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| Faculty Newsletter Archive |
Faculty News - Summer 2006Walker Participated in Discussion at Woodrow Wilson CenterSeptember 29, 2006Edward S. Walker, Jr.'62, former U. S. Ambassador to Israel and the Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Global Political Theory, participated in a discussion hosted by The Woodrow Wilson Center on September 28, in Washington. Walker was joined by freelance journalist Mohammad Hakki and Nicholas Veliotes, former assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs, for the panel discussion titled "Collateral Damage: Is the Widening Middle East Crisis Damaging our Relations with Egypt and Other Regional Allies?" Orvis Addresses State Department Conference on Conflict in AfricaSeptember 29, 2006Government professor Stephen Orvis spoke at the Conference on Conflict in the Horn of Africa hosted by the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the United States Department of State on Sept. 29 in Washington D.C. Orvis, who served as an international election observer in Kenya's transitional elections to democratic rule and led 11 Hamilton students on the Kenya Field School in summer 2000 and 2004, spoke on Kenya. The State Department organizes these conferences to solicit the views of nongovernmental specialists and to facilitate the exchange of views between these specialists and government officials. O'Neal Lectures at ColgateSeptember 29, 2006Professor of French John O'Neal gave a talk for Colgate University's Humanities Colloquium Series on September 26. The talk was titled "Nature as Refuge: From Rousseau's Cascade to Central New York's Trenton Falls." Gapp Gives Lecture at Le Moyne CollegeSeptember 27, 2006Professor of Biology David Gapp gave a seminar on September 22 at the Le Moyne College Biology Department. His topic was "Diabetes in the common snapper, Chelydra serpentina: a transient phenomenon in Utica Marsh." Buchman Presents Paper at Syracuse University SymposiumSeptember 26, 2006Heather Buchman, assistant professor of music, gave a paper at a symposium on music and nature at Syracuse University in September. The paper, "An Ecology of Musicians and Nature: Contemporary Challenges, Creative Responses," examined whether the increasing sense of urgency about the environmental crisis since 2000 has been reflected in the thinking and work of composers and performing musicians. Buchman interviewed six composers for this project, including Professor of Music Sam Pellman and former visiting professors Gabriel Gould and Aaron Travers. Both Gould and Travers wrote compositions for Hamilton College instrumental ensembles in 2006 with nature as a central theme. Buchman sees this as not a coincidence, and offers that a new level of engagement in the music community on this issue is a healthy trend in the art music world. Keating Curates Native American/First Nations Exhibition at EmersonSeptember 25, 2006Neal Keating, visiting assistant professor of religious studies, is the curator of "Native Perspectives," an exhibition of contemporary Native American / First Nations art that opened on Sept. 22 in the Emerson Gallery at Hamilton, and will run through Dec. 30. The exhibit derives in part from Keating's long-term ethnographic research on contemporary and historical Native American art, which he began in 1997. The exhibit features works by two important artists, George Longfish (Seneca / Tuscarora) and Shelley Niro (Mohawk), both of who have received extensive critical acclaim and international recognition for their art. Niro's works include two series of hand-painted photographs, the first of which is called "A Taste of Heaven" and the second, "This Land is Mime Land." Longfish's works include five paintings, two prints, one photo-montage and an installation. A catalog of the exhibition that includes an interpretative essay by Keating is also available. More ... Elgren Lectures at ColgateSeptember 21, 2006Tim Elgren, professor of chemistry and chair of the biochemistry/molecular biology program, presented a lecture titled "Harnessing the Power of an Enzyme" at Colgate University. The lecture focused on the recent work of students in his lab and work resulting from a year-long sabbatical leave at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. The focus of Elgren's research is currently the preparation, stabilization, and characterization of novel catalytic bio-materials. Simon Gives Lecture at International Association for the Philosophy of Sport MeetingSeptember 21, 2006Robert Simon, the Marjorie and Robert McEwen Professor of Philosophy, gave the Warren Fraleigh Distinguished Scholar lecture at the 34th annual meeting of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport held at Niagara Falls, Canada, in September. The title of his lecture was "Deserving to be Lucky: Reflections on Luck, Desert, and Fairness in Sport." In the lecture, Simon argued first that luck does not ruin or spoil athletic contests which often are conceived of as tests of pure skill, and second that initial inequalities in natural ability and environment do not preclude justifiable attributions of desert in sport although it may lessen their significance. In a section of his paper, Simon discussed colleague Dan Chambliss's book Champions: The Making of Olympic Swimmers. More ... Pillow Joins Steering Board of Consortium on High Achievement and SuccessSeptember 20, 2006Associate Dean of Faculty and Associate Professor of Philosophy Kirk Pillow has joined the steering board of the Consortium on High Achievement and Success. CHAS, a 36-member consortium of highly selective liberal arts colleges, promotes the sharing of best practices among member institutions dedicated to enhancing educational outcomes for all students, with an emphasis on the needs of students of color. CHAS-coordinated projects have played a significant role in Hamilton's diversity initiatives for several years, including science faculty workshops, collecting student narratives, meetings of academic support professionals, and data sharing across the consortium. Pillow will join steering board colleagues from Barnard, Colby, St. Lawrence, Trinity and Vassar in planning the initiatives of CHAS, including a President's Forum in New York scheduled for December. Williams Lectures at Utica CollegeSeptember 20, 2006Ernest Williams, the Leonard C. Ferguson Professor of Biology, was the first speaker of the year in the Asa Gray Seminar Series at Utica College. His lecture was titled "Population structure and conservation of three rare butterflies." Shields Presents Seminar at Memorial Sloan-KetteringSeptember 19, 2006Winslow Professor of Chemistry George Shields presented a seminar at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City, on September 12. His talk, "Computational Design of a Small Peptide that Inhibits Breast Cancer" highlighted the work that his students have completed while working with Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry Karl Kirschner and himself. More ... Li Quoted in National Geographic MagazineSeptember 18, 2006Cheng Li, William R. Kenan Professor of Government, was quoted in the cover article of the September issue of the National Geographic Magazine. In "The Manchurian Mandate," Li commented on how the Chinese government could not afford to allow the frustrations of the residents of northeast China to erupt. Social unrest in that area of the country has been high due to lay-offs, rampant corruption, human and environmental disasters and a growing income gap between the highest and lowest groups. Li is currently a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. More ... Seager Interviewed About Buddhism in U.S. for Christian Science MonitorSeptember 14, 2006Professor of Religious Studies Richard Seager was interviewed by the Christian Science Monitor (9/14/06) for an article about Buddhism in the U.S., related to the Dalai Lama's visit this week to North America. Seager, author of Buddhism in America, estimates there are 1.5 million Buddhists in the U.S, and says it is the fourth-largest religion here. The Dalai Lama will visit Vancouver, B.C., then several U.S. cities during his North American tour. Lehman Publishes Paper in Journal of Experimental BiologySeptember 14, 2006Associate Professor of Biology Herm Lehman has published a manuscript titled, "Division of labor in the honey bee (Apis mellifera): the role of tyramine beta-hydroxlyase" in the Journal of Experimental Biology. Lehman's laboratory explores the neurochemical basis of behavior and in this paper he describes a link between the foraging behavior of honey bees, the level of a common neurotransmitter, and the amount of messenger RNA that encodes the enzyme necessary for the synthesis of the neurotransmitter. These findings are new and interesting because they support the notion that subtle changes in the expression of a gene involved in neurotransmitter synthesis can have a profound impact on animal behavior. More ... Goldberg to Deliver Lecture at MWPAISeptember 13, 2006Associate Professor of Art History Stephen J. Goldberg will present a digital-slide lecture titled "Uses of the Past in Chinese Landscape Painting" at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, in the auditorium at the Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute (MWPAI. Goldberg's presentation will mark the opening of an exhibition titled "Chinese Paintings from the Henricksen Collection" at the institute. A lecture titled "From Collection to Exhibition" by Sewall Oertling, professor emeritus at SUNY Oswego, will follow. Both presentations are free and open to the public. A reception will follow in the Edward Wales Root Sculpture Court open to institute members and their guests. O'Neal Publishes Article in Utica Observer-Dispatch Comparing Two UticasSeptember 13, 2006Professor of French John O'Neal wrote an article, "Two Uticas with one spririt of warmth" for the Utica Observer-Dispatch (Sept. 3, 2006). The piece resulted from O'Neal's trip to Utica, Tunisia, in July, when he traveled there to present a paper at the Fourth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities. In the OD article he wrote that his experience in Tunisia "is a tale of international exchange and understanding." O'Neal recounted how he and his wife, Nancy, took a taxi one day to the Utica musueum, only to find it closed for renovations. "When we explained that we had traveled all the way from Utica, N.Y., to visit the museum, we were shown around personally by a guide who happened to be on the premises that day. After the visit to the museum, he escorted us to the actual archaeological site, where he showed us a number of historical treasures among the ruins," O'Neal wrote. He said the trip was a chance "to see international exchange at its best, especially in the land that gave our Utica its name." Jin Elected Vice President of National Language OrganizationSeptember 13, 2006Professor of Chinese Hong Gang Jin was recently elected vice president of National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL), a national organization for languages which are less commonly taught in the U.S. Jin also organized an International Conference on Chinese Language Education in July, co-sponsored by Hamilton College and Duke University and held at Beijing Capital Normal University, Beijing, China. More ... Rupprecht Attends World Shakespeare Conference in AustraliaSeptember 12, 2006Professor of Comparative Literature Carol Schreier Rupprecht participated in the 8th World Shakespeare Conference in Brisbane, Australia, in July. Her paper, "Othello in Other Words," compared the Italian novella by Giraldi Cinthio, which was the primary source for Shakespeare's "Othello, The Moor of Venice," with the Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito for Verdi's opera, "Otello." The comparison, applying translation theory, was traced through Boito's reliance on a French translation of Cinthio by Chappuys and of Shakespeare by François-Victor Hugo as well as Verdi's reliance on three Italian translations of Shakespeare, including one in prose. Boutin Publishes Article in Electronic Journal of CombinatoricsSeptember 12, 2006Debra Boutin, associate professor of mathematics, has published a research article in the Electronic Journal of Combinatorics. In the article "Identifying Graph Automorphisms Using Determining Sets," Boutin introduces a new tool for studying graph symmetry. This tool allows each symmetry to be studied by its action on a (small) subset of the graph rather than requiring knowledge of the symmetry's action on the entire graph. Bayolo Commissioned to Compose Work for National Gallery of ArtSeptember 12, 2006Armando Bayolo, visiting assistant professor of music, has recently been commissioned by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., to compose a work for the National Gallery Vocal Arts Ensemble and the Great Noise Ensemble. The work will be a tribute to artist Mark Rothko and will use his rarely seen Harvard Murals as inspiration. The work will be performed at the National Gallery at the end of the 2007-2008 concert season. Guttman Publishes Poem, "The Whelping"September 11, 2006Associate Professor of English Naomi Guttman published a poem, "The Whelping," in Volume 19 of The Marlboro Review. She also presented a paper, "Sustainable is Beautiful: Pastured Egg Farming in Central New York," at The Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, which "brings together food writers, food historians, scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, chefs and others who specialise in the serious study of food in history, its place in contemporary societies, and related scientific developments." The symposium has been convening since 1981. Pearle Co-Authors Article on Quantum MechanicsSeptember 11, 2006Professor of Physics, Emeritus, Philip Pearle co-authored an article "Quantum Mechanics: Generalizations" in Encyclopaedia of Mathematical Physics, vol 4 (of 5 volumes), pp.265-276, eds. J.-P. Francoise, G. Naber and T. S. Tsun (Elsevier, 2006). Co-author was Antony Valentini of the Perimeter Institute (Waterloo, Canada). Pearle was an invited speaker at the workshop "Beyond the Quantum," held in the Lorentz Center in Leiden (the Netherlands), in June, and at "Quantum Reality, Relativistic Causality, and Closing the Epistemic Circle: An International Conference in Honor of Abner Shimony," at the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Canada, in July. At both conferences he gave different talks with the same title: "How Stands Collapse." King Co-Authors Chapter in New Book Sport, Rhetoric, and GenderSeptember 11, 2006Jamie King, head coach of women's tennis, has published a book chapter, "Language, Gender, and Sport: A Review of the Research," co-authored with Jeffrey O. Segrave (Skidmore College) and Katherine L. McDonald (SUNY Buffalo School of Law) in the book Sport, Rhetoric, and Gender (2006) by Palgrave MacMillan. More ... Pillow Publishes Essay in Aesthetics and Cognition in Kant’s Critical PhilosophySeptember 10, 2006Associate Dean of Faculty and Associate Professor of Philosophy Kirk Pillow has published an essay, "Understanding Aestheticized," in the volume Aesthetics and Cognition in Kant's Critical Philosophy. Edited by Rebecca Kukla and published by Cambridge University Press, the volume contributors assess the relationship between Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant's aesthetic theory and his theory of knowledge. The collection features essays by major Kant scholars including Henry Allison, Béatrice Longuenesse, Paul Guyer and Rudolf Makkreel. Pillow's essay argues that Kant's thought opens the possibility of unsettling any sharp distinction between aesthetics and cognition, and as such prefigures important elements of contemporary American neo-pragmatist philosophy. Owen Presents on Environmental Behavior at World BankSeptember 7, 2006Associate Professor of Economics Ann Owen presented an invited talk at the World Bank on Sept. 7. The talk was based on a paper co-authored with Assistant Professor of Economics Julio Videras titled "Culture and Public Goods: The Case of Religion and the Voluntary Provision of Environmental Quality" which studied pro-environment behavior and attitudes of individuals in 14 countries. More ... LaDousa Publishes Article in The Journal of Linguistic AnthropologySeptember 6, 2006Assistant Professor of Anthropology Chaise LaDousa published "The Discursive Malleability of an Identity: A Dialogic Approach to Language "Medium" Schooling in North India" in the latest issue of The Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, the journal for the Society for Linguistic Anthropology of the American Anthropological Association. The article is derived from LaDousa's ongoing research in Banaras and Delhi on the ways that the school provides an ethnographic site for exploring constructions of class, region and nation in contemporary India. Tampio Joins Prominent Kant Scholars at Political Science ConferenceSeptember 6, 2006Nicholas Tampio, visiting assistant professor of government, presented a paper on "Kantian Principles" at the 2006 American Political Science Association Conference, held in August. The paper argues that Kant's heirs should create new principles rather than retain Kant's original principles. The panel included several prominent Kant scholars, including Elisabeth Ellis, William Galston, Patrick Riley, and Susan Shell. Tampio's paper is part of his book manuscript on Kant's legacy in contemporary political theory. Hill Publishes Book Review in The Wall Street JournalSeptember 6, 2006Visiting Instructor of History Christopher Hill wrote a book review titled "They Killed the King," that was published in The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 6, 2006). Hill reviewed The Tyrannicide Brief, by Geoffrey Robertson (Pantheon). The book tells the story of John Cooke, England's solicitor-general in 1649, and his role in the treason trial of King Charles I. Hill noted that the trial and Charles' execution "arguably began the separation of Europe from authoritarian rule." In the review, Hill wrote that Cooke "became a martyr to the Puritan cause he had championed." He called the book "superb" and said the author believes Charles' trial "is the precedent for our admirable, modern-day efforts to call tyrants to account in courts of law. Hill noted: "Mr. Robertson's occasional enthusiasm for Cooke, however, cannot obscure the great success of his book: illuminating the heroic role played by the Puritans in curtailing authoritarian rule." Phelan Presents Paper at Media Ecology Association ConferenceSeptember 6, 2006Catherine W. Phelan, professor and chair of Communication, presented a paper titled "Democracy in the Digital Age" at the Media Ecology Association Conference in Boston, during the summer. Material for this presentation was drawn from a larger manuscript she is currently working on which investigates how innovations in digital media challenge foundational concepts of American democracy. Phelan's work with the Media Ecology Association also includes a forthcoming publication titled "Notions of Progress" which will appear in the journal Explorations in Media Ecology (v. 5, n. 2, 2006). Pillow Appointed to Munson-Williams-Proctor Advisory CommitteeSeptember 4, 2006Associate Dean of Faculty and Associate Professor of Philosophy Kirk Pillow has been appointed to the Museum of Art Advisory Committee of the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica. The committee advises Paul Schweizer, director and chief curator of the Museum, and Milton Bloch, president of the Institute, on museum policy, exhibition planning, and other matters. Pillow's appointment was recently approved unanimously by the Institute's board of trustees. The appointment extends his involvement in the local arts community; Pillow already serves as president of the board of directors of Sculpture Space, an artists' residency program currently celebrating its 30th anniversary year. Kamiya Gives Presentation in JapanSeptember 4, 2006Assistant Professor of Japanese Masaaki Kamiya (with Seiki Ayano in Mie University in Japan) gave a presentation at Formal Approaches to Japanese Linguistics at Osaka University in Japan during August. The talk was titled "Verbal Nouns in Japanese are so called for good reasons." Vaughan Chairs Psychology Division of the Council on Undergraduate ResearchSeptember 1, 2006Professor of Psychology Jonathan Vaughan assumes the position of chair of the Psychology division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). CUR is an organization that supports faculty and institutions that seek to promote undergraduate research on their campuses. Vaughan has also been honored by election to Fellow status in Division 6 of the American Psychological Association (Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology). He is also a Fellow in Division 3, Experimental Psychology. More ... Elgren, Guyot-Bender, Seager and Xu Promoted to Rank of ProfessorAugust 30, 2006Four members of the Hamilton College faculty have been promoted to the rank of professor. Associate Professor of Chemistry Timothy Elgren, Associate Professor of French Martine Guyot-Bender, Associate Professor of Religious Studies Richard Seager and Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures De Bao Xu were promoted, effective July 1. More ... New Faculty Appointed at Hamilton CollegeAugust 30, 2006Joseph Urgo, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Hamilton College, announced the appointment of new faculty for the 2006-2007 academic year, including seven tenure-track appointments, 21 visiting professors, and eight lecturers, teaching fellows and instructors. More ... Grady Awarded Fellowship at Convocation CeremonyAugust 29, 2006Men's Hockey Coach Phil Grady was honored as the first recipient of The Jerome Gottlieb '64 Fellowship for Exemplary Coaching at this year's convocation ceremony held on August 27. More ... Boutin Chairs Session, Presents Talk at Mathematics ConferenceAugust 28, 2006Debra Boutin, associate professor of mathematics, recently chaired a session on Algebraic Aspects of Graphs at the SIAM Conference on Discrete Mathematics at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. At this same conference, Boutin also gave a talk titled 'Determining Sets - A Measure of Graph Symmetry,' in which she introduced a new tool for studying symmetry. Hamilton Dedicates Facility in Former Root Family ResidenceAugust 24, 2006Following a summer of construction and preparation, the home of the new Hamilton Outdoor Leadership Center was dedicated and celebrated on Wednesday, August 23. Following the dedication there was a reception, cookout and screening of adventure films on the lawn open to the entire Hamilton College community. More ... Tewksbury and Colleagues Awarded NSF Continuation GrantAugust 22, 2006Barbara Tewksbury, the William R. Kenan Professor of Geosciences, and three colleagues have been awarded a major grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant is a collaborative grant from NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education and is for a $2 million project over three years. It will fund continuation of a national project, On the Cutting Edge, which developed a comprehensive program of workshops and related Web-based resources to support geosciences faculty professional development at all stages of their careers. The initial NSF grant for the project was awarded five years ago to Tewksbury and her co-principal investigators (Heather Macdonald, College of William and Mary; Cathryn Manduca, Carleton College; and David Mogk, Montana State University). More ... Ernest Williams, Dan Gruner '93 and Jeff Evans '99 Present at Ecological Society of America MeetingAugust 21, 2006It was a reunion of sorts at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, held in Memphis, August 6-12. Ernest Williams, the Leonard C. Ferguson Professor of Biology, Dan Gruner '93 and Jeff Evans '99 were all presenters at the meeting. Gruner and Evans were Williams' senior thesis students during their time at Hamilton and both graduated with honors in Biology. More ... Hamilton Among Top 1% in National Alumni Giving LevelsAugust 17, 2006For the 25th consecutive year, more than 50 percent of Hamilton alumni made contributions to the college. Of the 50.2 percent who made contributions, 55.5 percent increased the size of their gifts, a jump from 53 percent a year ago. More ... Irons Presents Paper at American Sociological Association MeetingAugust 17, 2006Assistant Professor of Sociology Jenny Irons attended the American Sociological Association annual meeting in Montreal, Quebec. She served as one of three critics at an Author-Meets-Critics roundtable on David Cunningham's book, Something's Happening Here: The New Left, the Klan, and FBI Counterintelligence. She also presented a paper at a regular session called, "Constructing the Knowledge of Repression: An Empirical Analysis of Cultural Factors that Shape Covert State-level Repression." Smallen Comments on the Personal Computer’s 25th Birthday for National MediaAugust 16, 2006Dave Smallen, vice president of information technology, commented on the 25th birthday of the personal computer in an article for PC Magazine authored by Natali Del Conte. In the article, Smallen discussed the emergence of personal computers on college campuses and initial concerns about their use by students stating, "When the first personal computers came out and students started to bring them to campus, many people were concerned that students would spend so much time using their computers, isolated from each other, that the sense of community on campuses, and students' personal health would be compromised." More ... Williams Attends Conference at the University of EdinburghAugust 16, 2006Jay Williams, Walcott-Bartlett Professor of Religious Studies, delivered a paper titled "Thomas Nast and Multiculturalism" at the International Conference on Arts in Society at the University of Edinburgh on August 15. The conference was held concurrently with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Art Festival, the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival and was sponsored by Common Ground, an academic publisher and conference organizer. Williams' presentation addressed Nast's belief that the United States should be an inclusive society. Nast particularly emphasized the need to include African Americans, Asians and Native Americans in society, but he railed against extremists who sought to dominate any aspect of society with a particular ideology. Kamiya Gives Paper at 8th Seoul International ConferenceAugust 15, 2006Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures Masaaki Kamiya gave a presentation at the 8th Seoul International Conference on Generative Grammar. The theme of the conference was "Minimalist views on language design." Kamiya's paper was titled "DP Goal, PP Goal, and vP internal structure in Japanese" in which he presented new evidence that the internal structure of verb phrase is more complex than ever thought. Cockburn Presents Paper at MathFest MeetingAugust 15, 2006Associate Professor of Mathematics Sally Cockburn presented a paper at MathFest, the summer meeting of the Mathematical Association of America on Aug. 12 in Knoxville. The paper, titled "Deranged Socks," was joint work with former visiting professor Joshua Lesperance, and grew out of a problem from Cockburn's junior-level graph theory and combinatorics course. Specifically, given n distinct pairs of socks, how many ways are there to distribute 2 socks to each of n people so that no one receives a matching pair? Like many combinatorial problems, it is easy to state, but remarkably difficult to solve. More ... Williams Presents Poster at Ecological Society of America Annual MeetingAugust 14, 2006Ernest Williams, the Leonard C. Ferguson Professor of Biology, attended the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Memphis, Tenn., August 6-11. He presented a poster "Tree removal expands habitat for lupine and frosted elfin butterfly," on which Associate Professor of Biology William Pfitsch was second author. Cryer Presents Panel on Grant Writing at ConferenceAugust 14, 2006Associate Professor of Theatre Mark Cryer presented a panel on grant writing for the arts at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Conference in Chicago. He also was elected chair of the Acting Focus Group at ATHE. Reynolds Contributes Chapter to New Book, The MollusksAugust 11, 2006Professor of Biology Pat Reynolds contributed a chapter to a new book, The Mollusks: A Guide to their Study, Collection, and Preservation. Reynolds' chapter is on the class Scaphopoda, known as the tusk shell because of its hollow, curved, conical tube shape. The book is a publication of the American Malacological Society, which according to its Web site, is "a dynamic international society of individuals and organizations with an active interest in the study and conservation of mollusks." Reynolds is editor-in-chief of Invertebrate Biology, the journal of the American Microscopical Society. More ... Owen Helps Organize Macroeconomic Research ConferenceAugust 10, 2006Associate Professor of Economics Ann Owen was an organizer of the second annual Conference on Macroeconomic Research at Liberal Arts Colleges, hosted by Vassar. Owen organized this year's conference with colleagues at Smith, Colgate & Vassar. Its two primary goals are to create an open forum that allows macroeconomists at liberal arts colleges to expose their work to a group of peers to gain valuable feedback and to build a network of colleagues with whom to share ideas and collaborate on research projects. Owen will chair a panel on monetary policy at the conference. Hamilton has been selected to host a future conference. Omori Presents Paper on Japanese Fiction at International ConferenceAugust 10, 2006Assistant Professor of Japanese Kyoko Omori gave a presentation titled "The Art of the Bluff: Youth Migrancy, Interlingualism, and the Popular Fiction of Tani Jôji" at the International Conference on Japanese Language Education at Columbia University. The conference theme was "Japanese Language Education: Entering a New Age." Conference presentations included: Japanese literature and culture, research on second language learning, linguistics, and classroom teaching practice. This conference was the first Japanese language education conference held outside of Asia. Elgren Receives $259,000 NSF Award to Support Chemistry ResearchAugust 7, 2006Tim Elgren, professor of chemistry, has received a $259,000 award from the National Science Foundation in support of his continuing research. Elgren's lab focuses on understanding how enzymes work, particularly those that contain metal ions. He and his Hamilton undergraduate students prepare catalytically active biomaterials that contain the enzyme. These materials allow them to probe the natural activity of the enzyme catalyst. The award provides funds to support student participation in the project, a postdoctoral research position, and equipment. Owen Quoted in The Christian Science MonitorAugust 3, 2006Associate Professor of Economics Ann Owen was quoted in an article in The Christian Science Monitor on the state of the U.S. economy and the nation's job market. Commenting on the job market and the complex nature of the economy, Owen said, "We see some strength and some signs of trouble down the road… The dilemma is that the numbers only tell the past, and you must make policy on what you think will happen." Commenting on new Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Owen continued, "On the line is the credibility of the Fed under the new chair, if they pause and it's the wrong call, people will say Bernanke is not committed to a low inflation rate. But if they raise rates and it's the wrong call, people will say he's overzealous." More ... Kirschner, Shields and Students Published in International Chemistry JournalAugust 2, 2006Visiting Professor of Chemistry Karl Kirschner and Winslow Professor of Chemistry George Shields and their students have published a paper in the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry. More ... Urgo Publishes Article on Collegiality in symplokeAugust 2, 2006Dean of the Faculty Joseph R. Urgo published an article in symploke, a comparative theory and literature journal. The article, "Collegiality and Academic Community," appears in volume 13, numbers 1-2. More ... Family Dedication Ceremony for New Fitness CenterJuly 24, 2006Hamilton College welcomed members of the Blood family at a dedication ceremony for its new fitness and dance center in July. The Charlean and Wayland Blood Fitness and Dance Center is scheduled to open officially on August 25, and will be dedicated formally during the college's Fallcoming Weekend in October. It is being named for the parents of David Blood, a member of the Class of 1981 and the third generation of the Blood family to attend Hamilton. More ...Xu Gives Keynote Lecture at International ConferenceJuly 24, 2006Associate Professor of Chinese De Bao Xu was keynote speaker of the 5th International Conference on New Technologies in Teaching and Learning Chinese (ICNTTLC5), held at City University of Hong Kong, China, on July 19-22. His speech was titled "Multimedia Instruction-Reasons, History, Current Situation, and Future." ICNTTLC5 is the largest biennial conference on technology and Chinese language teaching, which is organized by the Association of Modernization of Chinese Language Education (AMCLE). Carter Presents Paper at International ConferenceJuly 24, 2006Professor of Art History Rand Carter presented a paper titled "Schinkels Sammlung architektonischer Entwuerfe: Dokument oder Romantische Träumerei" at the Karl Friedrich Schinkel: ein Sohn der Aufklaerung International Conference sponsored by Berlin's Humboldt University. More ... Omori Presents Paper at Japanese Literary Studies ConferenceJuly 23, 2006Assistant Professor of Japanese Kyoko Omori gave a presentation titled "Frantically Walking About the Modern Space With(in) a Magazine: Youth Migrancy and Travel in Early Twentieth-Century Japanese Popular Fiction" at the Association of Japanese Literary Studies Conference at Josai International University in Tokyo, Japan (July 1-2). This year's conference theme was "Travel in Japanese Representation Culture: Its Past, Present and Future." Cafruny Attends Conference in EstoniaJuly 21, 2006Alan Cafruny, the Henry Platt Bristol Professor of International Affairs, recently returned from Tartu, Estonia, where he attended the Central and Eastern European International Studies Association (CEEISA) conference at the University of Tartu. He presented a paper on transatlantic relations, titled "The EMU and the Transatlantic and Social Dimensions of the Crisis of the European Union" which was co-authored with Magnus Ryner of the University of Birmingham. Chambliss Publishes Sociology TextbookJuly 21, 2006Dan Chambliss, the Eugene M. Tobin Distinguished Professor of Sociology, recently published the second edition of a research methods textbook, Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation, with Russell K. Schutt. The book is a comprehensive introduction to social science methods, including surveys, interviews, experiments, elementary causal and data analysis, and issues of data synthesis and conceptualization, and occasionally includes examples from Hamilton's Mellon Foundation Assessment Project, a longitudinal study of student educational experiences at Hamilton. Coach Davis and Swim Team Members Participate in FundraiserJuly 20, 2006Members of the Hamilton College swim team made a big splash at the 8th annual Swim Across America event at Nantasket Beach in Hull, Mass. On July 15, they braved the chilly ocean water, along with U.S. Olympic swimmers, for a one-mile swim to support the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The event raised more than $250,000, with a record number of participants this year. More ... Eugene Domack Gives Invited Talk at Geology Conference in SwitzerlandJuly 19, 2006Professor of Geosciences Eugene Domack gave an invited talk titled "Modern Antarctic glacial marine settings as partial analogs for Snowball Earth" at the Snowball Earth Conference in Ascona, Switzerland, on July 16-21. More ... Jones and Pliskin Elected to International Economics AssociationJuly 19, 2006Derek Jones, the Irma M. and Robert D. Morris Professor of Economics, presented two papers at the 13th meeting of the International Association for the Economics of Participation held at Oñati, Spain from July 12 - 15. More ... Budget Director Recognized as “Future Leader in Higher Education”July 18, 2006Controller and Director of Budgets Matthew P. Orlando received the Rising Star Award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) at the Annual NACUBO Convention in Hawaii on July 8. More ... Anechiarico Published in the Harvard International ReviewJuly 18, 2006In a review titled Exorcising Hobbes Frank Anechiarico, the Maynard-Knox Professor of Government and Law, critiqued The War on Terror and the Framework of International Law in the April 26 edition of the Harvard International Review. More ... Adair and ACESS Students Publish Book ReviewJuly 17, 2006Vivyan Adair, the Elihu Root Peace Fund Associate Professor of Women's Studies and director of the ACCESS Project, published a book review in African American Review (vol. 40, #1). The Review is the premier journal on African American Literature and culture in the U.S. and an official publication of the Modern Language Association. The book review was written with ACCESS students Paulette Brown, Jamie L. Clark and Rosie Cotrich Perez. It is a review of the book Storming Caesars Palace: How Black Mothers Fought Their Own War on Poverty (Boston: Beacon Press, 2005). Rabinowitz Doing Research on Antiquities in HavanaJuly 16, 2006Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz, the Margaret Bundy Scott Professor of Comparative Literature, is travelling to Havana, Cuba, to conduct research and present a paper at a colloquium celebrating the antiquities collection of Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana. The proceedings will be published by UNESCO. Keller Presents Workshop in KyrgyzstanJuly 13, 2006Associate Professor of History Shoshana Keller recently returned from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where she participated in the "Bishkek Summer Institute on Teaching Islam in Eurasia" from June 24 to July 7 at the American University of Central Asia. More ... Cryer to Play Prospero in Saratoga Shakespeare Production of The TempestJuly 13, 2006Associate Professor of Theatre Mark Cryer is performing the role of Prospero in the Saratoga Shakespeare Company production of The Tempest. The show opens on Tuesday, July 18, and runs through the end of the month with performances Tuesdays through Sundays at 6 p.m. in Congress Park. Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. The show is free. Borton Publishes Article in Self and IdentityJuly 12, 2006Assistant Professor of Psychology Jennifer Borton published "Suppression of Negative Self-Referent Thoughts: A Field Study," in the July-Sept. 2006 issue of the journal Self and Identity. The article was co-authored with Elizabeth Casey '04, who is now in a clinical psychology Ph.D. program at Kent State. More ... ACCESS Project Students Nolita Clark and Shannon Stanfield Publish Book ChapterJuly 7, 2006ACCESS Project students Nolita Clark (Hamilton '06) and Shannon Stanfield '07 wrote an article with Vivyan Adair, the Elihu Root Peace Fund Associate Professor of Woemen's Studies, that has been published in the edited collection, Women's Lives, Multicultural Perspectives. The book, by Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa Rey, is published by McGraw Hill Books. The ACCESS students' chapter is titled "Remarkable Journeys: Poor, Single Mothers Accessing Higher Education"(section 53). This is a major publication (essays are from some of the most important writers in the field) and an extraordinary achievement for any student, according to Adair. O'Neal Presents Paper at International Conference on New Directions in the HumanitiesJuly 6, 2006Professor of French John O'Neal presented a paper in French at the 4th International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities at the University of Carthage in Tunis in July. O'Neal's paper was titled "La confusion de la societe dans la Lettre a d'Alembert sur les spectacles et la question de la modernite de Rousseau." While there O'Neal visited the ancient of Utica, for which the local city is named. De Swaan to Speak on Utica Library PanelJuly 6, 2006Photographs by Visiting Art Instructor Sylvia de Swaan are on display at the Utica Public Library through Aug. 29 as part of an exhibit titled "Work Zone." De Swaan will participate in a panel discussion on Monday, July 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the library's gallery with two other photographers, Sarah Lathrop and Gina Murtaugh, whose works are also included in the show. The event is free and open to the public. More ... Irons Publishes Article in Quarterly Review, MobilizationJuly 5, 2006Assistant Professor of Sociology Jenny Irons published an article in the June 2006 issue of Mobilization: The International Quarterly Review of Research in Social Movements, Protest, and Contentious Politics. It is a special issue on repression and the social control of protest. Her article is titled "Who Rules the Social Control of Protest?: Variability in the State-Countermovement Relationship." It examines the variable relationship between a state organization that tried to maintain segregation during the Civil Rights Movement, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, and a citizen-led countermovement that tried to do the same, the White Citizens' Councils. More ... Isserman Reviews Timothy Leary Biography for Chicago TribuneJuly 5, 2006Professor of History Maurice Isserman wrote a review of the new book, Timothy Leary: A Biography, by Robert Greenfield for the Chicago Tribune (July 2, 2006). Isserman wrote: "In 'Timothy Leary: A Biography,' Robert Greenfield (a former associate editorof Rolling Stone magazine and author of a well-received biography of Jerry Garcia) has written a book that combines the serious probing of cultural history with the compulsive readability of celebrity biography." In the review Isserman says Leary "became one of the most famous Americans of his generation as an exponent of personal liberation, spiritual discovery, the politics of ecstasy--and the hallucinogenic drug lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD." Isserman is an historian of 20th-century U.S., particularly the 1960s. An expert on reform and radical movements, he is widely acknowledged to be the preeminent historian of the American left. Isserman is co-author with Michael Kazin of America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s. Eismeier Participating in Hudson River Summer ProgramJune 30, 2006Professor of Government Theodore Eismeier is participating in the River Summer program of the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities from July 6 through July 29. Eismeier will join faculty from more than half of the 44 member institutions aboard the R/V Seawolf, a research vessel operated by the State University of New York at Stony Brook, to learn about the development of the Hudson and its watershed while preparing curriculum units for their courses. Eismeier also participated in last year's program. More ... Ruth Interviewed for Wall Street JournalJune 30, 2006Career Center Director Kino Ruth was interviewed for a Wall Street Journal article highlighting summer internships and the increasing demand by companies offering unpaid internships that students receive credit for their work. More ... MacDonald Attends Week-long “Flaherty” SeminarJune 28, 2006Visiting Professor of Art History Scott MacDonald participated in this year's "Flaherty," a week-long seminar devoted to documentary and experimental filmmaking. The annual event, which was the 13th MacDonald has attended, was held at Vassar College from June 17 through June 24. More ... Ravven Interviewed For Chartered Financial Analyst MagazineJune 27, 2006Professor of Religious Studies Heidi Ravven was interviewed for the article: "Missed Behavior; Can cognitive biases explain unethical behavior?" in Chartered Financial Analyst Magazine. The article quotes Ravven, who offered insight into how one's actions can be influenced by various social contexts and our religious values. According to the article, "the identification of behavioral insights isn't inherently good or bad. Nor do such insights explain why some individuals behave unethically while others are down right saintly." Ravven is quoted as saying, "We have a culture backed by incentives and disincentives." But these incentives and disincentives do not always work to promote ethical behavior. Adair, ACCESS Students Participate in National Women's Studies Convention PanelJune 27, 2006Vivyan Adair, the Elihu Root Peace Fund Associate Professor of Women's Studies, participated in a gallery opening and panel presentation at the National Women's Studies Association Convention in Oakland, Calif. The ACCESS project photo exhibit, The Missing Story of Ourselves, was put on display. About 1000 people attended the opening reception and viewed the exhibit. The panelists were Adair, Nolita Clark, Hamilton College '06, Shannon Stanfield '07, Paulette Brown (ACCESS '05) and Gita Rajan, Irwin Chair 04-06. Zylan Argues Case Before Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of 9th Circuit CourtJune 27, 2006Assistant Professor of Sociology Yvonne Zylan appeared before the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the 9th Circuit in San Francisco, California on June 23, presenting oral argument in a case concerning the interaction between California's Domestic Partners Rights and Responsibilities Act and the federal Bankruptcy Code. The case, on which Zylan has been acting as a pro bono consultant since last fall, raises issues of statutory interpretation and public policy with respect to the legal definition of civil marriage. More ... Murtaugh Exhibiting at Schweinfurth Art CenterJune 26, 2006Assistant Professor of Art Rebecca Murtaugh has work exhibited at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn, N.Y. The group exhibition titled "Made In New York" was juried by Matthew Friday and Gerald Mead and runs until August 26. For directions and more information visit www.myartcenter.org Ravven Invited Scholar in Residence at University of Denver RoundtableJune 26, 2006Professor of Religious Studies Heidi Ravven was the invited Scholar-in-Residence at Decalogues Roundtable Discussion on "Where is God?" at the University of Denver in May. It was a three-day intensive roundtable discussion among 10 top scholars of Jewish Studies before an audience of students, faculty and the general public. On June 6, Ravven gave a Ford Foundation presentation to a group of scholars and other grantees on her ongoing research on "What Happened to Ethics? Searching for Ethics in a New America." She also chaired a panel, "Was Spinoza an Atheist?" at the Association for Jewish Studies annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in December. Guttman Gives Paper at Associations' Joint MeetingJune 23, 2006Associate Professor of English Naomi Guttman presented a paper on June 9 at the joint annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Food and Society and the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society hosted by Boston University's Program in Gastronomy. This year's theme was "Place, Taste, and Sustenance: The Social Spaces of Food and Agriculture." Her paper was called "The Picky Eater: Professional Advice and Personal Experience in Educating Children's Tastes," and is both a survey of the advice given to parents of picky eaters and a memoir of her own experiences with her family's picky eater. de Swann Awarded New York Foundation for the Arts FellowshipJune 21, 2006Sylvia de Swaan, visiting instructor in art, has been awarded a New York Foundation of the Arts (NYFA) Fellowship in photography. de Swaan is one of 117 New York artists to receive a NYFA grant this year. More than 4,400 artists applied for the 2006 NYFA Fellowships in the following disciplines: architecture/environmental structures, choreography, fiction, music composition, painting, photography, playwriting/screenwriting and video. Fellows are selected by peer panels in each discipline. Eighteen photographers were among this year's fellowship recipients. More ... Buchman Performs With Excelsior Cornet BandJune 20, 2006Assistant Professor of Music Heather Buchman made a one-time appearance with the Excelsior Cornet Band for its performance at the 10th annual Chenango Summer MusicFest on June 17 in Hamilton, N.Y. She is pictured here holding the over-the-shoulder Eb Alto Horn. "The Excelsior Cornet Band is New York State's only authentic Civil War brass band. Founded in 2001, the band consists of a group of upstate New York musicians who are dedicated to the performance of original Civil War music on actual antique brass band instruments of the 1860's period." From the band's web site: http://www.excelsiorcornetband.com/ Williams Presents Lecture at Lepidopterists' SocietyJune 20, 2006Ernest Williams, the Leonard C. Ferguson Professor of Biology, presented at the annual meeting of the Lepidopterists' Society, held at the University of Florida, Gainesville, June 14-18. He gave a talk (coauthored with Associate Professor of Biology Bill Pfitsch) titled "Frosted Elfin Butterflies and Management of their Habitat." He has been secretary of the Society for the past eight years, so also participated in the business meetings. This is an international society focused on the scientific study of butterflies and moths. Attendees came from 13 countries and 33 states; the countries included Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Canada and the USA. Glenn Presented Paper at University of Virginia ConferenceJune 20, 2006Brian J. Glenn, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Government, presented a paper titled, "The Lessons and Legacies of State Old Age Pensions" at the biannual Policy History Conference at the University of Virginia. The paper examines the remarkably successful campaign by the Fraternal Order of Eagles to bring non-contributory pensions to the elderly prior to the Social Security Act of 1935. The conference also hosted two panels on Glenn's co-edited project on conservatives and American political development. More ... Jones Publishes Article in Industrial RelationsJune 19, 2006Derek C. Jones, The Irma M. and Robert D. Morris Professor of Economics at Hamilton and a visiting professor at the Helsinki School of Economics, recently published an article titled "The Determinants of Stock Option Compensation: Evidence from Finland" in the academic journal Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society. His co-authors were Panu Kalmi and Mikko Makinen. More ... Murtaugh Exhibiting at Everson Museum in SyracuseJune 19, 2006Assistant Professor of Art Rebecca Murtaugh has work exhibited at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse. The group exhibition titled "Everson Biennial: Beauty is in the Eye of the Artist" features the work of Central New York artists who address nature, people, dreams and abstraction. Claire Schneider, associate curator of contemporary art at Albright Knox curated the exhibition which runs until August 20. For directions and more information visit www.everson.org. Adair and Gormley Present at Conference on Class at Stony BrookJune 14, 2006Vivyan Adair, the Elihu Root Peace Fund Associate Professor of Women's Studies and ACCESS Project coordinator Sharon Gormley were among panel presenters at a conference, "How Class Works," at SUNY Stony Brook on June 9. Other presenters were former welfare recipients Professor Jackie Pope, Dr. Jillyn Stevens and Bich Ha Pham, Esq., all of whom are featured in the ACCESS Project photo exhibit The Missing Story of Ourselves. All of the panel members spoke about the exhibit, welfare reform and access to higher education. Jin Gives Teacher Development Workshop in WashingtonJune 12, 2006Professor of Chinese Hong Gang Jin gave a teacher development workshop on Chinese language acquisition and pedagogy to teachers from all over the country at National Capital Language Resource Center, administered by Georgetown and George Washington University, in May. The workshop is part of the efforts to meet the increasing demand of Chinese language interest and the demand of qualified teachers and professionals. More ... Ortabasi Participates in Toronto ConferenceJune 9, 2006Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature Melek Su Ortabasi participated in a conference, "National History as Otaku Fantasy: Kon Satoshi's Millennium Actress" at ACAG 2006 (International Conference on Asian Comics, Animation and Gaming), at York University in Toronto in May. Li Speaks at 34th Williamsburg Conference in Wye RiverJune 8, 2006Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government and Brookings Institution non-resident fellow, participated in a panel discussion of the strategic relationships in Asia at the 34th Williamsburg Conference at Wye River. Titled "Asia 20/20: Focus on the Future," the conference also included meetings and addresses by prominent leaders in business, politics and the media. Li's presentation was titled "China's Future: A Paradox of Hope and Fear." More ... Shields Presents Lecture at American Chemical Society MeetingJune 6, 2006George Shields, the Winslow Professor of Chemistry, presented a lecture at the 38th Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society on June 5, in Hershey, PA. His talk, "Computational Design of a Small Peptide that Inhibits Breast Cancer: An overview of computational chemistry research at Hamilton College," encompassed the work that he and Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry Karl Kirschner have completed with their students over the past few years. More ... Gane Presents Paper at African Literature Asssociation in Accra, GhanaJune 6, 2006Assistant Professor of English Gillian Gane attended the 32nd annual convention of the African Literature Association in Accra, Ghana, where on May 17 she presented a paper, "Rape, Race, and Incest in the New South Africa: Achmat Dangor's Bitter Fruit." Latrell Researching Harvest Festival Gawai on Island of BorneoJune 1, 2006Associate Professor of Theatre Craig Latrell is currently doing research in East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, on performances in the harvest festival Gawai. He is researching the ways the harvest festival has been influenced and reinvented in response to local, national and global forces including tourism and nationalism. This research is supported by the Mellon Faculty Development Program, and follows his first trip to the area last year at this time. |
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