April 2004 Accolades

Jacqueline Dansby, Ph.D., Upward Bound, won the highly coveted Distinguished Educator Award during the 31st annual Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education meeting recently in San Antonio.

Dansby, who has directed the Upward Bound program since 1977, holds a doctorate in educational administration from Texas A&M University. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s, teaching courses in correctional counseling and rehabilitative treatment, victimology, marriage and the family, and social psychology.

“Building a Stronger Educational Foundation Together to Serve Future Generations” was the topic of the president’s roundtable discussion in which Dansby participated during TABPHE’s annual meeting March 4-6.

Dansby’s memberships include the international honor society in education of Kappa Delta Pi; the national honor society of Phi Kappa Pi; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; and the educator’s hall of fame, the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Inc., Gamma Tau Chapter, as an inductee in 1998.

The Bexar County Commissioners Court has appointed St. Mary’s University President Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., to serve on the VIA Metropolitan Transit Board of Trustees.

Cotrell’s term on the public transportation board ends Dec. 31, 2005. Besides VIA, Cotrell has served on several boards and councils, including United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, the Mexican American Unity Council and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas Governing Board.

The Rev. Bernard Lee, S.M., Th.D., assistant chancellor and professor of Theology, is a co-author (with four other members of religious orders) of “Theological Reflection for Transformation,” published by the Center for the Study of Religious Life. The publication, as the introduction indicates, is a resource for giving religious communities a consistent way of studying and responding to issues facing them, and helping them move from reflection to action.

The Rev. George T. Montague, S.M., Theology, was one of six panelists discussing Mel Gibson’s film, “The Passion of the Christ,” before an audience of more than 400 at Texas State University on March 9.

Roberto Rosas, Law, recently published a “Comparative Study of the Formation of Electronic Contracts in American Law with References to International and Mexican Law” in the Houston Journal of International Law, Vol. 26, 2003.

Michael Ariens, Law, gave a talk on March 16 on “The Legal Status of Women in Texas, 1900-1925,” at the Texas Women, Tax Law panel at the annual meeting of the Texas State Historical Association in Austin.

Diane Gonzales Bertrand, English, participated in a book signing for her new book, “The Empanadas That Abuela Made,” at The Twig Book Shop on Broadway on March 27. The lively bilingual book is told in the style of a folk song as a grandmother makes delicious pumpkin empanadas for her family. The yummy recipe also is included in the book, Bertrand says.

The Rev. Norbert Brockman, S.M., Ph.D., Political Science, has been accepted as a participant in a summer study program for professors from minority-serving universities. The program will be held in Beijing and five other cities across China.

Jeffrey Addicott, Center for Terrorism Law, served as a featured panelist at the Southwest Funding Forum, held March 3 in San Antonio. The annual conference is sponsored by the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative and is designed to explore ways to accelerate regional technology-based growth industries. As the director of the Center for Terrorism Law, Addicott discussed the “Safety Act,” a federal statute that provides incentives for the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies.

Addicott also presented a talk on March 16 to more than 100 participants in a graduate course at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md. The graduate course was attended by senior uniformed and civilian leaders and focused on the medical consequences of radiological, nuclear and high yield explosives.

He also presented three formal sessions on terrorism to the Lincoln Club of Northern California at Pebble Beach, Calif., on March 27. The address was attended by numerous business and political leaders, including Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts. Addicott spoke on various legal issues associated with the U.S.-led coalition against Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.

John Moore, Music, judged student accompanists for the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, which was held at Texas State University on April 3.

Also on April 3, Moore accompanied David Gaschen, the current Broadway star of “Phantom of the Opera,” at a benefit for Lyric Opera of San Antonio.

Moore also performed on the piano for a benefit concert for Musical Bridges Around the World on April 4.