. “The setup allows us to have a bit of fun while presenting material that could otherwise be rather dry or difficult. “It is probably a bit more effort than other lecture recording tools and methods but so far, the students seem to like and appreciate the the results.”

Submitted by: College Communications

Canisius in the News

While most sports have been cancelled due to COVID-19, Esports is prepping for its upcoming MAAC championship tournament this week. WKBW-TV Channel 7 Reporter Jeff Slawson interviewed Canisius’ Esports Coordinator Kiernan Ensor, on today’s morning show, about what viewers and fans can expect. Click here to watch the story.

Economics Professors Julia Anna Golebiewski, PhD and George Palumbo, PhD, were both interviewed by Buffalo News Reporter David Robinson for an April 12 story titled “Coronavirus is Hitting the Buffalo Niagara Economy Harder Than Most Places.” Click here to read the article.

Buffalo News Reporter Stephen Watson interviewed Political Science Professor Kevin Hardwick, PhD, for an April 9 article titled “Will Covid-19 Restrictions Take Toll on Civil Liberties.” Click here to read the story.

WalletHub featured Steven Gattuso, executive director of the Golden Griffin Fund, in an article about American Express 0% credit cards. The article appears on the website’s “Compare Credit Cards” page, and can be read by clicking here.

Submitted by: College Communications

Making Hope Real

With the reality of what everyone is facing in their lives, what others are facing around us and what the world is facing together, how can we continue to have hope?

Ignatian-trained spiritual director and author Becky Eldredge can help. In collaboration with the Northeast Provinces of the Society of Jesus, she will host an online retreat on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Eldredge with share with participants how to make hope real, even when this season of life feels anything but hopeful. The retreat will include guided prayer, small group discussion, handouts, resources and time for silent reflection.

Click here to register.

Submitted by: Sarah Signorino, director, Mission & Identity

(Virtual) Solidarity on Tap

Socializing met social justice last Wednesday, April 8, when the Ignatian Solidarity Network hosted the latest in its virtual “Solidarity on Tap” series. The guest was Cecilia Gonzalez-Andrieu, PhD, a theologian at Loyola Marymount University, who spoke on the subject of “Radical Hope.”

Gonzalez-Andrieu is a leading scholar in her field and the author of Bridge to Wonder: Art as a Gospel of Beauty. She is also a contributor to America: The Jesuit Review and serves on the board of the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

Click here or on the video link above to watch her discussion.

Submitted by: Rev. Patrick J. Lynch, SJ, Jesuit associate, Mission & Identity

Online Faculty Development Course

The Center for Online Learning & Innovation (COLI) is offering a five-week mini-course for Canisius College faculty that prepares professors to teach online and hybrid classes. This course provides many practical tips for teaching online but more importantly, helps faculty explore new pedagogies for active learning, social presence and community building in courses on the internet. The core of COLI’s approach to online teaching and learning is that the professor is the single most important element in successful student learning. The Online Faculty Development Course (OFDC) helps professors achieve a strong teaching presence within their online and hybrid courses. The OFDC also simulates a quality online course, so participating faculty get a sense of what it’s like to be an online student.

All Canisius College faculty are eligible to participate in the OFDC. Whether you plan to teach an online or hybrid course in the future, aren’t yet sure you’ll teach online or would just like to know more about online courses and coursework, this is an excellent opportunity. The next OFDC begins on April 13th, 2020. To enroll, email coli@canisius.edu.

To learn more about the OFDC, and see other COLI opportunities for faculty development, visit the Faculty Development Resource.

Submitted by: Mark Gallimore, Center for Online Learning & Innovation