College of the Liberal Arts News
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English Faculty Member Wins Guggenheim
Linda Woodbridge, the Josephine Berry Weiss Chair in the Humanities and professor of English at Penn State, has been named as a 2008 recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship, to pursue research in English revenge drama. Woodbridge is one of 190 named Fellows, chosen this year from a group of more than 2,600 applicants, to share in awards totaling $8.2 million. Complete Story
Center Director Speaks about Extremist Art Therapy Programs
The Boston Globe recently featured Professor John Horgan, Director of the College's International Center for the Study of Terrorism, in its "Ideas" supplement. The article focuses on the global efforts to "deradicalize" terrorists through art therapy and other means. Such programs are a fairly new phenomenon and Professor Horgan is one of few people studying these programs and their effectiveness. Read more here.
Penn State Alumnus to Lead Bhutan
Bhutan, the world's newest democracy, will be led by College of the Liberal Arts alumnus Jigmi Y. Thinley, who received a master's degree in public administration in 1976. Thinley is expected to become prime minister because of his position as leader of the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) or Bhutan United Party, which captured the majority of seats in Bhutan’s first ever democratic election in March. Complete Story
High Tech Interrogations May Promote Abuse
A recent publication by Penn State's Jonathan Marks suggests high tech questionings could promote mistreatment of suspects. An associate professor of bioethics, humanities, and law, Marks studied the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, in place of polygraph tests, particularly for suspected terrorists. Marks found that the lack of knowledge about fMRIs makes them a potentially dangerous tool. Complete Story
Paterno Fellows Program Introduced
The College of the Liberal Arts, in partnership with the Schreyer Honors College, announces the launch of the Paterno Liberal Arts Undergraduate Fellows Program. This landmark partnership will invigorate undergraduate eduation in Liberal Arts by extending the benefits of the Schreyer experience to many more students and challenge many more students to the kind of high achievement, values, and integrity associated with the Paterno family name. The program can lead to honors recognition on a student's diploma, financial assistance with study abroad, or internships and the many benefits of a rigorous course of study. Complete Story
Center for American Literary Studies Sponsors Community Read of Hemingway Novel
Throughout the spring term, Penn State's Center for American Literary Studies, in partnership with the Penn State University Libraries and the Penn State Institute for Arts and Humanities, is sponsoring a Community Read of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. The Community Read features a number of Hemingway-related lectures and discussions of the book that will take place through April. Complete Story
Exhibit of Newly Released Hemingway Letters Curated by English Professor
Penn State's University Libraries have acquired an important collection of Ernest Hemingway correspondence, the last sizeable and significant known collection of the famed novelist's letters still in private hands. An exhibition of a selection of those letters was mounted by guest curators Sandra Spanier, Penn State professor of English and general editor of the Hemingway Letters project, Verna Kale, Ph.D. candidate in English, and Sanrda Stelts, curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the University Libraries. "Hemingway Writing Home: Letters ot his Family 1917–1957" will be on view at the Special Collections Library, runs March 6 through May 30, 2008. Complete Story
Chaikens Commit $1 Million for Trustee Scholarships in Liberal Arts
In hopes of inspiring the business leaders of tomorrow, Penn State alumnus Gene Chaiken and his wife, Roz, of Bryn Mawr, have committed $1 million to endow a Trustee Scholarship in that will support undergraduates participating in the business minor offered by the College of the Liberal Arts. Complete Story
Ethical Dimensions of Climage Change
Professor Donald Brown speaks at the UN Conference Room on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change.
Click Here to watch.
Garrett Sullivan, professor of English, recently served as a guest curator of an exhibit at the Fogler Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. The exhibit, which will be up until May 17, examines how history and current events were handled, and exaggerated, in the years before and after the career of William Shakespeare. Read a Washington Post review of the exhibit here.
What happens when a language dies? It is estimated that the last speaker of one of the world's languages passes away every two weeks. Experts expect that within 100 years about half of the world's 6,000 languages will be extinct. John Lipski, a professor of Spanish and linguistics, fears that such losses are threatening our world's cultural diversity and worries that too often we don't know what we've lost til it's gone. To read more about his research, go to the complete story.
Alumni Couple Creates Study Abroad Endowment in the Liberal Arts
Penn State alumni Ray and Marlene Bolze have committed $500,000 to support study abroad scholarships for students in the College of the Liberal Arts. The Ray S. and Marlene Marks Bolze Study Abroad Endowment will give first preference to students who show academic promise and have financial need. "We feel strongly that, to have a complete education, it is necessary to get out of our own country and see how other people deal with everyday life and its challenges," said Marlene Bolze. "It really broadens you and gives you so much to think about." Complete Story
Penn State to Offer Two Psychology Degrees Online
Penn State is preparing to open two new online degree programs in psychology—a first for public universities participating in online education. Beginning this month, Penn State will open admission to its bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in psychology to online degree students. Students can begin applying to the program later this month, and courses will be offered starting in the summer 2008 semester. Complete Story
Liberal Arts in the News
There's a whole class in the Department of Communication Arts & Sciences dedicated to helping reluctant public speakers find their voice. The effort was highlighted in a Nov. 4 article about getting students out of their shell. Read all about it here.
David Atwill, assistant professor of history, was recently named a Fulbright Scholar for the 2007–08 year. With the award, Atwill will continue his year at China's Yunnan University studying the nineteenth-century official Lin Zexu. Lin was a powerful figure in his time, yet is best known for his failed efforts at stopping British imports of opium. Atwill's studies will look more broadly at Lin's career and the role he played in dealing with the diverse cultures in and around China.
Liberal Arts in the News
The Department of Sociology's senior lecturer Samuel Richards was mentioned in a Nov. 11 New York Times article about the role DNA is playing in understanding the concept of race. Richards' class performed an exercise where all the students took a DNA test to find out their ancestry. Read all about it here.
Heard on Campus: Jonathan Marks at Research Unplugged
"The bottom line is that nobody can resist being tortured. We will all talk. But using torture and aggressive interrogation to make people talk is not a good way to capture actionable intelligence. Rapport-building is much more useful." —Jonathan Marks, associate professor of bioethics, humanities and law. Read the full story here.
Alumni Couple Gives $500,000 for Trustee Scholarship in Lliberal Arts
Penn State alumni Linda and Jonathan Strumpf have given $500,000 to endow a scholarship in the College of the Liberal Arts for students who have financial need. First preference for the Linda and Jonathan Strumpf Trustee Scholarship, the couple's third scholarship supporting the liberal arts at the University, will go to students who are concurrently enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College. Complete Story
Beard and Miller Named Vice Chairs for the Campaign for Penn State Students
Two distinguished business executives have accepted appointments as vice chairs for Penn State's new capital campaign. E. Lee Beard of Hazleton, consultant and banking-industry executive, and Bruce Miller of Naples, Fla., founder of one of the mid-Atlantic region's largest insurance marketing firms, have accepted the positions, according to University President Graham Spanier. As vice chairs, Beard and Miller will assist Chair Peter Tombros in providing top volunteer leadership for the fundraising effort, For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, which began Jan. 1. Complete Story
Rein's million-dollar gift endows Trustee Scholarships in liberal arts
Penn State alumna Catherine Rein has given $1 million to establish the Catherine Shultz Rein Trustee Scholarship in the College of the Liberal Arts. The scholarship will be awarded to students who have financial need and will include a matching component from the University. Complete Story
Terrorism Expert to Head International Center for the Study of Terrorism
John Horgan, one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of terrorism, will become director of Penn State's International Center for the Study of Terrorism this fall. He will help the Center build on an already strong record of international collaboration and to extend its mission of bringing top researchers into the field of terrorism research. Complete Story
Institute for the Arts and Humanities Launches 'Moments of Change'
In a spirit of collaboration across disciplines, departments and programs, Penn State's Institute for the Arts and Humanities will be examining the significant transformations of the early 17th century (ca. 1600-1625) as part of its interdisciplinary "Moments of Change" initiative, a yearly series of performances, lectures, exhibitions, symposia and other events that will focus on a specific time period marked by great change. Complete Story
Disability Rights
Michael Bérubé, Paterno Family Professor in Literature, talks with host Patti Satalia for the Take Note radio program on WPSU.
There are more than 54 million Americans with disabilities. While their status has improved markedly since the Disabilities Rights Movement began in the late 1960s and early '70s, those with disabilities are still only half as likely as other Americans to be employed and more than twice as likely to live in poverty. We speak with one of the nation's most ardent advocates for disability rights and about his own experience raising a son with Down syndrome. Listen to the show
Alumni Endow Director's Fund in Richards Civil War Era Center
Penn State alumni Thomas L. and Jane D. "Gee Gee" Ferrier of San Diego have committed $170,000 to endow the Tom and Gee Gee Ferrier Director's Fund in the University's George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center. Although the commitment is part of their estate plans, the Ferriers will make additional annual gifts so that the fund can be activated immediately. Complete Story
Liberal Arts Alumna Gives $350,000 to Establish Undergraduate Endowments
Nancy Betts, a 1973 honors English graduate of Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts and a vice president with Goldman Sachs, will establish two endowments through her estate plans. The Nancy Betts Scholarship in Liberal Arts, to be endowed with a $250,000 gift, and the Nancy Betts Internship Endowment, to be endowed with a $100,000 gift, will help Penn State liberal arts students meet tuition expenses or take advantage of internship opportunities. First preference for these awards will go to undergraduates from single-parent homes. Complete Story
27 Honored at the University's Faculty/Staff Awards Program
University Park—Each year, the University recognizes faculty and staff for the highest levels of academic excellence, outstanding leadership and meritorious service. The 2007 Faculty/Staff Awards recipients were honored at a formal banquet on March 26. Among the twenty-seven individuals recognized from across the University system, four Liberal Arts faculty members were chosen to receive awards. Click here to read about Liberal Arts award winners D. Wayne Osgood, Carol Reardon, Matthew Restall, and Darrell Steffansmeier.
Do Educational Products make Babies Smarter?
In today's competitive world, some parents are trying to give their children a leg up before those little legs can even walk.
The rush to stimulate the intellects of the pre-verbal set has created a $2.8 million market for toys, flashcards, CDs, and videos that suggest—if not promise—that their use will boost your baby's or preschooler's I.Q. Complete Story
Penn State Anthropology Professor Guest on “The Colbert Report,” Wednesday, February 28
Nina Jablonski, Penn State professor and department head of anthropology made an appearance on “The Colbert Report,” on February 28, 2007.
Jablonski discussed her new book, Skin: A Natural History, with Stephen Colbert of “The Colbert Report.” Complete Story
Community Read Got People Talking about The Intuitionist
Penn State's new Center for American Literary Studies sponsored a "Community Read" of Colson Whitehead's prize-winning first novel, The Intuitionist, throughout the spring term. Starting Feb. 27, the center hosted a series of informal discussions of the novel open
to the public. The "Community Read" ended with a gala event April 6 during which Michael Bérubé, Paterno Family Professor in Literature and a
distinguished scholar of contemporary American literature and culture, gave a public lecture about The Intuitionist and author Whitehead responded to Bérubé's comments about his work. Whitehead is the author of four books, a MacArthur "genius grant" winner and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Complete Story
Penn State Host of National Symposium on the Emancipation Proclamation
To celebrate and mark the occasion of Penn State's hosting a rare wartime printing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center hosted a “Symposium on the Emancipation Proclamation” on April 14, 2007.
The daylong event featured seven internationally recognized scholars with expertise on Abraham Lincoln and emancipation, addressing Lincoln's view of citizenship, the considerations of enslaved and freedpeople towards Lincoln, and the implications of emancipation on gender, religion, and the law. Complete Story
Liberal Arts Professor Works to Help Girl-on-Girl Meanness
How many of you think girls are mean?" Cheryl Dellasega asked the crowd gathered in the Downtown Theatre last Wednesday for the final Research Unplugged conversation of the Fall season. A majority of audience members raised their hands. "Well, I don't think that girls are inherently cruel," responded Dellasega.
Complete Story
Probing Question: How Accurate are Snap Judgements?
The moment we enter a new classroom, job, or any unfamiliar situation, we begin to formulate opinions and unconscious perceptions of our environment and the people around us, says Reginald Adams, professor of psychology, in the College of the Liberal Arts.
"We're told not to judge a book by its cover, but we do this spontaneously," explains Adams. "In fact it's quite an effort to undo the inferences that we make." Complete Story
Touch Tracking Bypasses Mind Control, says Liberal Arts Psychology Professor
For people unable to simultaneously rub their stomach while patting their head, a new twist may be at hand. Touch, rather than concentration, could let people multi-task with their hands, and this may also potentially help improve the performance of people with coordination problems, according David Rosenbaum, distinguished professor of psychology and director of Penn State's Laboratory For Cognition and Action in the College of the Liberal Arts. Complete Story
Liberal Arts Professor Writes a New Book on Dr. Alzheimer
When the 51-year-old woman first came to see Dr. Alois Alzheimer, she had almost no memory and was often angry and disoriented. After she died, Alzheimer, a German pyschiatrist, examined his patient's brain and spinal cord, and found odd plaques and tangles.
When the doctor presented his findings to his colleagues, they were not particularly impressed, says Jesse Ballenger, an assistant professor of science, technology, and society in the College of the Liberal Arts, who has written a history about the way Alzheimer's disease is seen in America. Complete Story
Why don't People Vote?
Along with serving on a jury, it may be the most important thing a citizen can do: voting to choose the people who run our courts, schools, towns, counties, states, and nation. So why do a third of Americans fail to vote? The answer, says Penn State political scientist Eric Plutzer, may stem from habit: If people don't start voting as young adults, they may never get comfortable doing so. Complete Story
Political Science Professor Navin Bapat Discusses "Extreme Tactics: Inside the Mind of a Terrorist"
From Research/Penn State: "Terrorism is an emotional topic," Navin Bapat told students, colleagues, and community members at the second Research Unplugged event of the fall season last week. Bapat, assistant professor of political science, led a lively hour-long discussion during which he shared recent research on terrorism and tried to debunk some common myths and misperceptions about the topic. To read more, or to download the podcast, Click here.
Penn State Student Receives Fellowship from the Center for the Study of the Presidency
University Park, Pa.—Elena Cross, a junior Schreyer Scholar double-majoring in political science and international studies with minors in French and history, was chosen by the Center for the Study of the Presidency to receive a fellowship for leadership and public service. Complete Story
New Book by Anthropologist Garnering Attention
Our skin isn't something we think about since…we all have it. But it is our biggest and most visible organ. It's also the title of a new book by Nina G. Jablonski, who is the Department of Anthropology's new head.
Complete Story
An Immersion in Arabic
Graduate student Nathan Devir recently returned from his study abroad with much praise for the College's intensive Summer Arabic Program. Based at Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, Devir went to his Arabic language classes five hours a day, five days a week, followed by a mandatory Arabic-speaking lunch and four or five hours of homework. With any leftover time, there were lectures (in Arabic) on topics pertaining to North Africa and Islam, and a choice of weekly clubs, which offered activities such as calligraphy and Arab music.
Complete Story
LAzine
LAzine is the electronic alumni magazine of the College of the Liberal Arts. Circulated to over 30,000 people every eight weeks, it is our main external news publication. To contact the editor, click here.
LA Times
LATimes is a monthly publication for staff and faculty produced by the Dean’s Office in the College of the Liberal Arts.