My Acknowledgement

<< back to home

I wish to acknowledge the following individuals for all they have done in the past two and one half years to support me as a junior faculty member in my growth and development as a teacher, a scholar and a person. "It takes a village to raise a child," and these have been my village during these exciting and challenging years. For these people, I am extremely grateful.

My colleagues in the Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department have been especially warm to junior faculty members like myself. Andrea Lachance showed this first by accommodating me when I came to search for a new home and she has been extremely helpful and supportive of my efforts to become a more knowledgable academic advisor to my students. Beth Klein provided valuable mentoring and guidance, generously allowing me to use what she had developed for her technology course, and collaborating with me on research projects. Susan Stratton embodied generosity and kindness by orienting me to the town, offering hands-on assistance (tools in hand) and savvy humor about "women's power" when my car had a hard time getting used to the hills in Ithaca, and offering good will and academic support as I developed my approach to students. Lin Lin supplied warm personalities and friendship. We eased each others' stress by reminding each other about meetings and deadlines, exchanging survival tips, and sharing the "insider/outsider" humor only new Asians can understand. Kimberly Rombach always so openly shared resources and had answers to my questions. Gail Tooker who shared her teaching experiences and was direct and extremely helpful. Susana Davidenko supplied resources-both personal and academic - and was helpful in keeping me on schedule for grant applications. Heather Bridge and Virginia (Ginger) Dudgeon, were terrific companions, enjoying and sharing secrets about local life and culture. Cindy Benton, the chair, was always supportive. Her short remarks (e.g., "you want to be respected instead of being liked") were quite illuminating when I needed encouragement and direction. The conscientious and capable secretaries Lori Crandall, Pat Pinto, and Barbara Conrad never failed to impart whatever I requested for my teaching. Sheila Cohen was always interested and sympathetic to cultural issues and has become a true friend. Emilie Kudela has a uniquely impressive work spirit: she embodies the "get it done" ideology that professionals demonstrate. Joy Mosher and Tom Lickona always openly communicated their opinions, agreements, disagreements, and suggestions.

Other professionals in the college have also been helpful. Amy Henderson-Harr demonstrated a strong work ethic, was always willing to help, and shared tremendous wisdom in my grant proposals. Judith Ouellette generously spent hours discussing my research and proposal. The Provost even remembered to send me housing information and showed sympathy for my traffic ticket issues. My mentor Donna Videto is always so ready to help whenever is needed. Joanne Barry and her team in Human Resources demonstrated their work ethics since I received the job offer and all the way through visa and immigration efforts. Henry Steck was helpful in providing networking with other SUNY peers for my research, and even supplied detailed driving information when I had to drive to Fredonia for a conference in the summer. Ross Borden kindly shared his wisdom and support in legal issues and municipal problems. Librarian Lorraine Melita always rendered immediate support for my research and for team teaching. Technical support folks Loren Leonard, James Durr, Hailey Ruoff. Vickie Hess, Chris Widdall, Chris Poole, Steve Marstall all provided immediate technical support that would rival those of the best emergency workers ;-) I am especially grateful and indebted to Loren Leonard, whose skills in Web design are unequalled, and whose availability and willingness to help are incredible.

My mentors, collaborators, and former colleagues Curtis J. Bonk from Indiana University and Blaine V. Morrow from CCCConfer and CCCSAT in California have been wonderful resources of wisdom and collaboration.

My friends Nora Shang and family, neighbors Anna & Hermann Moratz and many others have given me friendship, provided childcare for me, and helped me in ways too numerous to mention.

In a connected world, everything that happens has an impact. I have been the beneficiary of many wonderful impacts and an especially connected community of colleagues and friends. I humbly acknowledge that I cannot account for all of the impacts that have graced my life in this past year, but am nonetheless grateful for and indebted by them. The ancient Chinese text, Tau Te Ching (Way of Life), expresses this well:

Thirty spokes will converge
In the hub of the wheel;
But the use of the cart
Will depend on the part
Of the hub that is void.

With the wall all around
A clay bowl is molded;
But the use of the bowl
Will depend on the part
Of the bowl that is void.

<< back to home