Ad multos annos!

Looking forward, the College Senate adopted new requirements for admission to our programs which will go into effect for the matriculating class of Fall 2012.

A task force will be working over the summer to study the potential for a new college embracing human development and the health sciences at Purdue. How this initiative might impact the College's programs remains to be determined.

Interesting times, indeed!

Sincerely,

John J. Contreni
Justin S. Morrill Dean

RESEARCH & NEWS

Public square forum to focus on debt, financial crisis

Financial panelists will talk about debt and today's financial problems during a public square forum organized by the College of Liberal Arts.

"Who's at Fault? Causes of Our Current Financial Problems and What to Do," which is free and open to the public, is 6 p.m. on May 5 at the Tippecanoe Room in the Tippecanoe County Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette. The program is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts engagement office. More

Study: Don't be in the dark about effects of leaving others out of the loop

Workplace ostracism hurts employees' feelings, and the impact on job performance can hurt the company's bottom line, according to new research from the Department of Psychological Sciences.

"Most of us have been given the silent treatment on occasion, but being out of the loop, especially if it frequently happens at work, may have more negative consequences than we thought," says Kipling D. Williams, a professor of Psychological Sciences who studies ostracism. "Even when people are included and acknowledged to some extent in a group setting, there is still some damage accruing when they experience periods of being in the dark. And, because this happens more frequently, its effects may be more serious than the cold shoulder."

These out-of-the-loop experiences can occur when co-workers exclude someone from a hallway conversation after a meeting or a human resources manager meets with people from other departments but someone feels left out of a discussion, says Janice R. Kelly, a professor of Psychological Sciences. Kelly, who studies small-group decision making, said other examples of partial ostracism involve not being told about an important decision, revised deadlines, office gossip, or office holiday traditions. More

New book chronicles 1990s films and the 'decade of spin'

The 1990s produced some of Hollywood's biggest blockbuster movies, and their special effects were a key component to the decade's infatuation with spin, says a Purdue author.

"Attitudes are formed through the mass media," says William J. Palmer, professor of English. "And, the 1990s were all about spin, which is basically the managing of information for specific and strategic reasons. There was a tremendous amount of insecurity with the reality of that time. We saw this with Y2K, the increased role of technology in our lives, political scandals, the AIDS epidemic and sexuality."

Palmer is author of The Films of the Nineties: The Decade of Spin, which was published this month by Palgrave MacMillan. More

Free online writing lab aids job seekers in preparing resumes, letters

Job seekers wanting to make the "write" first impression can benefit by using the resources of Purdue's Online Writing Lab.

"During this tough job market, it's critical that resumes and cover letters be error-free," says Tammy S. Conard-Salvo, acting director of the Writing Lab. "Because of today's economic hardships, many professionals are updating their resumes to find a job, which is something they may have not done in many years."

The Online Writing Lab provides a variety of job search writing tips, including e-mail etiquette, formatting, resume design, verb usage, word choices, font choices, keywords, appropriate content, proofing, and mailing tips. More

Liberal arts symposium focuses on religion, spirituality in China

Religion and spirituality in China is the theme for the 2009 Center on Religion and Chinese Society symposium.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is April 30 and May 1 in the Burton D. Morgan Center, Room 121, at Purdue's Discovery Park. More

Purdue Repertory Dance Company to perform Spring Works Concert

The Purdue Repertory Dance Company will present its Spring Works 2009 Concert on May 1 and 2.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on both days, and a matinee is 2 p.m. May 2. Tickets are $12 for the general public, $10 for students and $6 for children ages 12 and under. Reserved tickets can be purchased in the Loeb box office in Stewart Center, or box offices in Elliott Hall of Music and Pao Hall. Tickets also can be reserved by calling 494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW, or through Ticketmaster at 743-5151. More

Indiana stimulus money for new jobs could step up physical activity

The federal stimulus money invested in Indiana's natural resources may not only stimulate the economy but also people's interest in physical activity, says a public health expert.

"There is growing evidence that environmental opportunities are important for encouraging more individuals to engage in healthy, active lifestyles," says Philip Troped, an assistant professor of Health and Kinesiology whose research focuses on how neighborhood environments influence physical activity. "Examples of environmental design that can influence physical activity include how we construct our neighborhoods, transportation systems, commercial centers, schools, and recreational facilities, such as parks and trails." More

FACULTY & CLA HONORS

College of Liberal Arts names 2009 distinguished alumni

The College of Liberal Arts honored five people as its 2009 distinguished alumni.

Recipients are Mark S. Andrews, M. Leroy Keyes, Lorraine Olson Ramig, Thomas H. Scholl and John W. Stauffer. They were honored at a banquet on April 17. More

Awards given to faculty, staff at Purdue Honors Convocation

Liberal Arts faculty received awards on April 19 during the university's annual Honors Convocation in Elliott Hall of Music.

Murphy Award

Excellence in Education Award

Design students place in international competition

Escape

A Purdue student placed first at the 16th annual Student Design Competition sponsored by the International Housewares Association.

Nora Flood, a junior in the College of Liberal Arts from Grapevine, Texas, received $2,400 for her first-place design Escape, a ladder that uses the window frame for support rather than hooking onto the windowsill.

She also received an all-expense paid trip to the association's show in Chicago on March 22-24 to display a protoype of her product. More

Purdue honors Violet Haas Award winner Carroll

Carroll

Berenice Carroll, a Purdue professor of Political Science and Women's Studies and winner of the 2009 Violet Haas Award, was honored at an April 14 reception.

Established in 1990, the award recognizes individuals, programs or departments at Purdue that have facilitated the advancement of women in hiring, promotion, education and salary, or have generally enhanced a positive professional climate for women at the university. More

Other honors

– Thomas H. Ohlgren, professor of English, has won the Medieval Academy of America's Robert L. Kindrick - CARA Award for Outstanding Service for Medieval Studies. The award recognizes leadership in developing, organizing, promoting and sponsoring medieval studies. Ohlgren will be honored at the academy's annual meeting on March 26-28 in Chicago.

– Evelyn Blackwood, associate professor of Anthropology, won the Martin Duberman Fellowship awarded by the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies at The City University of New York. The award is for Blackwood's upcoming book, "Falling into the Lesbi World: Desire and Difference in Indonesia."

– Laurence B. Leonard, the Rachel E. Stark Distinguished Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, will serve as a member of the National Institutes of Health's Center for Scientific Review on the Language and Communication Study Section. The study sections review grant applications, make recommendations on these applications and survey the status of research in their fields. Leonard's appointment is from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2013.

– The Great Plains During World War II, by history professor R. Douglas Hurt, has been named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2008. Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries is considered one of the premier sources for reviews of academic books, electronic media and Internet resources of interest to those in higher education. Hurt also is the head of the Department of History.

– A journal article by Mahalakshmi (Preeti) Sivasankar, an assistant professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences was selected for the 2008 Best Paper Award in the Basic Science category by the Journal of Voice.

EXPERTS IN THE NEWS

The New York Times –
In Obama's election, a textbook case of history in the making for students this fall
(Randy Roberts, Department of History)

The New York Times –
Study backs Bosnian Serb's claim of immunity
(Charles Ingrao, Department of History)

The Washington Post –
Competitive instinct and team spirit can get you a long way
(Alan Smith, Department of Health and Kinesiology)

The New Republic –
Black is brilliant
(Leonard Harris, Department of Philosophy)

WEbMD –
5 Fat-Burning Strategies: Here's how to work out, eat right -- and lose fat
(Darlene Sedlock, Department of Health and Kinesiology)

Story ideas can be sent to Amy Patterson Neubert at the Purdue News Service, 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu