Clark University - Clark News summer 2007
Newsbriefs (summer 2007)
Ridgefield Foundation endows chair to further scholarship in language and culture
Clark University received a $2 million grant from The Ridgefield Foundation to establish The Henry J. Leir Chair in Foreign Languages and Cultures. The grant will support the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department's innovative approach to exploring the reciprocal nature of language and culture, thus enhancing its contribution to greater international understanding.
The first holder of the Leir Chair will be a distinguished teacher-scholar with expertise in one of the European languages taught at Clark University. The chair will assume responsibility for the development of courses focusing on language, national identity and culture —concepts central to Clark's innovative National Imagination course. The chair will help energize outreach to other departments and programs within Clark as well as with other universities, organizing international conferences, symposia and joint research projects. An appointment is expected to be made by fall 2008.
The Ridgefield Foundation, part of the Leir Charitable Foundations, was established by the late Henry J. and Erna D. Leir to fund their philanthropic interests. Other major donors to the foundation include Continental Ore Corp. and the International Ore and Fertilizer Corp.
Mr. Leir (1900-1998) was known internationally as an industrialist, succeeding in the metals and mining industry in Luxembourg before expanding to 35 different countries, with offices in Luxembourg City, D üsseldorf, Mexico City, New York City, London, Paris and Tokyo, among other locations.
Leir-associated programs established at Clark are run through the Leir Luxembourg Program-Clark University and include the May Term Program, a four-week session for undergraduate students; Summer Research Opportunities in Luxembourg; a one-year Ph.D. research internship in Luxembourg; the dual M.A. in English/American Studies in Luxembourg and at Clark; The Henry J. Leir Lecture Series; and faculty conferences and workshops in Luxembourg.
To learn more about the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department at Clark, visit: www.clarku.edu/departments/foreign
Clark lauded for making a difference in Central Mass.
United Way of Central Massachusetts presented Clark University with the Orville Harrold Community Leadership Award at its annual business meeting on April 24.
The late Orville Harrold, who served as CEO of the Providence and Worcester Railroad, is described as someone who "always understood and acted in such a way as to advance the Worcester community." Last year, United Way began bestowing the award on a person or organization that embodied Harrold's commitment and service to the Central Massachusetts community. Those selected must visibly embrace the values for which Harrold was well known: action, involvement, persistence and determination, humor and insight.
"Clark University, under the distinguished leadership of President John and Kay Bassett, demonstrates Orville 's commitment and service to the Central Massachusetts community," said Tim Garvin '85, president of United Way of Central Mass.
"The University has taken action in the Main South neighborhood, making it a safer, more vibrant community in which to live and raise a family. "
United Way recognized Clark's involvement with the University Park Campus School and lauded President Bassett for providing leadership to the indicators project of Common Pathways and Kay Bassett for her role as chair of the United Way Women 's Initiative. Jack Foley, vice president of government and community affairs and campus services, was also recognized for his work with the Worcester Community Action Council as was IDCE professor Laurie Ross for her work with Worcester youth. The organization thanked the many Clark professors who assisted the city with their research and expertise, and praised Clark students for engaging in projects that not only enhance their learning, but also make a difference in our local and global communities.
Clark senior receives prestigious fellowship
Giovannina "Janie" Crocco '07 has been awarded a $35,000 Compton Mentor Fellowship to conduct research on sex trafficking in Italy and Nigeria. Crocco is one of just five graduating college students from across the United States to be awarded the prestigious fellowship.
Crocco will spend five months in Turin, Italy, and five months in Lagos, Nigeria, studying the trafficking of Nigerian women to Italy for sexual exploitation. She plans to collaborate with the United Nations Crime and Research Institute in Turin and the African Radio Drama Association in Lagos during her fellowship year.
A dean's list student at Clark, Crocco double majored in government and international relations and international development, minored in French and is fluent in Italian. She has worked in Italy as a translator for the World Wildlife Fund and as a tour guide. Crocco expects to return to Clark University following her travels to earn a master 's degree in international development.
The Compton Mentor Fellowship Program is the only Compton Foundation program with a focus on graduating college students from the United States. The program is designed to promote creativity and support the commitment of graduating seniors as they move beyond academic preparation to real-world application and contribution.
Each year, five Mentor Fellows are selected from participating universities and awarded a one-year, $35,000 fellowship. The stipend is to implement a self-directed project, contributing their talents and energy to real-world situations. At the core of the fellowship is the partnership between a fellow and a mentor, who provides guidance, encouragement and impetus for continued learning and service.
New endowed professorship in history established at Clark
The Michael and Lisa Leffell Endowed Professorship in History has been established at Clark with a $2 million gift from Michael '81 and Lisa '82 Leffell.
The Leffell Professorship will enhance the University's strong program in history, which includes a doctoral program, a large undergraduate major, a significant role in Clark 's international and intercultural programming, and a distinguished tradition of research and scholarship. Another aim of the Leffell Professorship is to enhance Clark 's program in Jewish Studies in conjunction with the Allen M. Glick Professor of Judaic and Biblical Studies.
The individual selected for the Leffell Professorship will have a strong interest and credentials in modern Jewish history and may be a specialist in the Near and Middle East, the United States, Eastern Europe or any area with a large Jewish population.
Michael and Lisa Leffell are avid supporters of the University, giving generously of their time and resources to their alma mater. Michael Leffell, who currently serves on Clark 's Board of Trustees, majored in history at Clark and earned a law degree at Columbia Law School. He is currently a general partner at Davidson Kempner Partners in New York City, which he joined in 1988 after working at a New York law firm. Lisa Leffell earned a B.A. in psychology at Clark and has been an active member of the Clark community.
The Leffell Endowed Professorship in History is the latest in a long tradition of philanthropy at Clark for the Leffells. They established the Michael J. '81 and Lisa Klein '82 Leffell Scholarship Fund, the Paul Lucas European History Prize and the George Billias Prize in American History for student essays on these topics. The Leffells have also provided crucial support for recent capital projects at Clark, including the Lasry Center for Bioscience and the Dolan Field House, and are longtime supporters of the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. In addition, the Leffells have been members of the Jonas Clark Fellows, the leadership group of annual donors to the University, since 1992 and have hosted Clark events at their home.
"The Leffell Endowed Professorship in History exemplifies the confidence Michael and Lisa have in their alma mater to challenge conventional wisdom and discover new knowledge that will change our understanding of the world, " says President John Bassett. "The Leffells have been outstanding ambassadors for the University. They are above all committed to academic excellence. Their generosity at Clark will continue to benefit many future generations of students and faculty.
Clark's AKOG is all kinds of great
Clark's All Kinds of Girls (AKOG) program received recognition for its work with young women in Worcester Public Schools, aiming to expose them to different life options, nurture their socioemotional development and foster diversity understanding among girls and women.
The student-run organization received a $15,000 grant from The Women's Initiative of United Way of Central Massachusetts to use with a special focus on violence prevention for girls, specifically to "reduce the incidence of violence affecting middle-school girls by building, strengthening and supporting the development of healthy, confident and safe adolescent girls. " The grant funding will run from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008.
AKOG also received a Worcester UniverCity Partnership Award for Excellence in College Student Community Engagement at a networking event sponsored by the Colleges of the Worcester Consortium, Inc., on April 23, at the College of the Holy Cross. The UniverCity Partnership Award went to several other agencies and students in colleges from the region, for such efforts as volunteer firefighting, running a free flu clinic, mentoring, and outreach to homeless people.
Many Clark students volunteer through AKOG each year. Current executive board members —Priyanka Advani '08, Jaclyn Greenstock '09, Samantha Keefe '08, Rachel McCook '07, Lauren Miller '08, Shira Moskovitz '09, Bonnie Unger '09 and Billie Nachlis '09—were recognized for their contributions to the program. AKOG advisers are Clark Women 's Studies co-directors Amy Richter and Kristen Williams.
Nobel physicist ‘Puts It All Together' in Clark lecture
Frank Wilczek, eminent physicist, popular lecturer and recipient of the 2004 Nobel Prize, presented "Putting It All Together" at Clark on April 26 as part of the President's Lecture Series. Clark's President's Office, Dean of the College Office and Physics Department sponsored the lecture, at which the University bestowed an honorary Doctor of Science degree upon Wilczek. Initiated by Clark 's President John Bassett in 2002, the President's Lecture Series includes two to three lectures a year with well-known speakers in the sciences, arts, humanities and international relations.
Wilczek won the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics (along with coworkers David Gross and David Pulitzer) for his discovery of asymptotic freedom in the theory of strong interaction, which allows physicists to calculate the cross sections of various events in particle physics. Wilczek has earned an extensive number of honors and awards for his research and has contributed to advancements in research in such areas as pure particle physics, the behavior of matter at ultra-high temperature or density (applicable to understanding stellar behavior), black holes, the invention of axions, quantum chromodynamics, and the field uses of quantum physics.
View the video tape of his lecture online.
Clark dedicates research center devoted to well-being of children and families
On May 18, 2007, the Bliss Child and Family Study Center at Clark University was dedicated by Jane Bliss, with the love and support of family and friends, in memory of her brother Monte M. Bliss '59 and mother Sophia G. Bliss. The center promotes cutting-edge research that examines the psychological and sociocultural determinants of well-being in children and families. Current research projects include efforts to identify how teachers understand and manage children 's expressions of emotion, the ways that adoptive couples manage the transition to parenthood, and how programs can be developed that can teach families how to cope with stress so as to prevent the development of more serious problems, like depression.
The dedication ceremony, which took place in Jonas Clark Hall, included remarks from President John Bassett; Nancy Budwig, associate provost and dean of graduate studies and research; Michael Addis, director of the Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology and Education and Psychology Department chair; psychology professors Esteban Cardemil, Abbie Goldberg and Wendy Grolnick; and a special tribute by Roger Bibace Ph.D. '57, psychology professor emeritus and former classmate of Monte.
Three Clark students win leadership awards
Stacey Lawrence '08, L. Manseen Logan '07 and Latosha Wilkes '07 received ALANA Student Network Leadership Awards, presented at the annual Colleges of the Worcester Consortium ALANA Network banquet on April 19. The ALANA acronym stands for persons of African, Latino/a, Asian or Native American descent.
Lawrence, Logan and Wilkes were recognized as campus leaders. Lawrence has served on the Millennium Leadership Conference Committee, as president and vice president of Clark 's Black Student Union (BSU), and was an ACE Summer Institute peer mentor. Logan, a member of Clark 's Hip Hop Collabo dance group, Clark Campus Ministry chorus and VIP Steppers, served on the Millennium Leadership Conference Committee. And Wilkes, a resident adviser who also served on the Millennium Leadership Conference Committee, is a member of the Hip Hop Collabo dance group, Clark Campus Ministry, Black Student Union (BSU), and Caribbean and African Students Association (CASA).
"This award is reserved for juniors and seniors, and these three students have been outstanding leaders since their first year at Clark, " says Academic Advancement director Wesaline Gadson.
The ALANA Student Network is a group of administrators from several colleges and universities within the consortium, which supports the recruitment and retention of ALANA students. One of the network 's goals is to develop a stronger connection among all the ALANA students of the colleges and universities within the consortium. "Our hope is to expand support and resources for our ALANA students, provide opportunities to meet and dialogue, and then for them to develop genuine supportive relationships with each other, " says Gadson.
Clark's Office of Academic Advancement assists ALANA and first-generation college students in the development and implementation of their academic and career goals. The office also directs the ACE Summer Institute and the Millennium Leadership Conference.
Glick '07 brings College Democrats Convention to Clark
In April, David Glick '07, who served as the central Massachusetts regional coordinator for the College Democrats of Massachusetts (CDM) and president of the Democrats of Clark University, successfully organized the first CDM Convention ever hosted at Clark University and outside of Boston.
Having witnessed significant growth in College Democrat chapters in areas of the Commonwealth, such as Worcester, Glick saw the need to "nudge the state Executive Board" to take notice of chapters outside of Boston. Over 100 students attended the convention at Clark, at which Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray and State Senator Ed Augustus Jr. spoke. The convention allowed students from chapters at schools such as Tufts, Harvard, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Boston College and UMass-Amherst, among others, to compare notes and review their respective organizing methods.
Founded in 2001, Democrats of Clark presently has over 200 people on its mailing list, 20 of whom regularly attend weekly chapter meetings. "For a school of 2,000, we are one of the most active chapters," Glick says.
While at Clark, Glick was active in all levels of politics. He served as an intern for Clark alumnus and Worcester City Councilor, Dennis Irish. Last fall, he organized a shuttle to the Worcester DCU Center for a rally that featured President Bill Clinton —more than 500 Clark students participated. He also arranged for U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) to "dorm storm" and visit Clark students.
Glick, who graduated on May 20 with a bachelor's degree in government and international relations, was recently hired as a field organizer for Senator Barack Obama 's Presidential Campaign in Keene, N.H. As he left Clark, he hoped the Clark Democrats would make a significant impact on the 2008 election.
"It has been very satisfying work," he says. "The Democrats of Clark have slowly been challenging convention and changing the world. "
Student Organizations: The Outing Club
You can find them climbing the peaks of New Hampshire's Mount Monadnock, on whitewater rafting adventures on Massachusetts' Deerfield River, hiking Maine's Acadia National Park, bicycling on Martha's Vineyard…even kayaking in the Kneller Center pool. (I kid you not!)
Their motto? "Nature. Get some."
Who are they? Members of Clark's Outing Club, of course. Whether it be hiking, camping, climbing, backpacking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, scaling rock gyms, stargazing, bicycling, or even apple picking —it's all about the outdoors, nature and having fun.
"The Outing Club's main mission is to get outdoors—to bring people on an urban campus into green spaces," explains Elizabeth Waste '07.
More than 500 Clarkies are getting in touch with nature through the student-run club, which sponsors a wide spectrum of outings and activities each year to promote outdoor education, skill sharing, and networking among members. The Outing Club offers something for everyone at Clark from on-campus marshmallow roasts, to local hikes that take just a few hours, to daylong trips and multiday adventures throughout the greenest, wettest, roughest and highest points in New England. The best thing is: you needn 't rival the physical acumen of Indiana Jones to take part. All are welcome, regardless of past experience or ability level.
The club has also hosted outdoor adventure films and slideshows, environmental conferences and presentations, and local waterway cleanups. Through Nature Connection, which Outing Club co-sponsors with Clark 's Office of Student Leadership and Programming, a hike goes out just about every Sunday in the fall.
"It's really central to my happiness to get out into the outdoors," says Waste. "Getting outside and enjoying nature is a great way of just releasing stress."
Nora Oliver '10 says the club also takes advantage of green places right in Worcester—such as Broadmeadow Brook and Elm Park, which she dubs "urban wilderness."
"The good thing about Worcester," says Oliver, "is, even though it's a city, if you go five miles in any direction, you can find a more rural area."
Although both Waste and Oliver admit that it's sometimes harder to motivate people in the winter, the club doesn't let the New England weather put a chill on club activities. This past winter, the Outing Club sponsored activities such as indoor kayak-rolling clinics in the Clark pool, snowshoeing and winter backpacking, indoor rocking climbing and sledding.
"I love cross country skiing, and winter camping," says Waste, referring to a recent Outing Club spring-break trip.
"Outing clubs are really an essential part of the college experience," Waste explains. "It's so great for me when I'm stressed to put the work aside and just get out for some fresh air."
"And I think it's really important, especially on an urban campus, to be able to meet and be with people who also share your love and passion for the outdoors, " adds Oliver.
Learn more about the Outing Club.
Art students create mural for the Lasry Center for Bioscience
Sixteen talented young artists, all students in art professor Elli Crocker's Drawing the Body class, have created a biology-inspired mural which will hang in the Cathy '83 and Marc '81 Lasry Center for Bioscience. The students each designed four 12-by-12-inch tiles that, when placed together, make up one large 8-by-8-foot square. These super-enlarged interior images of the human body depict red blood cells, white blood cells, brain neurons and skeletal muscle fiber. They were created on drafting film using colored pencils, paint, ink and magazine clippings and are mounted onto stretched canvas.
Biology Department Chair Susan Foster enlisted the help of the students after learning that last year 's class worked on a commissioned mural for Worcester State Hospital.
"The students and I had far-reaching discussions about all aspects of working from the body as a conceptual source for our art, " says Crocker. Few of her students were art majors, several were first-year students, and most had yet to take a painting course. The mural provided an opportunity for Crocker 's students to work collaboratively on a community-centered project.
"We have a lot of wall space," said Foster of the new building, which opened in January 2005. Foster and her colleagues were delighted at the prospect of having colorful, student-created art for their building.
"We are thrilled by the art, and we'd like to see this kind of collaboration again and again," said Foster.
The students were equally excited and grateful for the opportunity. "We're so happy we could contribute to Clark," said Preethi Raj '07, the only biology major in the class.
View images of the mural.
Grants& Awards:
departments
BIOLOGY: Manfred Binder and David Hibbett were granted $10,420 in supplemental support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) for research on "Toward a Global Phylogeny of the Boletales." Susan Foster and John Baker received $6,006 in supplemental support from the NSF for an REU for research on "Ancestral Plasticity and Mating System Evolution in the Stickleback Radiation."
ECONOMICS: John Brown and Daniel Bernhofen were awarded $95,009 in additional funds from the NSF for research on "Empirical Tests of Neoclassical Trade Theory Using Natural Experiment: The Case of Japan. "
GEOGRAPHY: Susan Aragon, adviser Dianne Rocheleau, was awarded a $12,000 grant from the NSF for doctoral dissertation research on "Connectivity and Biodiversity Conservation in Rural Landscapes." (Also see George Perkins Marsh Institute)
GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Jack Foley was awarded a new three-year grant totaling $120,555 by the L.G. Balfour Foundation, Bank of America, Trustee, for the August Academy at University Park Campus School and the Accelerated Learning Laboratory.
MATH and COMPUTER SCIENCE: Natalia Sternberg received a three-year $299,922 Cooperative Agreement Award from the U.S. Air Force for her research on "T & E Transmission of Radio-Frequency Signals through Plasma during Hypersonic Flight. "
PSYCHOLOGY: James Córdova has been awarded $215,210 in supplemental funds from the National Institutes of Health for his research on "Indicated Treatment and Prevention of Marital Deterioration in At-Risk Couples."
WOMEN'S STUDIES: Kristen Williams and Amy Richter were awarded a new $15,000 one-year grant from the United Way of Central Massachusetts/Women's Initiative for the All Kinds of Girls program.
Research Centers
GEORGE PERKINS MARSH INSTITUTE: Billie Lee Turner and Co-PI's John Rogan and Ron Eastman were awarded supplemental funds of $69,024 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for continuing research on "Landscape Vulnerability—Resilience in the Southern Yucatan Peninsular Region." William Fisher has entered a $26,600 agreement with UNAIDS to be part of the AIDS2031 Project: "Looking to the Future—Social Drivers and the AIDS Epidemic."
JACOB HIATT CENTER FOR URBAN EDUCATION: Tom Del Prete was awarded a new $150,000 two-year grant by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations for the "Main South Secondary School Collaborative—Teacher Professional Development."
Film notes from Tim Shary
what's playing?
As some of you know, this summer I am leaving Clark for the position of director of Film and Video Studies at the University of Oklahoma. I am not happy to be leaving Clark, but this opportunity is quite enormous for me. Reflecting on this, I thought my last column should be about movies dealing with bittersweet departures such as mine. Departures are not like death, but they do come with risks, stress and suspense, as well as potential rewards —in other words, great drama.
The most dramatic departures of my life have involved leaving homes, schools and loved ones, which just about everyone must do at one time or another. The conflict of leaving home for college is a common theme of coming-of-age stories like "American Graffiti" (1973), "Real Genius" (1985), "Boyz N the Hood" (1991) and "Real Women Have Curves" (2002), although far more daunting consequences confront young men heading to military action, as in "Birdy" (1984), "Platoon" (1986), "Dogfight" (1991) and "Tigerland" (2000). In all cases, these departures mark a rueful loss of innocence and reluctant gaining of wisdom.
Then there are the stories of leaving school—usually college—for the so-called real world. Let me tell you, the biggest difference between college and the real world is that in college almost all of your friends live within a mile; and in the real world, you actually get paid for your work rather than paying to work. Movies like "The Graduate" (1967), "Carnal Knowledge" (1971), "The Paper Chase" (1973), "Kicking and Screaming" (1995) and "Wonder Boys" (2000) have all illustrated how life after college continues to be a bewildering series of exams and experiments.
Leaving loved ones is an altogether different issue, since it can happen under many different circumstances: job, war, prison, disaster, alien invasion, etc. Consider how many recent films have used this theme for their emotional impact. Siblings in "You Can Count on Me" (2000) resolve to live apart despite their devotion to each other; an older man and younger woman find wonderfully ambiguous meaning in each other before they return to their previous lives in "Lost In Translation" (2003); the young couple that briefly connected in "Before Sunrise" (1995) start coming to terms with their fateful separation in "Before Sunset" (2004); and of course the end of an otherwise tedious summer job is devastating to the cowboy lovers in "Brokeback Mountain" (2005). All of these films remind us that we so often fail to realize the depth of our love until it leaves us.
The same will be true of my love for Clark after I leave for Oklahoma, although my departure will not be dramatic enough to inspire a Hollywood movie. I simply appreciate how much the University and its people have given to me over the past decade, especially in the opportunity to teach so many excellent students who have taught me so much in return. Despite the pain of leaving, I celebrate the accomplishments of the students and faculty I have known here, and look forward to your continued success. Like so many characters in movies about departures, I am leaving this place with a small amount of sadness and a much greater sense of fulfillment.
From the editor: The staff at Clarknews will greatly miss Tim Shary and his What's playing? column. Professor Shary's acute insight into the stories told on the silver screen and their reflection on real life has prompted many of us to revisit a previously viewed film to seek deeper meaning, to settle in with an old favorite —just one more time—or to check out a film not yet seen. Thank you, Tim, for "taking us to the movies."
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