{"id":20882,"date":"2025-04-10T09:03:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T13:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?page_id=20882"},"modified":"2025-09-25T13:15:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T17:15:23","slug":"notables-archive","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/notables-archive\/","title":{"rendered":"Notables Archive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Achievements, accolades, and other items of note from the Clark University community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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August 14, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Semerdjian receives prestigious book award<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Institute for the Study of Genocide (ISG) has awarded the 2025 Raphael Lemkin Book Award to Elyse Semerdjian, the Robert Aram and Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair of Armenian Genocide Studies, for her work, \u201cRemnants: Embodied Archives of the Armenian Genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ISG’s Lemkin Award honors Raphael Lemkin, the originator of the concept of genocide and first exponent of a United Nations Genocide Convention. The biennial award recognizes the best non-fiction book published in English or translated into English that focuses on the causes, prevention, response, or consequences of genocide and mass atrocities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more from the ISG \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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July 29, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klooster named a Top Scholar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

History Professor Willem Klooster<\/a> has been named a top scholar by ScholarGPS, which recognizes outstanding performance in various fields, disciplines, and specialties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ScholarGPS cited Klooster\u2019s strong publication record, the impact of his work, and the notable quality of his scholarly contributions in ranking him in the top 0.5% of all scholars worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klooster specializes in the history of the Atlantic world from the 15th through the 19th centuries. He teaches classes on comparative colonialism (the Americas), the age of Atlantic revolutions (1776\u20131824), and Caribbean history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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July 17, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spratt Lab students present research, earn recognition at 39th Protein Symposium<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Spratt<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Six students in Professor Don Spratt\u2019s chemistry and biochemistry lab<\/a> recently traveled to San Francisco, California, to attend the 39th Protein Society Symposium<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The annual symposium spans a wide range of protein science and gives students an opportunity to network, attend career development and technical workshops, and share their research with members of the scientific community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ph.D. student Emily Schaffter was selected to give a graduate student flash talk and received a graduate student poster award during the symposium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two undergraduate students were also recognized during the event \u2014 Anna Tinklenberg \u201925, who received an undergraduate poster award, and Siobhan Connolly \u201926, who was selected as an undergraduate presenter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spratt Lab attendees also included Ph.D. student Maryam Riyazi, William Luschen-Miskovsky \u201925, and Marina Sako \u201926.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

View more photos on Instagram \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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June 18, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data analytics students present research at AI conference<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Clark University data analytics graduate students made a significant impact at the IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) 2025<\/a>, held in Santa Clara, California. They delivered two presentations that highlighted innovative research in health care AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IEEE CAI is an international conference and exhibition focused on the applications of Instagream \u00bbAI and key verticals that drive innovation across industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read More \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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May 22, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phillips honored by Eastern Massachusetts Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Paul E. Phillips<\/a>, longtime head coach of both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s swimming and diving programs and assistant athletic director at Clark, was recently named the recipient of the 2024\u201325 Eastern Massachusetts Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (EMISCA) Collegiate Scholastic Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Paul<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The award is presented annually to a Massachusetts college swimming coach or an individual affiliated with a college in recognition of their support for high school swimming in the state and\/or a significant achievement by their program during the current collegiate season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phillips, who has coached the Clark swimming and diving teams for 23 years, received the award at the EMISCA banquet on May 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goldberg highly ranked among research peers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Psychology Professor Abbie Goldberg has been ranked among the top 5% of scholars at Clark\u2019s peer research institutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academic Analytics, a national firm that uses data and analytical tools to build a stronger research enterprise, named Goldberg a Top Scholar and commended her \u201cexceptional contributions\u201d and \u201cdedication to scholarship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academic Analytics compiles multi-faceted data on individual scholar research productivity, aggregates individual data to the academic unit level, and benchmarks academic unit data against peer units across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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May 8, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduate Student Council holds annual Multidisciplinary Conference <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Participants<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Students and faculty from a range of disciplines gathered last month for the 22nd Annual Multidisciplinary Conference (MDC), hosted by the Graduate Student Council (GSC). The conference is a platform graduate students to present their research, exchange ideas, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conference began with opening remarks by John G. Labrie, associate provost and dean of graduate studies and international programs, who highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary research in addressing global challenges. In her keynote address, Jennifer Hanselman, associate provost and dean of research, emphasized the value of collaboration and innovation across academic fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conference featured two oral presentation sessions and a poster session, and covered diverse topics including sustainability, climate change, social justice, urban studies, public health, and education. All presenters were awarded certificates in recognition of their contributions to advancing academic discourse at Clark; these were given by Sarah Gallagher, associate dean of graduate studies, and Khald Aboalayon, professor and academic program director in the School of Professional Studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Graduate Student Council thanks a number of University leaders, staff, and volunteers for their support and guidance for the conference: President David Fithian, John Labrie, Jennifer Hanselman, Sarah Gallagher, Sara Simeone (former assistant dean of graduate studies in arts & sciences), Khald Aboalayon, Mia Cariglia (student activities coordinator, SPS), Kim McElroy (Harvest Table), Amy Joseph (events office administrator in the President\u2019s Office), and Rebecca Avoole (Department of Economics). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conference organizers also appreciate the support of the Graduate Student Council, including Kwabena Antwi, Ph.D. co-president; Raj Nayan Sheth, treasurer; Sai Divya Veerepally, events officer; Venkata Sai Punnam, SPS representative; Elliot Kemetse, SSJ representative; and GSC subcommittee members Ayesha Farhana, Rishabh Sethi, Srinija Beesagouni, and Manvi Panjwani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychology scholars\u2019 updated textbook earns award<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, senior research scholar in psychology, and Lene Arnett Jensen, senior research scientist in psychology, have received a 2025 Textbook Excellence Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award, which honors current textbooks and learning materials, recognizes the seventh edition of \u201cAdolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach,\u201d originally published in 2001. This edition offers new end-of-chapter reflections that encourage students to consider the big picture, while fresh content in each chapter pertaining to cultural similarities and differences shows how the development of adolescents and emerging adults is influenced by the culture in which they live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TAA\u2019s Textbook Excellence Award (“Texty”) recognizes excellence in current textbooks and learning materials. Works are judged by textbook authors and subject matter experts for their merits in four areas \u2014 pedagogy, content\/scholarship, writing, and appearance\/design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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April 24, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sloat\u2019s exhibit, \u2018Bamboo Mother,\u2019 connects the visual and physical<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ben Sloat, director of the MFA in Visual Arts<\/a> program at Clark, recently displayed his work at Project Space Pilipinas, an independent artist-run initiative and platform based in Lucban, Quezon, Philippines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ben<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn \u2018Bamboo Mother,\u2019 Ben Sloat explores the fusion of the visual and the physical, where imagery is not just seen but felt, an immersive presence in space,\u201d Project Space Pilipinas wrote of the exhibit. \u201cHere, bamboo becomes an intervention: a structural force that transforms, enhances, and obscures, extending even to the architectural scale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking with local verdant green bamboo, as well as a mix of traditional and contemporary materials and techniques, the show suggests the sensation of being immersed in a dark forest,\u201d Sloat wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cThe central structure, \u2018An encounter. Early morning. The sun.\u2019 [pictured] became a type of map, as well as a clock, but also a kind of connective tissue between visual and physical material, one that fills our peripheral vision and immerses our bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born and raised in New York City, Sloat earned degrees from UC Berkeley and SMFA\/Tufts. His work has been shown in venues such as the Havana Biennial (Matanzas), Radium Art Center (Busan), Kunsthal Charlottenborg (Copenhagen), Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Dublin City Gallery\/The Hugh Lane (Dublin), Peabody Essex Museum (Salem), Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond), and the Queens Museum (New York). Solo exhibitions include Das Klohauschen (Munich), Steven Zevitas Gallery (Boston), Coop Gallery (Nashville), Galerie Laroche\/Joncas (Montreal), Gallery 126 (Galway), NLH Space (Copenhagen), Front Gallery (Oakland), and the American Cultural Center (Taipei). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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April 10, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross appointed Dean of the College<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Dean of the College Laurie Ross<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Provost John Magee announced today, April 10, that Laurie Ross has been named Associate Provost and Dean of the College for a three-year term, effective immediately. Ross has served in the interim role since September and has thoughtfully engaged in all aspects of the position, he noted. \u201cLaurie\u2019s passion for Clark and moving the university forward was evident in feedback we received in consideration of this appointment,\u201d Magee said. \u201cWe are extremely fortunate to have Laurie’s passion, dedication, and care continue in this role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross, who has served as professor and director in the Department of Sustainability and Social Justice, earned her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees at Clark before obtaining her doctorate from UMass Boston. She is the former director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and spearheaded the development of The Clark Experience, which formalizes the cornerstones and pathways of a Clark education. Through her community work, Ross has helped Worcester address a range of pressing issues like violence, substance use, and homelessness, particularly among the young. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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March 27, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paper by Clark researchers among most-downloaded papers published in Nature Communications <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A scientific article by Clark researchers Natalia Hasler<\/a>, a research scientist at the George Perkins Marsh Institute, and Christopher Williams<\/a>, associate professor in the Graduate School of Geography, was among the top 25 earth, environmental, and planetary science papers published in Nature Communications<\/em> last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study, \u201cAccounting for albedo change to identify climate-positive tree cover restoration,\u201d was conducted by Hasler, a research scientist at the George Perkins Marsh Institute, and Williams, associate professor in the Graduate School of Geography. Read more about the study in ClarkNow \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It highlights how restoring tree cover can, in some locations, heat up the Earth rather than cool it by affecting how much sunlight the surface reflects (called \u201cthe albedo\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The article received 23,455 downloads in 2024, making it one of the journal\u2019s most downloaded papers in its category.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

View the Top 25 collection from Nature Communications<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorensen\u2019s award-winning Omar Sosa documentary now available on demand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOmar Sosa\u2019s 88 Well-Tuned Drums,\u201d Screen Studies Professor Soren Sorensen\u2019s award-winning biographical documentary on the life and music of Cuban composer and pianist Omar Sosa, is now available to buy or rent<\/a> on Amazon transactional video-on-demand (TVOD). Los Angeles-based independent film distributor Indie Rights acquired worldwide rights to the film earlier this year.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featuring multiple Grammy-nominee Sosa and musical collaborators born across five continents in conversation and performance, \u201cOmar Sosa\u2019s 88 Well-Tuned Drums\u201d follows Sosa\u2019s trajectory from his birth and upbringing in Cuba, his education at the prestigious Escuela Nacional de M\u00fasica in Havana, military service in Angola during that country\u2019s long civil war, and eventual relocation to Ecuador where, for a time, he wrote and performed commercial jingles. Sosa\u2019s solo career began in San Francisco in 1995, where he met longtime manager Scott Price. Price co-produced the film and its accompanying soundtrack, now streaming and available on limited edition vinyl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOmar Sosa\u2019s 88 Well-Tuned Drums\u201d had its world premiere in 2022 at the USA Film Festival in Dallas and was subsequently screened at more than 30 festivals across North America and Europe, winning awards at the Albuquerque Film+Music Experience, Hamptons Doc Fest, Imaginarium Independent Film Festival, Massachusetts Independent Film Festival, ReelHeART International Film Festival, and Rhode Island International Film Festival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the trailer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark University and School of Business join United Nations Academic Impact initiative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Clark University has joined the United Nations Academic Impact<\/a> (UNAI), an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations to actively support and contribute to the realization of UN goals and mandates \u2014 including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability, and conflict resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The School of Business<\/a> (CUSB) pursued Clark\u2019s membership in the UNAI, and the University is now part of a network of 1,700 institutions in 156 countries that work with the UN to promote global priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNAI is part of the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative<\/a> and is informed by a commitment to support and advance ten basic principles<\/a>, including sustainability, peace and conflict resolution, human rights, access to higher education, and global citizenship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read full story<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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March 13, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Perkins Marsh Institute announces 2025 Geller Research Awards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Albert, Norma and Howard Geller \u201977 Endowed Research Awards, presented by the George Perkins Marsh Institute, support student-initiated research projects that advance our understanding of natural resource and environmental sustainability and develop practical improvements that can move society toward more sustainable outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2025 award recipients are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n