Clark University - Clark News spring 2005
Newsbriefs (spring 2005)
Clark and the University Park Campus School (UPCS), a public secondary school in Main South that was created by Clark and the Worcester Public Schools, recently earned grants from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aimed at helping to prepare students for the rigors of a college education.
"This support will help us create brighter futures for the youth in our community and help us share our blueprint for success with other schools," says President John Bassett.
Clark and UPCS were selected to join three other university/high-school partnerships in the Nellie Mae Education Foundation's Partnerships for College Success grant program. This new, multiyear grant program is aimed at strengthening existing collaborations between universities and high schools that seek to improve college preparation and success for all students, particularly those from at-risk environments. Clark and UPCS will receive funding over five years, with $150,000 in the first year, to maximize the number of UPCS graduates who earn degrees at two- and four-year colleges.
A $300,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is helping Clark and UPCS provide technical assistance to early-college high schools across the nation. Early-college high schools work closely with a college or university and are often located directly on a postsecondary campus. Like UPCS, these schools employ personalized learning, academic rigor for all students, a common focus and close interpersonal relationships. UPCS is working with Boston-based Jobs for the Future to host summer institutes through 2007 that will provide hands-on training and technical assistance to leaders, teachers and principals at early-college high schools to help them prepare students for high-school and college success.
David Strassler, a longtime supporter of Clark and former member of the University's Board of Trustees, recently received the 2004 Distinguished Friend of Education Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District I. The award honors a volunteer whose extraordinary leadership has influenced an institution's cause or the cause of education in general.
Strassler has a longstanding association with Clark. He served as a trustee from 1985 to 2003 and as chair of the Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1995. Most recently, he chaired the University's successful $106 million capital campaign. As past chairman of the Anti-Defamation League and a board member of Steven Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, Strassler has long been concerned about how the Holocaust will be remembered and taught by future generations. This prompted him to provide leadership support to Clark's Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. He also established the Strassler Distinguished Visiting Professorship, which brings leading scholars to the University.
In support of other areas of the University, he established the Strassler Scholarships, which are awarded to a small number of Presidential Scholarship candidates who are interested in the visual and performing arts. As a trustee, he was the catalyst for the Alumni Association's recent strategic plan and convinced the Board of Trustees to allocate more resources for alumni programming.
Strassler, who was named an honorary Clark alumnus in 1998, is currently a general partner at Weston Associates.
| On Campus: |
|
Agricultural economist Jacqueline Geoghegan was recently recognized by the Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association for an article she co-authored. Geoghegan, Elena Irwin and Kathleen Bell were awarded Article of the Year for their article titled "Modeling and Managing Urban Growth at the Rural-Urban Fringe: A Parcel-Level Model of Residential Land Use Change."
The editorial board for the Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Review selects the Article of the Year based on such factors as its timeliness, whether it addresses an important issue, and the quality of the research methods. The article Geoghegan co-authored examines land use and growth management in Calvert County, Md., and the balance between economic development and preserving rural or open-space lands. This is part of a major research project Geoghegan is involved with at the University of Maryland that is investigating the effects on land values and suburbanization of government policies concerning smart growth and agricultural land preservation.
Geoghegan joined the Clark faculty in 1996 and teaches all of the University's environmental and resource economics courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Her research focuses on developing spatially explicit econometric models of land-use change using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data and technology. In addition to the research in Maryland, she collaborates with Clark geographers B.L. Turner II and Ron Eastman on the Southern Yucatán Peninsular Region (SYPR) Project, examining the causes and effects of tropical deforestation by smallholder farmers in southern Mexico.
Clark Labs and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have entered into a cooperative agreement to construct maps of potential gypsy-moth establishment and damage in uninfested areas of the United States.
The current gypsy-moth management program strongly relies on survey data acquired from its 350,000 pheromone-based traps that are deployed annually. The traps are distributed based mainly on the proximity to humans and to suitable gypsy-moth hosts. Although this approach has been successful in detecting gypsy moths in uninfested areas, the traps could be located more effectively by incorporating other risk factors, such as climatic conditions, host-plant quality and the degree of human activity.
According to James Toledano, executive director of Clark Labs, APHIS will use the predictive spatial modeling techniques from the IDRISI Kilimanjaro GIS and Image Processing system to construct a risk-based model of current gypsy-moth distribution in the U.S. and scenarios of future dispersal. This model will enable APHIS to optimize its gypsy-moth program resources. The development of a GIS strategy will also potentially assist in the surveys of other invasive species.
New staff recently joined University Advancement, Alumni Affairs and the Clark Fund.
- Jeremy Hastings '01 is a major gifts officer in University Advancement. Hastings is currently raising funds for the new Cathy '83 and Marc '81 Lasry Center for Bioscience and for instrumentation for the Chemistry and Physics departments (see page 6).
- Zaharah McKinney '03 is the assistant director of Alumni Affairs. McKinney works closely with Career Services, advises the Student Alumni Relations Committee and organizes special events and activities on campus, among other responsibilities.
- Paul Mondestin '98 is associate director of the Clark Fund. Mondestin oversees the Clark Fund's Parents Association and Class Volunteer programs and is working to build membership in the Associate Jonas Clark Fellows.
- Gavin Viano '01 is assistant director of the Clark Fund. Viano is responsible for the phone room and the Going for the GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) student fundraising program. He is also the assistant coach for Clark's swimming and diving team.
- Michelle Walmsley is senior assistant director of the Clark Fund. Walmsley works with the Reunion Gift Chairs and committees, the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Program and student giving programs. She also manages Web pages for these Clark Fund programs and continues to advise the Pasticcio.
|
Philosophy professor Gary Overvold, with colleagues from the University of Luxembourg, organized an international colloquium on the newly approved Constitution of the European Union this winter.
"The European Constitution: Challenges and Perspectives" was held February 17-19 in Luxembourg City and was sponsored by the Leir Center Luxembourg-Clark University and by the Ministry of State of Luxembourg, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg, the President's Office of the University of Luxembourg, the Office of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), and other governmental and private agencies.
Former German chancellor Helmut Kohl delivered the opening address. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, a representative from the American Embassy, several colleagues from the University of Luxembourg and Luxembourg Government and EU dignitaries also spoke. Overvold and Mark Miller, chair of Clark's Government Department, presented papers as well. In all, 40 presenters representing 14 countries participated in the three-day conference.
The new Constitution of the European Union was signed by EU leaders last October and was recently approved by the European Parliament. Before the constitution can take effect, the voters in the 25 EU member nations must ratify it. While treaties and agreements between member nations establish the EU's existence, the new constitution aims to formalize the Union and to define and expand its powers. The document proposes the creation of an EU president and an EU foreign minister and a new voting system. In addition to giving more power to the parliament, it will expand the scope of the EU into new policy areas, including justice and immigration. To date, approximately 10 of the 25 member nations plan to hold referenda on it.
"Clark is pleased to play a role in bringing diplomats and academics together to debate this important document, which will play a critical role in shaping the future of Europe," says Overvold, who presented the paper "A Question of Justification" at the conference. "We are particularly grateful to the Luxembourg industrialist and humanitarian, the late Henry J. Leir, who had the vision and wisdom to see the value of cooperation between Clark and Luxembourg and the generosity to fund the Clark program which bears his name."
Miller presented the paper "The U.S. Constitution and the European Constitution: A Comparative Perspective."
Clark's undergraduate Prelaw Society, the Mock Trial Team and its coach Judge Timothy Hillman, the Career Services Office, and Government Department chair Mark Miller welcomed 26 teams to campus for the New England Regional Mock Trial Competition, Feb. 25-27.
Clark entered three teams in the weekend event, which included four rounds of competition. The University tied for seventh place and also won the Spirit of Mock Trial Award for sportsmanship. Team captain Dunyelle Rosen '05 was named Best Witness.
Clark won its third consecutive bid to a national tournament, competing at Stetson Law School in St. Petersburg, Fla., March 11-13. Rosen again won a Best Witness award. A Best Attorney award went to Kayla Carlsen '05.
Overall, the Clark team received a 3-4-1 record at the Stetson National Tournament, competing against UCLA (the top team in the 2004 competition), Ohio State, Washburn University (a perennial Mock Trial power) and the University of Wisconsin/Superior. Yale University won the tournament.
In mock-trial competition, students role-play lawyers and witnesses and are judged on their persuasiveness and ability to analyze arguments. The team is part of Clark's law and society concentration. Students take a course on trial advocacy in the fall and then participate on the intercollegiate Mock Trial team in the spring semester. Top teams from the region are invited to the national tournaments. Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Timothy Hillman currently teaches the fall class and coaches the spring competition. The Mock Trial Team is open to all students, not just those who aspire to law school.
"Participation in the Mock Trial Team helps students learn to think on their feet and to understand how trial lawyers approach their jobs," says Miller, who also directs Clark's law and society program. "The team did an excellent job against very tough competition at this national tournament. This is an example of active learning—one of the things Clark stresses for our prelaw students."
Recent art exhibits at the University explored the themes of life and death.
- "On Living + Dying," an installation by Ann Tracy, was on display in the Schiltkamp Gallery at the Traina Center for the Arts from Jan. 31 through March 11. The multimedia installation used sculpture, painting, printmaking and video to create an environmental momento mori—a reminder of mortality and of human failures and longings. Tracy, who recently became a mother and also lost a parent, used skull imagery with other symbolic iconography, such as flowers, to weave the themes of life and death through the various media.
- "Forging a New Life: The Jewish Experience in Central and Eastern Europe on the Cusp of a New Millennium," a photo exhibit by contemporary Czech photographer Karel Cudlín, is on display in the Rose Library of Cohen-Lasry House from Feb. 16 through May 25. Cudlín is at the forefront of contemporary European and Czech photography. He was a personal photographer to the former Czech President Václav Havel and is best known for his expressive photographs of various ethnic and social groups such as crematorium employees, Ukrainian guest workers and Red Army soldiers leaving the former Czechoslovakia. View a slideshow of Cudlín's photos at www.clarku.edu/departments/holocaust/slideshow/cudlin.htm. This exhibit was held in conjunction with the exhibit "A Child Artist in Terezín: Witness to the Holocaust, Drawings by Helga Weissová-Hosková, Terezín, 1941-1944" that was on display at the College of the Holy Cross this spring.
These exhibits were held under the auspices of His Excellency Martin Palous, the Czech Republic's ambassador to the United States; Ales Pospísil Consul General of New York; Peter Rafaele, Consul General of Philadelphia; and the Jewish Museum in Prague. The Cudlín exhibit was made possible by a generous contribution from Sidney and Rosalie Rose and was organized in association with the Czech Center New York.
In addition, Clark, the College of the Holy Cross and the Worcester Art Museum launched a collaborative exhibit this spring, "Hope and Healing: Painting in Italy in a Time of Plague, 1500-1800," at the Worcester Art Museum. Read more about this exhibit.
Judith Miller has been appointed associate dean for special academic initiatives. Miller comes to Clark from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she was a biology and biotechnology professor and director of the Center for Educational Development, Technology and Assessment.
Miller will provide leadership for curricular reform to further promote active learning—one hallmark of a Clark education. She will work to expand and maximize inquiry-based approaches to education that allow students to apply classroom knowledge to scholarly endeavors and allow professors to use their research in their teaching. In addition, she will continue Clark's work on assessment, helping departments to refine learning outcomes for Clark courses and develop programs that will better measure the performance of Clark undergraduates.
"Judy Miller is ideally suited to this position," says Nancy Budwig, associate provost and dean of graduate studies and research. "Her experience with innovative curricular reform and assessment, her track record in obtaining external funding for creative programming, and her national standing as a prolific scholar in areas related to teaching excellence make her a perfect choice for Clark."
Miller is co-editor of "Student-Assisted Teaching: A Guide to Faculty-Student Teamwork." Her upcoming book, "On Becoming a Productive University: Strategies for Reducing Costs and Increasing Quality in Higher Education," is slated for publication in 2005. Last April, she was awarded WPI's Trustees' Award for Outstanding Teaching and in 2002, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching dubbed her the Massachusetts CASE Professor of the Year. In 1998, Miller received the Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award from the Society for College Science Teachers.
What would you do to enhance Clark's image across the nation and around the globe? What qualities distinguish Clark from other colleges and universities? Would you recommend Clark to your best friend's high-school senior? What was the most memorable moment of your Clark experience?
These are just some of the many questions University Advancement staff are asking alumni as they broaden the scope of a field-research project that began last fall. President John Bassett launched the survey with a letter to nearly 400 alumni in New England and New York. Bassett explained that the survey, which is conducted during hour-long personal visits, is part of his "continuing effort to develop a clear, sharp and positive identity for your alma mater" and will help the University's marketing efforts.
As the survey team moved through New England, then down to the Mid-Atlantic States and across the Southeast, alumni who had not thought about their undergraduate experiences in years began to recall life-changing classes and favorite professors. One of the University's oldest living alumni, Milton Welson '29 of Longmeadow, Mass., remembered his physics professor, Robert Goddard, as a "nice, gentle person who didn't embarrass students, even when they fell asleep in class."
In addition to a token of appreciation for their time, survey participants receive information about Clark today—including national recognition for the success of the University Park Campus School and the campus's new 50,000 square-foot Lasry Center for Bioscience.
The survey project continues to head west and is expected to be completed before commencement in May. When all the responses have been compiled, participants will receive an "executive" summary that highlights the important insights they provided and the impact of their contributions to the University's marketing initiative.
Departments
BIOLOGY: Susan Foster and John Baker were awarded a four-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for research on "Ancestral Plasticity and Mating System Evolution in the Stickleback Radiation." The grant totals $574,748, with $152,252 in the first year. Deb Robertson was awarded $110,690 in supplemental funds from the NSF for her research on "Nitrogen Assimilation in Marine Algae: Evolution, Physiology, and Educational Opportunities."
CHEMISTRY: Luis Smith, who joined the Clark faculty in fall 2003, entered a $25,000 contract agreement with Argonne National Laboratory for research on "Neutron Scattering and NMR Studies of Polymer Nanocomposites." Al Jones was awarded $100,000 in supplemental funds from the Department of the Army for continuation of his research on "NMR Studies of Micro-Structured Polymeric Membrane Systems." Sharon Huo was awarded a three-year grant totaling $216,900 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her research on "Simulations on the Early Events of TTR Amyloidogenesis."
COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION: Mimi Stephens was awarded funds from two new sources in conjunction with Clark's Global Studies Program: $20,000 from the Massachusetts Legislature, through Framingham State College, for support of the Mass Global Education Consortium, and $5,665 from the Japan Foundation for the Snapshots from Japan project.
GEOGRAPHY: (see George Perkins Marsh Institute for geography faculty support) Carolyn Finney, adviser Dianne Rocheleau, received a $26,000 Canon National Parks Science Scholarship to conduct her doctoral dissertation research. The funding is from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
PHYSICS: Arshad Kudrolli was awarded $47,188 in supplemental funding from the Department of Energy for his research on the "Physics of Channelization: Theory, Experiment, and Observation." Kudrolli was also awarded $99,950 in supplemental funds from the NSF for his research on "Particle Diffusion and Mixing during Silo Drainage."
PSYCHOLOGY: Michael Addis was awarded a three-year grant from the NIH for his research on "Men's Service Use for Depression and Anxiety Disorders." The grant totals $855,630, with $195,210 in the first year. Elaine Reese and Wendy Grolnick were awarded $7,334 in supplemental support for graduate student Emily Baskin, in conjunction with Reese's research on "Enhancing Low-Income Children's Emergent Literacy."
Research Centers
GEORGE PERKINS MARSH INSTITUTE: Rob Goble and Dale Hattis were awarded $199,654 in supplemental funds from the Department of Energy for their research on "Biologically-Based Risk Modeling with a Focus on Cellular Repair Mechanisms for Radiation-Induced Damage." Sam Ratick and Colin Polsky entered a $29,000 contract agreement with Harvard Design & Mapping for research on "Census View." Ron Eastman was awarded a $54,189 contract from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for research on "Analysis and Interpretation of Hyperspectral Imagery for Mapping Distributions of Fraxinus Species and Emerald Ash Border Host Trees." Goble and Octavia Taylor entered a $79,712 grant agreement on behalf of the Citizens Monitoring & Technical Assessment Fund, RESOLVE, for a project on "Redressing the Shortcomings of Science by Assessing Public Health Studies on Low-Level Radiation Risk." Hattis entered a $20,658 contract agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct research on "PBPK Model Development and Use in Support of the IRIS Assessment for Acrylamide."
|
 |
|
Clarknews Spring 2005
|
|
|
|
