Fisher Community Making Headlines

June 3, 2026

Faculty, staff, and students at St. John Fisher University continue to make headlines. Here’s a round-up of their recent accomplishments.

Publications

Dr. Jeremy Sarachan, associate professor and chair of media and communication in the School of Arts and Sciences, published a journal article as a thought leader in Journalism & Mass Communication Editor. The article, “You’ve Never Seen Friends? The Lack of Common Media Experiences Among First Semester Mass Communication Students,” combines data from five universities across the country to better understand the media consumption of first-year college students and investigate whether these media choices are related to identity (gender, sexual preference, urban/suburban/rural background).

Due to various changes in how media was consumed, the paper suggests there are considerably fewer media texts consumed by large numbers of students, with video games now the most popular. In particular, for many of these texts, gender plays a significant role in their selection. These findings potentially have significant relevance to how media courses are taught. Read the full paper.

Paul Hemingway, director of experiential learning and outreach for sport management, and Dr. Katie Burakowski, assistant professor of sport management in the School of Arts and Sciences, co-authored “The Sport and Social Media Playbook.” The book is a practical, engaging guide designed to prepare students and emerging professionals for success in the fast-paced world of sport and social media.

In the News

Timothy Powers, visiting instructor of psychology, was recently quoted in two news articles in the Associated Press and the National Catholic Reporter about the intersection of spirituality and mental health, his area of practice and research expertise.

Dr. Omar Watts, associate professor and chair of accounting and finance, was recently featured in WalletHub’s piece, Budget Categories. His expert advice includes areas to focus your budget on, things often overlooked in budgeting, and tips for people to organize their finances better.

Awards

Mike Hogan, athletics communications coordinator, placed first in District I-College Division for general features/blogs in the 2025-26 CSC Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest, for his story on Coach Paul Vosburgh, longtime coach of the St. John Fisher University football team.

His story, “‘I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Paul’: Inside Paul Vosburgh’s St. John Fisher Legacy,” details Vosburgh’s 34-year career leading the Cardinals before retiring in November of 2025.

Terry Hartmann, adjunct professor of finance, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Financial Executives International (FEI) Dinner of Excellence on May 20, 2026. Hartmann stood out among a group of exceptional candidates for his professional legacy, his community service, and his dedicated service to Fisher.

Dr. Celia McIntosh, 2025-2026 Fellow of the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing, has been selected as a Fellow for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The AANP Fellows program is dedicated to the global advancement of nurse practitioners and the high-quality healthcare they deliver. McIntosh will be formally inducted in June.

Conferences/Presentations

Dr. Özge Kantaş, assistant professor of psychology, recently brought elite national prominence to the University through her role as co-chair of the national conference for the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP) in Niagara Falls May 6-10. Representing Fisher, Kantaş curated a high-caliber dynamic and interactive program with her colleagues, making the attendees not passive audiences but active co-creators of the playful conference experience, including the decorations and multicultural dance party, along with featured keynote speaker Dr. Richard Ryan, co-founder of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and recognized globally among the top 1% of scientists.

At the conference, Kantaş delivered her highly anticipated session, “ACTIVATING THE AUTONOMOUS SELF: Where Psychodrama Meets Self-Determination Theory (SDT),” demonstrating how experiential action methods ignite intrinsic motivation and psychological autonomy for better healing, teaching, and leading outcomes.

Michelle Price, health science and scholarly communications librarian, recently delivered an expert training session at Cornell University titled, “Individual Consultations: A Trauma-Informed Approach.” The session addressed recognizing that library patrons and researchers do not enter one-on-one consultations in a vacuum, and that applying empathy-driven, trauma-informed strategies can profoundly impact student success.

Price is at the forefront of this methodology, and has previously presented on the topic at the Upstate New York Science Librarians Annual Meeting, the Upstate New York Ontario Chapter of MLA Annual Meeting, and the Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU) in Ontario, Canada. This June, she will take her trauma-informed consultation workshop to an international stage at the Canadian Health Library Association (CHLA) conference, followed by a workshop presentation at the State University of New York Library Association (SUNYLA) annual conference.

Eighteen students and faculty members from the Wegmans School of Nursing presented at the Eastern Nursing Research Society 38th Annual Scientific Sessions “Strengthening Nursing Research Across Dynamic and Diverse Settings” this spring. The largest group of attendees included:

Student Mikayla Baker and Dr. Heather McGrane Minton, associate professor of nursing, presented “Effect of Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide as Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis in Allogenic Stem Cell Transplant.”
Dr. Melissa Bourne, associate professor and RN/BS program director, gave a poster presentation titled, “Elective Total Joint Replacements for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Literature Review.”
Student Mikaela Kellogg and Dr. Katie Pawlowski, adjunct professor, presented “The Impact of Routine Depression Screening on Outcomes in Adult Outpatient Settings: An Integrative Review.”
Student Phil Burdick, McGrane Minton, and Dr. Holly Brown, executive director of the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing, gave an oral presentation titled, “Interventions to Reduce Anxiety and Facilitate Anesthesia in Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Perioperative Environment.”
Student Trevor Colegrove and McGrane Minton presented “Integrative Review: Effect of Virtual Reality Simulation in Anesthesia Training on Clinical Competence.”
Student Xia Hong and Dr. Maria Wheelock, assistant professor of nursing, gave a poster presentation, “Nursing Psychosocial Interventions for Psychological Well-being of Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: An Integrative Review.”
McGrane Minton and Joy Hogan, visiting assistant professor, presented “Assessing Health Science Students’ Attitudes Toward Poverty.”
Student Jennifer James, McGrane Minton, and Dr. Michelle Slymon, assistant professor of nursing, gave a poster presentation titled, “Integrating Social Determinants of Health Screening in Elective Surgical Patients.” With this presentation, James was awarded 3rd place in the Individual School Selected Student Poster Presentation (Master’s) category.
Allie Nickel, visiting instructor of nursing, presented “From Moral Distress to Burnout and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness” with the UB School of Nursing. This awarded Nickel 3rd place in the Individual School Selected Student Poster Presentation (Early Ph.D.) category.
Student Mary Nowak and Dr. Natalie Masco Dixon, graduate program chair, presented “Spiritual Care of Hemodialysis Patients: An Evidence-Based Nursing Pilot Quality Improvement Project.”
Student Alexandra Vadas; Dr. Susan Frederick, visiting assistant professor; Dr. Kathryn Ledwin, visiting assistant professor; and Dr. Tara Sacco, chair of graduate affairs, presented “Every Encounter Matters: An Evaluation of Emergency Department Care for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease.”
Ledwin, Sacco, and Dr. Pam Mapstone, associate professor, presented “Student Incivility and Faculty Burnout in Nursing Education.”
Brown; Dr. Alexis Munding, assistant professor; Dr. Deborah Hurley, assistant professor; Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, associate professor; and Crystal Dobri, director of experiential learning, presented “Nursing Education through Simulation: A New Era in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Care.”
Sacco presented “An Exploration of Moral Agency Among Nursing Leaders in partnership with University of Rochester Medical Center.”

Fisher Community Making Headlines 2026-06-03T10:25:00-04:00 Faculty, staff, and students at St. John Fisher University continue to make headlines. Here’s a round-up of their recent accomplishments. Publications Dr. Jeremy Sarachan, associate professor and chair of media and communication in the School of Arts and Sciences, published a journal article as a thought leader in Journalism & Mass Communication Editor. The article, “You’ve Never Seen Friends? The Lack of Common Media Experiences Among First Semester Mass Communication Students,” combines data from five universities across the country to better understand the media consumption of first-year college students and investigate whether these media choices are related to identity (gender, sexual preference, urban/suburban/rural background). Due to various changes in how media was consumed, the paper suggests there are considerably fewer media texts consumed by large numbers of students, with video games now the most popular. In particular, for many of these texts, gender plays a significant role in their selection. These findings potentially have significant relevance to how media courses are taught. Read the full paper. Paul Hemingway, director of experiential learning and outreach for sport management, and Dr. Katie Burakowski, assistant professor of sport management in the School of Arts and Sciences, co-authored “The Sport and Social Media Playbook.” The book is a practical, engaging guide designed to prepare students and emerging professionals for success in the fast-paced world of sport and social media. In the News Timothy Powers, visiting instructor of psychology, was recently quoted in two news articles in the Associated Press and the National Catholic Reporter about the intersection of spirituality and mental health, his area of practice and research expertise. Dr. Omar Watts, associate professor and chair of accounting and finance, was recently featured in WalletHub’s piece, Budget Categories. His expert advice includes areas to focus your budget on, things often overlooked in budgeting, and tips for people to organize their finances better. Awards Mike Hogan, athletics communications coordinator, placed first in District I-College Division for general features/blogs in the 2025-26 CSC Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest, for his story on Coach Paul Vosburgh, longtime coach of the St. John Fisher University football team. His story, “‘I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Paul’: Inside Paul Vosburgh’s St. John Fisher Legacy,” details Vosburgh’s 34-year career leading the Cardinals before retiring in November of 2025. Terry Hartmann, adjunct professor of finance, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Financial Executives International (FEI) Dinner of Excellence on May 20, 2026. Hartmann stood out among a group of exceptional candidates for his professional legacy, his community service, and his dedicated service to Fisher. Dr. Celia McIntosh, 2025-2026 Fellow of the , has been selected as a Fellow for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The AANP Fellows program is dedicated to the global advancement of nurse practitioners and the high-quality healthcare they deliver. McIntosh will be formally inducted in June. Conferences/Presentations Dr. Özge Kantaş, assistant professor of psychology, recently brought elite national prominence to the University through her role as co-chair of the national conference for the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP) in Niagara Falls May 6-10. Representing Fisher, Kantaş curated a high-caliber dynamic and interactive program with her colleagues, making the attendees not passive audiences but active co-creators of the playful conference experience, including the decorations and multicultural dance party, along with featured keynote speaker Dr. Richard Ryan, co-founder of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and recognized globally among the top 1% of scientists. At the conference, Kantaş delivered her highly anticipated session, “ACTIVATING THE AUTONOMOUS SELF: Where Psychodrama Meets Self-Determination Theory (SDT),” demonstrating how experiential action methods ignite intrinsic motivation and psychological autonomy for better healing, teaching, and leading outcomes. Michelle Price, health science and scholarly communications librarian, recently delivered an expert training session at Cornell University titled, “Individual Consultations: A Trauma-Informed Approach.” The session addressed recognizing that library patrons and researchers do not enter one-on-one consultations in a vacuum, and that applying empathy-driven, trauma-informed strategies can profoundly impact student success. Price is at the forefront of this methodology, and has previously presented on the topic at the Upstate New York Science Librarians Annual Meeting, the Upstate New York Ontario Chapter of MLA Annual Meeting, and the Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU) in Ontario, Canada. This June, she will take her trauma-informed consultation workshop to an international stage at the Canadian Health Library Association (CHLA) conference, followed by a workshop presentation at the State University of New York Library Association (SUNYLA) annual conference. Eighteen students and faculty members from the presented at the Eastern Nursing Research Society 38th Annual Scientific Sessions “Strengthening Nursing Research Across Dynamic and Diverse Settings” this spring. The largest group of attendees included: Student Mikayla Baker and Dr. Heather McGrane Minton, associate professor of nursing, presented “Effect of Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide as Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis in Allogenic Stem Cell Transplant.” Dr. Melissa Bourne, associate professor and RN/BS program director, gave a poster presentation titled, “Elective Total Joint Replacements for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Literature Review.” Student Mikaela Kellogg and Dr. Katie Pawlowski, adjunct professor, presented “The Impact of Routine Depression Screening on Outcomes in Adult Outpatient Settings: An Integrative Review.” Student Phil Burdick, McGrane Minton, and Dr. Holly Brown, executive director of the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing, gave an oral presentation titled, “Interventions to Reduce Anxiety and Facilitate Anesthesia in Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Perioperative Environment.” Student Trevor Colegrove and McGrane Minton presented “Integrative Review: Effect of Virtual Reality Simulation in Anesthesia Training on Clinical Competence.” Student Xia Hong and Dr. Maria Wheelock, assistant professor of nursing, gave a poster presentation, “Nursing Psychosocial Interventions for Psychological Well-being of Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: An Integrative Review.” McGrane Minton and Joy Hogan, visiting assistant professor, presented “Assessing Health Science Students’ Attitudes Toward Poverty.” Student Jennifer James, McGrane Minton, and Dr. Michelle Slymon, assistant professor of nursing, gave a poster presentation titled, “Integrating Social Determinants of Health Screening in Elective Surgical Patients.” With this presentation, James was awarded 3rd place in the Individual School Selected Student Poster Presentation (Master’s) category. Allie Nickel, visiting instructor of nursing, presented “From Moral Distress to Burnout and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness” with the UB School of Nursing. This awarded Nickel 3rd place in the Individual School Selected Student Poster Presentation (Early Ph.D.) category. Student Mary Nowak and Dr. Natalie Masco Dixon, graduate program chair, presented “Spiritual Care of Hemodialysis Patients: An Evidence-Based Nursing Pilot Quality Improvement Project.” Student Alexandra Vadas; Dr. Susan Frederick, visiting assistant professor; Dr. Kathryn Ledwin, visiting assistant professor; and Dr. Tara Sacco, chair of graduate affairs, presented “Every Encounter Matters: An Evaluation of Emergency Department Care for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease.” Ledwin, Sacco, and Dr. Pam Mapstone, associate professor, presented “Student Incivility and Faculty Burnout in Nursing Education.” Brown; Dr. Alexis Munding, assistant professor; Dr. Deborah Hurley, assistant professor; Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, associate professor; and Crystal Dobri, director of experiential learning, presented “Nursing Education through Simulation: A New Era in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Care.” Sacco presented “An Exploration of Moral Agency Among Nursing Leaders in partnership with University of Rochester Medical Center.”