Faculty and Staff Achievements Roundup: Doody named to inaugural class of SUNY Accessibility Advocates and Allies Faculty Fellowship Program

This is part of a monthly series highlighting the honors and achievements of Buffalo State University faculty and staff. The roundup is compiled from the previous months’ submissions to the Daily Bulletin and department newsletters.

Kathy Doody, professor and associate chair of the Exceptional Education Department, has been inaugurated to the SUNY Accessibility Advocates and Allies Faculty Fellowship Program. The 11 fellows across 64 SUNY campuses will establish a community of faculty leaders committed to promoting and growing accessibility practices in and out of the classroom. 

“There is no name that we recognize more than Kathy Doody when we hear the terms ‘accessibility’ and ‘advocacy,’” said Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education. “Dr. Doody brings her vast experience in working with schools and agencies to her classrooms, preparing teachers to identify, address and value special needs students in their classrooms. She connects regularly with numerous advocacy groups; her advocacy leads us to opportunities such as this program, where we stretch our capacity to serve the needs of our community to make learning and social advancement available to all.”

During her one-year fellowship, Doody will explore models and strategies to build and expand accessibility to Buffalo State by sharing her expertise and experience to broaden the adoption of accessibility practices. Her fellowship work will enrich campus-wide student success and improve the capabilities of the growing number of students at Buffalo State who have self-identified with Student Accessibility Services.

In addition to Doody’s SUNY Accessibility Advocates and Allies Faculty Fellowship, here are some other recent outstanding achievements by Buffalo State faculty members:

Timothy J. Bryant, associate professor of English, wrote an educational game, “Into the Labyrinth,” which is included in the edited book, Roll for Learning: Micro Tabletop Role-Playing Games to Use in the Classroom, published in November by Play Story Press. This anthology of games for the classroom is freely available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license. 

Lyubov E. Burlakova, senior research scientist, and Alexander Karatayev, director of the Great Lakes Center, were interviewed for an article in the Swiss newspaper, Tages-Anzeiger. The article discusses the work Burlakova and Karatayev are currently pursuing at the Eawag Water Research Institute (EWRI) in Dübendorf, Switzerland. Faced with an invasion of quagga mussels in Switzerland's Lake Zurich, EWRI has invited Burlakova and Karatayev to share their expertise on this invasive mussel.

Bridget Maria Chesterton, professor of history and social studies education, presented her latest book publication virtually in Asunción, Paraguay. Her book, El Cuaderno de Etele Piacentini (Etele Piacentini's Notebook), was recently published with El Centro de Estudios Anthropológicos de la Universidad Católica de Asunción. The book is a collection of recipes from one of Paraguay's most important cooks, with historical commentary, explanation, and food photos by Chesterton.

Brian E. Haas, field and lab research technician at the Great Lakes Center, was interviewed for a recently published article in Environmental Monitor. The article describes the buoy that the Great Lakes Center operates and maintains off the coast of Dunkirk, New York, through funding from the Great Lakes Observing System. As the supplier of the Dunkirk buoy, Fondriest Environmental is a leading distributor and integrator of various types of field equipment worldwide, and this article shines an international light on the Great Lakes Center and the important work of its scientists.

Joseph A. Miller, associate professor of art & design, recently had some of his artwork featured in Sortes Magazine, a quarterly collection of stories, poems, songs, and illustrations.

Vida Vanchan, interim associate dean of the School of the Professions and director of the Global Studies Institute, presented an invited webinar, "Firm Strategy and Cambodia’s Economic Position," hosted by Cambodia’s Trade Policy Advisory Board in December. The webinar offers the foundation to understanding firm’s strategies, competitiveness, and nation’s economic position by examining U.S. firm’s strategies and their linkages to trade and development.

Jie Zhang, SUNY Distinguished Professor of sociology and director of Buffalo State’s Center for China Studies and coauthor You Yu published their research study "Suicidal Ideation and Related Factors in College Students with Visual and Hearing Disabilities” in the Chinese Mental Health Journal. Additionally, Zhang coauthored and published the article "Psychache, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Study from China" in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Photos by Buffalo State Marketing & Communications.