Gary Babjack Receives Excellence in Professional Service Award

Congratulations to Gary Babjck for receiving the Excellence in Professional Service Awards -
Excellence in Innovation within Profession. This award is in recognition of Gary's constant strive to making things better and to help different groups here at Cortland.

Gary has taken the lead in developing new initiatives from synthesizing and utilizing technology in the classroom to developing a web-assisted master’s degree program in Physical Education at SUNY Cortland. He “catalyzed technology applications,” including Dartfish technology, XOS (a state-of-the-art digital team analysis system), and a mobile tablet computer lab to provide training to physical educators and students in utilization of cutting edge technologies. Through Gary’s diligent efforts and close work with Academic Computing, all student-athlete program evaluations are now done using WEBCT. He was instrumental in securing the hardware necessary to have a digital analysis system in place for coaches to utilize in assessing individual and team performance. As a Dartfish Master trainer, he attends practices daily to assist coaches in learning to use Dartfish and XOS to enhance team and individual performance. Our state-of-the-art camera systems for Corey Gymnasium were the result of his being instrumental in partnership discussions with Panasonic. He co-wrote and received a grant for instituting computer assessment in pedagogy classes. In addition to teaching, advising and volunteer activities, Gary coached our 2007-08 Gymnastics team to a third place finish and coordinated the 2008 USGA National Gymnastics Championships held at SUNY Cortland this spring. His technology innovations have resulted in improved processes and effectiveness for all connected with our Physical Education Programs and Team Sports. (Via Cortland)

Please leave a comment for him, stop by his office, or send him an e-mail (babjackb@cortland.edu) to congratulate him.

Dr. Tim Davis receives Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Outreach Award

Dr. Timothy D. Davis, also received the Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Outreach Award at the President's annual award ceremony, Cortland Excels.

Dr. Davis was responsible for securing funding and programming for the “Homer CSD/SUNY Cortland Graduate Student Partnership” worth $15,000.

The Homer Central School District (HCSD) and the Adapted Physical Education faculty within the Department of Physical Education have created a partnership to improve the quality of Adapted Physical Education services currently provided to children with disabilities. Tim Davis and Mike Carboine, Athletic Director for HCSD, outlined the guidelines for a long-term partnership designed to enhance the access and adaptive physical education programming opportunities for children with disabilities throughout the Homer school district. The HCSD will support a part-time Adapted Physical Education graduate student in exchange for 20 hours per week of direct service working with children. The responsibilities of the graduate student are to teach the majority of HCSD’s adaptive students four hours per day in either the elementary, intermediate or junior high schools. The graduate student is responsible for the planning and teaching of daily lesson plans specific to each individual student, along with coordinating and updating any IEP plans for students with the office of Special Education for Homer Schools. The “win/win” scenario provides financial support while graduate students receive valuable public school experience. Past public school partnerships in Adapted Physical Education have been created with Marathon Schools, DeRuyter Schools and the Fransizka Racker Centers. The creative designs and outreach for school partnerships exemplifies why SUNY Cortland’s Adapted Physical Education program was recognized in April of 2008 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAPHERD) for The Program of the Year Award, which is the highest honor for adapted physical education programs as recognized by AAPHERD. The school partnerships are an extension of the APE commitment to promote and assure integrity for individuals with disabilities throughout central New York.

Professor JoEllen Bailey to Receive Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching

CORTLAND, NY (05/14/2009) JoEllen Bailey, an associate professor of physical education at SUNY Cortland, will receive a Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching during the 2009 Undergraduate Commencement on Saturday, May 16, in the Park Center.

She is among five SUNY Cortland faculty and staff members to be honored this year with a prestigious State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence. A second faculty member, Kathleen Lawrence, associate professor of communication studies, will also be recognized with a Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The Chancellor's Award process begins at each of the 64 SUNY campuses with nominations submitted by the respective presidents. The SUNY Committee on Awards then reviews the nominations and makes its recommendations.

Bailey, of Dryden, N.Y., becomes the 50th SUNY Cortland faculty member to receive the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

A Physical Education Department faculty member at SUNY Cortland since 2002, she teaches teacher education courses in physical education at both the undergraduate and graduate level, supervises student teachers, coordinates physical education student teaching in Australia and facilitates master's student comprehensive examinations.

Her scholarly activity centers on teaching pedagogy; in particular, how to improve teacher education in physical education and the student teaching experience.

"Many faculty are knowledgeable regarding pedagogy, but I have never known anyone that can consistently and effectively apply that knowledge the way that JoEllen does," noted one colleague, a previous Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient. "She is a masterful and powerful teacher."

Colleagues praise her student-centered teaching philosophy that emphasizes multi-modal instruction, practical application of concepts and regular assessment of student learning.

"All students have the right to learn in an environment that is supportive and directed to their own learning style," Bailey wrote. "Students need a choice to bring personal meaning to their learning. Students want to feel a sense of belonging and be valued as a person. Students need to experience success through challenge."

Current and former students and colleagues continually describe Bailey as "effective," "organized," "accessible" and "caring" and note that she expects excellence and professionalism from her students, models it herself every day and works tirelessly with her students to achieve it.

"It is clear that she has created an environment in which students feel safe to take the academic risks important for their growth," the selection committee observed.

Her students engage in a variety of learning experiences: lectures, hands-on activities, oral presentations, appropriate application of technology and writing assignments.

"I find Bailey's instruction and presentation of the material to be stimulating and extremely effective," wrote one student on his experience in her statistics and assessment course. "She has the ability to keep each class interesting and the ability to bring out the best in each and every one of her students."

Faculty colleagues noted her dedication to mentoring students and colleagues.

"With Bailey one never feels discouraged or left without answers," commented one student in a letter to the committee.

"If students do poorly on formative assessments, I believe it is my responsibility to find a way to help them improve," Bailey explained.

"After graduating from SUNY Cortland four-and-a-half years ago, Bailey still has a lasting impact in my life and profession," a former student wrote. "Her positive character, support and enthusiasm are just a few strengths that make her stand out among her colleagues."

Bailey weaves her research in physical education pedagogy and assessment into her courses. Her work has been published in Research Quarterly and Strategies, two highly respected, peer-reviewed journals.

A native of Glenville, Minn., Bailey earned a doctorate in physical education pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado. She has a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in health education and coaching certification from Winona (Minn.) State University. Bailey also received a Master of Arts in Physical Education with emphasis in developmental adapted physical education from Mankato State University.

Touch-down J-E-T-S 2009 Training Camp from SUNY Cortland

The Jets have arrived the Jets have arrived. Our sleepy summer has been awoken by a Big Green Monster in the name of the New York Jets. 2 a days (2 practices a day) started yesterday in the rain but by yesterday evening it was all sun and fun. Plenty to see and do here on campus as the Jets have taken over most of the campus (Park Center, fields, dorms, and food hall). Keep checking the following album to see the latest pictures from the New York Jets 2009 Training Camp at SUNY Cortland in Cortland, NY.

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