Liberal Arts eNews

January 2007

CLA UPDATE FOR FACULTY & STAFF

Creating a place for CLA . . .

**John Contreni**

Susan Curtis, associate dean for interdisciplinary programs and engagement, has just announced a new engagement program for the College. Blessed with a memorable acronym, PLACE, the Purdue Liberal Arts Community Engagement program provides a structure, incentives, and support for faculty and student engagement activities.

Composed of three linked components, PLACE will facilitate engagement in different modes.

The centerpiece of PLACE is "Building Community," a year-long "engagement" of faculty and students with community leaders focused on a topic of significant community interest.

PLACE's "Public Square Forum" will support faculty and students as they take their art and scholarship literally into the public arena.

The program's third component, "Individual Engagement," will enable individuals to extend their expertise and talents in artistic expression and scholarship to public audiences in Tippecanoe County and throughout Indiana.

The program, funded by President Martin Jischke, will complement myriad engagement activities already underway, some with a long history of learning and service behind them. All of the College's engagement activities will be showcased in the PLACE newsletter, which will serve as a resource guide for community leaders as well as a record of the College's engagement presence.

Once PLACE is "in place," the College's engagement presence will be a prominent feature of the College's identity. And, best of all, our engagement presence will enhance our research and teaching.

***

Happy New Year to all and welcome back to a new semester. Who remembers Y2K? It seems like only last year that we watched the new year arrive in New Zealand without cataclysmic consequences.

We're off to a great start, despite SSINFO difficulties last week that tested, but did not vanquish our dedicated advising corps. Thanks to all!

Sincerely,

John J. Contreni
Justin S. Morrill Dean

NEWS AND RESEARCH

Mute television during family time

Too much television can mean less face time with family members and friends, says a Communication researcher.

Glenn Sparks

"No matter the source of noise, we often fail to appreciate how other sounds in the room can disrupt the efficiency of our conversations," says Glenn Sparks, a professor of Communication who is studying the effect TV has on how people relate to each other. Sparks recently completed a study on this topic with Hannah Kirk, a former graduate student in the Department of Communication.

"The television has become a standard part of our environment in such a way that we hardly even think about it," Sparks says. "The TV is literally just a piece of furniture to us, and we forget it's there even when it's turned on. Yet, the background noise still distracts us and diminishes the quality of our communication." More

Book addresses abuse across generations

A new book by sociologists looks at family abuse within and across generations and possible solutions for policymakers to consider.

Family Abuse
and Violence

"Often domestic violence, partner abuse, elder abuse, and child abuse are talked about separately," said JoAnn Miller, an associate professor of Sociology and affiliated member in Women's Studies. "But you cannot understand one problem without understanding the others. We need to look across generations. A daughter who grows up in an abusive family will possibly struggle with abusive dating relationships as well as an abusive or even violent marriage."

The book, Family Abuse and Violence: A Social Problems Perspective, by Miller and Dean D. Knudsen, a professor emeritus, is written for policy advocates, practitioners, researchers, and students. It was published by AltaMira Press in October and is based on case studies, and survey research, as well as the professors' experiences working with family abuse in their community. The book highlights a different theory of abuse. It features the many voices of victims and offenders and emphasizes the importance of academics collaborating with practitioners and policymakers to solve social problems. More

Activate healthy children with thoughtful gifts

Adults giving gifts to promote physical activity for children should be sure to set aside their time as well, says a childhood fitness expert.

"If parents are directly involved in the activity – sledding, bicycling or in-line skating – then parents will know if the activity or game is age-appropriate," says Carole DeHaven, a continuing lecturer in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. "This time together also is an opportunity for adults to demonstrate how to use the new toy and address any safety concerns. Safety should always be first when promoting an active lifestyle for children."

Research shows that obese children tend to become obese adults, says DeHaven, who works with physicians to teach children about physical activity. And research also shows that children model adult behavior, so when adults are active, it is more likely the child will be, too, she says.

"When adults give themselves as part of the gift it also encourages the child to participate in the activity," she says. "Don't just give a child in-line skates or a sled, but schedule a specific time when you can skate, sled or walk with the child." More

State of the Union likely to have a uniting tone

When President Bush delivers his State of the Union address on Jan. 23, he's likely to focus not on the contentious issues that are dividing the country, but on the values Americans share, a Purdue University expert says.

"With the Iraq war as unpopular as ever and with a Congress now controlled by Democrats, President Bush would be wise to return to the message he came to Washington with, which is to be a uniter, not a divider," says Buddy Howell, a visiting instructor in the Department of Communication who studies political communication and specializes in the study of presidential rhetoric.

"With the exception of the State of the Union he delivered in January 2002 just after 9/11, this probably will be the most important State of the Union address of his presidency because of the crucial issues and divisive atmosphere facing the country." More

College launches community engagement initiative

Purdue University's College of Liberal Arts is starting a program to increase its faculty's community engagement and help examine and solve social issues that affect citizens throughout the state.

Purdue Liberal Arts Community Engagement, to be known as PLACE, is designed to involve faculty and students in issues that reach past the boundaries of the classroom and campus.

"Faculty and students in the College of Liberal Arts have been engaged in service-learning, public presentations and voluntary involvement in community programs for several years, but many of these efforts have been unconnected from one another," said Susan Curtis, associate dean for interdisciplinary programs and engagement.

"The purpose of PLACE is to organize these activities and make them more beneficial to faculty, students and the community. When we take what is going on in our classrooms at Purdue and pair it with the input and ideas of citizens, we can better help solve problems that are a concern to all of us." More

Committee on Peace Studies to discuss Iraq

Purdue experts in political science, history and natural resources will talk about current issues surrounding the debate over U.S. foreign policy in Iraq as part of a Jan. 22 on-campus panel discussion.

"The War in Iraq Today: Issues and Context" will take place from 7-9 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 206. The event, sponsored by the Committee on Peace Studies, is free and open to the public. Harry Targ, a professor in the Department of Political Science, and Committee on Peace Studies coordinator, will moderate the panel.

Panelists will be Berenice Carroll, professor of Political Science, a member of the Committee on Peace Studies and the former director of the Women's Studies Program; Aaron Hoffman, assistant professor of Political Science and member of the Committee on Peace Studies; and Rabi Mohtar, a professor of Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. More

Speech, language, hearing experts to be on WBAA

Purdue University's Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences faculty and clinical staff will be available to answer questions from WBAA Radio listeners during a monthly health program.

The segment airs in the 2-3 p.m. hour on the third Thursday of each month. The series is part of WBAA's live call-in show AM 920 Magazine. The next talk is Jan. 18 and features Elizabeth Strickland, associate professor, and Bob Novak, clinical professor and interim department head. They will talk about noise and related hearing loss. More

Purdue Galleries to look at Global Matrix

Purdue University Galleries opened the new year with an international selection of contemporary prints.

Girl with Red Hair in Snow #2

Purdue Galleries developed the exhibit as a contemporary review of fine art printmaking in all media from around the world. Included are woodcuts, etchings, silk screens, lithographs and digitally produced original prints.

The first installment of Global Matrix was presented at Purdue University Galleries and six other venues from 2002-04. This second installment revisits the world of international printmaking five years later, revealing the continued refinement of several returning exhibitors and opening the doors to new imagery from individual artists whose work has not previously been seen here.

Global Matrix II: An International Print Exhibition will be presented Jan. 8 to Feb. 18 in both the Robert L. Ringel Gallery in Purdue Memorial Union and the Stewart Center Gallery. More

Jewish studies announces semester lecture series

The Jewish Studies Program at Purdue University will offer a variety of topics for its Spring Noon and Public Lecture Series.

The series, which is free and open to the public, will present an evening talk on March 19. Steven Weitzman, the Irving M. Glazer Chair of Jewish Studies at Indiana University, will present Readers of the Lost Ark: Ancient Clues about the Lost Treasures of the Temple at 8 p.m. in the Krannert Auditorium. More

Literary Reading Series announces spring schedule

The Purdue University Literary Reading Series will feature a variety of authors who write poetry, fiction, and nonfiction during the spring semester.

The series is organized by the College of Liberal Arts' Creative Writing Program, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. All readings are free and open to the public. More

Start semester on 'write' foot with online resource

Purdue University's popular, free online writing resource features updated resources and a new, more usable format for writers who are seeking information about grammar, style, and language for class papers, as well as materials for the job market.

The online writing lab is also known as OWL.

"OWL continues to evolve because we are paying attention to what our users want," said Tammy Conard-Salvo, Writing Lab associate director. "Online visitors are not only students. We are hearing from people in the business world who need help drafting white papers and from alumni who need assistance with updating their resumes. More

IN MEMORIAM

Carol Widule, professor emerita in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, died Jan. 7 after a long battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 at Hippensteel Funeral Home in Lafayette.

Widule received her bachelor's degree from Monmouth College in Illinois in 1952, her master's from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill., in 1953 and her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1966.

She came to Purdue in 1965, where she served as an assistant professor until 1970. From 1970-75, she was an associate professor, and in 1975, she became a professor, a title she held until her retirement in 1998.

Widule taught and conducted research in sport biomechanics while at Purdue. A total of 48 master's and doctoral students received their degrees under her direction, and her professional contributions include 28 publications plus numerous presentations. In 2001, the Biomechanics Academy of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education presented her with the Ruth B. Glassow Honor Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to applied research in biomechanics.

William Harper, the head of the Department of Health and Kinesiology, worked with Widule from the time he arrived at Purdue in 1979 to her retirement.

"She was a pioneer in the development of biomechanics nationwide and made a tremendous contribution to Purdue and her field," he said.

Harper said Widule started Purdue's first sports mechanics program when she came here in 1965 and was involved in a landmark publication in the late 1960s that introduced movement education studies as a curriculum.

"She was an all-around wonderful colleague and department citizen and she will be missed," he said.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Heimo Loya Music Scholarship, Monmouth College, 700 E Broadway, Monmouth, IL, 61462; the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, or by mail to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202; or to the Carol J. Widule Award for Outstanding Graduate Scholar/Service, Purdue University, Department of Health and Kinesiology.

FACULTY & CLA HONORS

– Kristina K. Bross, an associate professor of English, won a Fulbright Scholar grant that will allow her to extend her educational reach overseas in 2006-07. She will lecture on "Early Native American Studies, A Global Turn" at the University of Mainz, in Mainz, Germany.

Nearly 800 U.S. faculty and professionals travel abroad as Fulbright Scholars every year. Grants are typically from two months to an academic year. The Fulbright Scholar program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with additional funding from participating governments and host institutions in the United States and abroad. The Council for International Exchange of Scholars is a private, nonprofit organization that manages Fulbright Scholar exchanges.

– Brant Burleson, a professor of Communication, has been elected a distinguished scholar of the National Communication Association at the organization's annual conference in November. The award recognizes a lifetime of scholarly achievement in the study of human communication by the association's members. Burleson, an expert in supportive forms of communication, such as comforting and the role of emotion in communication and relationships, has published five edited books and more than 125 scholarly papers.

– Patrice Buzzanell, a professor of Communication, received an Outstanding Scholarly Article Award from the Applied Communication Division of the National Communication Association for her article, "Struggling with Maternity Leave Policies and Practices: A Poststructuralist Feminist Analysis of Gendered Organizing." The article was published in the Journal of Applied Communication Research in February 2005.

– Carole DeHaven, a continuing lecturer in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, received a Leadership Award from the Indiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. The award was presented in November at the association's state conference.

–Valentine Moghadam, professor of sociology, has been named director of the College of Liberal Arts Women's Studies program. Moghadam comes to Purdue this semester from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, where she was the chief of gender equality and development in the social and human services sector. She has held positions at Illinois State University, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the United Nations University, the University of Helsinki and Rutgers University.

ALUMNI HONORS

–Lu Ann Aday, who received a master's degree in sociology from Purdue in 1970, was honored with the 2006 Association of Schools of Public Health/Pfizer Award for Teaching Excellence. The award is given by the association and Pfizer's U.S. Public Health Group. Aday is the Lorne D. Bain Distinguished Professor in Public Health and Medicine at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. She was chosen from among 18 nominees. The award is given annually to recognize graduate public health faculty from full ASPH-member accredited schools of public health who are notable for their teaching excellence.

EXPERTS IN THE NEWS

Louisville Courier-Journal –
Check Santa's list twice to protect kids' hearing
(Lata Krishnan, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences)

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette –
Future constituents favored: Councilmen spend outside their districts, on areas they will represent next election
(Jeremy Straughn, Department of Sociology and Anthropology)

WFIE-TV, Evansville, Ind. –
Get active with kids this season
(Carole DeHaven, Department of Health and Kinesiology)

Terre Haute Tribune Star, South Bend Tribune, United Press International –
What we got here's a chance to communicate
(Glenn Sparks, Department of Communication)

Boston Globe, News & Observer (North Carolina), The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.), Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner, Lexington (Ky.) Herald Leader –
TV doctors may be fictional, but viewers still listen carefully to what they say
(Susan Morgan, Department of Communication)

North Jersey.com –
Sociologists explore role of religion in America
(James Davidson, Department of Sociology)

Philadelphia Inquirer, Belleville (Ill.) News Democrat, Bradenton (Fla.) Herald, Charlotte Observer,Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer, Kansas City Star, Lexington (Ky.) Herald Leader, Myrtle Beach Sun News, San Luis Obispo Tribune, The State (Columbia, S.C.)–
Web journals, support groups giving ill people new outlets
(Brant Burleson, Department of Communication)