Research Projects, Presentations, Publications

“FLCs and the Practice of Centering Student Work: Why Referencing Students’ Products and Processes Matters.” Co-authored with Richard Gebauer, for Faculty Learning Communities: Communities of Practice that Support, Inspire, Engage and Transform Higher Education Classrooms. (under consideration, fall 2022)

“Theory to Practice: Operationalizing the Best Practices Model (BPM) for Living-Learning Communities: A Case Study at Cabrini University.” Co-authored with R. Gebauer, M. Filling-Brown, A. Fillipone, C. Smith, L Groves, D. Mace and M. Gordon.  Under consideration at Journal of College and University Student Housing. Fall 2021.

Presenter, Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I) -Academic Initiatives Conference. (Virtual formatting). Co-resenting with Dr. Richie Gebauer and Dr. Michelle Filling-Brown.  Session Title: “Operationalizing the Best Practices Model (BPM) for Living-Learning Communities: A Case Study at Cabrini University.”  15 October 2020.

National Advisory Committee – for the special issue volume of The Journal of Folklore and Education vol. 7(September 2020). “Teaching for Equity: The Role of Folklore in a Time of Crisis and Opportunity,” dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives. https://tinyurl.com/yyshhz3k Produced in conjunction with Local Learning—The National Network of Folk Arts in Education (2019-2020).

Invited Scholar. Harvard University. Symposium on Kinetic Folklore. Sponsored by the Committee on degrees in Folklore and Mythology. Zhong Xin Dao / I Liq Chuan Interactive Session. March 9, 2019.

American Folklore Society. Invited Presenter. Folklore and Education Workshop at the joint meeting of the American Folklore Society and International Society for Folk Narrative Research (IFSNR). “How We Teach: Folklore Pedagogies in the 21st Century Classroom.” Miami, FL Oct. 2016.

American Folklore Society. Invited Presenter. 22^nd annual Folklore and Education Workshop, in conjunction with the Local Learning section. Presented “Moved to Learn: Improving Students' Awareness of Learning Processes through I Liq Chuan and Mindful Martial Arts.” Session co-facilitated by Joe Brooks, Director of the Community Works Institute.  Long Beach Oct. 2015.  

Ethnography in Education Research Forum, University of Pennsylvania. Conference Theme: The Future of Ethnography & Education: Methodologies, Equity, Ethics. Presented “Stillness and Motion: Using Body Mindfulness to Observe and Connect,” which was selected as part of the Practitioner Inquiry track. Co-presenters fellow ZXD Instructors Mr. Lan Tran and Mr. Ezekiel Mather. February 2019.

“Moved to Learn: Capoeira and the Arts of Embodied Empowerment.” Co-authored with Michael L. Murray, Ph.D. Body Studies Journal, March 2019. Available: http://bodystudiesjournal.org/moved-to-learn-capoeira-and-the-arts-of-embodied-empowerment/

Co-editor, Zhong Xin Dao, I Liq Chuan System Guide, 3^rd edition. Sam F.S. Chin. Spring 2019.

“Minding the Body: Embodied Strategies for Sustaining Self and Others.” Presentation accepted for the 11^th annual Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE) Conference, the theme of which is “Radical Well-Being in Higher Education:Approaches for Renewal, Justice, and Sustainability.” University of Massachusetts Amherst. Co-presenting poster session with Lan Tran. Nov. 2019.

“Establishing Right Viewpoint: Connecting at the Point of Contact through Conditions, Functions, and Approach—An Interview with Grandmaster Sam Chin, Founder of Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan: The Martial Art of Awareness.” Interviewed by Dr. Mark Langweiler, Ed.; Introduction by Brett Drinkwater, Nancy Watterson, and Rich Kelly. The Journal for the Tai Chi Union of Great Britain. (Magazine forthcoming fall 2019).

The Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE) Conference: Presented “Stillness and Motion: Using Body Mindfulness to Connect.” Co-presenter with Lan Tran. UMass Amherst. Oct. 2018.

University of Plovdiv (Bulgaria) International representative.  Invited attendee as part of Zhong Xin Dao / I Liq Chuan Federation for GM Sam Chin’s awarding of Honorary doctorate. Nov. 2017.

The Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE) Conference: Conference Theme: “Transforming Higher Education: Fostering Contemplative Inquiry, Community and Social Action.”

“Moving to Learn: Integrating Kinesthetic Modalities into Academic First-Year Seminars.” The National Learning Communities Conference (NLCC) 2021. Virtual conference hosted by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.  Oct. 2021

“Embodied Leadership: Using Body Mindfulness to Observe Self and Connect with Others.” Interactive session (45 min. workshop) NLCC, Oct. 2021

“Embracing Evolution: Ensuring Sustainability to Preserve Learning Communities through Institutional Change.” Panel presentation with Richie Gebauer, Michelle Filling-Brown, Johanna Crocetto. NLCC Oct. 2021.

 “Learning How to Learn through Learning How to Move: Using Zhong Xin Dao / I Liq Chuan: The Martial Art of Awareness in Academic Contexts.”  Poster presentation with Lan Tran for Oct. 2016.

International Martial Arts Studies Conference. Cardiff University, Wales/UK. Workshop presented: “Mindfulness, Metacognition, and Martial Arts: I Liq Chuan and Arts of Awareness.” Co-presented with Lan Tran at the. July 2016.

Interfaith Studies Conference. “Creative Classroom-Community Symbiosis in Interfaith Studies.”  Roundtable presentation with Dr. Nicholas Rademacher, Rev. Ken Metzner, and Professor Kun-Yang Lin.  Presented on Moving to Learn – Interfaith as Body Dialogues Using Zhong Xin Dao Approach.  California Lutheran University. March 2016.

National Learning Communities Conference. Presented “Movement-Based Learning - Moving Toward Civic Engagement.” Kansas City, MO. Nov. 2015.

“Developing Integrative Assignments: Best Practices.” Co-presenting with Dr. Darryl Mace. National Learning Communities Conference (NLCC). Kansas City, MO. Nov.2015.

SEPCHE (South Eastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education) Poster Presentation.  Celebration of Scholarship. Presented with my co-investigator, Sifu Lan Tran. Grant awarded as part of the initiative “Building Faculty Capacity for 21st Century Teaching.” Poster presentation, “Moved to Learn: Assessing Students' Awareness of Learning Processes through Mindful Martial Arts.” May 2015. 

“Common Ground through Dialogue:  Creating Civic Dispositions.”  Co-authored chapter with Darryl Mace and Nicholas Rademacher.  Chapter in The SAGE Sourcebook of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement. Eds. Omobolade Delano et al. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Pubs. SAGE Knowledge. 2015.

Cabrini University Webpage: Video on Zhong Xin Dao / I Liq Chuan: Learning How to Learn.* Featured video Cabrini Marketing Department created about our American Studies (AST) class, featuring Master Sam F.S. Chin, Founder of ZXD and lineage-holder of ILC, the global curriculum based on the Martial Arts of Awareness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLYh5wtEb0&feature=youtu.be. 2015.

“Beyond Improved Retention: Building Value-Added Success on a Broad Foundation.” Co-authored article with Richard Gebauer, Eric Malm, Michelle Filling-Grown, and John Cordes. Learning Communities Research and Practice 1.2 (June 2013): Article 4. Available at: https://washingtoncenter.evergreen.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=lcrpjournal

“An Honors Interdisciplinary Community-Based Research Course.”  Co-authors: David Dunbar, Melissa Terlecki and Lisa Ratmansky.  Honors in Practice. 9(Spring 2013): 129-140. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1080705.pdf

“Hands-on Justice: Exploring Somatic Solidarity through Comparative Movement and Martial Arts.” Chair and presenter for the panel: Intention: Fostering Disposition, Dialogue, and Collaboration. American Folklore Society, Providence, RI. Oct. 2013.

“Keeping the Peace: Social Justice and Education.”  Dr. Watterson - Invited Presenter. 18th annual Folklore and Education Workshop.  American Folklore Society national meeting. Bloomington, IN. Dr. Watterson co-presented with Dr. Ruth Olson. Workshop included the Chicago Freedom School and representatives from the traveling exhibit of the Bloomington Banneker School Oral History Project. Hosted by noted scholar activists, Dr. Lisa Rathje and Lynne Hamer.  Oct. 2011.

“Character Building and Service Learning in the U.S.”  Faculty development sponsored by the Greenridge Secondary School in Singapore, held in Philadelphia, PA, as part of their Singapore Learning Journey to the USA, May 28-June 6, 2008; visited the faculty at their school in Singapore during July 2008.

“Capoeira and the Arts of Empowerment: Embodying Community through Experiential Learning and Community-based Collaborative Research.”  Invited Speaker for “The 2007 International Symposium on Multi-Cultural and Ethnic Harmony.”  Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 2007.

 “Foregrounding Relationships: Using Deliberative Dialogue and Engaged Justice in a Living and Learning Community.”  Co-authors: Nicholas Rademacher and Darryl C. Mace. The Journal of College and Character.  (Invited Feature article). Special Issue. May 2012.

“Interdisciplinary Community-Based Research: A Sum of Disparate Parts.” Co-authored manuscript with David Dunbar, Melissa Terlecki, et al.  Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education. Jan. 2012.

 “A Case Study of Team-Teaching Community-based Research Courses: A Cost Benefit Analysis from Instructor, Community Partner, and Student Perspectives.” Co-authored paper with David Dunbar, Caroline Nielsen et al. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. 2012.

“On Breath, Meditation, and Walking the Circle: Practicing Ba Gua and the Arts of Redirection.”  Paper presented at the American Folklore Society national conference, New Orleans, LA.  Chair and organizer of panel: Moved to Learn: Art, Ethnography, Empowerment. Oct. 2012.

“Core Concepts, Key Terms: A Folkloristics of ‘Local’ Learning and Practice.  Discussant and Forum Co-Chair with Miriam Camitta.  American Folklore Society. New Orleans, LA. Co-Chair of Forum, part of the Local Learning Initiative of the National Folk Arts and Education Network. Oct.  2012.

“Where Movement & Stillness Meet: Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers and the Practices of Contemplative Inquiry.”  Dance Enthusiast: A Moving Arts Project (http://www.dance-enthusiast.com).  Also published by the Painted Bride Arts Center in the playbill for the “Mandala Project: Returning to the Circle.” Feb. 2011.

“Returning to the Circle”: Kun-Yang Lin, the KYL/Dancers, and the Practice of Creative and Contemplative Inquiry.” Paper presented as part of the panel: “Star Informants”:  the Place of Biography in Folklore Fieldwork.” American Folklore Society. Bloomington, IN. Oct. 2011.

“Building and Sustaining Interdisciplinary Community Partnerships: The Crabby Creek Initiative.”  Co-authored manuscript with Drs. David Dunbar, Melissa Terlecki et al.  Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. Spring 2010.

“Activism”  and “Community-Based Research.” Entries in Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music and Art, Ed. Thomas A. Green.  ABC-Clio Inc., Ed. 2^nd ed., Charles McCormick; 2010.

International Partnership Presentations by Cabrini University ESL candidates and Liceo de Cervantes LICEO; Advocacy for the Global Child Thrive Act; study abroad immersion trips to multiple countries including Ireland, Argentina, Zambia, and Swaziland to learn from and alongside people in these global contexts about their local experience of social justice issues and their collaboration in worldwide efforts to address issues of equity, access, and exclusion. Faculty affiliates also published a range of articles, reports, and papers and presented them internationally at diverse academic conferences. (For information on previous involvements, please contact the former Director, Dr. Erin McLaughlin, Chair and Professor of the Business Department who is now also the Program Coordinator for Cabrini’s Global MBA program).

Our spring speaker event was held Thursday, April 21, 2022 (a virtual address, 6:00-7:15pm)-On this evening, Cabrini University's Center for Global Learning and Office of DEI and Belonging, in partnership with Alvernia University’s Office for Mission, Diversity, and Inclusion presented:

Faith, Race, & Literary Healing: Nella Larsen and Claude McKay - Ernest Julius Mitchell is Assistant Professor of English and Humanities at Yale University, with a secondary appointment in African American Studies. His research centers on modernist literature written by black intellectuals on both sides of the Atlantic between the world wars, particularly during the movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. His first book, forthcoming with Yale University Press, will be a biography of Claude McKay, the Jamaican-born writer who spent his life abroad in the U.S., Europe, Russia, and North Africa. He is preparing an edition of Jean Toomer’s Cane and a book on religion in the writings of Zora Neale Hurston. His articles are published or forthcoming in Callaloo, The Journal of Transnational American Studies, and Amerikastudien/American Studies.

Our fall speaker event featured HAO WU: An Artistic Discussion with Emmy- winning documentary filmmaker & director (Oct. 21, 6-8pm)

Wu’s documentary films have received funding support from The Ford Foundation JustFilms, ITVS, Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, NYSCA and international broadcasters.  His previous feature documentary, People’s Republic of Desire, about China’s live-streaming phenomenon, won the Grand Jury Award at the 2018 SXSW. Wu followed that film with All in My Family, a Netflix Original Documentary Short, that launched globally in May 2019. 76 Days, Wu’s latest work, world premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2020. Distributed by MTV Documentary Films, it was named a Critic’s Pick by The New York Times, nominated for the Gotham and Emmy Awards, and shortlisted for the Academy Awards. The film won a Peabody Award.

• July 2021 The Center for Global Learning sponsored renowned grandmaster of Zhong Xin Dao/I Liq Chuan—the Martial Art of Awareness, Hon. Professor emeritus, Sam F.S. Chin, for a 1-day workshop held at the Chi Movement Art Center, long-time community arts partner, Artistic Director of KYL/D, Professor of dance, Kun-Yang Lin. Event was attended by 30+ people from across the US, Cabrini students, and community residents.
  
  
• September – We welcomed new CGL intern, Tom DiVittorio, junior History/Secondary Ed major minoring in American Studies, and 2-year Student Fellow for the Balance Learning

• Oct. 21 - National Learning Community Conference (NLCC); Watterson offers multiple presentations at the NLCC conference presentations, including on mindful movement. Fellow Cabrini presenters include colleagues Drs. Michelle Filling-Brown, Johanna Crocetto, and Richard Gebauer 
• December 13 – Cabrini hosted Grandmaster Sam F.S. Chin here on its own campus for another 1-day seminar on Feeling the Balance Point and focusing attention through improving attention on mental-physical connections. More than 30 came to the Dixon Center to take part in this innovative form of teaching and learning (students faculty and community members
  
  
•  January 25 - Center for Global Learning receives the Campus Compact NYPA “Civic Imagination Catalyst grant”
  
  
• Professional Development through Mindful Movement – the CGL has begun in earnest its offering of mindful movement/awareness events, broadly called “The Llamada” or “Call” – a way of bringing one’s attention to bear. The Llamada Series features a range of experiential workshops that “call” participants to bring their full selves to attention and make time to balance themselves. The workshops will feature diverse cultural traditions, each of which signals to participants that they are about to step into a new space, a space that will guide them through ways to engage mentally and physically.  
  
  
• May 2022: Flamenco for Centering and Empowerment: A Call to Balance Yourself The first Llamada calls out with the spirit and energy of Flamenco as a process of centering and balancing one’s self. For Cabrini’s May Faculty development, the Center for Global Learning (CGL) is sponsoring an interactive movement-based session that will span 2 breakout periods of 60 minutes each. The session revolves around cultural awareness through an embodied workshop that uses some basic Flamenco steps to teach participants bit about the tradition even as we explore our balance and rhythm through the joy of dance. The session, which requires participants to take both parts (60 mins. ea), will be co-led by Natacha Bolufer-Laurentie (Latin American Studies/Sociology) and renowned flamenco master teacher Elba Cano. The UNESCO website recognized flamenco in its 2010 list “as an Intangible cultural heritage of humanity”.  It is an artistic expression fusing song (cante),dance (baile) and musicianship (toque). Andalusia in southern Spain is the heartland of Flamenco…. Flamenco baile is a dance of passion, courtship, expressing a wide range of situations ranging from sadness to joy.” (https://ich.unesco.org/en/decisions/5.COM/6.39) 

• July – Introduction to Zhong Xin Dao & Martial Art of Awareness – Recognizing Balancing Points: 1 –day workshop on Cabrini’s campus with Grandmaster Sam F.S. Chin (www.iliqchuan.com)
  
  
• Look for fall offerings, too – open to staff, faculty, and students! Fall will see a second Flamenco workshop, as well as Zhong Xin Dao Open workshop (faculty, staff, administrators, community members), Recognizing Your Neutral Center: gentle movement exercises grounded in the Zhong Xin Dao curriculum of Tao & Zen practices for improving mental and physical balancing. Co-led by Dr. Nancy Watterson (Professor, American Studies, and Dir. of CGL) and Sifu (teacher) Lan Tran (Adjunct instructor in American Studies). Both are currently instructor level 1, student level 5 in the Zhong Xin Dao (ZXD) system and have offered these workshops inter-nationally, as well as for first-year students in their Balance Learning Community here at Cabrini University, where the 3-credit academic course fulfills one of the core curriculum requirements).