LAtimes March 2007 Issue

Dean's Message

Liberal Arts Faculty Shine

As we interview faculty candidates to build academic strength for the future, it is heartening to learn that some of our existing outstanding faculty are receiving accolades. I'm very pleased to report that at least three of our faculty will be honored at university-wide events within the next month. Matthew Restall, professor of colonial Latin American history, anthropology, and women's studies, and Darrell Steffensmeier, professor of sociology and crime, law, and justice, are winners of the Scholar's Medals, in the arts and humanities and social and behavioral sciences respectively. And Carol Reardon, professor of military history, is being honored with the University's Atherton teaching award.

Matthew, one of the most eminent historians of Latin America in the world, has set the intellectual agenda for his field. His recent book, Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest, and his critical edition and translation of Mayan documents, Mesoamerican Voices, have opened up new areas of inquiry and provided fresh perspectives on well trodden areas. His particularly innovative contribution has been to examine colonial Latin American history through the eyes of the native peoples who lived there.

Darrell is internationally known for his work on criminal careers and criminal sentencing. He is being recognized especially for his recent work, Confessions of a Dying Thief, a book that explores criminal careers from the perspective of a lifelong thief. Darrell is also well known for his path-breaking work on historical trends in women's criminal behavior and on racial, age, and gender differences in criminal sentencing.

Carol's teaching excellence is noteworthy in and out of the classroom. Not only does Carol have excellent SRTEs, her students reflect on the many ways she is able to engage them in the classroom. For example, in her Civil War course, she assigns each student a real soldier in the Confederate army to track through the course of the war, allowing students to see that not just battles, but also medical practices, homefront conditions, and political issues shaped the lives of these young men. Carol also extends her teaching skills outside the classroom with her work with alumni, military officers, and her appearances on PBS and other networks.

Matthew, Darrell, and Carol's admirable records certainly make us all proud of them and their accomplishments. I can also point out that, though Matthew and Darrell won research awards, they are both outstanding teachers, and though Carol won an award related to teaching, she is an outstanding scholar. These are three of the many faculty who are elevating the quality and reputation of the College by their excellence in all areas of endeavor.

Susan Welch

Faculty News

Senate Election Results

Stephen Browne, Dennis Gouran, Julia Hewitt, Christopher Long, Anne Rose, Sherry Roush, John (Jack) Selzer, Susan Strauss, and Susan Welch were elected to represent the College in the University Faculty Senate. These faculty represent your views to the Senate. Please let them know of your concerns.

Faculty Grants and Awards

Frank G. Hillary, assistant professor of psychology, psychiatry and neurology, from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, for “Cerebral Blood Flow and BOLD Changed in TBI using fMRI.”

Derek Kreager, assistant professor of crime, law, and justice, from the University of Washington, for “Life Course Trajectories of Substance Use and Crime.”

Burt Monroe III, associate professor of political science, from the National Science Foundation, for “DHB: The Dynamics of Political Representation and Political Rhetoric.”

Lectures and Symposia

The Comparative Literature Luncheon is a weekly informal lunchtime gathering of students, faculty, and other members of the University community. Each week there is a short (20 minute) presentation, by a visitor or a local speaker, on a topic related to any humanities discipline.

Jonathan Eburne (jpe11@psu.edu) is the coordinator for the series this semester. We meet Mondays in 102 Kern at about 12:15 p.m. You can bring your lunch or buy a lunch tray in Kern Cafeteria (next door) and bring it into 102. Coffee and tea are provided in 102 (no charge). The speaker will begin at about 12:30 p.m. Allowing a few minutes for discussion, we'll conclude in time for classes that meet at 1:25 p.m. All students, faculty, colleagues, and friends are welcome.

For a list of speakers, visit: http://complit.la.psu.edu/luncheoncurrent.htm

Monday, March 19
3–4:30 p.m.
Nancy Folbre, professor of economics, UMass Amherst
Location: Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library
Topic: "Who Cares? Why We Need a New Social Contract"

Tuesday, March 20
12:15–1:30 p.m.
The Institute for the Arts and Humanities presents Faculty Lecture Series speaker Rachel Teukolsky, assistant professor of English, IAH Individual Faculty Grant Recipient
Location: 124 Sparks
Topic: "Sexual Geographies: Utopian Terrains of the Late-Victorian Counterculture"

Tuesday, March 20
4 p.m.
Renaissance Speaker Series presents John Roe
Location: Grucci Room (14/15) Burrowes Building
Topic: “The Watching Eye: Desire and Chastity in Othello and The Winter's Tale"

Thursday, March 22
8 p.m.
Allegheny Mountains Reading Series: Linda Niemann
Location: Foster Auditorium, Pattee Library

Friday, March 23
4 p.m.
Sandra E. Greene, professor of History, Cornell University
Title and Location TBA

Monday, March 26
Presentation by Rising Scholar Guest, Kevin Bell
Time and Location TBA

Thursday, March 29
Liberal Arts Alumni and Faculty Awards Program
Presentations will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a reception to follow.
Location: The Nittany Lion Inn Boardroom
For more information, contact Sherri Bumbarger at 3-5426.

Thursday, March 29
3–4:30 p.m.
IAH Spring Faculty Lecture Series presents Micaela Amato, professor of art and women's studies, IAH Spring Semester Resident Artist
Location: 124 Sparks
Topic: "Lapswimmer, Crossing"

Thursday, April 5
3–4:30 p.m.
IAH Spring Faculty Lecture Series presents Julia Kasdorf, associate professor of English and women's studies, IAH Spring Semester Resident Scholar
Location: 124 Sparks
Topic: "Mirror of the Martyrs: The Martyr's Mirror (Thieleman J. van Braght, 1660) and its American Legacy"

Thursday, April 5
8 p.m.
Allegheny Mountains Reading Series presents Tawni O'Dell
Location: Foster Auditorium

Tuesday, April 10
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thomas Sayers Ellis, poet
Location: Foster Auditorium

Thursday, April 12
Committee for Early Modern Studies Symposium, Co-sponsored event, supported by an IAH Interdisciplinary Group Grant
Location: TBA
Details: for more information visit: http://www.earlymod.psu.edu

Thursday, April 12
8 p.m.
Red Weather Reading Series presents Tara Bray Smith
Location: TBA

Saturday, April 14
The Steven and Janice Brose Distinguished Lectures, Symposium on the Emancipataion Proclamation
Location: The Nittany Lion Inn, Faculty Staff Club
Details to be announced

Monday, April 16
3–-4:30 p.m.
Lecture: S. Charusheela, associate professor of women's studies, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Location: Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library
Topic: "From Invisibility to Regulation: Southern Workers, Western Eyes"

Thursday, April 19
8 p.m.
Red Weather Reading Series presents Ken Rumble
Location: TBA

Tuesday, April 24
12:15–1:30 p.m.
IAH Spring Faculty Lecture Series presents Cristin Millett, assistant professor of Art, IAH Individual Faculty Grant Recipient
Location: 124 Sparks
Topic: "The Spectacle of the Anatomy Theater"

Thursday, April 26
3–4:30 p.m.
IAH Spring Faculty Lecture Series presents Brian Curran, associate professor of art history, IAH Individual Faculty Grant Recipient
Location: 124 Sparks
Topic: "The Egyptian Renaissance: The Afterlife of Ancient Egypt in Early Modern Italy "

Thursday, April 26
4 p.m.
Feminist Literary Studies Past, Present, and Future
Location: Foster Auditorium

Thursday, April 26
7–8:30 p.m.
The Richard B. Lippin Lectureship in Ethics presents Richard B. Alley, Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences, Penn State
Location: The Nittany Lion Inn, Board Room
Topic: "Global Warming: Equine Emissions, Ethics, and Opportunities"

Friday, April 27
10 a.m.–noon
Feminist Literary Studies: Past, Present, and Future

Sunday, April 29
6 p.m.
Alumni and Faculty Spring Awards Reception
Location: TBA

The Community Read, 2007
The Intuitionist
a novel by
Colson Whitehead

The "Community Read" begins with a series of Tuesday evening discussion sessions open to all interested readers. These will be informal, book-club style considerations of the novel run by faculty teams and geared toward intelligent, non-specialist readers. We are advertising these sessions far and wide in State College. There will be coffee and cookies. Here is the schedule of Tuesday evenings. Super special thanks to all of you who agreed to help out:

Tuesday, March 20, 102 Kern Building, 7:00–9:00 p.m.

Hosted by Deborah Clarke, associate professor of English and women's studies, and Robin Schulze, professor of English

Tuesday, March 27, 102 Kern Building, 7:00–9:00 p.m.

Hosted by James West, III, Sparks Professor of English, and Shirley Moody, research associate in English

If you need to borrow a copy of The Intuitionist, please visit the Journals Room, 114 Burrowes building. Feel free to read it and return it. Feel free, also, to leave your marginalia!

COMMUNITY READ 2007 GALA

Friday, April 6, 7:00 p.m., Palmer Lipcon Auditorium

The Community Read 2007 Gala will feature a public lecture by Michael Bérubé, Paterno Family Liberal Arts Professor in Literature, in which he will offer his interpretive comments about The Intuitionist. Three well-known scholars of Contemporary and African American literatures, Louise Bernard (Georgetown University ), Charles B. Harris ( Illinois State University ), and Aldon Nielsen, Kelly Professor of American Literature,will then respond briefly to Michael's remarks. Colson Whitehead himself, who will offer his own response to Michael's interpretation of his novel, will crown the evening. A reception and book signing will follow for all who attend.

In conjunction with these events, an essay competition has been arranged for Penn State undergraduates. A prize of $500 will be awarded to a Penn State undergraduate for the best analytical, interpretive essay about any aspect of Colson Whitehead's novel, The Intuitionist. Essays will be judged on originality, eloquence, and acuity. The prize for the best essay will be awarded during the April 6, 2007 Community Read Gala.

Competition Rules:

The essay contest is open to all Penn State, University Park undergraduate students enrolled in good standing for the Spring 2007 academic term. Essays must be typed, double spaced, and not exceed 3,000 words. The winner of the essay contest will be awarded his or her prize during the Community Read Gala on the evening of April 6, 2007 in the Palmer Lipcon Auditorium. To be considered for the prize, each student must submit two hard copies of his or her essay, along with a cover sheet with his or her name, campus address, phone number, email address, and major to the campus mailbox of Professor Robin Schulze, Director, Center for American Literary Studies, Department of English, 112 Burrowes Building, Penn State, University Park 16802-6200. All essays must be received by 5:00 p.m., March 30, 2007. Copies of The Intuitionist are available from the Penn State Bookstore at a 20% discount.

WebEvents Calendar

The WebEvents Calendar features lectures, talks, and conferences sponsored by units within the College of the Liberal Arts and by the College. If you have something that you would like posted to the calendar for your department, please send entry submissions to Katy Heltman.

Staff News

Staff Endowment Awards Announced

The College is pleased to announce the award recipients from the Liberal Arts Staff and Children of Staff Program Support Fund. Selected as the staff recipients were:

Nicole Arias, Staff Assistant V, Psychological Clinic. Nicole is working toward her degree in journalism at Penn State.

Michelle Aitkin, Staff Assistant VII, Outreach. Michelle is taking credits toward a degree in organizational leadership at St. Francis.

Vernett Brooks, Staff Assistant V, Departments of African and African American Studies, Labor Studies and Employment Relations, and Women's Studies. Vernett is working toward the completion of her BA degree in Human Development and Family Studies.

The selection committee included past winners: Gennifer Blesh, Wendy Clark, and Kristie Kalvin. Also serving on the selection committee from the Alumni Development Office were Marilyn Byers and Gabe Welsch.

From the children of staff portion of the endowment, funds were awarded to the following undergraduate students: Nicholas Dietz, son of Amy Dietz (Departments of African and African American Studies, Labor Studies and Employment Relations, and Women's Studies). Nicholas is a second semester student at University Park, is enrolled in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and is planning on majoring in materials science and engineering.

Bret Mooney, son of Toni Mooney who is also from the Departments of African and African American Studies, Labor Studies and Employment Relations, and Women's Studies. Bret is a fourth semester student at University Park and is enrolled in the Smeal Business College, majoring in accounting.

Applications for the 2007–2008 staff enrichment and children of staff funding will be accepted after July 1. Information regarding both applications can be found at:

http://www.la.psu.edu/CLA-Deans_Area/human_resources/StaffInformation.shtml

If you are interested in making a contribution or have questions, please contact Marilyn Byers.

Congratulations to the recipients and thank you to all who contributed to make these awards possible.

Staff Honors

Congratulations to this year's staff award winners. The Leadership Award recipient was Jean Courter, staff assistant VI, in the Department of Psychology. The Career Achievement Award winner was JoAnn Harris who is an administrative assistant in the Department of Psychology. The winners of other awards were Esprit, Rebecca Cross and Client Service, Barbara Brinkman (Departments of French and Francophone Studies and Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese); Rising Star, Amy Homan (Political Science); and Innovator, Christine Laur (Undergraduate Studies). For the inaugural year of the Outstanding Professional Advisor Award, the winner was Katelyn Perry. All of the winners were recognized at a reception on February 28 at The Nittany Lion Inn. This year's awards committee included Donna Bahry, as the department head representative, and Gay Catherman, JoElle DeVinney, Erin Eckley, Kristie Kalvin, Kim Keller, Naomi McNulty, and Faye Maring. In addition, Betsy Will served as an ex-officio member of the committee. Also honored were our ten-year and thirty-year service award recipients. See photos of all award recipients below.

Susan Welch with Jean Courter, Leadership Award winner

Susan Welch with JoAnn Harris, Career Achievement Award winner

2006 Staff Award Winners
From Left: Christine Laur, Rebecca Cross, Amy Homan, Barbara Brinkman,
Katelyn Perry

30 Years of Penn State Service
From Left: Jan Wallace, Joyce Wilusz, Kathy Force

Ten Years of Service to the College
Robert Probst
not pictured: Helene Placey

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, sponsored again this year by the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Educational Equity, will be held on Thursday, April 27. This year more than 40 career sites are participating at University Park. This will allow girls and boys in grades 6 through 12 a chance to explore career options. Participants can select three sites to visit during the half-day program. For more information contact Carol Griffin at cjg3@psu.edu or 863-6188 or visit the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Web site at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/conference/DaughtersToWork online. Registration is available online this year. Information on the Web site will be updated to reflect this year's program when brochures are mailed out.

New Colleagues

Edward Smiley, information technology specialist, Liberal Arts Computer Support Services

Transfers

Mindy Boffemmyer, staff assistant VI, African and African American Studies, Labor Studies and Employment Relations and Women's Studies

Departures

Gennifer Blesh, staff assistant VII, School of Languages and Literatures, Center for Language Acquisition

Rhonda Decker, administrative assistant I, Departments of History and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and Programs of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies

Paula Rees, offset duplicator operator, economics

Liberal Arts Parking Hours

If you need to obtain or exchange parking permits, please come to Room 111 Sparks Building, Monday through Friday, from 9–11 a.m. and 2–4 p.m. only. Please remember to bring your license plate number(s) with you when you register for your permit. Once you have a permit, please be sure you report new or changed license plate numbers to Heather Summerlin at 865-7691. As a reminder, if you are leaving the College, you will need to return your parking permit to 111 Sparks Building.