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Liberal Arts in the News

Letters Show Hemingway as 'Besotted Lover'

Sandy Spanier discusses the release of Hemingway letters from Cuba. Complete Story

A Hero's Death in Afghanistan, and the Question 'Why?'

The Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank writes about the funeral of 1990 English graduate Bill Cahir, who was killed in battle in Afghanistan in August 2009 during his third tour of duty. A former journalist, Cahir joined the Marines after the 9/11 attacks to serve his country. Complete Story

Sociologist Leads Study of Immigrant children and obesity

The sons of immigrants to the United States suffer from alarmingly high levels of childhood obesity, according to a new report funded by the Foundation for Child Development. Jennifer Van Hook, associate professor of sociology and demography, was lead author for a new report Moving to the Land of Milk and Cookies," released by the Foundation for Child Development.

Thirty-four percent of kindergarten-age immigrant boys are obese or overweight, compared with 25 percent of the sons of native-born Americans, according to an analysis of data collected by the U.S. Education Department. By eighth grade, that number rises to 49 percent, compared with 33 percent among natives. No similar discrepancy was found among girls. Complete Story

The Wall Street Journal Cites Chris Zorn's Statistical Analysis of Baseball Study

When baseball dubbed shortstop Harold Reese “Pee Wee” and first basemen Fred Merkle “Bonehead,” they probably weren’t trying to lengthen the players’ lives. But according to researchers at Wayne State University, major-league players who have nicknames live 2½ years longer, on average, than those without them. Complete Story

Liberal Arts Professor Greets Obama

Barry Ickes, professor of economics in Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, recently greeted U.S. President Obama and his wife, Michelle, during the commencement ceremonies for the New Economic School in Moscow. The president spoke at the commencement about the mutual interests of Russia and the United States. Ickes, an expert on Russia and the economics of transition, is a founder of The New Economic School and director of the Center for Research on International Financial and Energy Security, based in the College of the Liberal Arts.Text of President Obama's remarks.

Photo Credit: Kommersant Newspaper, Russia

LA Grad—Business Journalist, Author, and Publisher

Peter Barnes, a 1980 political science graduate, is currently a TV journalist at Fox Business News and coordinates a children's book publishing business, along with his wife, Cheryl. Read The Washington Post profile.

What the Tigers Taught Al-Qaeda

Mia Bloom, an expert on suicide terrorists who will join the College's faculty this fall and the International Center for the Study of Terrorism, recently published an op-ed in The Washington Post on the terrorist group Tamil Tigers and their perfection of suicide bombings, the recruitment of women and children, and innovation in IEDs. These techniques have been emulated by other terrorist groups worldwide, from al-Qaeda to Hezbollah. Though they considered themselves superior to jihadi terrorists—who regularly target civilians—the Tigers opened the door to terrorism as a strategy of liberation and resistance to an unwanted government or occupying force. And they reached a standard of deadly efficiency envied by U.S. enemies and terrorists around the globe, according to Professor Bloom. She is author of the books "Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror" and the forthcoming "Bombshell: Women and Terror." Complete Story

Measuring Happiness

Government policies and programs will be judged by the happiness they produce in the tiny mountain kingdom of Bhutan. Bhutan Prime Minister, Jigmi Thinley, '76 public administration, speaks about Gross National Happiness in a New York Times video.

Amaechi Judge on BBC Reality TV

Liberal Arts alumnus John Amaechi will continue mentoring young people by serving as a judge on a new reality TV show to find Britain's Best Young Speaker. The Penn Stater magazine blog breaks the news at: http://pennstatermag.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/john-amaechis-new-gig-uk-reality-tv/ The BBC show also has more information at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/speaker/about/

Amaechi, '94 Psychology, was on campus in late March to receive the Service to Society Award from the College of the Liberal Arts Alumni Society. He also spoke to several hundred Penn State technical staff members about respect and civility in the workplace. The story about his talk is at: http://live.psu.edu/story/38641

Terrorism Lecture Focuses on Female Suicide Terrorists

Mia Bloom, an expert on female suicide terrorists, gave the inaugural lecture in the International Speaker Series presented by Penn State's International Center for the Study of Terrorism (ICST). She will be joining the Center and the College of the Liberal Arts this fall as a faculty member. Complete Story

Liberal Arts Undergrad Student Council Sponsors Economic Forum

LA returned this spring semester to give their views on economic issues facing the U.S. Jeff Hyde, '77 pre-law and senior tax counsel at General Electric, was the keynote speaker at Liberal Arts Week sponsored by the LA Undergraduate Student Council. The story is at:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2009/03/31/alumnus_addresses_economy_job.aspx

A panel of alumni joined faculty in a recent panel and offered career strategy tips to students at:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2009/03/26/forum_offers_advice_business_p.aspx

Federally Funded Ad Campaign Holds up Value of Marriage

Sociology Professor Paul Amato is adviser to the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center, which is spearheading a national media campaign extolling the benefits of marriage for people ages 18–30. Complete Story

Crime Scene DNA Could Create Image of Suspect's Face

Mark Shriver's research on using DNA to recreate a criminal's face is featured by ABC News.

Probing Question with Alan Booth: What Predicts a Happy Marriage?

Complete Story

Penn State Anthropology Professor Featured on NPR, CBS-TV

Penn State anthropologist Nina Jablonski recently was interviewed Feb. 2 on NPR's Morning Edition and on Feb. 1 on the CBS News Sunday Morning TV program for separate interviews on the topic of skin. NPR reporter Robert Krulwich discussed how human skin color in a family can change over generations without marriage. NPR Full Story

CBS News correspondent Martha Teichner spoke to Dr. Jablonski, also head of the anthropology department, about human skin and the sun. CBS News Full Story

Her 2006 book, Skin: A Natural History, has been featured in National Geographic, Scientific American, and other popular media including The Colbert Report show. Overall, Dr. Jablonski's research comprises diverse studies on primate and human evolution, especially on adaptations to changing environments through time. Her research involves paleontological field work in sites in Asia and Africa, and analysis of fossil remains, as well as theoretical studies exploring the hidden aspects of human evolution not preserved in the fossil record. Her most recent book is an edited volume with paleontologist Meave Leakey on the fossil monkeys of the famous Koobi Fora fossil site in Kenya.

The Department of Anthropology is world renowned for its innovative, empirical research, particularly in the areas of human evolution and variation, the evolution of complex societies, and cultural demography.

Making The Most of This Milestone Moment: Learn from The Mandela Story

In November as Americans voted, I had a flashback to my experience in South Africa in 1994, when millions stood in calm April queues to vote, most for the first time, for Nelson Mandela for president. After the four-hour wait, when I finally reached the booth, I felt—really felt—connected to the millions of people, divided and unequal and different, doing this one same thing. I shook with the realization. Complete Story

Climate Science Blog Makes Top 100 List

Climateethics.org has been identified as one of the best blogs for Earth Sciences Scholars.

"Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande" Awarded to Penn State Professor Emeritus

On November 14, Consul General Dr. Freitag travelled to Pennsylvania State University to bestow one of the highest tributes the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for services to the nation.Complete Story

Liberal Arts United Way Office Olympics

Arm in arm, five by five, some 14 teams of Office Olympians from the College of the Liberal Arts paraded in their own opening ceremonies Thursday, Aug. 7, on the mall in front of Pattee Library, University Park.

These Olympians, some 70 strong, held their own competitions to raise more than $2,000 for Centre County United Way. Their torchbearer was Denise Solomon, associate dean in graduate studies, who exhorted the athletes in their own version of the Olympic Oath to swear to commit themselves to "sports without real skill, but with compassion for those in our community who will benefit from the generous donations."

Read the entire article here

View photos of the event here

NEH Highlights Center for Medieval Studies Web Site

The National Endowment for the Humanities recently chose the Penn State Center for Medieval Studies’ Web site “Building Community: Medieval Technology and American History” for inclusion on its list of the best online resources for education in the humanities. The NEH list, part of its EDSITEment site, http://edsitement.neh.gov/websites_all.asp (scroll down to "Building Community"), aims to highlight the highest quality humanities-related educational content on the Internet. Read more here.

Environmental Web Site Ranks in the Top Fifteen

Time magazine named the Rock Ethics Institute's Web site on climate change one of the top fifteen Web sites addressing environmental issues. The ten-month old site, a joint venture with RealClimate, looks at the ethical questions raised by climate change. As Time said: "Science tells us how we are searing the planet. Economics tells us how much it will cost to do something—or nothing—about it. Neither science nor economics tells us right from wrong. That is the domain of ethics—and the Rock Ethics Institute's ClimateEthics Web site." Read more here.

Study Shows Creationism Persists in High School Biology Classrooms

Politial science study shows training and beliefs influence teachers' curricula.

Read about the findings here.

Read the full study here.

Former Football Star Surprises Mom with Graduation

When Stella Drayton opened her Mother's Day card from her son, former Nittany Lion standout Troy Drayton, inside was his graduation announcement and a tassel.

Read Troy Drayton's story here.