Newsbriefs (Fall 2001)

Read about:

• Campus responds to tragedy
  
• Hanson named University Professor
  
• Student recognized for introducing children to theater
  
• Weinrobe earns Fulbright award
  
• New faces in the alumni affairs office
  
• Smith names chief information officer
  
• First Anton fellowships awarded
  
• Award recognizes faculty excellence
  
• Admissions sets goal of 1,500 alumni interviews
  
• Letters to the editor
  
• Faculty grants and awards

Campus responds to tragedy

Read Student Council president Richard Fields' 03 letter to the Clark community in response to the events on September 11.

The Dean of Students Office immediately established a resource center in Dana Commons, where students could gather to watch the news and talk with Student Affairs staff. Special counseling sessions were offered for all students. The Dean of Students Office continued open office hours until students no longer expressed a need for additional support, says Dean of Students Denise Darrigrand. Returning to the normalcy of going to classes and activities helped students cope, Darrigrand adds, but additional and visible student-support staff has also been key.

“Walking around campus, looking people in the eye, smiling at them, saying ‘how are you?’ and really listening for an answer is half the battle,” Darrigrand says. “Students and all of us need to know we are not alone right now, and these simple gestures can go a long way. It’s something I think we do well all the time at Clark, but now it is particularly important to express our connectedness.”

Special care was also taken to nurture Clark’s diverse international community. Amy Daly, director of the International Students and Scholars Office, met with international student groups and with many international students. Edward Ottensmeyer, dean of the Graduate School of Management (GSOM), met with GSOM faculty, staff and students—many of whom are international—to discuss the attacks and explore ways to further strengthen the GSOM and Clark communities.

In addition to addressing students’ needs, the following events were organized to help bring together the Clark community.

• Faculty, students and staff gathered for a nondenominational service, led by representatives from a wide variety of local religious communities, on the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 11.
  
• A candlelight vigil, organized by Student Council, was held in Red Square the following evening.
  
• “Drumming Up Hope,” a gathering to express and transform emotion through sound, was held on Sept. 19.
  
• “A Day of Understanding,” organized by the Student Affairs Committee, was held on Sept. 20. Throughout the day: faculty, students and staff contributed messages of hope and peace to a large collage; students collected donations for the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund; and that evening, members of the Clark community attended a forum on “Overcoming Terrorism.” The forum included presentations by professors Joe de Rivera from the Psychology Department and peace studies, Laura Hammond from the international development program and Eric Gordy from the Sociology Department.

In a letter to alumni, which was distributed by e-mail and posted to the Clark Web site during the week of the attacks, President John Bassett reassured alumni “that people at Clark are dealing with this profound crisis by showing tolerance and respect for each other.”

Bassett wrote, in part:
“Our campus has been as profoundly affected as the rest of the country by these events. It will take a long time for us to find ways to balance our everyday responsibilities with the need to heal. As you can imagine, for students away from home for the first time—and particularly for international students who feel their own fears and anxieties for what may happen to their family and friends at a great distance—this has been an especially difficult week. I want to let you know how admirably this community has come together to give aid to victims and their families, and also to lend support to each other. I am proud to see the generosity of spirit, caring and sensitivity with which so many on this campus have responded.”

For the full text of Bassett’s letter and other messages to the Clark community about the crisis, visit the Clark Web site at www.clarku.edu. For a hard copy of the letter, contact Deborah Bieri, vice president for University Advancement, at (508) 793-7200.

As of press time, Clark knew of one alumnus, Dan Trant x’84, who was among the victims of the attacks at the World Trade Center. Read more in the In Memoriam article.

Hanson named University Professor

Geographer Susan Hanson, an award-winning scholar, has been named the Jan and Larry Landry University Professor. This four-year appointment was effective Sept. 1.

The Landry University Professor, created by a gift from Jan and Larry BSBA ’71, MBA ’75 Landry, recognizes faculty who are academic leaders and who symbolize the aspirations of the University. The Landry University Professor is responsible for developing or enhancing interdisciplinary programs at Clark, and initiating and strengthening ties among the various elements of the Clark academic community.

Widely known for her groundbreaking research in urban, economic and feminist geography, Hanson earned the distinction of being the first woman geographer elected to the National Academy of Sciences in May 2000. She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and received the American Geographic Society’s Van Cleef Medal for outstanding work in urban geography in November 1999.

Hanson, who joined Clark in 1984, has spent the last 20 years researching and teaching urban geography, focusing on the relationship between people and the urban environment. Last year, she put her expertise to work as director of Clark’s new concentration in Urban Development and Social Change (UDSC).

Hanson is on sabbatical during the 2001—02 academic year. She plans to spend much of her time at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, where she is writing a book about urban geography and continues to work on her National Science Foundation-sponsored project, “Geography, Gender and Entrepreneurship.” She will resume her work with the UDSC program upon her return to Clark.

Student recognized for introducing children to theater

Kate VanDerzee ’02 received this year’s John W. Lund Community Service Award, in recognition of her contributions to the Clark and Worcester communities. The award was presented at fall Convocation ceremonies in August.

VanDerzee has been an active volunteer since her arrival at Clark. She was a tutor at St. Peter’s Church in Worcester and volunteered for the Church Hospitality Network and the Dynamy program for Worcester high school students. VanDerzee has also contributed to the Clark community as a member of Amnesty International, the Spree Day Committee, Student Affairs Committee, Newman Society, the Associate Dean Search Committee and the Wellness Outreach Coordinator Search Committee.

The Lund Award recognizes, in particular, VanDerzee’s work to establish a theater program at Worcester’s Canterbury Street School. The program, which she founded in her sophomore year, introduces Canterbury Street students to theater through workshops run by Clark students. Since establishing the program, VanDerzee has directed Canterbury Street students in productions of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Charlotte’s Web.” She also mentored individual students and started a pen-pal program between Canterbury students and high school students in a theater program she runs in Connecticut.

“Kate has committed hours of her time to help these students find the love of theater and a new means of expressing themselves,” says President John Bassett. “She is a wonderful example for all of our students.”

The Lund Award, which includes a cash prize, recognizes the contributions made to the Worcester community by Clark faculty, students and staff. The award was established by retired Worcester businessman John Lund. Lund is a member of the Jonas Clark Fellows, serves on the board of the Friends of the Goddard Library and has audited classes at Clark for more than 20 years.

Weinrobe earns Fulbright award

With the support of a Fulbright grant, economist Maurice Weinrobe is teaching and conducting research at the Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta (UNS) in Indonesia. Weinrobe has been in Indonesia since the beginning of September.

During his six months at UNS, Weinrobe will begin a study of the residential mortgage market in Indonesia and how the Indonesian economic crisis of 1997-98 has impacted that market. Through this case study, Weinrobe hopes to gain a better understanding of the state of the residential mortgage market before the financial crisis, what changes have been made since 1997 apart from government programs, and what the Indonesian government is doing to change the nature of financing for housing purchases.

Weinrobe is documenting his stay in Indonesia on the Clark Web site, www.clarku.edu. To read his diary entries, go to the Economics Department pages, which can be found through the site index, select “Faculty” and then click on Weinrobe’s name.

New faces in the Alumni Affairs Office

Matthew Doyle ’01 joined the office as a research assistant. He is responsible for compiling the class notes section of Clarknews, alumni research and providing support for the alumni database system.

John Ginnity ’01 is an assistant director of Alumni Affairs, responsible for regional alumni programming, maintaining the alumni Web pages and managing the on-line alumni community that is currently under development. Ginnity was one of the star players and tri-captain on last year’s Elite Eight men’s basketball team.

Michelle Walmsley, a 2001 graduate of Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania, also joined Clark as an assistant director of Alumni Affairs. Walmsley directs Alumni Affairs’ student programming, including advising the Student Alumni Relations Committee and the Pasticcio. She served as president of Lebanon Valley’s Student Alumni Association in her senior year and brings to Clark a wealth of student-programming experience.

In addition, Mary Maloney was promoted to senior associate director of Alumni Affairs. Maloney, who joined the Alumni Affairs office in 1999, is responsible for Reunion programming and will take on a larger role within the office, especially with staffing and budget issues.

Smith named chief information officer

At Clark, Smith is working to reorganize the University’s technology support services. She is responsible for leading strategic planning for information technology and overseeing the acquisition, deployment and operation of technology. She will also lead the planning and support of both academic instructional technologies and administrative information services.

“I am thoroughly delighted with the opportunity to join an institution with Clark’s unique blend of liberal arts and graduate research education,” Smith says. “I look forward to contributing to the University’s ongoing agenda for excellence and innovation.”

Smith joins Clark from the University of Kansas (KU), the flagship public institution of the state, where she served as assistant vice chancellor for information services. At KU, she implemented a successful quality service program and developed new processes for planning, quality assurance and client communications. She also established “partnerships for innovation” with various departments and colleges to address the technology needs for faculty and staff. Smith also worked with KU’s School of Journalism to co-manage “Digital Jayhawk,” an Internet news and information service named best interactive media Web site by the Broadcast Education Association.

Smith also spent six years as the director of academic computing and networking services at Carleton College, and has held positions at Indiana University, Stanford University and the University of California, Irvine.”

First Anton fellowships awarded

With the support of Anton fellowships, first awarded this spring, nine undergraduates have been pursuing such diverse projects as how to promote bike travel, the impact of globalization on China’s rock music scene, chemical research that could lead to the development of a cancer treatment drug, and the reactions of adults and children to babies’ cries.

The Anton Fellowship Program, created by a gift from Barbara ’56 and Thomas ’56 Anton, supports undergraduates in their pursuit of original ideas, creative research and public service activities. The fellowships range from $500 to $2,500 and will be awarded to 10 to 12 students in future years. Recipients also become members of the Society of Anton Fellows, which meets with faculty mentors at special gatherings throughout the year to share ideas and experiences. The Anton Program is directed by Professor Sharon Krefetz.

The following students received Anton fellowships to pursue projects over the summer and during the 2001-02 academic year.

• Megan Albert ’02 is doing computer simulations to study protein interactions. Increased understanding of these interactions could lead to the development of better drug treatments for tumor growth associated with cancer.
  
• Jeremy Child ’02 is investigating the feasibility of making bike travel a more popular alternate mode of transportation in the Worcester area. He conducted research in bike-friendly cities in north-central Europe and Munster, Germany.
  
• Miranda Jennings ’04 completed a summer internship with the Grameen Bank in Mexico. She helped provide micro-loans and training to poor households in support of agricultural and small business development opportunities.
  
• Yee Lai Ku ’03 is conducting cross-cultural psychology research in Hong Kong and the United States on the differences between adults’ and children’s responses to infant cries.
  
• Leah Ruth Penniman ’02 spent the summer conducting ecological and socio-political surveys in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The surveys will help improve environmental planning.
  
• Kenneth St. Onge ’02 traveled to Ireland this summer to study how James Joyce became a cultural icon after he was reviled in his homeland.
  
• Michael P. Staton ’02 spent time in China studying how globalization and modernization have influenced Chinese punk rock.
  
• Devon Tarmasiewicz ’02 investigated African-American involvement in the Communist movement in the United States and Soviet Union as a reaction to racial discrimination. She is one of the first researchers to explore documents of the former Central Party in Moscow that are now on microfilm in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
  
• Heather Olson ’02 traveled to Florence and Rome to study Italian Renaissance architecture, frescoes and paintings, and techniques used in art restoration.

Award recognizes faculty excellence

Environmental economist Jacqueline Geoghegan and political scientist Valerie Sperling received this year’s Hodgkins Junior Faculty awards, which recognize excellence in teaching and research among Clark’s junior faculty.

Geoghegan, who joined Clark in 1996, teaches undergraduate and graduate economics and environmental economics. She is currently working with geographer B.L. Turner II on research investigating the links between the agricultural practices of peasant farmers and tropical deforestation on the Yucatan in south eastern Mexico. Geoghegan is also studying the effect of suburban land use development issues on the environment and infrastructure near the Patuxent Watershed in Maryland.

Sperling’s teaching and research interests include post-Soviet and East European politics, comparative politics, social movement and collective action, and women’s studies. She teaches a wide range of courses, such as Russian and East European politics and foreign policy, the comparative politics of revolution, mass murder and genocide under communism, transitions to democracy and feminist theory. Sperling also served on last year’s Fulbright Committee, which helped 13 Clark undergraduate and graduate students earn Fulbright scholarships and fellowships.

This is the second year that the Hodgkins awards have been presented. The awards, which include a stipend, are supported by the Hodgkins Trust Fund, established with an endowment provided by the late Edward Hodgkins.

Admissions sets goal of 1,500 alumni interviews

This year, the Admissions Office will offer admission interviews to all prospective students who apply prior to Jan. 15.

The Admissions Office is seeking volunteers to help reach its goal of 1,500 alumni interviews (see page 14). Alumni admissions volunteers will be asked to conduct a minimum of three interviews during the peak months from November to February and submit interview reports to the Admissions Office. Interviews are typically only 30 minutes long and can be conducted in your home, office or other location.

The admission interview is not required but is strongly recommended for all applicants. Alumni interviews, which carry the same weight as those conducted by Admissions staff, help the Admissions Office understand the student’s background. Alumni who conduct admissions interviews are able to convey Clark’s distinctive qualities by sharing their perspective with applicants.

To join Clark’s admissions effort, contact Alumni Admissions Program Coordinator Tricia Uber ’94 at 1-800-GO-CLARK, tuber@clarku.edu. All alumni interviewers will receive training materials.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I regret that I was unable to attend any celebrations. The spirit was willing, but the body could not go. My best wishes to all to continue the marvelous growth at Clark. — Yetta Ferdinand MA ’29

Student callers share Clark’s diversity: Congratulations on your recent article titled “Making Multiculturalism a Reality at Clark” (spring 2001 Clarknews). My purpose is to tell you how this achievement even reaches off campus.

Clark has again demonstrated unparalleled leadership in our human theater by providing a stage to illustrate how much more is shared by human beings than what divides them. This achievement becomes more important daily as technology reduces the space between us. Good show! — Richard A. Hanson AB ’57

Write to us:
Clarknews welcomes letters on the contents of the publication or on topics related to the University. Letters must be signed and include a day-time phone number where the author can be reached. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.Address letters to: Clarknews, Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610-1477. Or e-mail clarknews@clarku.edu.

FACULTY GRANTS & AWARDS

Departments

CHEMISTRY: Paul Inglefield and Al Jones were awarded $49,354 in renewal funds from the U.S. Army Research Office for their continuing research on “Characterization of Nafion as a Permselective Membrane by NMR.”

ECONOMICS: See Jacqueline Geoghegan, George Perkins Marsh Institute.

GEOGRAPHY: Stan Herwitz was awarded a multi-year grant, totaling $3,114,200, from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He will receive $840,000 in the first year. The title of Herwitz’s research is “Coffee Harvest Optimization Using Unmanned Airborne Vehicle Platforms for the Acquisition of High Spatial Resolution Real-Time Multi-spectral Imagery.” Graduate student Sarah Niles, adviser Susan Hanson, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Doctoral Dissertation Research grant of $7,076 to support her research on “Changing Urban Spatial Structure and the Growth of the Temporary Help Services Industry.” Davison Gumbo, Steve Manson, and Rinku Chowdhury, adviser B.L. Turner II, were awarded $22,000 each in renewal funds from the NASA Graduate Fellowships program. See also, Ronald Eastman and B.L. Turner II, George Perkins Marsh Institute.

PSYCHOLOGY: Penelope Vinden was awarded a second new grant this year. This two-year award of $141,580 from the National Institutes of Health(NIH) supports her research on “Low-Income Families: Parenting, Maternal Language and Mind.” Jamie McHale was awarded $42,659 in renewal funds from the NIH under the Research Support for Underrepresented Minorities Program. Research assistant Easter Vo will continue her work with McHale, who is also her adviser, on “Coparenting and Family-level Processes.” Suzanne Gurland, adviser Wendy Grolnick, was awarded a two-year doctoral dissertation fellowship of $34,319 per year from the NIH for her research on “Testing a New Model of Rapport with Children.”

Research Centers

GEORGE PERKINS MARSH INSTITUTE: B.L. Turner II, Ron Eastman and Jacqueline Geoghegan were awarded a new three-year grant, totaling $594,138, from NASA for research on “Land-cover and Land-use Change in the Southern Yucatan Peninsular Region.” Turner has also been awarded $45,190 in supplemental funding from NSF, through a subcontract from Penn State, to continue his research on the “Human-Environment Regional Observatory (HERO)” project. Geoghegan was awarded $116,917 in additional funds from NASA for her continuing research on “Pixeling the Social Using Remotely Sensed Information in Social Science Models.” Dale Hattis received $45,190 in additional support from the State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health, for his “Pharmacokinetics Project.”

Contact Information

Search

Clarknews Fall 2001

Summer fun on campus Summer vacations Nazi horrors were well publicized Newsbriefs Alumni News Sports Briefs In Closing In Memoriam In Regional Reviews

Candlelight vigil

Susan Hanson

New faces at Alumni Affairs office

Environmental economist Jacqueline Geoghegan