CMD Students and Faculty Attend ISPI Conference in New York City

Mary L Kish, 4/10/2008  ·  0 comments

New York City skyline from a cruise enjoyed by ISPI participants.

CMD students manning the Ithaca College booth at ISPI conference in New York City, April 2008

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Gayeski Honored by International Society for Performance Improvement

Caitlin Gallagher '07, Heather Luboff '07, and Katharine Knipfing '07 join Prof. Howard Kalman at reception for CMD alums, NYC

CMD seniors Julie Tausend and Nicole Zaehringer, and junior Jessica Briskin, along with faculty Diane Gayeski, Howard Kalman, and Dennis Charsky, attended the 2008 International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Conference in New York City this spring.

"I couldn't have asked for a better experience for my first conference," claims Tausend. "The sessions I attended focused on management of organizational performance, discussing topics that I've learned from the first day of CMD classes; it therefore validated my educational experience. I was able to contribute to discussions and answer questions with confidence. I recognized some of the presenters and participants names from articles, books, and resources I've used in classes and research papers."

Briskin agrees."This was one of the most valuable experiences and I feel everyone should attend a conference before graduation. The sessions gave me a deeper understanding of topics we have been discussing in our classes. I also met alumni that are currently successfully working in Instructional Design and eLearning, the field I wish to start a career in."

"It was a great experience to see how our course work is used in the professional setting, and to start establishing professional networks," adds Zaehringer.

A highlight for the Ithaca contingent was attending the session in which Diane Gayeski, associate dean in the Park School and professor of strategic communication (CMD program), was honored with the prestigious Thomas F. Gilbert Distinguished Professional Achievement Award.  Gayeski also delivered a Master’s Series Presentation, "Connecting with Tomorrow’s Workforce: Trends and Technologies."

Kalman presented a session at the conference entitled, "Framegames:  How to Transform Deadly Dry Content." The well-attended presentation addressed how framegames, like Bingo and Jeopardy, can make learning conceptual content fun even in corporate environments. Participants created their own framegames during the session.

Aside from the conference, Gayeski hosted a reception one evening for the Ithaca College participants and alumni residing in the NYC area, including Marci Paino ‘04, Matthew Alexander ‘05, Stu Katz ‘83, Rob Gearhart 82, MS 85, Wendy Maynard ‘03, Alyson Emmett ‘05, Marc Donelson ‘97, Cortney Donelson ‘97, Paul Colombo ‘00, Kristen Leising ‘07, Katharine Knipfing ‘07, Heather Luboff ‘07, Caitlin Gallagher ‘07, Chris Pearsall ‘06, Hassan Heyward ‘01, Shoshana Rudnick ‘05, Caitlin Knight ‘04,  Adrienne Kraushaar, and Aaron Zwas ‘95.

The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) is dedicated to improving productivity and performance in the workplace. It represents more than 10,000 international and chapter members throughout the United States, Canada, and 40 other countries. ISPI's mission is to develop and recognize the proficiency of its members and advocate the use of Human Performance Technology.