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=9204=20 alum=92s job takes him to Afghanistan

It has been five = years=20 since Matt Dabrowski graduated from St. Bonaventure University = with a=20 degree in political science. He has faced numerous political = tasks, but=20 none of them may be as tough as the one he faces now.

Since = graduating=20 in 2004, Dabrowski has specialized in political polling and using = numbers=20 to help politicians understand the opinions of any given = population. He=20 has worked for the nationally recognized polling and research firm = McLaughlin & Associates in New York City, which advises some = of the=20 biggest names in American politics, including California Gov. = Arnold=20 Schwarzenegger.

Dabrowski,=20 originally from Naugatuck, Conn., has also worked in Washington, = D.C., for=20 Republican and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, run = political=20 campaigns around the country and spent more than a year working = for the=20 Connecticut State Senate.

Dabrowski has now=20 entered into a field of both political and physical conflict in=20 Afghanistan where he plans to stay for at least four months to do=20 political polling for his current employer Glevum Associates. = Glevum=20 specializes in polling in the most challenging political = environments in=20 the world and sent Dabrowski to Kabul to poll the people there = about their=20 beliefs, attitudes and political aspirations.

=93We = want to know=20 what is in people=92s hearts and minds,=94 Dabrowski said. =93We = want to know=20 what people are thinking about and how they go about their = everyday=20 life.=94

As the = senior=20 quantitative manager for this trip, Dabrowski will analyze the = polling and=20 crunch numbers, while polling partners in Afghanistan conduct = scientific=20 and random door-to-door polling. The data will be relayed to = policymakers=20 who will use the information to have a better understanding of the = Afghan=20 people=92s views and help them be more successful in the future, = Dabrowski=20 said.

Glevum = has=20 offices in the international district of Kabul. Dabrowski is = stationed=20 there, living in a private security facility. He said he=92s not = worried=20 about safety issues, but admits his family has = concerns.

=93There are a lot=20 of different opinions,=94 said Dabrowski. =93Some of my family = members are=20 really worried =85 I will not nearly be in the type of trouble = that the=20 soldiers will be in so I=92m not worried.=94

In = preparation=20 for his time overseas, Dabrowski spent a lot of time filling out = paperwork=20 and learning to speak Dari, a dialect of Persian and one of the = two=20 languages of Afghanistan.

=93There seems to=20 be an endless number of military forms, civilian forms, passport = and visa=20 applications, medical checkups and vaccinations,=94 Dabrowski said = before=20 leaving. =93I am also trying to pick up what Dari I = can.=94

Even = though=20 Dabrowski=92s time at St. Bonaventure has passed, the university = continues=20 to remain a big part of his life.

=93Every day I am=20 in touch with a pretty wide group of people from Bonaventure,=94 = Dabrowski=20 said. =93Bonaventure is a significant part of my life every = day.=94

Dabrowski is=20 grateful for the education he received at Bona=92s and gives = credit to the=20 professors for helping him prepare for his trip to = Afghanistan.

=93I = always say=20 that I owe Bona=92s everything,=94 Dabrowski said. =93I think the = biggest=20 influence the professors had on me was on my attitude and the way = one=20 operates as a professional. When you=92re a professional analyst = and=20 critical thinker, attitude is key. The right kind of professors = make all=20 the difference. I=92m thinking about Dr. Neal Carter and Dr. Jim = Moor, as=20 well as Dr. Chris Stanley, Dr. Dan Tate and at least a dozen other = professors.=94

There = are fewer=20 than a dozen people in the world doing the type of polling he's = doing in=20 Afghanistan, Dabrowski said. When asked if there is any honor to = be one of=20 those few, Dabrowski said, =93No, I=92m going to be at a desk = playing with=20 numbers and polling. The proud ones are the guys carrying around = guns=20 protecting our country. I see this as a really cool adventure and=20 opportunity.=94

Follow=20 Dabrowski=92s experience on Flicker:=20 http://www.flickr.com/photos/MattDabrowski/.

IMC major to address classmates at St. Bonaventure = December=20 Recognition Ceremony

Graham = Vosburg, an=20 integrated marketing communications major from Delevan, will = address his=20 classmates at St. Bonaventure University=92s December Recognition = Ceremony=20 on Saturday, Dec. 19.

The = ceremony,=20 recognizing those who will complete undergraduate and graduate = degree=20 requirements this semester, begins at 6 p.m. in the University = Chapel in=20 Doyle Hall.

Also at the = recognition ceremony, Elizabeth Cashing, lecturer in the School of = Business, will give the faculty address.

University = president=20 Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., will welcome the graduates = and their=20 families. Dr. Michael J. Fischer, provost and vice president for = academic=20 affairs, will serve as master of ceremonies.

Dr. Peggy = Y. Burke,=20 dean of the School of Graduate Studies, will present the graduate=20 students. Lee Coppola, dean of the Russell J. Jandoli School of = Journalism=20 and Mass Communication, will present the undergraduate=20 students.

St. Bonaventure Martin Luther King Jr. = Day program=20 to focus on theme of =91service=92

St. = Bonaventure will=20 mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2010 with an evening program = focusing on=20 the theme =93service.=94

Guest = speakers for=20 the 7 p.m. Jan. 18 event will include university trustee Ellen = Grant and=20 students involved in various SBU service organizations. The = program will=20 be held in the San Damiano Room in Francis Hall and will be = preceded by a=20 6:30 p.m. MLK March from Plassmann Hall to Francis. Members of the = campus=20 community are invited to join the march at any time along the = route from=20 Plassmann to Francis.

Grant is a = native of=20 Buffalo and holds a bachelor=92s degree in sociology, master=92s = in social=20 work, and doctorate in communication and organizational behavior = from the=20 State University of New York at Buffalo. She has also completed = courses=20 toward an MBA.

In addition = to the=20 St. Bonaventure University Board of Trustees, Grant serves on = boards of=20 the Burchfield Penney Art Gallery and Boston University Black = Women=92s=20 Health Project. She is a trustee emeritus for the University at = Buffalo=20 Foundation.

Her career = has=20 included positions such as the first black and female commissioner = of=20 Mental Health for Erie County, chief executive officer of Niagara = Falls=20 Memorial Medical Center, and vice president of Blue Cross/Blue = Shield of=20 Western New York.

In 1996-97, = Grant was=20 selected as one of 12 women internationally to receive a = fellowship from=20 the International Women=92s Leadership Foundation. She has = received a number=20 of community awards, including recognition by Trocaire College, = St.=20 Bonaventure University, National Association of Social Workers, = and the=20 New York Chapter of the YWCA. In 1996, she received an honorary = doctorate=20 from Medaille College.

Last = January, Grant=20 wrote a chapter in the book =93Go, Tell Michelle,=94 in which = African American=20 women wrote letters to the new first lady.

Grant and = her=20 husband, William Miller, live in Grand Island. Her son, Justin, is = completing his master=92s degree in Hawaii.

Also on = Jan. 18, the=20 University=92s Black Student Union will staff a table in the = Reilly Center=20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students are invited to stop by and honor = King=92s=20 dream by signing a sheet that will be hung across Plassmann=20 Hall.

The 2010 = Martin=20 Luther King Day events are sponsored by the Damietta Center, = Diversity=20 Action Committee, and the Black Student Union.

BonaResponds to help build children=92s = home in=20 Georgia

BonaResponds, St.=20 Bonaventure University=92s disaster relief group, will travel to = Decatur,=20 Ga., in January to help rebuild a children=92s home.

From = Jan. 3-13,=20 the team will work with the United Methodist Men=92s Group of = Northern=20 Georgia on this special construction project.

BonaResponds will=20 help rebuild Leigh Cottage, a children=92s home destroyed in a = fire two=20 years ago. When the cottage reopens, it will be used to house = youth in the=20 United Methodist Men=92s Group=92s Independent Living = Program.

=93It = is going to=20 be a great opportunity for us to help and for our volunteers to = use some=20 of the skills that they have developed building homes locally and = helping=20 this semester in Machias,=94 said Jim Mahar, founder of = BonaResponds and=20 associate professor of finance at the university. =93I am sure = that the trip=20 will be a very rewarding experience for the volunteers and, more=20 importantly, a big help for the children and families who need the = help in=20 the Atlanta area.=94

=93Hopefully we=92ll=20 get a chance to help some of the flood victims down there too, = which was=20 the main reason we looked to volunteer in Georgia,=94 said Steve = Gearhart, a=20 BonaResponds student leader.

The = cost of the=20 trip is $50, but participants must purchase their own plane=20 tickets.

BonaResponds was=20 created in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It has taken more = than 500=20 volunteers to the Gulf Coast and led just as many volunteers in = service=20 projects throughout the nation and Western New York. BonaResponds = aims to=20 be a world-class organization whose mission is to help people in = need as=20 well as to build better leaders and better communities. The group, = made up=20 of students, faculty, staff, alumni and local residents, is run = completely=20 through donations.

BonaResponds=20 welcomes new members, regardless of their affiliation with St.=20 Bonaventure. For more information regarding BonaResponds or the = winter=20 service trip, visit www.bonaresponds.org or contact BonaResponds = at=20 bonaresponds@sbu.edu.

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St. = Bonaventure=92s=20 Embrace it Africa project raises more than $3,000 during weeklong=20 campaign

The = Students in Free=20 Enterprise=92s Embrace it Africa campaign at St. Bonaventure = collected more=20 than $3,000 in donations from students, faculty and staff as the = group=20 raised money for community development projects under way in the = African=20 community of Bethlehem, Uganda.

This = month,=20 Embrace it Africa members will be making their third trip to = Africa to=20 work with the Bethlehem Parent=92s School and Orphanage and = Embrace it=20 Africa=92s government registered micro-finance program, the = Mikwano=20 Financial Agency.

A total of = $3,385 was=20 raised during the Dec. 7-11 fundraising campaign. For every $3 = donated by=20 a St. Bonaventure student, the Iroquois Group and CEO Laurie = Branch, who=20 is a St. Bonaventure trustee and graduate, matched the donation. = For each=20 new faculty donation, an anonymous donor gave $5 to Embrace it = Africa.=20 Embrace it Africa members also sold T-shirts, gift cards, holiday = cards=20 and more throughout the week. The fundraising campaign is a = year-round=20 effort designed to encourage others to embrace the people, = community and=20 problems of Bethlehem, Uganda, says Embrace it Africa project = manager=20 Lindsay Pohlman, a graduate student at St. Bonaventure.

=93Each = year we break=20 our projects down into 10 main things we want to focus on,=94 = Pohlman said.=20 =93We have a lot of fun and get to meet a lot of great people and = experience=20 an exciting and different culture.=94

Embrace it = Africa=20 uses the funds to create sustainable community development = projects=20 focused in one small village in Uganda. The St. Bonaventure team = works=20 with the village residents to plan farming, construction and = business=20 projects that will create economic viability. Embrace it = Africa=92s goals=20 for the upcoming December trip include finishing construction of = the first=20 teacher housing unit, planting an additional crop farm, providing=20 electricity to classrooms by adding solar panels and building new = bunk=20 beds in the dorms.

In addition = to=20 working toward the completion of all the projects, the group = spends time=20 with the children of the Bethlehem Parent=92s School and Orphanage = teaching=20 lessons, focuses on education projects to help improve the = learning=20 situation at the school, and gathers information on the people of = the=20 community to help better the communications of Embrace it = Africa=92s=20 projects in the United States. The St. Bonaventure group also = meets with=20 the applicants and recipients involved in the Mikwano Financial = Agency to=20 discuss various business ideas and to learn more about the local=20 economy.

With more = than 70=20 members, SIFE is one of the largest service organizations on = campus and=20 ranks in the top 5 percent of SIFE teams nationwide. For the = future,=20 Embrace it Africa members are planning a number of local projects = to=20 continue growth and fundraising next semester. In addition to St.=20 Bonaventure, Embrace it Africa is starting programs at other = universities=20 and continuing to add programs at high schools and elementary=20 schools.

For more = information=20 about Embrace it Africa, contact project manager Lindsay Pohlman = at=20 pohlmalr@sbu.edu or visit www.embraceitafrica.org.

By John = Meka,=20 =9210

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Dr. Kaplan P. = Harris,=20 assistant professor in the Department of English, had a long essay = published this month in the journal American Literature: =93New = Narrative=20 and the Making of Language Poetry," American Literature (Dec = 2009):=20 805-832. The abstract can be accessed online=20 = here:http://americanliterature.dukejournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/4= /805.

Carole=20 McNall, J.D., assistant professor of journalism and mass = communication,=20 has had an article published in the fall 2009 issue of Media = Ethics.=20 McNall=92s article, "Needed: A Path Online to Other Voices," grows = out of a=20 trip in June with the advisory board to the Father Mychal Judge = Center.=20

On Sunday, = Dec. 6,=20 2009, Dr. Paula Scraba presented a Build With Living Stones = workshop for=20 the Allegany Franciscan sisters and associates as part of the = Associates=20 Covenant Ceremony. The program was titled =93Greccio: Francis, = Christmas and=20 the Eucharist-Witnesses of the Incarnation.=94

Dr. = Kimberly Young,=20 professor of management sciences, and Dr. Carl Case, professor of=20 management sciences, had the paper =93Computer Ethics; Gender = Effects and=20 Employee Internet Abuse=94 published in Issues in Information = Systems.=20