Newsbriefs (fall 2002)

Read about:

Admissions success; on campus	New fifth-year program	Where is Class of 2002?
New students making a difference	Week One	Hattis research
Community remembers Sept. 11	Townsend appointment	Faculty grants and awards
New volunteer center launched	New faculty	Lund Award; McKenna recognized
New volunteer center launched	Faculty honors	Letters to the editor
Traina Center for the Arts	New faculty and faculty honors

Admissions success; on campus

At the end of August, 580 first-year students arrived on campus, far surpassing the admissions goal of 540 incoming students without increasing the admit rate.

There were 3,694 first-year applicants this year, and 2,517 admitted students. Approximately the same number of students applied and were admitted to Clark last year, and 515 enrolled. The increase in the yield—the number of admitted students who enroll at Clark—is due to a campus wide effort, says Dean of Admissions Harold Wingood.

"Many initiatives came together to help us succeed this year. We certainly consider it the University community's success," says Wingood, who offers the following examples of how faculty, staff and students worked to connect with prospective students.

• Faculty composed e-mail messages that the Admissions staff sent to more than 10,000 prospective students last fall. The messages introduced students to the departments and faculty in which they expressed interest.
• The four fall open- house programs were very well attended and well executed, thanks to participation from many faculty, staff and students.
• Hundreds of prospective students were hosted for personalized visits, which allow students to sit in on classes, stay on campus overnight with current Clark students and meet individually with faculty members and staff.
• Faculty and staff interviewed prospective students for Clark's many scholarship programs.
• Alumni hosted 16 "Clark on the Road" information sessions around the country. Most of the students who attended these sessions applied to the University, and a high percentage of those admitted also enrolled.
• Alumni completed 784 admissions interview assignments with prospective students and covered more than 100 college fairs.
• Alumni who interviewed admitted students also called these students after acceptance letters were mailed to offer their congratulations and encourage another visit to campus.
• Faculty composed a second e-mail message that was sent to admitted students according to academic interest.

• The April Admitted Students Open House was one of the largest ever, "and again, the University community's involvement made all the difference," Wingood says.

New students making a difference

This year, 14 first-year students received Making A Difference scholarships in recognition of their outstanding commitment to and leadership in community service activities. The scholarships total $44,000 each over four years and include a $2,500 stipend to support projects that develop with the University Park Partnership during the summer following their sophomore or junior years.

Making a Difference scholarships demonstrate the value Clark places on community service and social activism. The students participating in the program this year had extensive volunteer commitments throughout high school. They have worked with a wide variety of local and national organizations, including: the March of Dimes, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Youth Judea, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, Students Against Violence Everywhere, AmeriCorps, Facing History and Ourselves, and many civic, religious and school groups.

Profiles of this year's Making a Difference Scholarship recipients are available on the Clark Web site at www.clarku.edu/makingadifference.

Campus community remembers Sept. 11

Faculty, students and staff observed the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with intellectual and spiritual reflection.

The observances began with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., when the first plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. This was followed by a teach-in about "9/11 One Year Later: Everything is Different, or is It?" with faculty members discussing foreign policy, civil liberties and tolerance. The teach-in ended at 9:59 a.m., when the south tower collapsed.

An interdenominational gathering was held in Dana Commons and a candlelight vigil was held in Red Square, where Student Council held a vigil last year. In addition, Dana Commons remained open all day for viewing television coverage of the one-year anniversary.

New volunteer center launched

Students interested in community service activities have a new resource to help them get involved. The Community Engagement and Volunteering (CEV) Center, which opened at the start of the fall semester in the Office of Career Services, is the campus hub for the University's many volunteer and community outreach activities.

The CEV Center maintains a database of volunteer opportunities in Worcester and Web pages that link to various community agencies and to University departments that are involved with the community. An application process helps students find volunteer activities that meet their interests. The CEV Center also organized a Community Engagement and Volunteering Fair at Clark on Sept. 19 to introduce students to volunteer opportunities in the community. Approximately 20 agencies were represented at the fair, as well as several academic departments that are involved in community research projects and volunteer activities.

The CEV Center reflects and supports the kind of social activism for which Clark students and faculty are known, says Dean of the College Douglas Little.

"Clark faculty, staff and students have been deeply involved in making our neighborhood a better place for a long time," Little says. "The establishment of our new Community Engagement and Volunteering Center confirms that such involvement has become an integral part of Clark's mission—to encourage our students to make a difference in Worcester and the world."

Traina Center for the Arts

Five days of free, public events and a dedication ceremony featuring a performance by the Clark Concert Choir celebrated the new Traina Center for the Arts. The events, held during the week of Oct. 21, featured arts faculty and alumni and highlighted Clark's art history, studio art, screen studies, music and theater programs.

Named in honor of former Clark president Richard P. Traina and his wife Polly, the Traina Center for the Arts serves as the artistic hub of the campus. The center includes: a recital hall, which will also be used for lectures and film screenings; facilities for photography, printmaking and graphic design; a library and computer resource center; lounge areas that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration; and a multimedia center specially equipped for individual and collaborative work in music, video and Web-site design.

The special opening events showcased many of these activities, with talks and film screenings that focused on film scholars, filmmakers and art and spirituality. The events also included an exhibition of works by alumni artists, a reading of a new play by Clark professor Gino DiIorio '83 and the 13th-annual Relly Raffman Memorial Jazz Concert. Alumni who participated in the events include Avi Weider '94, Hilary Neroni 91, Stephen Fromkin '95, James Castonguay '90 and Andrea Lepage '98.

New fifth-year master's program in Geographic Information Science

Clark students will soon have the opportunity to earn a master's degree in Geographic Information Science (M.A.GISci.) through the University's fifth-year and fifth-year-free master's degree programs. Current juniors will be able to apply to the program in spring 2003, and will take their first courses toward the master's degree in their senior year.

The M.A.GISci. program builds on the University's strengths in geography and Geographic Information Science. Clark has been a leader in Geographic Information Science since its inception and continues to be a world leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and image processing technology with the development of the Idrisi and CartaLinx software systems. These and other software systems are used daily in such areas as urban systems management, regional planning, emergency response, epidemiology, landscape architecture, environmental planning, forestry, geology, ecology, park management and power utilities, among others.

Through course work and internships, M.A.GISci. students will gain the scientific expertise to support the development and application of GIS software and will have opportunities to become directly involved with the development of Idrisi and CartaLinx. Students who complete a double major for their undergraduate degree will also have the advantage of combining their M.A.GISci. degree with computer science, biology and ecology, economics, business administration, environmental science and policy and international development.

A peek at Week One

Week One," Clark's orientation program for first-year students, started on Aug. 23 with the annual New Student Move-In Day. The following are some highlights from the rest of "Week One 2002."

• Sustainable Clark and Sustainable Worcester: Students learned about how Clark's George Perkins Marsh Institute is working with people on campus and in Worcester to improve how resources such as energy, water and materials are used. Students also had the opportunity to get involved with the Marsh Institute's ongoing projects.
• Toto, We're Not in Kansas Anymore: Dr. Maura Cullen, an educational consultant to more than 300 colleges and universities, led one of the most inclusive discussions on diversity. Participants discussed race, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, ability and size discrimination.
• Community Engagement: Students ventured off campus to get acquainted with their new city. Destinations included the Worcester Art Museum, EcoTarium, Higgins Armory Museum, Boynton Park and local malls, among other cultural, civic and commercial attractions.
• Academic Orientation: Students discussed this year's new-student required reading, Matt Ridley's "Genome." Students met in large groups to hear faculty members from three different disciplines talk about the reading. Discussions continued in small peer groups with individual faculty members.

• Issues on Stage: Clark's resident advisers performed skits about issues that college students sometimes face during their years at Clark. After the performances, students returned to their residence halls for group discussions with their resident advisers.

Townsend named committee chair at American School of Classical Studies

Art historian Rhys Townsend, chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, is chair of the Managing Committee of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece. The Managing Committee has 250 members representing 159 universities and is one of the school's main governing bodies, along with its Board of Trustees. As chair, Townsend will lead the committee in managing the school's academic policy and activities.

Townsend has a long association with the American School of Classical Studies, which is the pre-eminent American overseas center for teaching, advanced study and research about the Greek world from ancient Greece to the present. Townsend completed a 12-year study of the law court building in the Agora in ancient Athens, which is one of the excavation sites run by the school. His study was published by the American School of Classical Studies in 1995.

The American School of Classical Studies serves graduate students and scholars from 159 affiliated American colleges and universities, with two research libraries, a scientific laboratory, a teaching program and lectures and conferences in Greece and the United States, among other programs. In addition to the Agora, the school runs an excavation site in ancient Corinth.

Faculty honored for excellence (Photo by Patrick O'Connor)

At Fall Convocation ceremonies each year, faculty are recognized for excellence in teaching, research, scholarship and creative work. The following faculty received awards this year:

• History Professor Amy Richter, Outstanding Academic Adviser.

• Government and international relations Professor Cynthia Enloe, Outstanding Teacher Award. This is the third time Enloe received this award.

• Geography Professor Richard Peet, University Senior Faculty Fellowship Award. Peet is also director of the International Studies Stream.

• Biology Professor David Hibbett, Oliver and Dorothy Hayden Junior Faculty Fellowship Award.

• Hibbett, art history Professor Gauvin Bailey and management Professor Mary-Ellen Boyle, Hodgkins Junior Faculty awards.

In addition, graduate students Madhavi Agarwal and Natali Gilbahce received Outstanding Teaching Assistant awards.

New faces on the faculty

The following tenure-track faculty have joined Clark for the 2002-03 academic year:

• Esteban Cardemil, who joins the Psychology Department from Brown University.
• James Córdova, who joins the Psychology Department from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
• Benjamin Korstvedt, who joins the Music Program in the Visual and Performing Arts Department from the University of St. Thomasin St. Paul, Minn.
• Simon Payaslian, who joins the History Department and the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies as the Robert Aram and Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair of Armenian Genocide Studies and Modern Armenian History. He comes to Clark from the University of California, Los Angeles.
• Li Han, who joins the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.
• Colin Polsky, who joins the Graduate School of Geography from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Polsky's duties at Clark begin in September 2003.
• Robert Gil Pontius, who joins the International Development, Community and Environment Program after finishing a three-year appointment in Clark's IDCE program in May.
• Timothy Shary, who joins the Screen Studies Program in the Visual and Performing Arts Department after teaching at Clark as a visiting faculty member for the last two-and-a-half years.
• Joel Sternberg, who joins the Graduate School of Management. Most recently, Sternberg was principal of Distressed Seas Trading in Walnut Creek, Calif.

Where in the world is the Class of 2002?

The Class of 2002 left campus in May and headed for work and continuing study at destinations across the country and around the world.

The following are just some of the organizations where members of the Class of 2002 are working: Citifinancial, GPC Biotech, Industrial Economics, Investor's Bank and Trust, NCS Healthcare, New York State Senate Research Center, Seeds of Peace-Jerusalem, Sovereign Bank, UMass Medical Center, U.S. Air Force and Yale University.

New graduates are also attending graduate school at these and other institutions: American University, Boston College, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Duke University, Hofstra University, the University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University.

Research uncovers new dangers on foods

Fat and calories are two reasons not to fill up on French fries and potato chips, but Professor Dale Hattis knows another good reason to stay away from prepared deep-fried foods.

"The process of preparing these and other processed foods is linked to the production of acrylamide, which increases your risk of cancer," says Hattis, a research professor with Clark's Center for Technology, Environment and Development (CENTED) at the George Perkins Marsh Institute.

In a report published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) this summer, Hattis estimates that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans. The report garnered national media coverage in June. Now, with Hattis's help, the CSPI is lobbying the FDA to require fast-food restaurants to issue warnings to consumers about the levels of this byproduct in their foods.

Hattis, who joined CENTED more than a decade ago, has spent the last 26 years developing and implementing new methodology to assess the health, ecological and economic impacts of regulatory actions intended to protect people from environmental health hazards. Since 1996, Hattis has been a consultant to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Board and has served as a member of ad hoc committees that review EPA analyses of prominent issues. Last October, he was appointed to the EPA's Environmental Health Committee.

At Clark, Hattis teaches "Cancer: Science and Society and Management of Environmental Pollutants." He is currently researching the risks of cancer to children and fetuses who have survived an atomic bomb explosion.

Lund Award shared by alumni

Jennifer Collelo '02 and Michael Mitchell '02 shared this year's John W. Lund Community Achievement Award, in recognition of their contributions to the Clark and Worcester communities. The award was presented at Fall Convocation ceremonies on Aug. 28.

Collelo recognized early the need for students to be integrally linked with the Worcester community. As a first-year student, she worked to establish Clark's first ROTARACT Club, a University-based, Rotary-sponsored service club for Clark students. As the club's first president, Collelo developed a strong, effective organization of up to 100 students, who worked in the Worcester community in many capacities.

Among their activities, ROTARACT members organized collections for food banks, held an art fair for neighborhood children, raised funds for breast cancer and diabetes research, participated in Earth Day activities and worked with the Heifer Project, AIDS Project Worcester, Habitat for Humanity, the Worcester chapter of MADD and other local and national organizations.

"As the University seeks to engage more students in community service, you have led the way during your four years at Clark," said President John Bassett in presenting the award to Collelo.

In his junior and senior years at Clark, Mitchell volunteered to run a photography seminar for seventh-grade students at the University Park Campus School (UPCS). He designed and implemented a seminar that taught students how to operate a camera, take photographs and develop film. The high-caliber work Mitchell drew out of his students was exhibited at UMass Medical Center.

In addition to teaching the photography seminar, Mitchell also mentored an eleventh-grade UPCS student who needed a positive male role model.

Bassett described Mitchell as "a teacher, a mentor and a wonderful role model for the students at the University Park Campus School."

The Lund Award was created by John W. Lund, retired Worcester business and civic leader and a friend of Clark. The award symbolizes Lund's affection for Worcester, his appreciation for the Clark community's commitment to the city and his belief that positive change is created by individual dedication. More information about fall Convocation is available online at www.clarku.edu/ local/convocation.shtml.

McKenna recognized for service to academic advising association

McKenna recognized for service to academic advising association

Kevin McKenna, associate dean of the college, recently received the National Academic Advising Association's (NACADA) Award for Outstanding Service to the Commission. McKenna is the first recipient of the award, which recognizes his work as chair of NACADA's Commission on Advising Administration.

Founded in 1977, NACADA is a global leader in the development, application and advancement of academic advising to enhance student development. NACADA has more than 6,000 members representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and several other countries. McKenna, who joined Clark in 1987, has been involved with NACADA for 15 years, serving twice as chair of the Northeast Regional Conference and for three years as the Northeast representative. During his three-year term as chair of the Commission on Advising Administration, McKenna oversaw the development of the commission's goals and created an electronic newsletter and listserv.

In addition, McKenna has presented at regional and national NACADA conferences and received NACADA's Student Research Award in 1986 for his dissertation, "A Proposed Framework for Program Management as a Possible Approach to Effective Academic Advising."

Letters to the editor

Praise for expanded study of Holocaust and genocide

It is unfortunate, however, that some of her colleagues at Clark do not share her enthusiasm for the Chair. We were disappointed to see statements by Hebrew lecturer Tzilla Barone published in the Forward in April criticizing the decision to include the Armenian Genocide in the mission of the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

It is our sincere hope that one day academic positions such as this will not be subject to this type of political pressure and bargaining.
— Jason A. Sohigian '93 and Arin Gregorian '00, M.S.P.C. '01

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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:

BIOLOGY: Denis Larochelle was awarded a three-year grant, totaling $309,028, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for research on "Characterization of a Novel Regulatory Protein Required for Cyntokinesis."

CHEMISTRY: Rafael Bruschweiler was awarded a three-year grant, totaling $387,668, from the NSF for research on "New Methods and Applications for the Dynamic Characterization of Proteins by the Combination of NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Spectroscopy and Computer Simulations." Al Jones continues his grant success with a new, three-year NSF grant, totaling $351,000, for research on "NMR Studies of Dynamics and Structure of Penetrants and Polymers in High Permeability Membrane Materials and Barrier Materials."

ECONOMICS: See George Perkins Marsh Institute.

EDUCATION: Tom Del Prete was awarded $10,000 from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation to support efforts for the "Uniting Our Voices" Youth Support Program.

GEOGRAPHY: (See also George Perkins Marsh Institute) Claudia Radel, adviser Billie Lee Turner, was awarded an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant of $11,980 for research on "Women and Environmental Identity in the Yucatan: Effects on Resource Access and Environmental Practice." Christina Hamm, adviser Dianne Rocheleau, was awarded an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant of $4,890 for research on "Networks, Institutions, and Claims in a Complex Commons: The Long Island Sound."

MATH and COMPUTER SCIENCE: Fred Green was awarded a three-year subcontract, with $32,203 in the first year, from Boston University, funded by the U.S. Army Research Office, for his research on "Complexity Bounds for Quantum Computation."

PHYSICS: Harvey Gould was awarded a two-year grant, totaling $25,386, from the NSF for "Development of Software and Curricular Materials for the Incorporation of Computer Simulations into the Undergraduate Physics Curriculum." Arshad Kudrolli continues his grant success with a three-year grant, totaling $137,045, from the Department of Energy for his research on "Physics of Channelization: Theory, Experiment, and Observation." Kudrolli was also awarded $5,000 in supplemental funds to support an undergraduate research experience on his grant "Instabilities in the Flow of Dry and Wet Granular Matter" this past summer.

PSYCHOLOGY: Esteban Cardemil, new to Clark this fall, brings to the University a five-year Research Scientist Development Award, totaling $758,711, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his research on "Prevention of Depression in Latino Parents." The award provides $145,185 in the first year. Cardemil was also awarded a two-year grant, totaling $59,960, from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression for his research on "A Longitudinal Exploration of Depressive Symptoms in Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic Children." Jamie McHale was awarded $100,816 in renewal funds from the NIH for his research on "Coparenting and Family Level Processes." Suzanne Gurland, adviser Wendy Grolnick, was awarded $36,225 in renewal funds for her doctoral dissertation fellowship from the NIH. The fellowship supports her research on "Testing a New Model of Rapport with Children."

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Clarknews Fall 2002

High above Hawaii Move-in Day 2002 Teens on the big screen Nurturing the seeds of peace Newsbriefs Alumni News Sports Briefs In Closing In Memoriam In Regional Reviews

Art Historian Rhys Townsend (Photo by Patrick O'Connor)