Clark University - Clark News winter 2006
Newsbriefs (winter 2006)
Alumni Trustee Election by-law change—nominations due Feb. 1
Pending final approval by Clark's Board of Trustees in February, the Alumni-elected Trustee on the board will be selected by a new process.
Instead of voting on three candidates, alumni will nominate potential candidates for the Alumni Trustee seat. All alumni are entitled to nominate one or more candidates, including self-nominations. Please submit your nominations for this year's Alumni Trustee by Feb. 1 to the Alumni Association, Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610-1477.
The Alumni Association Executive Board will collect all nominations and put forth (at least) the top five candidates to the Board of Trustees Governance Committee for approval. The Alumni Association Executive Board will then select the top candidate among those approved by the Board of Trustees and name the individual winner of the Alumni Trustee Election. The Executive Committee will do this in consultation with and per the recommendation of the Alumni Association Nominating Committee.
This change has already received preliminary approval by the Board of Trustees. It will streamline and engage more alumni in the election process and allow the governing body of the Alumni Association to nominate the best candidates for consideration to the Board of Trustees. Please send questions or comments to Bill Bennett M.P.A. '97, director of Alumni Affairs, at wbennett@clarku.edu.
Clark launches Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program
A special reception for students, faculty and staff was held on Oct. 26, 2005, at Tilton Hall to launch the new Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program. The event featured a panel discussion with three successful entrepreneurs who shared their experiences in the fields of high-end consumer products, professional and Olympic sports, and performing arts.
The new innovation and entrepreneurship minor combines cross-disciplinary liberal arts with professional education. Developed by GSOM entrepreneur-in-residence George Gendron, former editor of Inc. Magazine, the program aims to provide a set of rigorous entrepreneurial experiences for students in any major and to give them the opportunity to explore and participate in the process of starting something new. Students who minor in innovation and entrepreneurship will develop a dramatically broadened awareness of their opportunities after graduation, and will be better prepared to take responsibility for their own professional and economic destiny. These students will also have an opportunity to merge their passion with an ability to make that passion economically sustainable as they plan their careers.
The panelists at the kick-off event were: Trish Karter, CEO and cofounder of Dancing Deer Baking Company, Inc., lauded as one of the nation's most innovative natural-food companies; Ryan McNeil, founder, president and CEO of the Professional Business and Financial Network (PBFN), award-winning entrepreneur and All-Pro NFL professional athlete; and Sarah Shampnois '98, who has helped develop nonprofit agencies such as AmeriCorps and New Jersey Community Water Watch and MassPIRG, is a founder of the Company One theater group in Boston, served on the President's Council on Sustainable Development in Washington, D.C., and taught environmental-education and arts courses in the Worcester Public Schools.
Alumni share leadership experiences
Students learned about leadership from alumni and Worcester community members, thanks to a special event on Nov. 30, 2005, in Tilton Hall organized by the Gryphon and Pleiades Honor Society.
The leadership panel discussion included the following participants: Dimitri Anselme '93, principal, Academy of the Pacific Rim; Chris Condon '98, director of politics and legislation, SEIU Local 509; Scott Zoback '04, M.P.A. '05, writer, Worcester Magazine; Caroline Fuchs '05, clinic assistant, Planned Parenthood, who is also working toward her M.P.A. in Clark's Accelerated B.A./Master's Degree Program; Pat Hoey, president, Sales Development Associates; David Jordan M.P.A. '02, president/CEO, Seven Hills Foundation; and Mary Keefe, community organizer, Pleasant Street neighborhood. Alumni and community members talked about leadership issues and life after Clark. The panel was followed by a networking reception.
Gryphon and Pleiades is Clark's senior honor society. Its 12 members are students who have outstanding records of academic achievement and leadership in campus cocurricular activities. The group hopes to make this leadership panel an annual event.
Clark pays tribute to Jacob Hiatt
On Oct. 20, 2005, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and trustees of the University gathered to honor the late Jacob Hiatt M.A. '46, LL.D. (hon.) '77, former Clark trustee and great friend of the University. The ceremonies were held in the seminar room at Clark's Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology, named for Hiatt's wife, and included tributes from President John Bassett, Larry Landry '71, M.B.A. '75, chair of Clark's Board of Trustees, and History Professor Emeritus George Billias.
The event highlighted Jacob and Frances Hiatt's long friendship with the University and generous philanthropy at Clark, in Worcester and beyond. In 1962, Jacob Hiatt endowed the Jacob and Frances Hiatt Chair of European History in honor of one of his professors. In 1989, he established the Hiatt School of Psychology. And in 1991, Hiatt founded the Jacob Hiatt Center for Urban Education to enhance learning opportunities for students in public schools and the development of teachers. Through its work with the Worcester Public Schools, the Hiatt Center is leading the nation in innovative public-school reform initiatives.
"Frances and Jacob Hiatt were the kind of people who loved life, who loved people and who were caring and supportive," said Landry, who was Clark's chief financial officer during Hiatt's term as a Clark trustee. Landry recalled how the Hiatts took him under their wing and offered him moral support. "The Hiatts touched a lot of lives, and I appreciate that mine was one of them."
"Jack had a brilliant mind, and he used that mind for Clark University's benefit," added Billias.
The event also included the unveiling of a special plaque honoring Hiatt. President Bassett said he hopes the plaque, which is located on the first floor of Jonas Clark Hall near the COPACE office, will inspire Clark students to follow in the Hiatts' footsteps.
"Students for generations to come will read that plaque and recognize the Hiatts as role models of philanthropy," Bassett said.
Alumni and friends honor Attiat Ott
Alumni, faculty, staff, trustees and friends of Clark and of economics Professor Attiat Ott gathered on Oct. 21, 2005, to dedicate the Attiat F. Ott Seminar Room in the Economics Department and to honor Ott for her longtime, outstanding service to Clark's Economics Department and doctoral program.
During her 36 years on the economics faculty, Ott has chaired the dissertations of 55 Ph.D. recipients—the greatest number of Ph.D. recipients in the Economics Department during her tenure at Clark. The last five of her doctoral students will receive their degrees at Commencement 2006, which will also mark Ott's formal retirement from the University. However, she is not retiring from her scholarship. Her new initiative is the Institute for Economic Policy Studies, which will focus on seeking solutions to economic challenges in Africa. The institute will promote economic literacy through seminars and conferences and by working to make databanks, published papers and research affordable and accessible.
Ott is also working on two new books: "The Elgar Companion in Public Economics: Empirical Public Economics," of which she is co-editor and author, and "Public Sector Reforms: Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes," which will be published in 2007. These two books come after eight others that she has authored, coauthored or edited, and more than 100 papers, articles and reports.
The dedication of the seminar room in Ott's honor included remarks by: Maurice Weinrobe, chair of the Economics Department; Sheila Vegari Ph.D. '78, professor of economics at La Salle University; Gladstone Hutchinson Ph.D. '89, dean of studies at Lafayette College; Sujha Subramanian Ph.D. '95, research health economist at RTI International; and Nevila Kote Ph.D. '05, economist/senior risk analyst at MBNA America Bank N.A. Please visit www.clarku.edu/alumni/reviews/ott to view photos of the dedication.
Dump and Run sale turns trash into treasure
Katrina Rideout '00, M.A. '01 organized Clark's third-annual Dump and Run Reuse/Recycle sale, which raised more than $5,000 for local charities and campus groups this year.
Clark began partnering with the nonprofit organization Dump and Run in spring 2003 to collect usable items from students as they moved out of their rooms at the end of the year. The items are then sold at a Dump and Run yard sale on campus to raise money for local charities. In spring 2005, volunteers collected an estimated 13 tons of usable items from students and held a giant yard sale at the end of the summer.
The proceeds from the sales are split proportionately among the volunteer groups that help to collect, sort and sell the merchandise. This year's sale benefited Service for Peace-Worcester, St. Peter's Church Mentoring Program, Clark's Emergency Medical Technicians, Clark's cross country team and Clark's Recycling Program. In response to Hurricane Katrina, a second sale was held in mid-September and raised an additional $500 for hurricane relief efforts. Leftover merchandise was donated to charitable organizations.
Anton Prize honors student for efforts in Main South
Edita Mirkovic '06 received the Thomas J. '56 and Barbara J. Lindblom '56 Anton Prize in honor of her contribution to the Main South community.
For the past two years, Mirkovic has been a true community leader in the Main South Community Development Corporation (CDC). From her earliest days as a work-study student to her current position as assistant to the CDC executive director, she has taken on increased responsibility as an integral member of the management team. Her work in housing development has been impeccable, with successful grant writing, research and monitoring of the cost and payments for the various housing projects in the Main South neighborhood. She has also significantly contributed to the CDC's first-time homebuyer program with support in training and qualifying these homebuyers.
Mirkovic is studying international relations and international development. She is involved with Model United Nations and Clark's branch of the Soliya Connect Program, which aims to promote intercultural awareness and communication between American and Middle Eastern college students.
"Edita is a great example of the best kind of Clarkie," says President John Bassett.
The Thomas J. '56 and Barbara J. Lindblom '56 Anton Endowed Prize Fund was established to annually recognize a Clark student who has made an outstanding contribution to the University Park Partnership neighborhood revitalization initiative.
Geography student named O'Connor Fellow
Joe Fortier '07 was named a John O'Connor '78 Human Environment Research Observatory (HERO) Fellow, in recognition and support of his outstanding research on the environment. The fellowship is named for the late John O'Connor '78, a Clark trustee and prominent environmentalist and community activist in Massachusetts.
Students in Clark's HERO program engage in a 12-month intensive research experience focused on environmental issues in Massachusetts. The experience culminates in students presenting their research at professional conferences and in peer-reviewed publications.
Fortier is majoring in geography, with a minor in government. In geography, he is studying Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing, especially how they can be used to examine environmental issues and forest ecology. Fortier's interest in the environment is an outgrowth of his love of the outdoors. Fortier, who enjoys biking, hiking and camping, is an advocate for energy conservation and recycling. He has been working on the Massachusetts Forest Monitoring Program, which he describes as "a phenomenal learning experience." Fortier hopes to pursue a master's degree in GIS through Clark's Accelerated B.A./Master's Degree Program.
Students raise thousands for Hurricane Katrina relief
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Clark students answered the call for aid by raising thousands of dollars for relief efforts.
- Participants from popular reality television shows played a live version of the tic-tac-toe game show "Hollywood Squares" in Atwood Hall in September as a fundraising event. The event included stars from: "The Biggest Loser," "Extreme Makeover," "Survivor" and "Switched!" According to event coordinator Laura Berger '08, the Clark Cable Network event raised $1,000, which was divided between the American Red Cross' Hurricane Katrina Relief and Central Massachusetts' Local Disaster Relief Funds.
- Residents of Helping House, one of the themed housing options offered to students, raised more than $6,000 toward Hurricane Katrina relief by setting up a donation center outside the dining hall. Check donations were sent directly to the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund. Cash donations were made to Best Buy, which matched donations up to $2 million for the Red Cross. Harrison Mackler '07 and Larissa Chiulli '06 organized the efforts.
- Clark Hillel collected nearly $700 from students.
In addition to raising money, faculty and students hosted "Lessons of Katrina: Clark University Explores Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath," a teach-in and symposium designed to address questions raised by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the response from government officials, the media and civil society. Students also held a bake sale to send aid and supplies to a school in the affected area and to help with rebuilding efforts.
Alumni-in-Residence Series continues
Sixteen alumni working in a wide variety of fields returned to campus Nov. 7 and 8, 2005, for the second-annual Alumni-in-Residence Series. This program brings alumni back to campus to share their life and career experiences with students and to bring their perspective to the classroom. This year's participants visited classes, met with student groups, and participated in career panels. They were hosted by more than 40 Clark faculty members, who invited these alumni to their classes.
This year's participants were: Scott Campbell x'80, Elyse Darefsky '79, Joy Dunkerley Ph.D. '54, Daniel Eisenstadt '91, Michael Fishbein M.A. '77, Ph.D. '81, Margaret Guzman '89, Steven Kennedy '88, Eva Kovach '93, Frederick LaRiviere '94, Philip Lerman '77, June Patron '65, Linda Savitsky '70, Steven Seelig '66, Ph.D. '71, Mark Tepper '79, Douglas Way M.A. '79, Ph.D. '82 and Rena Zurofsky '75.
Student recognized for commitment to helping Worcester residents
Rebecca Herskovitz '06 received the 12th-annual John W. Lund Community Achievement Award, in recognition of her efforts to make Worcester's Main South neighborhood stronger.
Herskovitz is a studio art major with a minor in sociology and a concentration in urban development and social change. The list of organizations she has worked with is extensive: the Boys and Girls Club, the Florence House working with families, Worcester's ALL School, the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, and the People In Peril (PIP) shelter. Herskovitz co-founded the CARE (Community Action, Reform and Education) Initiative at Clark, which organizes student involvement in the Worcester community. She conducted a directed study at the PIP shelter and currently volunteers there twice a week. With a Clark Strassler Scholarship stipend, she studied art in Italy and brings that experience to an art class at the ALL School, where she is a classroom assistant.
In presenting the award to Herskovitz, Dean of the College Douglas Little remarked that she always seeks to learn more about the families and the people she serves and to work to find solutions.
"Your leadership and your vision are most evident through the creation of the Community Action, Reform and Education Initiative, where you have engaged hundreds of Clark students not only to volunteer to help the community, but also to understand better the problems faced by these people and ways that Clark students can help," Little said.
John Lund, a retired business and civic leader of Worcester, established the annual award with an endowment to the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. The gift reflects his affection for Worcester, his appreciation for Clark's commitment to Worcester and his belief that positive change is created by individual dedication.
Falmagne elected president of international psychology society
Psychology Professor Rachel Joffe Falmagne has been elected president of the International Society for Theoretical Psychology (ISTP). Falmagne began her two-year term in June 2005. Falmagne also received Clark's 2005 Lee Gurel '48/John E. Bell Achievement Award with Anneke Mueller '05. The Gurel/Bell Award honors an outstanding graduating senior in psychology and the student's faculty mentor.
The ISTP, which has approximately 200 members from six continents, is an international platform for theoretical and metatheoretical analysis in psychology. It focuses on contemporary psychological debates and aims to stimulate theoretical debate and to innovate theory in the discipline. The ISTP holds biennial conferences, alternating between North America and Europe.
Falmagne, who joined the Clark faculty in 1973, draws from psychology, philosophy and feminist social theory to investigate how modes of knowledge are developed in societies and individuals, particularly how the discourse of rationalism has developed in Western societies. Falmagne studies how people appropriate, resist or transform various formative cultural discourses and how their reasoning about everyday situations and their personal conceptions of knowledge can be understood in the context of their social location and cultural history, with particular attention to gender, social class and ethnicity.
Faculty grants and awards
Departments
COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION: Mimi Stephens has received $37,000 in supplemental funds from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (subcontract from Framingham State College) for continuation of "Training and Teaching for K-12 Educators in Global and Multi-cultural Perspectives."
GEOGRAPHY: Rebecca Dickson (adviser B.L. Turner II), has been awarded a $72,000 Graduate Fellowship from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for her research on "Evaluating Remote Sensing Techniques for the Discrimination of Secondary Forests and Their Biodiversity Potential." Kirsten Barrett (adviser B.L. Turner II), has been awarded a STAR Graduate Fellowship from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This award is $29,300 per year, for up to three years. (See George Perkins Marsh Institute for other geography faculty support.)
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT: Laurie Ross '91, M.A. '95 received $15,500 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Mental Retardation, for student support for research on "The Bridges to Community Project."
PSYCHOLOGY: Esteban Cardemil was awarded $135,037 in a fourth year of supplemental funds from the National Institutes of Health for his research on "Prevention of Depression in Latino Parents." Vrinda Kalia (adviser Elaine Reese) was awarded a $1,500 grant from the Language Learning Journal for her dissertation research titled "The Oral, Narrative, Symbolic and Literacy Development of Indian Bilingual Preschool Children."
Research Centers
GEORGE PERKINS MARSH INSTITUTE: Dale Hattis continues his funding success with the EPA with a new agreement of $98,602 to report on "Interspecies Differences and Human Inter-individual Variability in Tissue-Level Pharmacokinetic Parameters." Ron Eastman received $72,863 in additional funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for his research on "Analysis and Interpretations of Hyperspectral Imagery for Mapping Distribution of Fraximus Species and Emerald Ash Border Host Trees."
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Clarknews Winter 2006
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Professor Emeritus George Billias (left), Reverend John Brooks, president emeritus of the COllege of the Holy Corss, Clark Trustee Chair Larry Landry '71, M.B.A. '75 and President Bassett at the unveiliing of the new plaque honoring Jacob Hiatt. Photo by Rob Carlin
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Professor Attiat Ott (front row, center) with some of the alumni and friends who gathered for the dedication of the Attiat F. Ott Seminar Room
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Edita Mirkovic '06 with President Bassett
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Joe Fortier '07 with President Bassett
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John W. Lund Community Achievement Award winner Rebecca Herskovitz '06
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