Kudos: Fall 2017

Dickinson students watching solar eclipse

Photo by Carl Socolow ’77

Publications

In a July op-ed in the Chronicle of Higher Education, “Let’s Train ‘Extension Agents’ for the 21st Century,” President Margee Ensign discussed the critical responsibilities of American colleges and universities today and calls colleagues to action. She also was the subject of an article in Carlisle’s The Sentinel newspaper, “New Dickinson College President Seeks to Build Community,” in August and was featured in several news affiliates for her presence and speech at the Carlisle Unity Rally on Aug. 16. In September, she accepted an invitation to join the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Pennsylvania Advisory Committee.

Associate Professor of Economics Ebru Kongar is coeditor of Gender and Time Use in a Global Context, published by Palgrave Macmillan (July 2017).

Assistant Professor of Sociology Erik Love’s op-ed, “Americans Must Not Be Led Down Trump’s Islamophobic Path,” was published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Love also was quoted extensively in a CNN story about Charlottesville. Additionally, Love discussed his new book, Islamophobia and Racism in America, during an hourlong interview on NPR member station KERA’s “Think.”

David O’Connell, assistant professor of political science, published an op-ed, “Stop Talking About Impeachment (at Least for Now),” in The Washington Times and another, “Trump’s First Six Months Look Awful, Until You Remember Clinton’s,” in The Hill.

Steve Riccio, lecturer in international business & management, published “Habits of Highly Effective Higher Ed Professionals” in Academic Impressions.

Associate Professor of Philosophy Crispin Sartwell had six op-eds published in The Wall Street Journal on topics such as the nature of truth post-Trump, Henry David Thoreau and styles of masculinity in the White House.

Awards and Grants

Brontè Burleigh-Jones, vice president for finance & administration, received the 2017 Professional Development Award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). She was honored for her extensive volunteer service to the association’s professional development activities and publications programs.

The U.S. Geological Survey awarded $36,995 to Scott Boback, professor of biology, for his ongoing project, “Analysis and Reporting of Existing Data on Low-Density Detection of Brown Treesnakes on Guam.”

Joyce Bylander, vice president and dean of student life, received the Peacemaker in Our Midst Award from the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg. 

Associate Professor of Economics Ebru Kongar earned the Jean Shackelford Award for Outstanding Service to the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE). The award celebrates the work of an individual whose initiative, imagination or persistent efforts and dedication promote lasting contributions in advancing IAFFE’s goals.

Stefanie Niles, vice president for enrollment management, was elected the new president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) during the organization’s annual conference in September.

In the News

Biology professors Scott Boback and Chuck Zwemer, whose published research on constrictors has gained international attention, conducted an experiment on python constriction for the one-hour special Man-Eating Python, which aired on the Discovery Channel.

Robert Boyle, professor of physics & astronomy, was quoted in a CNET article, “Total Solar Eclipse 2017: 6 Bizarre Things That Will Happen.”

Professor of Earth Sciences Ben Edwards was featured in the September issue of Discover magazine. The article, “The Lava Catcher,” outlines his research exploring volcanoes in British Columbia, Iceland, South America and Russia and investigating what happens when flowing lava meets ice and snow.

Amy Farrell, professor of American studies and women’s, gender & sexuality studies and author of Fat Shame: Stigma and the Fat Body in American Culture, discussed misconceptions and judgments regarding weight in a July article in Shape magazine, “What We REALLY Mean When We Call People Fat.”

College Archivist Jim Gerencser ’93 and Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology Susan Rose ’77 were featured for their involvement in projects and research related to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Stories were published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Post and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and featured on CBS21, PennLive and WITF’s Smart Talk. Learn more at carlisleindian.dickinson.edu.

Ted Merwin, associate professor of religion and director of the Milton B. Asbell Center for Jewish Life, was featured in a Washington Post article, “An Expert on NYC Delicatessens Is Showing D.C. What It’s Missing.” He also gave a talk at the Smithsonian Associates program titled “Where Harry Met Sally: The Cuisine and Culture of the New York Jewish Deli.”

The Hechinger Report and The Atlantic published “The New Minority on Campus? Men,” which featured comments from Vice President for Enrollment Management Stefanie Niles, along with other enrollment leaders.

Professor of English Susan Perabo’s novel The Fall of Lisa Bellow was named a best summer book of 2017 by Southern Living magazine.

Matthew Pinsker, associate professor of history and Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History, was quoted in an Illinois Times article, “Lincoln Papers a Mess.”

Professor of Mathematics Dave Richeson was the featured guest on the Scientific American podcast “My Favorite Theorem.”

Professor of Art History Melinda Schlitt was featured in a BBC Travel story, “Italy’s Mysterious Medieval Garden of Monsters.”

New Faculty

Dickinson welcomed 35 new faculty members this fall: Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Ishraq Ahmed; Assistant Professor of Political Science Santiago Anria; Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies Nina Barzachka; Visiting Instructor in French Mrin Bhattacharya; Assistant Professor of History Say Burgin; Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish Karin Davidovich; Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Maggie Douglas; Visiting International Scholar in Italian Riccardo Dragani; Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies Nikki Dragone; Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Sohani Fatehin; Assistant Professor of Psychology Christine Guardino; Visiting Assistant Professor of English James Harris; Visiting International Scholar in International Studies and Political Science Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob; Assistant Professor of Military Science Eric Johnson; Visiting International Scholar in Philosophy Jean-Pierre Karegeye; Visiting International Scholar in German Andrey Kukhtenkov; Visiting Assistant of Professor of Biology Heather Lehman; Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Douglas MacKenzie; Visiting Assistant Professor of Film & Media Studies Steven Malcic; Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology Joshua Marshack; Assistant Professor of Music James Martin; Visiting Assistant Professor of Africana Studies Trent Masiki; Lecturer in Mathematics and Computer Science Tracy McKay; Assistant Professor of Philosophy Amy McKiernan; Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies Stacey Moultry; Assistant Professor of Religion Peter Schadler; Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science Eleanor Schiff; Assistant Professor of Spanish & Portuguese Amaury Sosa; Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian and Film Studies Giacomo Tagliani; Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish & Portuguese Giseli Tordin; Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Nikolaos (Nik) Tsotakos; Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Eddie Tu; Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology Catalina Villamil; Visiting International Scholar in Russian Alla Zaytseva; and Visiting International Scholar in East Asian Studies Yanfeng ZhaoRead more about them.

Read more from the fall 2017 issue of Dickinson Magazine.

TAKE THE NEXT STEPS

Published November 3, 2017