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 FROM DEAN PETER STARR
In this issue of Connections, we feature news and achievements from College of Arts and Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.
Our remarkable colleague, University Professor Jack Child, passed away in June. Jack was a passionate scholar of Latin America, as knowledgeable about the continent’s geopolitics as he was about its national cultures. He has left a mark that will enrich our community for many years to come.
Curiosity is the lifeblood of our academic community. It drives U. J. Sofia, the College’s newly appointed associate dean for research, to measure changes in the sun. It leads faculty and students across the College to pair up to find answers to our age’s most pressing questions. And it drives the work of our stellar new faculty, profiled here.
Don Rothfeld has given 151 pieces of contemporary, mixed media Israeli art to the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. Rothfeld envisions his collection as enriching both the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center and the wider dialogue on Israel politics and culture.
We are pleased to share these stories with you—and invite you to share your stories with us at casnews@american.edu. |
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FEATURED NEWS
 The Initiative for Russian Culture (IRC) at American University promotes greater understanding of Russian culture's versatility and richness among students in the Washington area. The inaugural event at the Library of Congress drew over 200 students from consortium universities and 350 guests, including representatives from the State Department, Congress, former ambassadors, and other field specialists. Read
more.
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 Wendy Lower, history PhD '99, published The Diary of Samuel Golfard and the Holocaust in Galicia. Oftentimes, scholars studying the Holocaust focus on camps in Germany and Poland; however, 1.5 million Jews were murdered in the Ukraine, and little is known about these victims. Goldfard's diary gives new insight into their experiences. Read
more.
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 Kate Lindsey, French studies BA '11, is a doer—a person who wants to contribute to the world around her. "When I started doing endangered language research, I realized that this kind of research could actually help peoples' lives and their communities and empower them to realize that their language and their traditions and culture are important." Read
more.
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 Sandra Beasley, MFA creative writing '04, based her recently published memoir, Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life, on her experiences with severe and multiple food allergies since birth. She credits her ability to transition into prose writing to the Creative Writing Program. Read
more.
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 The 20th annual McDowell Conference on Philosophy and Social Policy celebrated the extraordinary work of the William Fraser McDowell Professor of Philosophy, Jeffrey Reiman, and the 30th anniversary of his groundbreaking book, The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison: Ideology, Class, and Criminal Justice. The book is a fundamental text for the study of criminology and social policy and is about to go into its tenth edition. Read
more.
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 Recently published results of the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, the accreditation exam taken by graduates of 161 doctoral programs in the US, show that AU students had the highest percentage of correct answers of any program in cognitive-affective bases of behavior and ranked second in two other subsets. Read
more.
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CALENDAR
AU Chorus: Noel
Dec. 2–3
Winter Dance Informal
Dec. 4
Washington Jewish Film Fest
at Greenberg Theatre:
My Australia, Dec. 4
Mabul (The Flood), Dec. 4
Holiday Open House at the President's House
Dec. 14
AU Museum Exhibitions:
Courtney Smith, Nicole Eisenman, Inner Piece, Re-viewing Documentary, Seismic Dream
Tue–Sun, through Dec. 14
More Alumni Events
All College Events
ACHIEVEMENTS
 Richard Breitman and Allan Lichtman (history) were named Distinguished Professors. This is the university's highest professorial rank and recognizes outstanding teaching, service, and nationally and internationally recognized scholarship.
 Danielle Evans (literature) shared the 2011 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self.
 Mary Hansen (economics) received a $207,665 grant from the Sloan Foundation to create a data set of personal bankruptcy cases from 1898 to 2000.
 Two College of Arts and Sciences alumnae are featured in Washingtonian's list of "Washington's 100 Most Powerful Women"—Strathmore President Monica Hazangeles (MA arts management '96),  and Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith (MA performing arts '76).
The Health Promotion Management Program won the National Wellness Institute's Distinguished Academic Program Award.
More Achievements
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?
Please contact Dave Wiemer at
202-885-2986
wiemer@american.edu
The AU alumni community numbers more than 115,000 individuals in the US and abroad. We invite you to take advantage of numerous programs, benefits, services, and opportunities available through www.american.edu/alumni. |
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