Allyson M. Poska, professor of history, has won the 2016 best book prize from the Society for the Study of Early Modern Women for her Gendered Crossings: Women and Migration in the Spanish Empire.
Rabson Publishes Article in Critical Asian Studies
“The Transformation of hinomaru [Japanese national flag] in postwar Okinawa: from symbol of hope to object of contempt” appeared in the July issue of Critical Asian Studies. During the U.S. military occupation (1945-1972), Okinawans staged protests carrying the flag, which represented their hopes for reversion to Japanese sovereignty, defying a ban on its display by American occupation authorities. But after the Japanese government broke its promises for a reversion in 1972 with reduced U.S. bases and without nuclear weapons, the flag became a hated reminder of this betrayal.
Bartram Speaks at Master Gardener Assn. Meeting Oct. 18
Kevin Bartram, director of the University of Mary Washington Philharmonic, will speak at the general membership meeting of the Master Gardener Association of the Central Rappahannock Area (MGACRA).
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, England Run, 806 Lyons Boulevard, in Stafford County. It is free and open to the public.
Topic: History of the Bartram family, America’s founding botanists and discoverers of the famed Franklinia tree. Bartram is also a Master Gardener and Master Tree Steward. He is a descendant of John Bartram, America’s Founding Father of Botany. Come learn about the history of this fascinating family and how they have influenced horticulture in the United States and Europe since before the American Revolution.
Subramanian Publishes Story in Discover Magazine
Sushma Subramanian, journalist and assistant professor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Communication, has published the story “My Forgotten Language” in the November issue of Discover Magazine. Her reported personal essay looks into the science behind how she lost the ability to speak her first language, Tamil, after moving to the United States as a child and being encouraged to only use English by teachers. She speaks to neuroscience researchers about how language is stored in the brain, why she retains the ability to understand but not speak in Tamil and what it might take to bring back the full range of her language abilities.
With Good Reason Interviews Hirshberg on Contemplative Studies, Religion
Dan Hirshberg, assistant professor of religion, was interviewed on With Good Reason about Contemplative Studies as an academic discipline, meditation in the classroom, and the intersection of science and the study of religion.
Blevins Interviewed by Chilean Newspaper
Brenta Blevins, Assistant Professor of English, was recently interviewed by the Chilean newspaper La Tercera about futurism. The article is accessible at
http://www.latercera.com/noticia/la-factoria-ideas/.
Hirshberg Joins Mind & Life Think Tank at Brown University
Dan Hirshberg, assistant professor of religion, participated in a “Think Tank” on Contemplative Studies programs at Brown University, which was sponsored by the Mind & Life Institute. Gathering leaders in the field from across the country, as well as faculty aspiring to introduce new programs, the Think Tank surveyed the current state of this burgeoning field theoretically, practically, and pedagogically, and brainstormed its next steps.
Launched in 2016 by Professors David Ambuel, Dan Hirshberg and Angela Pitts, UMW’s Contemplative Studies minor remains one of very few fully established CS programs in the world.
Larus Participates in Taiwan Workshop
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Waple Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, offered her presentation “Re-affirming U.S.-Taiwan Relations” at the Taiwan Roundtable Refocusing Taiwan-U.S. Relations at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, 2017.
Skallerup Bessette Profiled in Women in Higher Education
Lee Skallerup Bessette, instructional technology specialist in the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies, was profiled in the Sept. 2017 issue of Women in Higher Education.
Brewer Performs at Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival
Cate Brewer, lecturer in theatre and dance, performed at the 16th annual Kennedy Center page-to-stage festival. Cate performed in two play readings for the festival: A Requiem for Sherlock Holmes by Greg Oliver Bodine and The Knot by Liz Maestri.