The Harlem Globetrotters came to Burbank’s Theodore Roosevelt Elementary school on Tuesday to introduce the “ABCs of Bullying Prevention” program, their new anti-bullying campaign made in association with the National Campaign to Stop Violence.

The basketball court on the playground was filled with kids ranging from Kindergarten to Fourth grade, overflowing with murmurs of excitement, followed by loud clapping and cheering as Harlem Globetrotters “Tiny” Sturgess and “Flight Time” Lang came out as Sweet Georgia Brown played on the speaker.

While Lang is no stranger to the Harlem Globetrotters goodwill missions, this was Sturgess’ US debut. The British native was well received, as all the kids, and even adults, were in awe of his towering height (Sturgess stands at 7’8” and holds the Guinness World Record as the tallest basketball player).

After showing off a few of their skilled moves and famous tricks, the atmosphere became quiet and all were in full attention to receive the message brought to them in hopes of reducing, or better yet eliminating, instances of bullying in a time when bullying seems to be the hottest topic amongst children, as well as adults.

The “ABCs of Bullying Prevention” program focuses on taking Action, demonstrating Bravery and having Compassion. Kids of all ages are encouraged to take action when they see someone is being bullied, or if they experience bullying themselves. Bravery can come from standing up in a non-confrontational way or walking away from a situation. Showing compassion can be as easy as befriending someone who has been hurt or helping them in a time of need.

The message was simple for Lang, who admitted to having been bullied when he was a child. “Bullying has become a bigger problem than we can recall, so it is important for us to change that,” he said. Lang admits that it is impossible to reach every kid, but if they can reach even one kid and make a difference, then it is worth it. For Lang, the most important factor to preventing and/or overcoming bullying is to “surround yourself with great friends that support you.”

Lang and Sturgess brought boys and girls up to offer insight into what each word meant and to offer an example of how they could achieve the goals of the program. The participation finale came when the four students and one teacher gathered in a circle and demonstrated some basketball tricks they were taught on the spot by Lang. He then displayed his own skills with the basketball before closing out the event.

While parents and teachers provide this message on a daily and constant basis, Lang believes celebrity endorsements offer awareness to a larger audience and provide a wider range of participants.

The Harlem Globetrotters will continue the mission and their message when they visit Esther L. Walter Elementary, on Friday, in Anaheim, just before their scheduled weekend games in SoCal, during their 2013 “You Write the Rules” World Tour, where for the first time ever, fans will have the opportunity to create the rules of the game. For more details visit www.harlemglobetrotters.com.

Dr. Lawrence M. Fritz

(Los Angeles) The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ashish Vaidya, announces the appointment of Dr. Lawrence M. Fritz as Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at California State University, Los Angeles, effective June 1, 2012.

In this capacity, Fritz will be responsible for oversight of policies and procedures related to all graduate programs as well as institutional policies and procedures governing research and sponsored programs. He will also oversee the operation of special support programs for graduate students, and efforts to broaden the base of external funding at the University.

Fritz is currently Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Research and Dean of Graduate Studies, and a tenured professor in biology at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. As AVP and dean, he is responsible for graduate program support, new program implementation, graduate student assistantships and faculty support, as well as supervising the grants and research office. Prior to that position, he was director of Professional Master’s Programs at Bloomsburg in charge of implementing, leading and growing master’s-level Professional Science Master’s (PSM) programs.

Before joining Bloomsburg, Fritz was chairman and a full professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of New England (2003-2007). He served as program director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, Virginia, in the Division of Biological Infrastructure (2000-2002).

Prior to NSF, he taught and served in other capacities at Harvard, Rutgers, Northern Arizona University, the Institute for Marine Biosciences and Dalhousie University (both in Nova Scotia, Canada), and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He was also a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer.

His past and present professional affiliations include the Council of Graduate Schools, the National Professional Science Master’s Association (founding membership), the Psychological Society of America, and the New York Academy of Sciences, to name a few.

Fritz has been invited to give dozens of oral presentations and present abstracts throughout North and South America. He has been published in more than 40 science publications.

 Fritz earned a Ph.D. in biology at Rutgers University in 1986, and did post-Ph.D. work at Harvard (1986-90). He earned his Master of Science from Rutgers in 1982, and a bachelor’s degree from State University of New York, Stony Brook, in 1975.