Lew Shapiro, of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Awarded Monty for Outstanding Faculty Contribution

Professor Shapiro with Ph.D. student Josée Poirier

Consider the sentence, "The old man the boat." Most of us see an error. However, if you read it again, with "man" as the verb, you will see that this is a perfectly-formed sentence.

Professor Lew Shapiro dedicates his work to understanding what happens in the mind as people encounter words that form sentences. The answer to why the above sentence is confusing can then be applied to treatment for people with aphasia, the language deficit that often exists post-stroke.

For this important work, and for his dedication to the education of his students, Shapiro has been awarded the Outstanding Faculty Monty for 2005.

Shapiro's work is highly technical; he currently uses methods that can image the brain as well as measure its electrical output as a person attempts to produce or understand language, research that is beginning to bear considerable fruit. It is for such cutting-edge study that Shapiro has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1988.

Despite this research, prolific writing for distinguished journals and a co-authored text, "Language and the Brain: Representation and Processing," Shapiro takes time to create a meaningful method of teaching to ensure the best education possible for his students. From undergraduate to doctoral levels, Shapiro uses lecturing, seminar format and intensive research experience to create a meaningful and effective education for his students.

New Development Team in Place
The College Welcomes Three New Staff Members

Carol Spychalski, Jesse Brooks and Colleen Conniff

Furthering the renewed efforts of the college to engage our alumni, friends and the business community, we have fully staffed our development team with three new positions.

Jesse Brooks has joined the college as its Director of Development. He focuses on major giving and initiatives such as the SDSU Nurses Now program. Jesse brings over eight years of experience in higher education philanthropy, including positions at Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management, the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego. Jesse holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.

Carol Spychalski is the college's Annual Fund Officer, working to engage our alumni and other friends of the college to encourage annual giving, and manages the college newsletter The Pulse. Carol has a background of experience in nonprofit development with the Senior Community Centers, a social services agency in San Diego. Carol holds a B.S. in Journalism from Ohio University.

Rounding out the team is Colleen Conniff, Development Coordinator, who provides administrative support to the college's development efforts. Colleen most recently worked for two years at the SDSU Research Foundation as a project manager, coordinating multiple concurrent research projects. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA and an M.A. in Medical Anthropology from the University of Washington.