Kudos (Spring 2021)
Featured Faculty
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Heather Bedi was awarded the American Association of Geographers’ 2021 Harm J. de Blij Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Geography Teaching. This annual award recognizes outstanding achievement, including the use of innovative teaching methods.
Emotional Landscapes: Love, Gender, and Migration, co-edited by Professor of History Marcelo Borges, was published by the University of Illinois Press.
Research by Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Maggie Douglas was mentioned in PA Environment Digest’s story “Climate Change Reduces Abundance, Diversity of Wild Bees, Study Finds.”
Professor of Earth Sciences Ben Edwards discussed his latest study on the world’s most dangerous glacierized volcanoes for a story in Columbia University’s news site, State of the Planet.
Professor of Psychology Marie Helweg-Larsen’s latest op-ed, “As the Pandemic Rages, the U.S. Could Use a Little Bit More ‘Samfundssind,’” was published in The Conversation. She describes how Danes have reintroduced civic-mindedness in their response to the coronavirus. She also was interviewed by Wisconsin Public Radio on the topic of optimism bias 10 months into the pandemic. Additionally, Helweg-Larsen, who has been living abroad as director of the Norwich Sciences Program, was quoted in The Washington Post story “The Hard Work of Going Away for a Long, Long Time.”
Visiting Professor of International Security Studies Jeff McCausland was quoted in several stories related to the January attack on the Capitol: “Pentagon Reviewing How to Better Screen Recruits for Extremism After Capitol Attack,” which was published in all McClatchy-owned newspapers across the country; “Donald Trump Is Gone but His Big Lie Is a Rallying Call for Rightwing Extremists” in The Guardian; and “Why Veterans of the Military and Law Enforcement Joined the Capitol Insurrection” in the Los Angeles Times. He was also a featured guest on WBUR’s On Point, discussing extremism in the military. The program is broadcast on more than 250 NPR stations nationwide. Additionally, McCausland’s op-ed, “Trump’s Capitol Failings Define ‘Dereliction of Duty.’ No Wonder Pelosi Asked About Nuclear Codes,” was published in NBC News THINK.
Assistant Professor of English Sheela Jane Menon published an op-ed in New Mandala about the digital turn in Southeast Asian theatre.
Associate Professor of Political Science Sarah Niebler was quoted in the PennLive story “U.S. Rep. Scott Perry Doubles Down on Being, Well, Scott Perry, in a Moment of Riots and Impeachment.”
Associate Professor of Political Science David O’Connell discussed the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol with CBS21 news. He also was interviewed twice by FOX43, discussing the future of the Republican Party after the 2020 election and breaking down Joe Biden’s inaugural address. O’Connell was interviewed by NBCLX, a new broadcast and streaming network launched by NBC, targeting millennials and Generation Z. O’Connell also was a featured guest on WGAL’s public affairs program, In Focus, discussing the impeachment trial.
Associate Professor of Spanish Mariana Past published Stirring the Pot of Haitian History with Liverpool University Press. Christopher Brokus ’15 worked with her several years ago as a Dana research assistant.
Associate Professor of American Studies Jerry Philogene was interviewed by The Philadelphia Inquirer for the story “This Award-winning Dickinson Professor Is Rethinking How Black Artists Show Death.” She discussed her research and forthcoming book.
Professor of History and Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History Matthew Pinsker discussed the Monroe Doctrine with BBC News World. The story was also published in La Opinión. Pinsker also was interviewed by ABC27 and FOX43 for a report on the two presidents from Pennsylvania—Biden and James Buchanan. Pinsker was quoted in the Christian Science Monitor story “Leadership Includes Humility? Some Republicans See an Ideal to Revive.” Pinsker also was the featured guest on WITF’s Smart Talk for a Presidents Day discussion on leadership and legacy. Additionally, The Sentinel reported on Pinsker’s Teagle Grant-funded Knowledge for Freedom program, which will bring more than 70 low-income high school students to campus to learn about the Civil War and Reconstruction through the House Divided Project.
Associate Professor of Philosophy Crispin Sartwell published an op-ed, “Humans Are Animals. Let’s Get Over It,” in The New York Times.
Contributing Faculty in Music Brittany Trotter was the recipient of two awards recognizing exceptional research on a leading contemporary American composer for chamber music. Trotter received National Flute Association Graduate Research Competition honors and West Virginia University’s Mary Tiffany Ferer Award for Outstanding Doctoral Research in Music for her analysis of seminal flute works by contemporary composer Valerie Coleman. Her work “Examining Musical Hybridity and Cultural Influences in Valerie Coleman’s Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn” investigated Coleman’s musical transformation of narrative poems by Fred D’Aguiar and Maya Angelou. She also recently served as the inaugural resident for UniSound’s Black Teaching Artist-in-Residence program and earned first prize in the graduate/ professional division of the 2021 Maverick Flute Soloist Competition.
Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies Andrew Wolff gave a video interview for the University of Bremen’s YouTube news channel. He discussed the insurrection at the Capitol.
Administrator Accolades
Associate Director of Information Literacy & Research Services Chris Bombaro ’93’s book Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Action: Planning, Leadership, and Programming (ALA, 2020) was recently hailed by the journal College & Research Libraries as “a must-read for library administrators and those directly involved in setting strategic direction and establishing priorities.”
Associate Provost and Executive Director of the Center for Global Study & Engagement Samantha Brandauer ’95 was a guest on Helix Education’s Enrollment Growth University podcast to discuss Dickinson’s Study Abroad at Home initiative and how she designed welcoming solutions for international students during 2020.
Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions Catherine McDonald Davenport ’87 was quoted in the Forbes column “What Is Trending in College Admissions?”
General Counsel Kendall Isaac was quoted in the Bloomberg Law story “The Dispositive List of Things Lawyers Need to Stop Saying.”
Director of West Coast Recruitment Phil Moreno was a live guest on KSEE, the NBC affiliate in Fresno, Calif., and on FOX40 in Sacramento to discuss changes to the SAT and share advice for college-bound students and families. Moreno, who is president of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling, also discussed those admissions topics on KMAX’s Good Day Sacramento.
The Sentinel wrote about Assistant Football Coach Josh Rapp and his heroic drive to Cambridge, Mass., delivering COVID tests to the Broad Institute during the January internet outage. Associate Vice President of Human Resource Services Debra Hargrove was also quoted, and Athletic Director Joel Quattrone and Head Football Coach Brad Fordyce were mentioned.
President Ensign in the News
The Sentinel asked notable community leaders, including President Margee Ensign, what they are most looking forward to in 2021. Ensign’s commentary was published alongside that of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and former Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, among others.
The Sentinel published Ensign’s statements condemning the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Ensign, who leads the Carlisle Community Action Network’s vaccine distribution committee, was interviewed by ABC27 the day Gov. Wolf announced a new vaccine distribution task force. Ensign urged the task force to work with community groups like CAN, which has already mobilized resources and launched vaccine awareness campaigns.
The Global Business School Network invited Ensign to present at one of its monthly Cross-Border Collabs, which are exclusive gatherings for GBSN members focused on engaging their communities to tackle some of the greatest challenges of our time. In March, Ensign presented “Choose to Challenge” with Vinika D. Rao, executive director of INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute and Gender Initiative, Singapore.
Read more from the spring 2021 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
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Published May 17, 2021