Return to Table of ContentsApril 1998
Campus Notes Publications
English Professor Louise Z. Smith had her essay, "Homeless in the Golden Land: Joan Didion's Regionalism," published in the book, Rethinking American Literature, released in February by the National Council of Teachers of English.
Senior Fellow Albert Cardarelli of the McCormack Institute has written an article, "Rhetoric and Reality of Community Policing in Small and Medium-Sized CIties and Towns," which will be published in Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management.
Pine Forge Press has announced the publication of a newly revised edition of Prof. Russell Schutt's textbook, Investigating the Social World, which is described as "the most successful new research methods text to be published in the last 25 years.
Race, Law and Public Policy, Cases and Materials on Law and Public Policy of Race, a new book by Africana Studies Prof. Robert Johnson Jr., was published in February by Black Classic Press.
Conference and Presentations
A conference co-sponsored by the Gerontology Institute and 13 other organizations, "Where will I live? Affordable Housing for the Elderly: Issues and Options for Massachusetts," was held at the State House on March 12. Over 280 people attended to hear discussion on the issues by speakers including State Representative Charlotte Golar Richie and other experts on issues of housing and the elderly.
Carol DeSouza, Americans With Disabilities Act coordinator and acting director of the Ross Center for Disability Services, will present "The Accessible Millenium: Exchanging Resources and Tools for a Barrier-free Future," at the Third International Conference on Higher Education and Disability in Innsbruck, Austria, in July. DeSouza is president of the International Association of Higher Education and Disablity (AHEAD) and co-sponsor of the conference.
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Ron Polito gave a public lecture, "Commercial Photography in 19th Century America" sponsored by the Friends of the Longfellow House in Cambridge, Ma. on Feb. 17. He presented the lecture and another talk on the identification of 19th century photographic processes at the opening of a 3-day photography workshop Feb. 18, sponsored by the National Park Service at the Longfellow National Historic site in Cambridge.
The Bernard Stotsky Lecture Series presented Dr. Stanley F. Turesky, director of congressional affairs for the U.S. Holocaust Museum, who spoke on "Stolen Assets? Neutral Bankers and Holocaust Victims' Accounts"on March 5. Dr. Turesky's visit was hosted by the McCormack Institute.
Prof. Lloyd Schwartz of the English department and creative writing program read the role of Virgil in a staged reading of U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky's translation of Dante's Inferno at the Manhattan Theater Club, New York City, on March 23. Other readers were Pinsky, and poets Louise Gluck and Frank Bidart. Schwartz was also poet in residence at Trinity College, Hartford, CT., from March 4-15, and gave two public readings as part of the residency.
Elizabeth Sherman, director of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, organized a panel on "Women and Grassroots Activism" at a Wellesley College conference, Women in American Political Activism held in February at Wellesley College. THE NETWORK of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy was a co-sponsor of the conference.
English Prof. Linda Dittmar and Art Prof. John Gianvito were participants in a symposium, "The Role of Israeli Film School Production in Israeli Cinematography" sponsored by the Judaica Division of the Harvard College Library on March 9. Prof. Dittmar is also serving as program chair for the 1998 Meeting of the Society for Cinema Studies in San Diego, Ca., April 4-7. She has organized over 100 panels, workshops and other events which will be attended by scholars from the U.S. and overseas.
Prof. Augusto Blasi of the psychology department recently participated in two symposia. He gave the opening remarks and presented a paper on the methodology of sentence completion and its relation to ego development assessment at a symposium organized by the Washington University psychology department and the Institute on Social Thought.The symposium honored Dr. Jane Loevinger, considered by many the most important living personality assessment theorist, on the occasion of her 80th birthday. At the National Meetings of the Society for Research on Adolescence in San Diego, which also honored Loevinger, Blasi presented a paper on the meaning that sincerity and phoniness have for adolescents. Prof. Jill Rierdan also presented a paper, on eating disorders, puberty, and depression.
Daniel Ortiz, associate director of the Healey Library, spoke at the University of Puerto Rico's Graduate School of Library and Information Science's 20th annual convention on March 13. His talk was titled, "Librarians, Architects of a New Information Service Paradigm: Trends and Forces Behind its Development."
Prof. Elsa Auerbach of the ESL program gave the keynote address, "From Connecting the Dots to Reading Between the Lines: Changing Perspectives on Family Literacy,"at the Connections Through Literacy conference in Providence, RI.
Honors and Awards
In the January/February issue of Change Magazine, Zelda Gamson was one of 33 individuals named to the magazine's survey of Who's Who in Higher Education Senior Leadership, national leaders who have significantly influenced higher education in the 1990s. CPCS Dean Ismael Ramirez-Soto was hailed as one of the Young Leaders of the Academy in the same issue.
The Division of Continuing Education has received a gold medal for marketing excellence from the University Continuing Education Association. The award recognizes a publication produced by the DCE entitled Comprehensive Programs in English as a Second Language.
Prof. Louise Z. Smith has been elected to a five-year term on the executive committee of the Modern Language Association's (MLA) Division on the Teaching of Literature. She will chair the committee for the 2001 MLA conference.
Prof. Jacqueline Haslett of the Human Performance and Fitness Program was honored with the Joseph McKenney Award from the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD). She received MAHPERD's highest award for her exemplary service, leadership, and contributions to the youth of Massachusetts at a banquet held on March 15 at Wheaton College.
Albert Cardarelli, Senior Fellow, McCormack Institute, has been asked by the Boston Police Department to serve on the Regional Roundtable on Police Integrity, which will explore individual and organizational issues on integrity in law enforcement.
In the News...
Science News magazine highlighed the research of Prof. Don Kalick of the psychology department on perceptions of attractiveness and health in its February 7 issue. Kalick's research findings were also published in the January issue of Psychological Science.
Debra Wein, general manager of the Beacon Fitness Center, was a guest expert on WABU-TV's "Doctors on Call," on Sunday, March 15.
Padraig O'Malley's op-ed piece, "Solution for Ireland?" appeared in The Boston Globe on January 23. O'Malley is a senior fellow at the McCormack Institute.
Dissertation Defenses
Prinyanthi Silva, Ph.D. candidate in gerontology, defends her dissertation, "Gender Identity Styles of Young, Middle Aged, and Old Women," on April 13. It will take place in the CPCS conference room, 4th floor, Wheatley Hall, at 4:15 p.m.
Lita Wilson Russell, Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology, will defend her dissertation, "Self-Orientation: The Role of Culture, Gender, and Context," on April 3, in the Troy Lounge, second floor, Wheatley Hall, at 9:30 a.m.
Arne Boudewyn, Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology, will defend his dissertation on April 17 at 10:00 a.m. in the Troy Lounge, second floor, Wheatley Hall. It is titled "Adolescent Attachment to Parents as a Predictor of Adult Models of Self-in-Relationship: A Longitudinal Study."
New Programs
NERCHE has launched the Massachusetts Higher Education Executive Leadership Institute for senior administrators in Massachusetts public colleges and universities. It is a twelve-month program aiming to enhance the leadership abilities of senior administrators. Mary Grant, Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, is one of the participants.
The Gerontology Institute is the new home of a national service which helps individuals understand and secure their pension rights. The National Pension Lawyers Network is a lawyer referral service which lists 650 attorneys in 50 states, willing to represent workers and retirees having problems claiming their pensions. The referral service is free. Attorney Larry Gomes has been hired to direct the network, which will complement the work of the Gerontology Institute's Pension Assistance Project.
For Your Information
The Office of Student Affairs has announced several changes in staffing. Carol DeSouza, ADA coordinator, will serve as acting director for the Lillian Semper Ross Center for Students with Disabilities. She takes the place of James Wice, who served as director from 1987 until February of this year.
Goldie Lengel will serve as acting director of Health Services until a search can be held for a permanent director to replace David Stockton, who retired in February. Lengel will continue as director of Nursing Services during this time.
A new office of Student Legal Services has been established to provide counseling, education, referral and where appropriate, direct representation to students in legal matters. Joseph Samson has been hired as director. A graduate of the Boston University School of Law, Samson is a trained mediator.
Congratulations
In February, WUMB Radio learned that its listenership has grown to an all time high of 55,000 listeners a week, a 25% increase over the last year, according to Arbitron, the national radio rating service.
Correction
Prof. Martha Collins of the English department was mistakenly identified as a former UMass Boston faculty member in the March Issue of the University Reporter. She is currently on leave from UMass Boston.