Newsbriefs (spring 2007)

Alumnus establishes fund for study of the Armenian genocide

Hausrath has long supported student scholarships at Clark. Growing up during the Depression, his mother saved $.25 every week in a jar —enough for Hausrath to enroll as a first-year student at Clark. The savings were depleted after his first year, but he was able to remain at the University thanks to a scholarship.

The Agnes Manoogian Hausrath Fund supports the work of the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, which was established at Clark in 1997 as the first and only institute of its kind. The center is committed to offering excellent undergraduate education and superior graduate training, where students learn to recognize genocidal ideologies before they take hold and identify strategies for deterrence.

Once devoted solely to Holocaust scholarship, the mandate grew to include the Armenian genocide. With the establishment of the Robert Aram '52 and Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair, the Strassler Center became home to the first endowed professorship in North America specifically dedicated to the study of the Armenian genocide and modern history of the Armenian people.

Professor Simon Payaslian, the first incumbent of the Kaloosdian/ Mugar Chair, is an energetic teacher and scholar. Working under his instruction, students study the Armenian genocide as a distinct subject and as a comparative case. Payaslian recently published "U.S. Policy toward the Armenian Question and the Genocide."

Committed to fresh scholarship about the Armenian genocide and renewed efforts to teach about it, Clark is eager to recruit more doctoral candidates with this focus. The Agnes Manoogian Hausrath fellowship will help accomplish this goal. Ninety years after the Armenian genocide, denial of the historical record continues to be an issue around the globe. The center 's Ph.D. candidates are the future professionals who will advance the frontiers of knowledge and scholarship and provide well-researched and intelligent answers to deniers.

Research professor receives prestigious ISA award

Enloe is a research professor of international development and women's studies. She has served as chair of Clark's Government Department and director of Women's Studies. She received Clark's "Outstanding Teacher of the Year" award three times and was named the University Senior Faculty Fellow for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship.

Enloe now lectures internationally on how women's emotional and physical labor has been used to support governments' war-waging policies, and how many women have tried to resist those efforts. She has authored many books, including "Bananas, Beaches and Bases" (2000) and "The Curious Feminist" (2004). Her newest book is "Globalization and Militarism; Feminists Make the Link" (2007).

Enloe accepted the Susan Strange Award at ISA's annual convention in February 2007 in Chicago. The convention is a major international scholarly event, including well over 800 panel sessions and involving participants from more than 50 countries. A group of scholars and practitioners founded the ISA in 1959 to pursue mutual interests in international studies. Representing 80 countries, ISA has over 4,000 members worldwide and is recognized as the most respected and widely known scholarly association in this field.

Susan Strange (1923-1998) was a British academic who was influential in the field of international political economy. She was the first female president of the ISA and was instrumental in setting up the British ISA.

New residence hall nears completion

"In creating a ‘working name'—a name to use up until or in lieu of a name given in dedication—for the hall, we wanted to choose something that had significance not only to Clark, but to the surrounding community as well. The name Blackstone Hall pays tribute to the Blackstone River and the Blackstone River Valley, both integral and essential aspects of Worcester and Central Massachusetts, " says Kevin Forti, assistant director of Residential Life and Housing.

Blackstone Hall, located along Beaver Street and Florence Street, will be home to 208 students and feature modern amenities such as central air conditioning and full kitchens with dishwashers. Each apartment unit will house four or six students in a mix of double and single rooms. All aspects of the project have been carefully planned and reviewed by students and staff alike, and the University is confident that Blackstone Hall will be a place that students will be proud to call home.

"The building is moving along very well," reports Dean of Students Denise Darrigrand. "The windows are all in, tile is being placed, and it's really coming together. It's housing unlike any other we have – full apartments with kitchens complete with Corian countertops and dishwashers, dining areas, living rooms and bedrooms. There are also two-story lounges and a laundry room on the third floor with computer terminals. "

To find out more about the new hall, visit the Blackstone Hall website. In addition to a project blog, visitors to the Web site will find an updated progress log, project plans and information on the design process, as well as a photo gallery and live Web cam.

Study shows family commitments can help managers at work

The study, published in January in the Journal of Applied Psychology, contradicts conventional wisdom that parents are easily distracted by their responsibilities at home —in particular their children—and therefore are more likely to be ineffective at work. The article was co-authored by Clark management professor Laura Graves, Marian Ruderman of the Center for Creative Leadership, and Patricia Ohlott of the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning.

The study sought to determine how managers' commitments to marriage, children or both affected their life satisfaction, career satisfaction and work performance. It examined whether commitment to marriage and children reduced the physical and emotional resources managers could devote to work or actually expanded managers ' abilities to meet the demands of their jobs.

Being able to manage the demands of children and running a household helps respondents better manage the stress of work instead of adding to it, says Graves. "Family experiences provide managers with positive feelings that carry over to the workplace and facilitate performance. They also help managers develop the ability to see others ' views—a capacity which is critical to supervising others, working in teams or relating to superiors, " she says.

According to Graves, the study has important implications for employees and organizations alike. "While many organizations have adopted family-friendly policies, most still operate under the assumption that a family focus will detract from performance. Our research suggests that this assumption is wrong. In fact, a family-focused manager may be the leader your company should have, " she says.

Clark names new Trustee

A molecular biologist, Culpepper was most recently employed by the Institute for OneWorld Health (iOWH) in San Francisco, Calif. At iOWH, she oversaw the Artemisinin Project, which is developing a process for producing microbially derived artemisinin for the treatment of malaria.

From 2000 to 2004, Culpepper was the senior vice president of alliance management at SGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in San Diego, Calif. Prior to that, she worked as senior director of molecular technology and gene discovery at Millennium Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Mass., and at the DNAX Research Institute in Palo Alto, Calif.

Culpepper is a graduate of Clark's biology program and holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University (1982). An avid supporter of Clark University, she established the Maurine H. Milburn Fund for the Sciences at Clark, which this past year supported a student 's summer research in chemistry and contributed to a real-time PRC machine in biology. Recently, she hosted a Clark alumni-community event at her San Diego home.

"Janice will be an excellent trustee," says President John Bassett. "In discussing academic matters, it will be especially helpful to have her combined science and business perspectives."

Clark scientist garners $400K grant for diabetes research

Lazo's research project aims to determine how a small protein named islet amyloid polypeptide forms assemblies that are toxic to the insulin-producing cells found in the pancreas. To do so, he will use a biophysical approach that includes experimental and computational methods. The long-term goal of his research is to develop anti-diabetes drugs that inhibit the formation of the toxic protein assemblies. The ADA grant also supports a postdoctoral fellow and a graduate student, as well as funding for the use of research facilities at the UMass Medical School in Worcester.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 171 million people are diabetic —a number expected to double by the year 2030. In the United States, 21 million adults and children have diabetes, which is the primary cause of blindness, renal failure and lower limb amputations and is a major risk factor for strokes and cardiovascular disorders.

Lazo came to Clark in 2006. He received his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University, a master's degree at the State University of New York at Syracuse, and a B.S. at the University of the Philippines. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Florida State University. Prior to his appointment at Clark, he was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at UCLA.

Oratorical contest brings historic speeches to life

First prize of $500 was awarded to Latosha Wilkes '07. Her address, "For the Equal Rights Amendment," was first delivered by Shirley Anita St. Hilton Chisholm on Aug. 10, 1970. Wilkes majors in English with a concentration in law and society.

Second prize of $250 went to Sara Koehring '08, whose "Democratic National Convention Address" was first made by Elizabeth Glaser on July 14, 1992. Last spring, Koehring, who majors in biology and philosophy, won the contest.

Christine Golden '09 garnered third prize of $100 with a speech titled "Terror, Torture, and Resistance," which was originally delivered by Andrea Dworkin in May 1991. Golden is majoring in sociology and communication and culture.

An award for audience favorite went to Annie Sumberg '10, who delivered the 1960 Independence Day Speech by Patrice Lumumba. Also competing were Adam Liebowitz '07, Greg LeMieux '07 and Abhishek Raman '09.

Visual and performing arts professor Gino DiIorio organized the competition, in which students were asked to present a six- to eight-minute speech originally performed by any world political figure, including candidates for office and those involved in political movements.

Hervey Ross x '50 sponsors the contest. After the speeches, he spoke to the students about his love of public speaking and experience winning a competition as a Clark first-year student. Ross then helped DiIorio present the winners ' trophies.

View the video stream of the Oratorical Contest online at its website

Clark students shine at Regional Mock Trial Competition

Megan Harwood '07, Katie O'Leary '08 and Alexis Correia '09 were among just nine students who were honored among a 22-team field (containing at least 140 students). Clark University earned the most "Best Witness" awards of any school in the tournament, said team coach Attorney Steven C. Kennedy '88.

One of the Clark teams was ranked 10th overall with a 4-4 record. They had a record of 4-2 going into the last round and ended up facing the eventual tournament winner, New York University, in a close match. A 5-3 record would have qualified them for nationals. The tournament results placed Clark at No. 9 on a nationwide list of schools eligible for an open bid.

"These awards are a reflection of the hard work and dedication these students and their teams have been devoting to the program this semester, " Kennedy said. "The students were great representatives for Clark and are already looking forward to next fall 's invitational tournament."

The Mock Trial Team at Clark is part of the University's academic concentration in law and society and is open to any student, not just those planning to attend law school. Students take a course on trial advocacy in fall and then participate on the Mock Trial team in the spring semester. Clark fields teams for the Intercollegiate Mock Trial Tournament each year and consistently fares well.

Events promote dialogue about the state of our democracy

A highlight of the symposium was the showing of the award-winning film "Why We Fight" and commentary by its creator, dramatic and documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki. "Why We Fight" won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and has gained critical acclaim in its candid exploration of the influence of the American military industrial complex on U.S. foreign policy.

In the film, Jarecki depicts U.S. military history from World War II to the Iraq War to reveal the political, economic and ideological forces that propel America to war. Personal stories are interlaced with the commentary of academics, politicians and Pentagon officials to give an eye-opening picture of America at war.

Other events included several panel discussions; the lecture "How to Change the World: Self and Society in American Transcendentalism" by Philip F. Gura, William S. Newman Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and a world premiere concert, "Music of Protest and Contemplation" by the Penderecki Quartet, formed in Poland in 1986 and noted for their passionate support of contemporary music and artistry on standard repertoire. The program featured the world premiere of music professor Matt Malsky 's new work, "Lacan" for string quartet.

Grants & Awards:

Departments

CHEMISTRY: Daeg Brenner was awarded $4,800 from Yale University for graduate-student support on nuclear structure research. Noel Lazo, new to the Chemistry Department this fall, was awarded a three-year $405,345  grant from the American Diabetes Association for research on "Biophysical Chemistry of the Islet Anyloid Polypeptide."  (See page 4.) Education: Tom Del Prete was awarded a $200,000 two-year grant by the Greater Worcester Community Foundation for the "Main South Secondary School Collaborative: Focus on the A.L.L. School."

GEOGRAPHY: Cynthia Adom, adviser Susan Hanson, was awarded an $11,930 NSF doctoral dissertation research improvement grant for research on "Impacts of Rapid Urbanization on Livelihoods in African Cities." Jody Emel was awarded $25,108 in supplemental funds from the NSF for research on "Mining FDI, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development." Colin Polsky was awarded a $24,672 grant by the Henry David Thoreau Foundation for the undergraduate component of the Human-Environment Regional Observatory (HERO)  Program. (Also see George Perkins Marsh Institute)

IDCE:   William Fisher was awarded an $88,000  two-year grant from the Compton Foundation, Inc. for the Compton Fellowship Program in Environment and Sustainability.

PHYSICS: Arshad Kudrolli was awarded $53,568  in supplemental funds from the Department of Energy for his research on "Physics of Channelization: Theory, Experiment, and Observation."

Prehealth: David Thurlow was awarded a $35,000  grant from the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation for his project, "Community College Prehealth Advising: Manuals and Best Practices."

PSYCHOLOGY: Abbie Goldberg was awarded $50,000 , a second grant from the American Psychological Foundation for research on "The Transition to Adoptive Parenthood for Lesbian Couples." Wendy Grolnick was awarded a $39,300 grant from the Spencer Foundation for research on "Emotion in the Classroom:  A Theory-Based Exploration of Teachers' Emotion Socialization Beliefs and Behaviors." Michael Addis was awarded $152,498  in additional funds from the National Institutes of Health for research on "Men's Service Use for Depression and Anxiety Disorders."

Research Centers

GEORGE PERKINS MARSH INSTITUTE: Yuko Aoyama and Sam Ratick were awarded $31,437 in supplemental funds from the NSF for research on "Organizational Dynamics of the U.S. Logistics Industry." Jim Murphy was awarded $10,570 in undergraduate summer-research support from the NSF  for research on "The Socio-Spatial Dimensions of Industrial Change in Bolivia."

Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies:   Debórah Dwork was awarded a $72,000  grant by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc. for research and bursary stipends for the Holocaust Doctoral Program.

What's Playing?

Education reform has been the subject of many U.S. films since the 1930s, when the Great Depression made Americans quite concerned about the future of children born into difficult class conditions. President Roosevelt 's New Deal did not produce the equivalent of No Child Left Behind legislation, but Hollywood made sure that people then –and ever since–have made a connection between class and education, and thus between education and success.

Popular films of the 1930s that took up these connections included "Dead End" (1937) and "Boys Town" (1938),  the latter of which featured Spencer Tracy in one of the many "influential teacher" roles that are a hallmark of films about reform. Usually such teachers stand out not only because they are dedicated to their charges, but because they fight against an apathetic school system and/or irresponsible parents.

Glenn Ford seemed to fight against everything in his crusade to educate and motivate the working-class high schoolers in "Blackboard Jungle," which was controversial for its violence in 1955, but seems relatively tame today. One of the student actors in that film, Sidney Poitier, would himself go on to play an education reformer in "To Sir, With Love" (1967), only moving the class and racial issues of 1950s America to 1960s  England.

Throughout much of the 1960s, however, films about youth tended to reflect on their increasing drug use and resistance to the Vietnam War; issues of education were rather ignored in youth films during the 1970s era of Watergate and disco, as well. Two films in 1979 signaled clear changes in depictions of education: "Rock and Roll High School" parodied the attempts at reform that over-zealous administrators sought since the 1950s,  and "Over the Edge" took a much more serious view of how failed parents, schools and community government lead to a legacy of youth problems.

In the 1980s, these two approaches—the comical and the critical—continued to influence the surprisingly high number of films about education during the Reagan era.  While some managed to combine both approaches—such as "Up the Academy" (1980), "Heaven Help Us" (1985) and "Heathers" (1989), an abundance of movies featured idiosyncratic and tireless teachers who achieved notable change in schools: "Teachers" (1984), "The Principal" (1987), "Stand and Deliver" (1988), "Dead Poets Society" (1989) and "Lean on Me" (1989).

In recent years, the roles for inspirational teachers and troubled youth looking for direction have remained quite prominent, as in "Race the Sun" (1996), "Whatever" (1998), "Light it Up" (1999), "October Sky" (1999) and "Donnie Darko" (2001).  However, a distinct re-evaluation of teachers has been present in films over the past decade, questioning their effectiveness and casting suspicion on their motives.  Examples include "187" (1997), "Election" (1999), "Cheaters" (2001), "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" (2002), and "Saved!" (2004). Such a trend raises the question of whether the education of young people still needs considerable reform, or if the reformers themselves need more education.

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Clarknews Spring 2007

One School at a Time Which comes first, happiness or the smile? Small business. Big Impact. Unpacking a life-changing experience Newsbriefs Alumni News Sports Briefs In Closing In Memoriam Regional Reviews

Cynthia Enloe

Laura Graves

Blackstone Hall

Noel D. Lazo

Oratorical Contest Winners