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Faculty News - Winter 2003



Simon Publishes Article in A Companion to the Philosophy of Education

February 28, 2003
Professor of Philosophy Robert Simon's article, "Academic Freedom," appeared in Randall Curren, ed., A Companion to the Philosophy of Education, published in 2003 by Blackwell Publishers.

Li Speaks to U.S. Congress Members and Lectures in Germany

February 28, 2003
Cheng Li, professor of government and Woodrow Wilson fellow, was invited by the Aspen Institute to give a talk on China for 14 members of the U.S. Congress at a meeting held in Hawaii in January. Invited as a guest speaker by Lee Hamilton, Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center, Li spoke to the Wilson Council. In February, Li was also invited to give lectures at Tufts University, the Heinrich Boell Foundation in Berlin, and the Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany.

Cheng Li Quoted by Agence France Presse

February 27, 2003
Government Professor Cheng Li was quoted by Agence France Presse in an article "Jiang, China's 'interim leader', still active in semi-retirement", about the current role of Chinese leader Jiang Zemin.  More ...

Sharpley-Whiting Guest on Hour CNY

February 26, 2003
Professor of Africana Studies Tracy Sharpley-Whiting was a guest on Syracuse PBS station WCNY's "Hour CNY," on Feb. 26. Sharpley-Whiting discussed racial profiling on the talk show.

Kelly First Speaker in Dean's Faculty Lecture Series

February 24, 2003
The Dean's Faculty Lecture Series kicked off the spring semester on Feb. 28, with a lecture by Edgar B. Graves Professor of History Al Kelly. Kelly's topic was "Heroes and Harlots: German Virtue and French Decadence in the 'Great and Glorious War' of 1870-1871."  More ...

Georges Presents Paper at the Eastern Economics Association Meeting

February 22, 2003
Professor of Economics Christophre Georges gave a paper, "Learning dynamics, nonlinear misspecification, and trading," at the Eastern Economics Association meetings on Feb. 22, in New York. The paper was co-authored with John C. Wallace '03 and summarized research from their Emerson grant project last summer.

O'Neal Presents Paper at DeBartolo Conference on 18th-Century Studies

February 22, 2003
Professor of French John O'Neal published, "Voltaire's History of Manners in France" for the 17th annual DeBartolo conference on 18th-century studies, Tampa, Fla.(University of South Florida), in February. This year's conference theme was the history of manners.

Alistair Campbell Presented a Paper at SIGCSE

February 22, 2003
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Alistair Campbell presented a paper, "Language-Independent Interactive Data Visualization," at the 34th annual SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education held Feb. 19-22 in Reno, Nev.

Frechette Presents Paper at Think Tank

February 21, 2003
Ann Frechette, Luce Junior Professor of Asian Studies and Assistant Professor of Anthropology, presented a paper, "Regulating the Right to Life: The International Market in Blood, Body Parts, and Babies," at Think Tank on February 21, 2003. The same paper will be presented at the Association for Asian Studies meetings in March.

Hamilton College to Create an Intensive Summer Research Program in Chemistry

February 21, 2003
Hamilton College Professor and Chair of Chemistry George C. Shields received a grant from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation to build a national model to increase the number of chemistry majors. "The program centers around an intensive summer research program, that aims to create an environment that retains chemistry, biochemistry, and chemical physics majors and increases the number of Hamilton College chemistry graduates who go on to graduate programs," says Shields.  More ...

Mohanty's Book Published by Duke

February 20, 2003
Professor of Women's Studies Chandra Talpade Mohanty is the author of a new book, Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity, published by Duke University Press (3/03). The book addresses some of the most pressing and complex issues facing contemporary feminism. According to the jacket: "Forging vital links between daily life and collective action and between theory and pedagogy, Mohanty has been at the vanguard of Third World and international feminist thought and activism for nearly two decades."  More ...

Ravven Lectures on Spinoza

February 18, 2003
Professor of Religious Studies Heidi Ravven gave an invited lecture at the UCLA Jewish Studies Center conference titled, After Spinoza: Judaism, Modernity, and the Future of the Multitude. Her lecture was titled, "Spinoza's Halakhic Social Ethics, Jewish Democratic Politics, and Feminist Liberation." It was a gathering of Spinoza scholars from all over the world for an intensive three-day conference supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Jacobsen '97/Eugene Domack Publish Paper

February 14, 2003
Erik Jacobsen '97, with his faculty advisor Professor of Geology Eugene Domack, published a paper in the Bulletin in Quaternary and Geomorphology. This paper, "Late Pleistocene-Holocene retreat of the West Antarctic Ice-Sheet System in the Ross Sea: Part 2 - Sedimentologic and Stratigraphic Signature," has been nominated for the prestigious Geological Society of America Kirk Bryan Award. This award is given for a paper or book published within the past five years and will be awarded at the annual GSA meeting.

Trivedi Lectured at Pennsylvania State Univ.

February 14, 2003
Assistant Professor of History Lisa Trivedi was invited to the present a lecture at Pennsylvania State University. Trivedi's talk, "Rendering Women (In)Visible?: The Nationalist Politics of Dress in India," was given in February.

McHugh '05 Presented Poster at AAAS Meeting

February 13, 2003
Shayna McHugh, '05, presented a poster, "Investigation of Bioactive Constituents of Stylotella aurantium from Guam," at the national meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Feb. 13-16. McHugh, who had been awarded a travel grant by Merck/AAAS, was accompanied by Robin Kinnel, Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry.

Mohanty Lectured at Wellesley College

February 10, 2003
Professor of Women's Studies Chandra Mohanty presented, "Feminism Without Borders: The Politics of Transnational Feminism," at the Third Annual Domna Stanton Lecture, Wellesley College, on Feb. 10.

HILLgroup Discussion Series, Feb. 11

February 10, 2003
The second in a series of HILLgroup Discussions for Faculty and Academic Development Partners will be held on Tuesday, February 11th, at 4pm in the Christian Johnson Browsing Room. We want to hear from you! HILLgroup discussions are informal. Refreshments will be provided. Please plan on joining us.  More ...

Li Participates in Panel Discussion at Tufts University

February 10, 2003
Cheng Li, professor of government and Woodrow Wilson fellow, participated in a panel discussion, "Who's Hu? Deciphering China's New Politics," at a Tufts University symposium, "China in Transition: Development, Urbanization, Migration, and Political Change," in February.

OSU Series Co-edited by Rabinowitz Publishes New Book

February 10, 2003
The latest book has appeared in the "Theory and Interpretation of Narrative" series co-edited by Professor of Comparative Literature Peter Rabinowitz with James Phelan. Written by Robyn Warhol, Professor of English at the University of Vermont, it's titled "Having a Good Cry: Effeminate Feelings and Pop-Culture Forms."  More ...

Monk Rowe Trio Performs at Oneida Library

February 7, 2003
The Monk Rowe Trio kicked off the Oneida Public Library's "America in the Jazz Age Winter Jubilee" on Feb. 8. The Monk Rowe Trio performed 1920s-era jazz and blues, with saxophonist Rowe, bassist Genevieve Rose and drummer Greg Caputo. Rowe, director of the Hamilton College Jazz Archive, also appeared solo at the library on Feb. 23.

Derek Jones Named President of Economics Association

February 4, 2003
Derek Jones, the Irma M. and Robert D. Morris Professor of Economics, was elected the president of the Association of Comparative Economic Studies for 2003-2004. The purpose of the association is to promote scholarly exchange among persons interested in comparative studies of economic systems, planning and development, and to further the growth of research, publication and instruction on these topics.  More ...

Cafruny Speaks as Part of Presidential Lecture Series

February 3, 2003
The Presidential Lecture Series for Endowed Chairs presented a lecture by Professor Alan Cafruny, the Henry Platt Bristol Professor of International Affairs titled, "Vassals, Tributaries and Barbarians: The American Empire in the 21st Century," on Feb. 6.  More ...

Li Publishes Articles in China Leadership Monitor and Critical Asian Studies

February 3, 2003
Cheng Li, professor of government and Woodrow Wilson fellow, published three articles. "A Landslide Victory for Provincial Leaders" and "The Emergence of the Fifth Generation in the Provincial Leadership" appeared in the China Leadership Monitor (published by Stanford University), Winter, 2003 and Spring 2003. "Dialogue with the West: The Political Message of Avant-Garde Artists in Shanghai" (co-authored with Lynn White) appeared in Critical Asian Studies, March 2003 (Vol. 35, No.1.)

Gold Chairs Panel and Presents Paper at the American Philological Association

January 31, 2003
Professor of Classics Barbara Gold attended the annual meeting of the American Philological Association in New Orleans in January where she presented the paper, "Coordination, Cooperation and Localization in the Classics World of North America," at the Presidential panel on "The Organization of Classics in North America." Gold organized and chaired the panel, "Journals, Publishing, Refereeing, and Senior/Junior Faculty: Duties and Responsibilities." While there, she also attended numerous events associated with the journal she edits, the American Journal of Philology.

Mohanty Presents Faculty Workshop at Univ. of Pennsylvania

January 31, 2003
Professor of Women's Studies Chandra Talpade Mohanty presented a faculty workshop, "Building A Radical, Transnational Feminist Knowledge Base," with Jacqui Alexander, University of Pennsylvania, Jan. 30-31, 2003.

Wilson Presents a Teaching Unit at EXEAS

January 31, 2003
Asian Studies Chair Thomas A. Wilson presented a teaching unit on comparative sacrifice in ancient Asia at the Expanding East Asian Studies (EXEAS) Teaching Collaborative at Columbia University. This pedagogical presentation is based on several class sessions of Hist/ASNST 180 "Exploring Culture in the Great Cities of Asia" (co-taught with Assistant Professor of History Lisa Trivedi) in which Wilson compares the ritual practices and political and religious contexts of sacrifices to gods in ancient India and China. Wilson was appointed a consultant to the EXEAS teaching collaborative at Columbia last summer. The EXEAS collaborative is exploring innovative approaches to teaching about East Asia by expanding undergraduate study of East Asia into the broader curriculum of liberal arts education.

McMullen '03 Presented Poster at AGU Meeting

January 30, 2003
Kate McMullen '03 recently attended the American Geophysical Union meeting where she presented a poster, "Three Stage Ice Sheet Recession as Recorded by Swath Bathymetry in the Mertz Trough: East Antarctica," with Professor of Geology Eugene Domack. The poster was a summary of research glacial ice recession conducted off the George V Coast, East Antarctica in January-February 2001.

Wu Reveals Differing Economic Outcomes

January 30, 2003
Serious health conditions or health "shocks" have strong effects on household wealth, but the effects for women are larger and more significant than the effects for men. In his paper, "The Effects of Health Events on the Economic Status of Married Couples," published in Journal of Human Resources, Winter 2003, Hamilton College economics professor Stephen Wu has found that the difference arises from the fact that general living expenses increase when wives become seriously ill, while these expenditures are not affected when husbands become ill.  More ...

Jin Presents Papers at Conference on Chinese Language Pedagogy

January 28, 2003
Professor of Chinese Hong Gang Jin presented a paper on "Empirical Evidence on Processing and Learning Strategies in Multimedia Chinese Reading Tasks" at the Conference on Chinese Language Pedagogy at the University of Chicago, October 11-13. She also gave two lectures to graduate students at the Institute of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, in November: "Chinese Character Processing Strategies in Multimedia Word Recognition Tasks," and "Acquisition Process of Children with Language Disorders."  More ...

Jin Chairs Panel, Gives Paper at ACTL 2002

January 26, 2003
Professor of Chinese Hong Gang Jin chaired a panel on The Role of Psycholinguistic and Cognitive Strategies in Chinese Language Instruction and Acquisition at the ACTL 2002 in November in Salt Lake City. At the same panel, she presented a paper on " The Role of Formulaic Speech in Teaching and Learning Patterned Chinese Structures." She was elected to the Board of Directors of the Chinese Language Teachers' Association (CLTA). She will serve on the board from 2002-2005.  More ...

Wilson's Book on Cult of Confucius Published by Harvard University Press

January 23, 2003
Chair of Asian Studies Thomas Wilson's book, On Sacred Grounds: Culture, Society, Politics and the Formation of the Cult of Confucius, was published by Harvard University Press. The cover of this edited volume on the cult of Confucius uses a photograph Wilson took of the temple in Taiwan where he and his former student, Brooks Jessup, filmed the sacrifice to Confucius. Jessup, who was an Emerson grant recipient and is currently studying Chinese history at University of Californian Berkeley, is credited in a few places in the book.  More ...

Gane Publishes Article in AlterNation

January 23, 2003
Assistant Professor of English Gillian Gane published an article, "Mistakes in the Contact Zone," in AlterNation: International Journal for the Study of Southern African Literature and Languages Vol. 9, No. 1 (2002).

MacDonald Appointed to CNY Library Resources Council

January 23, 2003
Assistant Library Systems Manager Peter MacDonald has been appointed as a member of the newly formed Digitization Committee of the Central New York Library Resources Council. MacDonald brings a wealth of experience from his work with Harvard Law Library's Digital Collection Pilot Project of trial transcripts, briefs and other documents relating to the International Military Tribunal and the United States Nuremberg Military Tribunal. He is currently developing digital access and preservation for Burke Library's special collections of Civil War documents, letters and other artifacts.

Sam 'n Ella

January 22, 2003
Professor of Music Sam Pellman and Professor of Art Ella Gant presented a new work of performance art, "Got Hic," on Wednesday, Jan. 22 in the Emerson Gallery.

HILLgroup Discussion Series to Start January 28

January 15, 2003
The HILLgroup will be sponsoring monthly discussion groups on topics related to learning, instructional technology, and the use of information resources in college courses. The first HILLgroup Discussion Series: Focus On What We Have Learned About Coordinated Academic Support, is Tuesday, January 28th, at 4pm in the Christian Johnson Browsing Room.  More ...

Wu Organizes Panel/Presents Paper at AEA Meeting

January 13, 2003
Assistant Professor of Economics Stephen Wu organized a session for the 2003 American Economic Association's annual meeting titled "Documenting Relationships Between Health, Wealth and Income." As part of the session, he presented his paper, "Health Status and Portfolio Choice" (joint with Harvey Rosen of Princeton University), which uses data from the Health and Retirement Study to analyze the role that health plays in household portfolio decisions.

Rowe Participates in International Jazz Conference

January 11, 2003
Director of the Jazz Archive Monk Rowe gave a talk at the 30th annual conference of the International Association for Jazz Education. The conference, "Jazz — Crossing All Borders," was held Jan. 8-11 in Toronto, Canada. Rowe showed excerpts from Hamilton's Jazz Archive's video interviews with jazz legends.

Seager Interviewed for Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram

January 7, 2003
Associate Professor of Religious Studies Richard Seager was interviewed for a Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram article about Buddhist monks who shun the material world (1/5/03). Seager, author of the book, Buddhism in America (Columbia, 1999), said in the article, titled "The Path to Buddha," that "Buddha is a person. They don't worship in the sense...of [worshipping] God." Seager also noted that "Buddhism is gaining popularity with businesses, which offer seminars for their employees and pay to bring speakers such as the Dalai Lama to teach Buddhist thought and qualities such as being focused and mindful...'there's also a whole lot of spiritual or psychological reasons individuals might find it helpful to their own life,'" Seager said.

Gane Presents Paper at South Asian Literary Association

January 2, 2003
Assistant Professor of English Gillian Gane presented a paper, "Terror and Transformation in the Air: Postcolonial Imaginings of Air-Space," in December at the annual meeting of the South Asian Literary Association in New York City.

Isserman Publishes Review in Preservation Magazine

January 2, 2003
Maurice Isserman, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of History, wrote a review of Exploring Lewis and Clark: Reflections on Men and Wilderness authored by Thomas P. Slaughter (Knopf). In the piece, published in Preservation Magazine, Isserman writes, "Lewis and Clark weren't simply exemplary leaders of men; they brought to their arduous trip across the North American continent an intellectual curiosity and a scholarly diligence that professional academics in comfortable libraries would do well to emulate."  More ...

Wheatley Chaired Panel at the Modern Language Association Convention

January 2, 2003
Assocate Professor of English Edward Wheatley organized and chaired a panel, "Disability in Medieval European Culture," at the Modern Language Association Convention in New York in December.

Patricia O'Neill Presented Paper at Modern Language Association Meeting

January 2, 2003
Professor of English Patricia O'Neill presented a paper, "Globalization and its Discontents: Representations of Terrorism in Indian and American Cinema," at the Modern Language Association meeting in December.

Gold Published Review in American Journal of Philology

January 2, 2003
Professor of Classics Barbara Gold published a review of "The Politics of Latin Literature: Writing, Identity and Empire in Ancient Rome,"by T. Habinek, in the American Journal of Philology 123 (Dec. 2002.)

Hwangpo Published Article in Crítica Hispánica 24

January 2, 2003
Assistant Professor of Spanish Cecilia Hwangpo published, "José Antonio Ramos y la identidad nacional cubana: sentido, lenguaje y espacio," in Crítica Hispánica 24 (2002): 239-258.

Owen and Jensen Published Article in Critical Junctures in Women’s Economic Lives

January 2, 2003
Assistant Professor of Economics Ann Owen published "Gender and Interest in Studying Economics," with Professor of Economics Elizabeth Jensen, in Critical Junctures in Women's Economic Lives in December 2002.

Cafruny Presents Paper at the British International Studies Association Meeting

January 1, 2003
Alan Cafruny, Henry Platt Bristol Professor of International Affairs, presented a paper, "Is There a Coming Crisis of the Euro," at the British International Studies Association Annual Convention, London, Dec. 2002.

Day Presents Paper at Modern Language Association Convention

January 1, 2003
Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian Jennifer Day presented a paper, "Memory and Space in the Petersburg City-Text," at the December 2002 MLA Convention in New York City.

Shields Publishes Article in CUR Quarterly

January 1, 2003
Professor of Chemistry George Shields published an advisory article on obtaining NSF grant funding, "The Benefits of Forming a Consortium for an NSF-MRI Proposal," in the December issue of Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR) Quarterly.

Yao Publishes Review in Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews

December 31, 2002
Assistant Professor of English Steven Yao published a review of the book Transpacific Displacement: Ethnography, Translation and Intertexutal Travel in Twentieth-Century American Literature by Yunte Huang in Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews. Vol. 24, December 2002, pp. 213-218.

Yao Presents Paper at Modern Language Association Annual Meeting

December 31, 2002
Assistant Professor of English Steven Yao presented a paper, "The Trauma of Ethnicity: Poems of Angel Island and Narratives of Chinese and Anglo-American Modernism," for the "Traumatic Modernism: Writing and Photography in Detention Panel" given by the Division on Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century English Literature at the Modern Language Association Annual Meeting in New York.

Jin Elected to Board of Directors of the Chinese Language Teachers' Association

December 30, 2002
Professor of Chinese Hong Gang Jin has been elected to the board of directors of the Chinese Language Teachers' Association. Jin will serve on the board until November 2005. CLTA is a professional organization devoted exclusively to the study of Chinese language, culture and pedagogy.

Sinclair Hitchings to Present Slide Lecture

December 23, 2002
As part of the Emerson Gallery Exhibit, "Whistler and His Contemporaries: Prints of Venice," Sinclair Hitchings, Keeper of Prints for the Boston Public Library, will present a slide lecture on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. in the Chemistry Auditorium.  More ...

Cheng Li Appeared on CNN

December 23, 2002
Professor of Government Cheng Li appeared as part of a "Year End Special" for CNN Moneyline in December. Li was interviewed about the political changes in China. The program aired again on January 1.

Adair and Gormley on WCNY's "Hour CNY"

December 13, 2002
Vivyan Adair, director of the ACCESS Project, and Sharon Gormley, ACCESS coordinator, were guests on WCNY-TV's "Hour CNY," in December. They discussed the ACCESS Project, a comprehensive Hamilton College program designed to provide low-income parents with the opportunity to receive a liberal arts education. "Hour CNY" is a daily TV talk show in which the hosts feature people and organizations of interest in Central New York.

Cheng Li Speaks at Harvard University

December 12, 2002
Professor of Government Cheng Li, Woodrow Wilson fellow, participated in a panel discussion, "The Sixteenth Party Congress: A Springboard for Change or the Seeds of Conflict?" with Gwendolyn Stewart, Harvard University, and Joseph Fewsmith, Boston University, in December.

Luciano Presented Two Conference Papers

December 7, 2002
Assistant Professor of English Dana Luciano gave two conference papers in December: "Bio-Politics and Necro-Erotics in 19th-Century Queer Female Gothic," for the American Women's Gothic panel at the American Literature Association's 2002 symposium on American Gothic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and "Missing: National Mourning and Cosmopolitan Melancholia after 9/11," for the Altars, Rituals and Testimonies session at the Modern Language Association Convention, New York.

Luciano Publishes Article

December 2, 2002
Assistant Professor of English Dana Luciano published an article, "Passing Shadows: Melancholy Nationality and Black Publicity in Pauline E. Hopkins' Of One Blood, in a collection edited by David Eng and David Kazanjian titled Loss: The Psychic and Social Contexts of Melancholia (University of California Press, 2002).

Kaha Publishes in Qualitative Inquiry

December 2, 2002
Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Catherine Kaha published six poems in the journal Qualitative Inquiry (Dec. 2002). The selection included "Compass's Era"; "The Other Side of Darkness"; "Caught in the World's Gaze"; "Where no Divide Could Even Penetrate"; "The Cabinet of Dreams"; and "The First Question." These poems were drawn from an unpublished manuscript titled Threshold: Collected Poems, 1996 - 2001.

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